Is Manchester United back on track?

The wait is over! The Premier League 2022/2023 season is about to begin. Depending on the team they support, football fans will have various ambitions and hopes for the upcoming season. Yet, for a particular team, it’s always difficult to have accurate expectations, because there is generally a huge gap between the quality of the players and the end result. This team is Manchester United. Again this season, the Red Devils will kick-off their season with the same huge question mark.

Will they fulfill their Theater of Dreams with victories, or will they fall flat? Last season was a symptomatic example of this. It started with an incredible summer transfer window and the return of Cristiano Ronaldo and ended with a very disappointing 6th place in the league, 35 points behind Manchester City. So what can ManU fans expect for the upcoming season? Let’s see in detail the changes that occurred in the previous weeks, and if this can be enough to push Manchester United back on top of the PL.

• New coach with Erik ten Hag. Dutch tactician Erik ten Hag has joined Manchester United at the beginning of the summer. He carries an excellent reputation after having revived Ajax Amsterdam playing style and results in the previous years. Ten Hag’s adaptation to Manchester and the Premier League is promising so far. Fans can hope that their team will finally develop a coherent, modern and pleasing football, especially when playing at home in the Old Trafford stadium.

• Transfers : a more peaceful locker room? Paul Pogba left the club as a free agent and joined Juventus. The sporting loss is somewhat limited, as Pogba never ceased to disappoint during his time at Manchester. Ronaldo is likely to stay eventually, after expressing some wishes to depart. Center-back Lisandro Martinez from Ajax came to put Harry Maguire on the bench, something supporters can only approve. Overall, the summer was quiet, in a positive way.

• Preparation matches were not very conclusive.   Manchester started the summer with a very convincing win 4-0 against Liverpool. But the team suffered in their last 3 friendlies, as they could not win against Aston Villa, Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. Still, it’s very early in the season, so these results can’t be used as a reliable hint. What we saw during these matches is that Manchester practices a more pressing and alert football, showing that players adhere to Ten Hag’s philosophy.

So yes, it was a promising summer for Manchester United. The main point is that their new coach is more likely than his predecessor to make the most of a talented squad. But as always with Manchester United, time is the essence and supporters are impatient. Erik ten Hag and the Red Devils will need to pack wins and points early in the season to convince their huge fandom that this time, Manchester United is finally on the right track. 

tip for this season? Manchester United will indeed get the satisfying result that their fans are hoping for. I expect the Red Devils to finish third or fourth in the Premier League and thus qualify for the Champions League.