That was a Champions League campaign to forget. We’re in the New Year now, and every Manchester United player is going to appreciate the time to focus on a new calendar year – putting the first half of the 23/24 season behind them. How did it come to this?
The Lead Up to UCL
You would have thought reaching the FA Cup final and winning the Carabao Cup would have been a good kicking-on point for coach Erik ten Hag, but even going into the UCL season, Manchester United were not in a good place.
Goals were what they struggled with last season – missing a host of chances regularly. This could have been changed during the transfer window before the new season, with the Number 9 shirt desperately needing to be filled. Who was available during this transfer window? Harry Kane. Who was signed? Rasmus Hojlund.
Now, we’re not saying that Hojlund isn’t a great player. But he is a youngster and an unproven youngster at that. If Manchester United needed anything, it was stability in the striker position, and that’s not what they got.
Forms across the board were fluctuating, too. Take the full-back, Diogo Dalot. Brilliant player, right? Only the expectations for him – amongst such uncertainty – were sky-high, and being under the microscope was proving a challenge.
The UCL 2023 Campaign
The Red Devils weren’t expected to challenge in the latter stages of the competition – but reaching the knockouts was a bare minimum. Things got off to a rotten start against Bayern – a team that MGM UK favours for the title – when Man United let an opening win slip from their fingers. Granted, this was down to a slightly dodgy VAR decision – what even is a handball anymore? – but that doesn’t excuse the rather lacklustre performance. This was followed up by a loss to Galatasaray in October, then a back-to-back loss against Copenhagen, a draw with Galatasaray, and a final nail in the coffin when Kingsley Coman whipped the ball past Onana.
There was never really a bright moment, and to be fair, not a lot of us expected one. But what we really didn’t expect was how low Manchester United could fall. At the end of the UCL, Manchester United claimed the prize for the most goals conceded in a group stage by an English team. It was 15 in all, and each one of them hurt more than a sucker punch to the gut.
Of course, the group was not an easy one. Bayern Munich are at the top of their game – ahem, especially with Harry Kane in their midst! – and Copenhagen have some fierce competitors in their backline. But so many of these goals were avoidable. A good portion was completely self-inflicted, and some were just flat-out bizarre from a team coached by Ten Hag.
Manchester United looked lost on the field. Out of their depth. A shadow of the team that won the 2008 Champions League. There’s only so much you can learn from those conceded goals, too. As we mentioned before, this is a UCL campaign to forget. Hopefully with a lot of turkey and some pigs and blankets to ease the pain.
Into 2024
Manchester United have a lot of work to do to instil confidence in their fans, and we’re not going to be completely pessimistic: we’re sure they can do it. They have new deals like the Adidas extension going for them, and plenty of cash to make a big impact in the next transfer window.
If they sort out their striking dilemma, focus on protecting their star players like Rashford and Dalot, and work through their injury problems – of which there are plenty, to be fair – then there’s every chance they can start playing with the big dogs again. For now, however, they need to take some time to rejuvenate themselves. Spend time with family. Eat some turkey. Unwrap some presents. And kick into 2024 with a fresh outlook. You can do it, boys!
