Premier League 2025-26 Preview No 14: Manchester United

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 9th (NB: this is not needfully Will Unwin’s prediction but nan mean of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 15th

Prospects

The large dream is that Manchester United deed stone bottom past play and things cannot get immoderate worse. They are successful effect starting again because ending up 15th successful nan Premier League resulted successful galore executives, fans and players waking up successful a acold sweat. Expectations wrong nan fanbase are impressively low, not knowing what to expect from a squad that stumbled done an full campaign.

There is nary European distraction for Ruben Amorim, allowing him plentifulness of clip connected nan training crushed to get his ideas across. When nan Portuguese caput coach succeeded Erik 10 Hag past November, his domiciled was much firefighter than problem solver. He was allowed to measure nan squad quickly and made his determination connected who were and were not up for nan conflict that nan nine recovered themselves in. Those players person either near aliases are successful nan process of doing so, leaving down those who person nan character, if not nan method expertise, that Amorim thinks tin use his plans.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo person arrived successful nan dream they will ignite an underperforming squad and club. United scored a pitiful 44 goals successful 38 Premier League games, causing overmuch embarrassment. The brace person nan capabilities to create and people goals, skills that were lacking among nan players Amorim inherited. After those deals were completed for a mixed £130m, nan hunt for a competent No 9 yet concluded pinch Benjamin Sesko joining from RB Leipzig for £73.3m to capable nan void, leaving plentifulness of unit connected nan caller beforehand three.

Winning only 7 location games retired of 19 past clip astir was a stain connected nan club. Amorim will request to guarantee his solutions activity arsenic they cannot beryllium repeated. Arsenal sojourn connected nan opening weekend; nan show and nan consequence will supply an denotation arsenic to whether things will beryllium different this clip around.

The manager

Arriving mid-season is ever difficult for a caput coach, particularly erstwhile his ideas did not align pinch what was disposable wrong nan squad, but Amorim was insistent connected playing 3-4-3 regardless. He was fixed a comparatively free thrust because what had gone earlier was truthful utterly awful, but a 15th-placed decorativeness and a meek Europa League last nonaccomplishment to Tottenham were clear indicators of nan rebuild required. Ideally, Amorim would person carried retired a complete overhaul of nan squad but finances person dictated otherwise. If things do not commencement well, he whitethorn request to change his ideals and go much pragmatic, aliases he whitethorn go nan latest coach to neglect to move nan vessel around.

Off-field picture

After a plethora of redundancies and changeless cost-cutting measures, United are aiming to return to unchangeable crushed soon but these actions do small for nan morale of nan labor who person stayed. Many much long-serving unit near successful nan last weeks of past play and complete nan summer, pleased to get retired of nan club. A deficiency of European shot will irritate nan accountants astatine Old Trafford but Sir Jim Ratcliffe will dream nan committedness of a caller stadium will appease fans. A batch are angry complete an summation successful summons prices and immoderate being forced to move seats, creating an uneasy atmosphere.

Star signing

A batch – but not each – nan eggs person been placed successful a Cunha-shaped basket. The Brazilian is precisely nan benignant of subordinate Amorim wanted arsenic 1 of his No 10s and he has shown astatine Wolves what he is tin of. He likes nan shot astatine his feet and tin do astonishing things erstwhile he is fixed nan state to do so. The Brazilian is simply a earthy talent, a thoroughfare footballer who has matured into a Premier League player, but 1 man does not make a team. His temperament has travel into question, too, aft 2 suspensions pursuing losses of composure past season, but United request immoderate occurrence aft looking meek for acold excessively long.

Matheus Cunha gave Manchester United fans an sensation of his attacking flair successful a friends pinch Fiorentina astatine Old Trafford. Photograph: Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

Stepping up

Rasmus Højlund really does effort highly hard but does not look up to nan occupation and his scoring grounds (26 goals successful 95 games) reflects that, leaving opportunities for Chido Obi to beryllium Sesko’s support act. Amorim offered Obi opportunities precocious successful nan play to travel disconnected nan chair to effort to bring greater power to nan guardant line. Obi arrived from Arsenal a twelvemonth ago, a motion of intent that nan nine want to bring successful high-potential players arsenic portion of a semipermanent strategy. He scored 14 goals crossed 23 matches successful various property groups and will beryllium eager to build connected that.

A large play for …

It is rather difficult to prime 1 individual considering almost nary 1 impressed passim past season, astatine slightest connected a accordant basis. Kobbie Mainoo ne'er fitted into what Amorim had planned and was moved astir aliases sat connected nan bench, while nan caput coach insisted the England midfielder had plentifulness to amended on and needed not to perceive to nan hype. Amorim does not deliberation he tin play regularly successful nan protect domiciled he was utilised successful nether Ten Hag, requiring personification pinch greater mobility successful nan position, truthful he will request to determine if he tin accommodate aliases he whitethorn request to depart.