Here are your Manchester United morning headlines for Tuesday, 7 July.
Eight contracts running down but only one to focus on
The Old Trafford hierarchy have a busy time coming up, not just with the transfer window approaching but also in regard to sorting out the futures of several players already at Manchester United.
Samuel Luckhurst delves into the eight who are out of contract in 2021 - pending United’s own plus-one option - and identifies the need to sell, release or extend each individual.
Some are straight-forward: Jesse Lingard is well out of the picture and Lee Grant could join the coaching staff.
But the one which seems to continually produce transfer storylines, battles with agents and unspoken agreements is that of Paul Pogba.
Luckhurst says Bruno Fernandes has “shown United can cope” without the French World Cup winner, but they certainly look a better team with both players in place.
It means another tricky negotiating run lies ahead, one which could shape the rest of the team for years to come.
Why Solskjaer must strike balance in upcoming run
United have improved their position immeasurably with a run of wins in the Premier League, but the fixture list since the restart has been kind to say the least.
None of Sheffield United, Brighton or Bournemouth put up any kind of resistance, while FA Cup opponents Norwich are bottom of the league for a reason.
But now comes a tougher run where manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must be able to both rotate his side without losing balance, and keep earning victories even without some key men, says Tyrone Marshall.
It’s the period which will define whether or not the season is a success: games every three days, an FA Cup semi-final and difficult away trips.
The top four is within touching distance, but the Premier League has a habit of snatching prizes away at the last minute if standards are allowed to slip.
Pogba’s tactical role for the good of the team
Paul Pogba’s return to fitness has seen him quickly exert authority over the team again - but not in a centre-of-attention way, rather one which allows the rest of the players to perform well around him.
The midfielder has been selfless in his running, deeper in his positional work and economical in his on-the-ball contributions, whether that’s to keep the team’s tempo up or be more aggressive and direct in his play.
David Alexander Hughes delves into the tactical role and importance of Pogba’s movement in the team, highlighted by his involvement in Anthony Martial’s goal against Bournemouth.
It’s a less starring role for the midfielder, but a vitally important one for the team.
