Ahead of the new Premier League season, Manchester United season ticket holder and football writer Michael Burney gave us his view on the goings on at Old Trafford.
What did you make of Manchester United last season?
The fact that we ended up with our worst league finish since 1989/90 says it all, really. It was a poor season from start to finish, with the only plus point being that last game of the season: the FA Cup final win over City at Wembley. That cup final was brilliant and papered over the cracks, leading to a better feeling around the manager and what could be achieved going into this season, especially with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho stepping up and having impressive seasons.
In his first year in charge, Erik ten Hag won the League Cup and got us back into the Champions League. However, a poor start against Brighton and Brentford, and a decline following the League Cup win at Wembley towards the end of that season, culminating in the loss to City in the 2022/23 FA Cup final, ultimately lingered into last season.
A poor first game at home to Wolves, where we labored to a 1-0 win and were rescued by VAR not awarding Wolves a penalty at the end, was just the beginning. There were too many poor performances all season, and home wins against Nottingham Forest and especially Brentford showed that we were not at the level we needed to be, which was evident in Europe. A group stage exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, and Copenhagen wasn’t good enough. We didn’t even have the consolation of dropping into the Europa League.
There were so many issues surrounding the club too, with Jadon Sancho falling out with the manager and Marcus Rashford’s form falling off a cliff. This, coupled with new signings like Antony and Andre Onana failing to live up to their billing, constant injury problems throughout the season, and the players seemingly not being able to play the way the manager initially set out when he was appointed, all blended together to create an imperfect storm.
The protracted takeover of the club also dragged on for far too long, with the atmosphere both in and around the club near rock bottom. The Glazer family dragging their heels and not being willing to commit to helping put the club back where it should be held us back even further. Luckily, that issue has now been somewhat resolved with INEOS taking over the football side of things and hopefully finally ending the drift that the Glazers oversaw.
All in all, I’m just glad last season and all its issues are over and done with, and hopefully, we can move on and improve.
Were you happy to see Erik ten Hag remain as Manchester United manager going into the new season?
Yes, I think every manager post-Fergie has encountered the same problems. The ownership model doing the bare minimum on the football side, and not even having a proper structure to support the manager or provide them with their preferred targets, has ensured that everyone following Sir Alex Ferguson has faced a near-impossible job, especially when coupled with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City dominating the domestic game.
At the end of last season, it seemed clear that INEOS was putting its pieces into place by building a real football structure and sorting out how the club is run on the football side. However, what was less clear was whether they wanted Erik ten Hag to be the man in the dugout to work alongside Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada, and others. That cup final win at Wembley may have persuaded them to stick with the manager for another season, at least.
From my point of view, I think INEOS would’ve changed the manager if they thought they could get someone better. However, ten Hag is the first manager in the club’s history to win two trophies in his first two seasons with United, and he deserves the chance to work under a proper football structure and be backed to overhaul the squad and playing style in conjunction with those above him.
As I mentioned, everyone has failed since Fergie due to a lack of joined-up thinking. I believe that ten Hag should be afforded the opportunity to see if he can bring long-term success within a positive environment. However, the ‘new contract’ he was awarded this summer was just the optional one-year extension that INEOS was happy to activate. I think that if we don’t make the top four this season and don’t see much improvement in terms of performances, then INEOS will make a change next summer. But I do feel he deserves another year at the very least.
What do you believe the club can achieve this season?
To be honest, I think we could see anything this season. We’ve effectively had one good season and one bad season under Erik ten Hag. The fact that we now have a footballing structure in place, with clear lines of communication and planning, makes me feel that, long-term, we’re at the start of getting back to the top of the game. However, I wouldn’t be too shocked if there is still plenty of turbulence in the short term.
The two main summer signings look promising but also lack experience at this level. The fact that Leny Yoro has been ruled out for three months is a huge blow at the back, as it seemed ten Hag was looking to build out from the back even more this season, and Yoro would surely have been a big part of that. With Joshua Zirkzee, he isn’t a prolific striker and has made the jump from an overachieving side in Serie A, like Rasmus Hojlund did last summer, to leading the line for arguably the biggest club in the world.
I think if Marcus Rashford gets back to the form he showed in 2022/23 and Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo continue to progress, then our season will depend on their goals and contributions. We don’t seem to get loads of crosses or early balls into the box, which Hojlund’s game relies on. Zirkzee is a different type of player who can drop deep and allow the likes of Rashford and Garnacho to go beyond.
I don’t think we are good enough defensively, and I have doubts about Andre Onana, although David De Gea improved after a poor first season at United. The main issue will be midfield, where we are relying on Casemiro playing nearly every game to provide the defensive solidity to allow Kobbie Mainoo to get on the ball and Bruno Fernandes to get forward and create. However, Casemiro, as intelligent a footballer as he is, cannot play every game anymore. I feel we need a younger, more mobile defensive midfielder to really kick on.
At the moment, the club appears to be close to finalizing deals for Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich to improve and add depth to the backline. Both of these players have worked under ten Hag before at Ajax, but as we’ve seen with Antony, for example, that doesn’t always translate to United. The De Ligt transfer worries me because he’s had some serious knee injuries, and Bayern Munich, like Real Madrid, don’t let their best players leave unless they have issues or are past their best. With Mazraoui, he wasn’t first choice at Bayern Munich either, and personally, I’d like to see an upgrade on Diogo Dalot instead.
I think it’s very possible that we get top four this season, and I do think we will. With Liverpool in transition under Arne Slot, Chelsea being Chelsea again under Todd Boehly, Spurs being frail defensively, and Aston Villa having to deal with Champions League football this season, there’s a real chance we do make the top four. However, I also wouldn’t be massively shocked if we underperformed again. I am sure, though, that long-term we’re beginning to find the right path again.
Should INEOS redevelop Old Trafford or build a new stadium?
Personally, I think iconic clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, etc., should always stick to their principles and what made them the great clubs that they are. For United, that will, for me, always be promoting youth players and trying to play fast, attacking football. The memories, magical moments, and triumphs at Old Trafford will live on forever, and ideally, I think we should stay there.
The fact that a new stadium will be built on land adjacent to Old Trafford will cushion any blow to those who would like to stay at the current ground. I think a good compromise would be to keep some of the features of the existing ground, like the Holy Trinity statue and the Munich Tunnel. I’d imagine it would be relatively easy to do if a new ground is built next to the existing Old Trafford. I also think it would be a good idea to keep the land where the current pitch is to create a smaller youth team and women’s team stadium with other facilities, similar to La Masia and what City studied and subsequently created for themselves.
We all know the game and life move on, and what is abundantly clear is that the Glazer ownership has massively neglected the club’s core infrastructure. In 2003, Old Trafford hosted the Champions League final. Two years later, the Glazers gained control, and now the stadium isn’t fit for purpose to be considered for major events like the 2028 European Championships to be held in the UK and Ireland.
I think it’s obvious a new stadium will be built next to the existing Old Trafford, and that will allow us to continue playing there until the new stadium is opened. Having listened to and seen many opinions on this, it probably seems the best way to go and what will actually happen. But I would like to see some of the features of Old Trafford retained and for the club to properly consult with season ticket holders and supporters on what they want, too. It should be a football stadium first and foremost, not just a soulless, money-making, multi-purpose bowl that also hosts a football team.
Callum McFadden 