The 2023/24 season was a poor one for Manchester United in the Premier League. They finished eighth place, eight points adrift of the Champions League, with a -1 goal difference.
However, they did at least claim silverware, courtesy of a 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup, which saw them qualify for the Europa League.
Well, we say it was a poor season, for any other team it would be a fantastic season but for Man United it isn’t good enough to match their expectations.
Erik Ten Hag’s future questioned
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As is usually the case with struggling teams, the Red Devils’ poor campaign was laid at the door of the head coach, in this case, Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman seemed to lose the dressing room during the campaign. When that happens, it usually leads to a head coach losing their job.
There will always be questions when a team like United suffers 14 defeats in a league season. That number of losses suggests that major issues need to be addressed.
In a surprise move, the men from Manchester extended his contract until 2026 instead of firing their Dutch boss.
The decision came after speculation that several high-profile head coaches, including Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, would replace Ten Hag.
The fact that United have won two trophies in as many years with Ten Hag shows that he does have the tactical acumen needed to turn United’s fortunes around. However, he has already demonstrated his managerial skills at his former club, Ajax.
With the Amsterdam giants, he was a very astute tactician with his own ideas and distinctive style of play.
However, to implement his style of play at United, he needed the right players, and last season, he didn’t have those players.
Changes to the backroom staff
In an attempt to bring some freshness to his team, Ten Hag has decided to change his backroom staff. The biggest change is that assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag has left to attempt to forge his own path as a number one elsewhere.
He has previously been head coach at Maritimo, Eindhoven, and NAC Breda, among other clubs. Forward coach Benni McCarthy has also left the set-up.
They have been replaced by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake, two of Ten Hag’s compatriots. The pair have been brought in as joint assistant managers.
Hake and Van Nistelrooy have both recently had managerial experience. The former managed Go Ahead Eagles to ninth place in the Eredivisie table in season 2023/24.
They qualified for the European play-offs and sealed a spot in the Europa Conference League preliminary round after winning the play-offs.
Hake and Ten Hag are good friends off the pitch and previously worked together in the youth set-up at FC Twente.
Van Nistelrooy is obviously no stranger to United fans. He spent five prolific seasons with the Red Devils as a player and is still highly regarded at the Manchester club.
Since ending his playing career, Van Nistelrooy has spent time in his national team set-up.
However, more importantly he also had a spell as head coach of Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, where he won the KNVB Cup. His coaching experience could be invaluable to Ten Hag as he looks to turn things around at the club.
New recruits could add to optimism over youngsters
While United finished eighth place in the Premier League, there were some promising signs during the campaign.
Last season, two major positives for the Red Devils were youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, who emerged as key players.
Both youngsters came into the United team and enjoyed stellar campaigns. Their performances led to international call-ups for the pair for the summer, with Mainoo playing for England at Euro2024 and Garnacho representing Argentina in the Copa America.
They are the sort of exciting and vibrant young players that Ten Hag will be looking at to help his team succeed in the future.
Of course, United will be looking to add fresh players to their squad this summer. A new centre-back is at the top of their priority list after veteran Johnny Evans played far more games than expected in season 2023/24.
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has been their main transfer target. However, the Red Devils have yet to meet the Toffees asking price with numerous bids.
They have also been linked with moves for Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Lille’s Lenny Yoro.
A new centre-back will likely be brought in to partner Argentinian star Lisandro Martinez at the heart of the defence.
At the other end of the pitch, United look set to bring in a new central striker. They have agreed to pay the reported release clause of £33.7m to sign Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee.
@jar_ez Welcome to Manchester United Joshua Zirkzee 🔥🔴. #fyp #mufc #manchesterunited #joshuazirkzee #herewego #fabrizioromano #jarezfootball
The Dutch international played a key role in Bologna’s fourth-place finish in Serie A and claiming a Champions League spot.
He was also part of the Netherlands squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro2024, only for his team to suffer a 2-1 loss against England.
However, it seems United are unlikely to stop at just Zirkzee when it comes to attacking additions. Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin are reportedly on the club’s wanted list.
Both will be out of contract in the summer of 2025, so their clubs may be willing to negotiate a deal.
The club seems to be more cautious in the transfer market this summer after some missteps in recent windows, with hundreds of millions wasted on players who have not performed.
A fresh start for season 2024/25
The changes in the backroom staff and new arrivals will make it feel like something of a fresh start for Ten Hag at United in the new season.
A few tweaks to the team, including bringing in the right players, should move the Red Devils in the right direction. It seems unlikely that the team will finish in such a lowly position in the new season.
The club has backed Erik ten Hag with a new contract. He now has to go and repay them for their faith by helping the team enjoy an improved campaign in 2024/25.
Where will Manchester United finish in the Premier League in season 2024/25?