Football Season Guide

A miserable 2023/24 season led to Manchester United’s worst ever Premier League finish. The Red Devils finished eighth and they would have missed out on European qualification having not won the FA Cup trophy. None of the top-10 sides scored fewer goals than Man Utd (58), who registered a record 14 Premier League defeats. Injuries played a part, but it was also the questionable tactics that led to a negative goal difference (-1). Raphael Varane has been the only starter to part ways with the club after failing to convince at Old Trafford. He has been replaced by prodigious defender Lenny Yoro, who, at 18, lacks experience and may need time to adapt to his new team. Bologna’s top goalscorer Joshua Zirkzee also joined Man Utd after helping his team qualify for the Champions League. Despite their poor season, Erik Ten Hag has been given another opportunity to bring Man Utd back to top-four spots. However, luck does not seem to be on his side, as Yoro and Rasmus Hojlund will be sidelined for three and two months, respectively, and will miss the first few weeks of the upcoming campaign. Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo showed glimpses of what they can offer on the pitch and Ten Hag is aware that the potential is there to be harnessed, with prodigies Yoro and Zirkzee adding more spark to the mix. Manchester United must improve in the final third. Last season’s attacking numbers were abysmal and the fact that they sat 15th in Opta’s "Expected Points" table says it all.