Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Manchester United come into the 2024/25 Premier League season on the back of an underwhelming outing in the previous campaign, looking for a massive improvement.
Despite the gloomy campaign in the Premier League where they finished in 8th spot, the Red Devils defeated Manchester City 2-0 in the FA Cup final to claim silverware. The triumph at Wembley was enough for the management to extend Erik ten Hag's contract and they hope he can get the club back on track after their poor outing in the 2023/24 season. To that effect, Manchester United tickets will also see a surge in demand for the 2024/25 season.
We want to look at their chances in the Premier League this season compared to what they did last term with respect to the transfer business they have done this summer.
Before Manchester United went further to do anything, the coaching situation at the club was cleared and Erik ten Hag was handed a contract extension at Old Trafford until 2026.
Erik ten Hag said: "I am very pleased to have reached an agreement with the club to continue working together. Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.
"However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles.
"In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together."
Dan Ashworth, Manchester United sporting director, said: "With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football.
"While the club's review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes.
With both reassuring statements from the manager and the Sporting Director, United went into the transfer market with the desire to improve the squad. They eventually landed their first big signing of the summer with Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee arriving from Bologna and a few days later 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro came in from Lille.
As of the time of writing, United have also agreed on deals with Bayern Munich for the signings of Matthijs de Ligt deal and Noussair Mazraoui. The arrival of the two experienced players will bolster the options of Ten Hag in the new season.
As per departures, United have cleared a lot of money off their wage bill, with Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane leaving at the end of their contracts and Donny van de Beek sold for a small fee to Girona. Others include Charlie McNeil (Sheffield Wednesday), Alvaro Fernandez (Benfica), Omari Forson (Monza), Willy Kambwala (Villarreal), and Brandon Williams, Marcus Lawrence, and Kie Plumley were all released.
United have worked smartly in the transfer business this summer and the wage bill has been reduced to an extent while some quality players have been brought in to help strengthen the side as they look to challenge properly in the Premier League this season.
Manchester United, looking back at the 2023/24 season where they finished 8th, will want to quickly forget that campaign and show improvements this season. Ten Hag's side sneaked into the Europa League following their FA Cup win. So they are aware mistakes cannot be allowed to linger this season.
There has been a lot of intent in terms of the arrivals at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have snapped up three defenders to shore up the backline that conceded aplenty last season. In attack, Sancho, who could leave before the end of the transfer window, can become a mainstay in the team, while Zirkzee has joined the attack.
Marcus Rasford was missing last season, as he struggled for fitness and form - a situation that left United's season hanging. While Bruno Fernandes gave his best, it was not enough to help the side finish in a great position in the Premier League. Last season's revelation - Kobbie Mainoo - had a fine outing with England at the Euros and he is expected to play a key role in his side's season this term.
Without any doubt, there is a lot of foundation for Ten Hag to build on this 2024/25 season. Sadly for him, just as his side have been busy in the transfer market, other clubs in the fight for the Premier League title have been well-active and prepared for the season.
United faced off against Arsenal and Liverpool in pre-season and they lost to the two clubs that finished above them in the league last season. The Manchester side left much to be desired from their performances in those games, and their fans were not pleased with the display and the goals they conceded. The Red Devils also lost to Guardiola's Manchester City in the Community Shield on penalties.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag spoke recently about his time at United so far, saying that only Manchester City (four) have won more than their two trophies (EFL Cup 2022/23, FA Cup 2023/24).
"Of course [I feel stronger after winning the FA Cup]," Ten Hag told The Times. "This club didn't win trophies before I came for six years.
"In two years, after Guardiola, we won the most trophies in English football. So we are in a strong position. Look, we can beat every opponent. Not one time, more than one time against City and also against Liverpool," the 54-year-old concluded.
While his point cannot be argued against, his side's poor performance in the league has been underwhelming. The Dutchman knows they need to perform well this time around.
With that being said, United are not title challengers but top four candidates. Even at that, failure to be consistent and address their defence that shipped in a lot of goals last season, they might not find it easy at all.
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