After a very rough 2021/2022 campaign which saw two managerial changes, Manchester United are looking to kickstart a new era at Old Trafford under new boss Erik Ten Hag.
Ten Hag is a very well respected Dutch manager who was in-control of Eredivsie side Ajax between 2017 and 2022, gaining a lot of acclaim after taking his side all the way to the 2018/19 UCL semi-finals which saw them lose in heartbreaking fashion to Tottenham.
This past summer has seen quite a few key departures from United including the likes of mercurial superstar Paul Pogba, who has joined Juventus on a free transfer, and the likes of longtime players in Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard, while also seeing the aging Nemanja Matic also leave for free, a new guard is seemingly on the horizon for the Red Devils.
United fans will still see familiar faces in the side when they return to action on August 5th, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire, who all seemed to caught the ire of United fans for the past few years looking for another chance with one of England’s most historic clubs.
Returning favourites to the side will include Jadon Sancho, who had a decent end of the 2022 campaign and is looking to build on what was a lukewarm first season and Anthony Elanga who took his chances during the final months of last season as he looks to be a regular starter on the first team.
Fans should also look to Bruno Fernandes, who will be given the number 8 shirt following Juan Mata’s departure, as he will look to produce the magic he once showed during his first year with the club.
The new boss has already made some much needed additions to the side by first bringing in the young Tyrell Malacia, a fullback from Feyenoord, Christian Eriksen as a free agent and Lisandro Martinez, a center-back from Ajax who could cost United upwards of €68 million, bolstering the defence and the midfield.
But the new boss is adamant the club needs more signings as they have been in constant talks with Barcelona for one of Ten Hag’s former Ajax superstars in Frenkie De Jong, while also looking at his former club to pry the Brazilian winger Antony from them as well.
Another cause for concern is where Cristiano Ronaldo fits into Ten Hag’s plans, since his agent formally announced that the superstar wanted a move away from the team, just one season after he made what should have been his triumphant return to Old Trafford.
Questions about the Portuguese superstar seem to be at the forefront of a laundry list of tasks for the new boss to address ahead of the start of the season and beyond.
United will definitely need to improve on the sixth placed finish from last season which will see them play Europa League football on Thursday’s and not on Wednesday’s with the European elite in the UCL, and getting back into that competition has to be of utmost importance to Ten Hag and his squad if they eventually want to reclaim their past glory.
Winning any type of silverware this season, including domestic cups or the aforementioned Europa League will be a surefire way to make this season a successful one, but building upon that glory would ultimately be the real challenge for Ten Hag to have if he wants to go down in United history.
Canadian Manchester United fans can only watch the Premier League on Fubo TV, a streaming site with exclusive rights to the Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 Uber Eats.
Also fans have access exclusively to One Soccer so you can watch the Canadian Premier League and the Canadian Men’s National Team as they are looking to head into the 2022 Qatar World Cup on a high as they compete in their first World Cup since 1986.
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