Manchester United Premier League 2023/24 season preview

Liam Williams Updated: 14 Sep 23 14:43 Published: 27 Jul 22 21:06

Having returned to the Champions League and lifted their first piece of silverware in five years, the job for Erik ten Hag will be to repeat the feat in 2023/24.

Stadium: Old Trafford
Manager: Erik ten Hag
Captain: Bruno Fernandes
Top league scorer last season: Marcus Rashford – 17
Last season’s position: 3rd

Manchester United 2023/24 odds

To Win Outright – 11/1
To Win Outright Without Man City – 4/1
To Finish in Top 4 – 8/11

Manchester United's 2022/23 performance

With a trophy and a return to the top four, last season was as successful as any United fan could've hoped. They also turned Old Trafford into something of a fortress with the second best home record in the Premier League, going unbeaten after the humbling opening day defeat to Brighton, beating Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea in front of their own fans.

With the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed, United went on a terrific run that saw them reach the EFL Cup final and even enter the fringes of a title race.

As the fixtures piled up and injuries mounted, United's form stuttered towards the end of the season, and the end was somewhat anti-climactic, losing in the FA Cup final to Manchester City.

But the signs were positive throughout the campaign, and it appears after a long decade in the wilderness, the Red Devils are finally back on track.

Manchester United 2023/24 prospects

The appointment of Erik ten Hag was a huge step in the right direction for Manchester United, who’ve never got close to properly replacing Sir Alex Ferguson. None of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho could’ve been deemed to have been a success at Old Trafford, and while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put the club back on the right path, his tenure was trophyless.

Ten Hag guided his side to the EFL Cup, briefly threatening an unlikely quadruple or at least a cup treble.

While the season ended in the disappointment of losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, any United fan would’ve taken a trophy and a top-four finish at the start of the season.

While the Red Devils look to be much stronger with the additions of Mason Mount and Andre Onana, as well as the potential arrival of Rasmus Hojlund, a run at the title still feels too far away, and with their rivals also strengthening, a repeat of last season would be a very successful campaign.

Manchester United manager – Erik ten Hag

The club seemed to have the choice between Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, ultimately going with what may have been a bigger gamble with potentially a bigger pay-off.

While it’s still early days in Ten Hag’s tenure, the move has been vindicated, with the Dutchman bringing an attractive yet effective style of football back to Old Trafford.

The first two games were alarming to say the least, with losses to Brighton and Brentford by an aggregate score of 6-1 ahead of a clash with Liverpool.

But a compromise of his values to better suit the tools at his disposal saw United beat Liverpool and win their next three games after that.

Battling with Cristiano Ronaldo’s unhappiness, the situation was handled superbly by the manager, with the side looking galvanised in winning their first seven games following the Portuguese’s exit.

The lack of rotation as United battled on four fronts became problematic, with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez suffering lengthy injuries, and Ten Hag has gone on record as saying that he prefers to get his best team together as often as possible to give them the best chance to gel.

Manchester United Key Player – Bruno Fernandes

The fiery Portuguese was back to his best last season after being sidelined somewhat by the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Though he only registered eight Premier League assists, he can look to his team-mates for that figure not being higher, having amassed the highest xA tally not just in the Premier League, but in each of Europe’s top five leagues.

Fernandes has looked like a natural leader ever since his debut, covering every blade of grass and constantly demanding more from his colleagues, and is set to take the captain’s armband on a permanent basis with Harry Maguire stripped of the captaincy.

When Fernandes plays well, United play well, and their hopes this season will largely hinge on the form of their new skipper.

Manchester United One to Watch – Andre Onana

As the years went by, David de Gea’s miraculous shot-stopping was increasingly overshadowed by his sub-par all-round goalkeeping, from his inability to claim crosses to his discomfort with the ball at his feet. The fact his shot-stopping also dipped meant his position as Manchester United’s long-term goalkeeper was untenable, and the Spaniard was released at the end of his contract.

In Andre Onana, Erik ten Hag now has a goalkeeper who can play out from the back and is more comfortable coming off his line.

When Manchester City replaced Claudio Bravo with Ederson, they picked up an extra 22 points the following season to become the Premier League’s first centurions, and when Liverpool replaced Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet with Alisson, they won the Champions League, with a first Premier League title coming the following year.

It’s perhaps too much to expect Onana to have quite the same impact, but the Cameroon international has the potential to be a real game changer at Old Trafford.