Juan Mata Says Manchester United Are 'Getting Closer' to Winning EPL Title

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata believes the club is "getting closer" to winning the Premier League title.

The Spaniard spoke to the Mail on Sunday's Oliver Holt and said he has been told by some people he joined United "at the wrong time." However, he wants to see them return to their former glory:

"I wish it was in a time when we were winning Premier Leagues but I want to change what is happening. We are getting closer. There is no way this club is not going to come back to where it should be. 

"Hopefully that will be with me because that is what I wish for more than anything else right now in my professional career. But if not, it will happen without me.

"There will be nothing that will make me happier than feeling that. I felt that deep happiness with the supporters by winning an important trophy. I wouldn't change that for anything."

Mata arrived at the club in January 2014, a little more than six months after the retirement of manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the departure of chief executive David Gill.

Under Ferguson, United won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two UEFA Champions Leagues.

Since his retirement, the Red Devils have finished in the top four just twice. The closest they have come to winning the title was in the 2017-18 season, when they came second with 81 points, but champions Manchester City racked up 100.

As for silverware, United won the FA Cup in 2016 under Louis van Gaal, while Jose Mourinho delivered the EFL Cup and the UEFA Europa League the following year.

Football writer Liam Canning expressed his frustrations with the club after the 2-0 loss to West Ham United last weekend:

BBC Radio Manchester's Liam Bradford had sympathy for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer:

On Wednesday, United had to resort to penalties to beat Rochdale in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford after being held to a 1-1 draw by the League One outfit.

As the Telegraph's James Ducker observed, United aren't achieving what they should be given the resources that have been pumped into the squad:

Although the club has been willing to splash the cash in the transfer market since Ferguson retired, recruitment has been hit-and-miss.

Even this summer, in which Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James were brought in, United failed to sign a midfielder or a forward. Marouane Fellaini left in the winter, while Ander Herrera, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez departed in the summer.

This season, United have won just two of their six Premier League games to leave them 13 points behind leaders Liverpool even at this early stage. The Reds finished 31 points ahead of United last season and came second behind City, as well as winning the Champions League.

The club lacks a coherently assembled squad at a time when two of their biggest rivals are among the best sides in Europe.

Despite Mata's assertion, United are still a long way off even challenging for the title in the near future, let alone winning it.