It has been another miserable season for Manchester United supporters. Their side failed to win some silverware and once again they finished outside of the top four in the Premier League standings, meaning they will not be playing Champions League football next season.
United fans will be hoping their fortunes change in the 2022/23 campaign, and they are plenty of reasons for them to be optimistic.
Ten Hag Brings About New Era
Dutchman Erik ten Hag will pick up the reins from Ralf Rangnick this summer, and this will bring about a new era at the football club. The Ajax manager has a reputation for playing attractive football and getting positive results.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKwEhdD9bhU&ab_channel=AFCAjax
The 52-year-old has been at Ajax since 2017 and in that five-year spell as their manager, he has won the league title three times. He also helped the club reach the semi-final of the Champions League in 2019, where a late stoppage time goal from Lucas Moura denied them a spot in the final.
Ten Hag will bring his own ideas to the job at Old Trafford. He is likely to acquire his own players, which will suit his system and style of football. He has a contract until at least June 2025, so it looks as though he will be given full support at the football club.
The new United boss is going to be supported by Steve McClaren. The former England manager had a successful spell at the club under Sir Alex Ferguson. His experience with the club could prove invaluable to the new Reds boss.
Given how poorly United have performed over the last few years, it may be the perfect time for ten Hag to join the club. As of the 20th May, there are 20/1 in the sports betting for the Premier League title next season. Those odds indicate that immediate success will not be expected from the Dutchman.
Summer Clear Out
This summer is going to see a large turnaround of players at the Manchester club. Many high-profile names are set to leave the club when their contracts expire. Ten Hag is expected to sit down with those players and then decide which of those he will offer a new deal to.
Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata and former Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Vidic are just some of the players whose contracts are up this summer. Some of those have been with the club for a long period. Many of them are also on lucrative contracts, so if they did move on, it would free up some space in the wage budget.
Ronaldo Continues To Score Goals
One of the few positives for Manchester United over the last 12 months has been the form of Cristiano Ronaldo. In what was his first season back at the club after 12 years, he has scored over 20 goals in all competitions.
The Portuguese star is likely to be a key part of ten Hag’s team next season. The Dutchman’s job will be to support Ronaldo, not just with players who can assist him on the pitch, but also those who can chip in with more goals, taking the pressure off the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Chelsea Could Be Weakened Next Season
One of ten Hag’s aims over the next couple of seasons will be to bridge the gap between Manchester City and Liverpool. Those clubs have had a lot of success domestically and in Europe over the last few years.
Chelsea are another club United have to reel in. The West London club are set to lose two of their key defenders at the end of the season, as Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have agreed to join Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Thomas Tuchel may not be able to add to his squad until later this summer, which may leave them behind their rivals in the pursuit of their targets.
The new Premier League season is set to begin on the 6th of August. United fans will be hoping the XI which lines up for their opening game will be much stronger than they have fielded over the last 12 months. If they get off to a good start, it could be the first step towards success again.
