Manchester Dreams.jpg

With the new Premier League season about to start, Manchester United fans are wondering, “Is this the year we finally get title #21?” It’s been 11 long years since Robin van Persie led the Red Devils to the league, and since then, they’ve been in the wilderness. 

Yes, they’ve had some success in the FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League, but the Premier League title is what they really want. Head Coach Erik ten Hag was in a tough spot at the end of last season, finishing 8th in the league with 14 losses and a -1 goal difference leading to their worst performance in Premier League history. 

While they suffered injuries to their defense and midfield, it was their attacking output that left the football world puzzled. They only scored 57 league goals while conceding 58. Those 57 goals were 19 fewer than any team who qualified for Europe. Of their 60 points earned in the league last season, 39 came from bottom-half clubs and 16 from newly promoted clubs. 

With talks of Erik ten Hag’s sacking all but official, an unlikely but convincing victory in the FA Cup final over Manchester City saved the Dutchman’s job. Now in his third year, the expectation would usually be to compete for the league title, especially with all the investment in the team. But it’s not that straightforward.

**A Summer of Change**

This summer has brought big changes to the club. Off the pitch, Omar Berrada (Chief Executive), Dan Ashworth (Sporting Director), and Christopher Vivell (Director of Global Talent) have taken on new roles to strengthen the upper management side of things. 

Rene Hake and club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy have joined Erik ten Hag coaching crew as assistants, while Andreas Georgson, previously with Arsenal and Southampton, has been appointed as the new set-piece coach. On the pitch, changes have been minimal, with only Leny Yoro (center-back) and Joshua Zirkzee (attacker) coming in. However, at least three more additions are expected before the transfer window closes.

These aren't just typical changes; they mark a hard reset on the Manchester United project, further highlighted by Erik ten Hag's 2-year contract extension last month. While this might seem minor at first glance, it signals the new management's intent to be patient with the Head Coach. With this in mind, fans should be cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season. Yes, going by the timeline when Erik ten Hag was initially hired, year 3 should be a title-challenging year. However, things have changed. 

**What To Expect This Season**

In a way, repeating Erik ten Hag’s first season’s achievements would be considered a success, and anything better would be almost miraculous. Falling short, however, might set off alarm bells once again. In ten Hag’s debut season, Manchester United finished 3rd, won the League Cup, reached the FA Cup final, and made it to the Europa League quarter-finals. 

This was impressive given the mid-season challenges particularly the unavailability of Antony Martial, Mason Greenwood, and Cristiano Ronaldo for various reasons. Last season, it was hard to build on that foundation due to an unprecedented injury crisis that saw 7th choice center-back Jonny Evans make 30 appearances.

Manchester United don't expect to face the same injury wave, but fans can't help but worry. New signing Leny Yoro is out for three months with a foot injury, and striker Rasmus Højlund will miss up to six weeks with a hamstring injury, ruling him out of the season's opening month for the second year in a row. Last season, he got 10 league goals in 30 games following a slow start and the fear is that this missed time could lead to yet another struggle to catch up.  

Also, key players like Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, and Alejandro Garnacho are just returning to training after extended breaks due to international commitments. This could lead to another slow start, and as Manchester City and Arsenal have shown over the past two seasons, teams that start poorly in the title race can quickly fall behind and almost never recover.


**Making A Case For Some Optimism**

We’re not expecting Manchester United to win the league this season, but we do think they’ll make a strong push for a top four  spot, and at BetKing, we’ve got the best odds for our online betting community. 

Last season, teenagers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo made big strides in their development, with Mainoo even breaking into England's starting lineup at Euro 2024. Erik ten Hag’s trust in young players has inspired others, showing that hard work can lead to opportunities. 

This played a key role in the decisions of new signing Leny Yoro and Chido Obi-Martin, the highly rated teenager who just joined from Arsenal. Amad Diallo, the 22-year-old winger who joined in 2021, shares this sentiment. After successful loan spells at Rangers and Sunderland, Diallo returned to Manchester United last season, but a recurring knee injury limited him to just 12 appearances.

However, he showed flashes of his talent towards the end of the season, scoring the winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final and notching a goal and an assist in the narrow win over Newcastle on Matchday 37. Over Manchester United’s pre-season, he’s been the team’s standout player, leading many to believe this could be the Ivorian’s breakout year.

● Bet on Manchester United to Finish in the Top 4 

Marcus Rashford is another player to watch this season. After a stellar 2022/23 campaign where he scored a career-high 30 goals and added 10 assists, his performance dipped significantly last season, managing only 8 goals and 5 assists. 

This decline cost him his starting spot a few times and, more importantly, led to him being left out of England's Euro 2024 squad. Now, with time to physically and mentally reset, the expectation is that he’ll bounce back and have a great year ahead. Our bet of the day is for the Englishman to open the scoring in this weekend’s Community Shield. 

● Bet of Marcus Rashford as the First Scorer in the Community Shield 

Overall, there’s plenty for Manchester United fans to be excited about. With Lisandro Martinez returning to full fitness in defense and potential reinforcements in the midfield likely in the coming weeks, the team should get a solid boost. 

The upgraded coaching staff, including Ruud van Nistelrooy himself teaching the art of scoring, is expected to improve the attacking output. A top-four finish and deep cup runs should be the goal as the team sets its sights on capturing the league title within the next three years.

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News

Manchester Dreams: What Will It Take For The Red Devils to Challenge This Season?

● Bet on Manchester United to Finish in the Top 4

● Bet of Marcus Rashford as the First Scorer in the Community Shield