With the failed Ruben Amorim experiment becoming a distant memory, Manchester United fans can start to look forward under the stewardship of Michael Carrick.
Carrick's only real job when taking the reins last season was to put square pegs back in square holes and steer the side to the UEFA Champions League, something he did with minimal fuss.
This season, however, expectations have ramped up. Manchester United return to European competition and have fresh midfield reinforcements in the shape of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, going some way to addressing what has been a long-term problem position for the club.
Question marks remain as to how Carrick will fare juggling European football, particularly considering the lack of activity in the transfer market since their two midfield additions, while Marcus Rashford's future is still unresolved.
Speaking to bet365 News, Raees Mahmood (@PythagInBoots) gave us his thoughts on the upcoming campaign.
What are you most looking forward to seeing from Manchester United this season?
With the signing of Andrey Santos, Manchester United will probably show a bit more technical ability and control in midfield which is something we haven’t seen since Paul Scholes – it’s been that long. It’s been that long, where United are always playing counter-attacking football.
Signing him, seeing Mason Mount drop into midfield in pre-season, I think this could be the first season where we see United establishing more control and show a bit more footballing intelligence in how they move the ball around.
If Manchester United could sign one more player this summer, who would it be?
There’s rumours with Lewis Hall. I think he’s a brilliant player so I’d be excited by that signing but with Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu, I’m not sure it’s an imperative signing.
I’d love to see a Bradley Barcola come in. Matheus Cunha, for me, I like the player but I don’t think he’s a natural winger and with Rashford potentially moving on, I think we need a winger who’s super-electrifying on the left to balance out what we’re doing on the right and I think that could be a game changer.
What's a good season for Manchester United?
I think a good season is just finishing in the top four but playing more controlled and intelligent football because we’re nowhere near a title-winning side, but I do think with so many teams in transition, we could possibly finish top two or three if everything works out.
What's a bad season for Manchester United?
Finishing outside the top six. Because it is quite competitive this season so we have to be realistic. Chelsea have a new manager and are always spending a lot of money; Tottenham have a new manager and they’ve spent a lot of money, Liverpool if they’re getting a Barcola or Mbaye... there are a lot of teams fighting for the top four, but if we finished outside that bracket of teams, I’d be disappointed.
