Times are changing at Manchester United: finally out of the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson (though this all depends on the final contract status of Jonny Evans) Erik ten Hag seems to have finally imposed the Red Devils as title contenders once again, thanks to a ludicrous spending spree in the past three transfer windows and an often threatening style of play. Boasting new faces in key positions and a return to Champions League football, will things continue to go onward and upward in the red half of Manchester?
Who's in charge?
Erik ten Hag’s arrival last season may have got off to the worst possible start with back to back humiliating defeats against Brentford and Brighton, but their resurgence around the turn of the new year saw them scoop the Carabao Cup and pose a major threat to Man City and Liverpool’s established dominance from the past few seasons.
Under ten Hag, Man Utd defeated the rest of the ‘Big Six’ in the League at least once, but his failure to adapt and properly estimate the capabilities of those below Man Utd did inflict crushing defeats against the likes of Newcastle and the aforementioned Brighton.
No doubt a phenomenal coach in training and when leading games, can ten Hag show his coaching versatility and adaptability more often, and help Man Utd win games that they so convincingly lost last season.
The In's and Out's
In’s
- Rasmus Hojlund (€75m from Atalanta)
- Mason Mount (€64m from Chelsea)
- Andre Onana (€52m from Inter)
- Jonny Evans (Free from Leicester)
Out’s
- Anthony Elanga (€17.5m to Nottingham Forest)
- Alex Telles (€7m to Al Nassr)
- Zidane Iqbal (€1m to Utrecht)
- David de Gea (Contract Expired)
- Phil Jones (Contract Expired)
- Axel Tuanzebe (Contract Expired)
- Marcel Sabitzer (End of Loan)
- Wout Weghorst (End of Loan)
- Jack Butland (End of Loan)
✍️ It's official.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 5, 2023
Welcome to Manchester United, Mason Mount! 🔴#MUFC
Manchester United’s Standout Player
Love him or loathe him, there’s no denying that Bruno Fernandes, the new club captain at Manchester United, will be the lynchpin behind any success the team has this season.
Making the most appearances in the entire squad last season, and with only Marcus Rashford scoring more goals than the Portuguese international, the upcoming season provides Fernandes with an exciting opportunity to be the truly top talisman he’s often hyped up to be.
Will it be a successful or unsuccessful season for Manchester United?
The success of Manchester United this season, in both the Premier League and across all competitions, will come down more to the misfortune of those around them rather than their own efforts.
Manchester City look as formidable as ever in spite of recent departures, Arsenal have only strengthened their title pushing side from last season, Newcastle look to well and truly out of the mid-season lull that allowed the Red Devils to triumph in the Carabao Cup final, and a lack of Champions League football-free season for Liverpool should see them finish much higher in the league table.
But Manchester United fans can be very optimistic for success this upcoming season: the addition of Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund may have been two big money signings, but both come with immense potential and add some much needed stability to two consistent problem areas for Manchester United last season.
We predict a comfortable top 4 finish for Manchester United this season, and fans can expect deep runs in all of the domestic and continental competitions they’re involved in this season.
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