Our 2nd place last season wasn't great. We played awfully in a good 70% of our games, but somehow kept coming back and winning them. No crowds massively helped this. We went the whole of last season not losing an away game. That never happens with crowds in the grounds. We only finished on 74 points. Liverpool and Chelsea had disastrous seasons. If they had more 'normal' seasons, at best, we'd have finished 3rd. The squad as a whole were better last season.
We didn't get the players that we really needed. We needed a defensive midfielder and right winger. We had players that weren't happy, but were kept at the club. We tried to play more attacking football. It massively failed. It then took way too long to sack Ole. He should have been sacked after the Liverpool game. I think some of the poorer performances at the start of the season really hit the players' confidence. There were way too many games where we almost abandoned defending. We got countered so easily. A big chunk of the goals we conceded were on the counter. I kept reading so many people saying that we're playing Fred and McTominay, so we we're being defensive. I must have been watching different games to them. Our whole team were pushed into the oppositions half in most games when we had the ball.
When Rangnick came in, we started to defend a bit better, but our finishing was absolutely dreadful. We went through a good couple months when our xG was looking good, but Ronaldo and Bruno were missing chances for fun. The manager can only do so much. I think losing Greenwood during this period really cost us. I think he would have played and scored some goals when Ronaldo needed a rest. After going out of the CL, I think the confidence was completely gone. The wheels have really fallen off since then. Any of the progress we made under Rangnick has gone.
A big issue is our key players have been woeful this season. Maguire, Shaw, Bruno, and Rashford. We count on them to perform and they've been nowhere near good enough.