New look Man United could be ready to conquer Europe after long wait

A famous comparison was once made between basketball and football. It argued that in the case of the former, adding one star player to a team could win a championship, with the obvious example being Lebron James at the Cleveland Cavaliers. For football, the opposite is true; teams are only as good as their weakest player. Such are the tight margins in a football match that one mistake by a poor defender or goalkeeper can cost a match, and ultimately, a title.

However, now and again a player joins a football team and becomes that final piece in the puzzle, offering such talismanic quality that the whole team is lifted as a result. It has happened in the past with the likes Eric Cantona joining Manchester United, or Denis Bergkamp being the catalyst for Arsène Wenger’s early success at Arsenal. It is too early to suggest that Alexis Sanchez will have that impact on Manchester United’s fortunes, but the signs are there that his signing could be transformative.

Sanchez could be the link-man United have been missing

On paper, of course, United have a wonderful side – it is one of the most expensively assembled squads in history according to the Guardian. While results have been okay, they have not dominated in the way such a group of players should.

Sanchez may be the key to unlocking United’s fortunes. He is a player who thrives in those transitionary moments between defending and attacking, the pivot man who can change sterile possession to opportunity in an instant. That is exactly what United have been missing in recent seasons.

It is, of course, too late for United fans to be dreaming of the Premier League. Bitter rivals Manchester City have it sewn up. There is no doubt about that. The Champions League is a different matter though. In this line, football bookmakers find United as seventh-favourites at 16/1 to win Europe’s premier club competition for a fourth time. City are favourites at 7/2, with PSG (5/1), Bayern Munich (11/2) and Barcelona (6/1) close behind.

Losing PSG or Madrid could open up quarter-finals

While there are some wonderful teams left in the competition, several which are arguably more accomplished than United, it could be argued that United have been priced much too high by bookmakers.

There are some factors that have fallen in their favour: a reasonably manageable fixture against an average Sevilla side; the fact that three from PSG, Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Juventus and Tottenham will be eliminated in the quarter finals. The draw could really open up in the next round of fixtures.

United also have the squad depth to cope with the demands of the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. Quality cover is available in almost every position, with perhaps only Paul Pogba being truly indispensable to the team.

In Jose Mourinho they have manager who is a master at grinding out results away from home against superior attacking sides. These are the, often overlooked, extra factors that win trophies.

Sanchez’ importance should not be underestimated

Then there is Sanchez: sometimes the player fits into the team, but at other times, the team fits around the player. His arrival has improved United’s chances by a much more considerable margin than any of the acquisitions of their European rivals in January. Will it be enough to propel them towards a trophy that seemed unlikely a few months ago? It could just be the case that we look back with hindsight and see the Chilean as the man who made the difference at Old Trafford.