The worstest season since PL lauched, Manchester United's 2023-2024 season review

 

It was Manchester United who lifted the trophy by winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City, ending the season on a somewhat positive note, offering hope for a better next season.

However, that "somewhat" only does so much; 

no matter how it's framed, this season has been the worst. 

Knocked out of the Champions League group stage in 4th place. 

Early exit from the League Cup. 

Finished 8th in the league with a goal difference of -1. 

The numbers and results speak for themselves.

 

Before the season started, United had a very busy summer, mostly focused on offloading players. 

There were many resources and surplus players that needed to leave, leading to numerous departures under manager Ten Hag’s leadership.

Firstly, goalkeeper David De Gea, who had guarded United's goal for 12 years, left the team as a free agent.

He's still without a new team, likely due to his high wage demands.

United owes him a lot;

during the darkest times, he was the most consistent and shining player.

Although his skills no longer align with modern football and his high wages prevented a new contract, who wouldn't regret De Gea's departure?

Personally, I think he deserved a grander farewell.

 

Alex Telles, Fred, and Eric Bailly, who had joined during Mourinho and Solskjaer's tenures, also left the team. 

Fred had some seasons where he showed top-notch performances in the league but was ultimately too inconsistent to be a regular choice.

Mason Greenwood, who was acquitted and returned, went on loan to Getafe. 

With his undeniable talent, I think he can still be useful, but it seems the club is aware of the public opinion.

I hope he re-joins the squad next season, but it’s uncertain.

 

Additionally, many promising youngsters left the team. 

Ethan Laird, Zidane Iqbal, Teden Mengi, Matej Kovar, and Anthony Elanga sought new nests for first-team opportunities.

Personally, I regret the departure of goalkeeper Dean Henderson the most. 

He performed well as a backup but fell short as a starter. 

Although he proved his worth as a starting goalkeeper in the Premier League through loans, he did not meet United and Ten Hag’s standards. 

It was the right choice for him to leave for his own sake..

 

And then, the signings. 

 

The most talked-about acquisition was undoubtedly Mason Mount. 

Having risen through Chelsea's youth system to become a franchise star, Mount was struggling in recent seasons. 

With just one year left on his Chelsea contract and uncertainty about extending it, United acquired him for a hefty 65 million euros, prompting a lot of discussions.

 

To replace De Gea, United signed goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter, who had played in the Champions League final. 

Onana, known for his excellent footwork, was a fitting choice for Ten Hag's system. 

 

Amid frequent injuries to center-backs, Johnny Evans, who had played for United a decade ago, was brought back on a free transfer. 

Even Evans himself couldn’t have expected to play as much as he did.

 

To fill the gap left by the often-injured Anthony Martial, United signed Rasmus Hojlund. 

They also acquired defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat to add depth, second-choice keeper Altay Bayındır, 

and even Sergio Reguilón, who joined the squad but was recalled from his loan in winter without playing much.

The season, from start to finish, never had a good phase. 

The team atmosphere was unsettled even before the season began. 

I wrote before about the team's turmoil due to the ownership situation, Antony’s assault case, and Rashford’s family issues.

Eric Ten Hag, what should be done about him?

 

Injury stories cannot be ignored. 

The team suffered 45 injuries throughout the season, the highest in the Premier League and significantly above the average of 30 per team. 

The issue wasn’t just the number of injuries but their concentration in specific positions, especially center-backs, full-backs, and central midfielders.

 

The back four were completely dismantled. 

Key players like Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, and Raphael Varane played only 12, 11, and 22 Premier League matches, respectively. 

(Even fewer if counting starts.) 

These are the main defenders. 

Emergency signing Johnny Evans played 23 games, more than any of them. 

Tyrell Malacia, who should have covered for Shaw, didn’t play at all this season due to complications from a previous injury surgery.

 

Why is this important? Look at the top teams. 

Manchester City’s main defenders, Rúben Dias, Kyle Walker, Akanji, and Gvardiol, all played at least 30 matches. 

Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães, Saliba, and Ben White also played almost every game except for issues with the left-back position. 

Defense relies on cohesion, and in modern football, center-backs are crucial for build-up play, impacting both defense and attack. 

United’s core was completely shattered.

 

In front of the defense, the defensive midfield was also unstable. 

Casemiro was in and out with injuries, playing around 20 games, some as a center-back due to the team’s lack of players in that position. 

When he did play, he looked shaky. 

Watching the midfield lose possession in under 5 seconds was tough.

 

Amrabat also struggled with frequent injuries, barely showing his true form, playing only 20 games, with just 10 starts, many as a late substitute. 

He too had to fill in at left-back due to the defensive crisis. 

Without youth player Kobbie Mainoo stepping up, the midfield situation would have been even worse.

 

There are many theories on why there were so many injuries. 

Some say Ten Hag’s training is too intense, he doesn’t understand the squad well, or the medical staff is making poor decisions. 

While these factors might have some impact, I can’t blame them without knowing the exact circumstances. 

It was just bad luck. 

If Ten Hag’s training was too harsh, his teams would always have had many injuries. 

If the medical staff were incompetent, United would always have had many injuries. 

This hasn't been a persistent issue until now, so I attribute it to bad luck.

 

With key players in the center-back and defensive midfield roles injured, the team’s structure fell apart. 

Naturally, with a weak foundation, the upper layers couldn’t perform well. 

The build-up system failed.

 

Of course, this doesn’t fully explain the attacking woes. 

The attacker themselves were also poor. 

Rashford, who was in top form last season, and Antony, the most expensive signing under Ten Hag, were both disappointing. 

Both had significant personal issues before the season, which can’t be ignored, but their performances were still too poor. 

Rashford had 7 goals and 2 assists in the league, and Antony had 1 goal and 1 assist. 

Their dribbles and shots often missed or went straight to the goalkeeper. 

If only Greenwood were there...

 

Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho publicly expressed his frustration on social media about not being played by Ten Hag. 

As a fan, looking at Sancho’s performances since joining United, it’s understandable. 

He failed to meet expectations, and when he played, he often caused more harm than good. 

He didn’t contribute with dribbling, link-up play, or even defensive efforts. 

Ten Hag tried changing his position and gave him chances to focus on individual training, but it was to no avail.

 

Despite this, Sancho refused to apologize to Ten Hag and the club for the situation. 

Consequently, he was loaned to Dortmund in the winter transfer window. 

Seeing Sancho work hard defensively and press in Germany, showing flashes of his old self, was honestly shocking. 

Especially in the Champions League knockout stage, seeing him defend deep and escape from 2-3 players’ pressure were things he never showed at United..

 

Amidst these countless adversities, there were still some bright spots for United.

The Portuguese duo Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot stood out. 

Bruno is already well-known and not much more needs to be said. 

Dalot showed remarkable improvement this season, being the only defender to stay healthy and in form throughout. 

He performed well not only in his original right-back position but also when covering as a left-back. 

He excelled in overlapping, underlapping, and even playing as an inverted full-back. 

His crosses, man-marking, and tackling were all much improved. 

For example, 

in the FA Cup final, it was Dalot who, playing left-back, 

provided the long killer pass leading to Garnacho’s goal. 

Given the circumstances, he should be regarded as one of the best right-backs in the league.

 

And then there’s Kobbie Mainoo from the youth team. 

I won’t say more and let the following article speak:

Scholes, Carrick, Can he be the next? Kobbie Mainoo

 

His solo dribble and curling goal against Wolves, similar goals in the league against Liverpool, and his dribbling past three players in the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool. 

Mainoo’s performances this season earned him a call-up to the England national team in his debut professional season. 

Without him, United’s midfield would have been in even worse shape.

 

Striker Rasmus Højlund, who joined for a massive 70 million euros, was another positive. 

United had long struggled with a lack of strikers, with Anthony Martial failing to live up to expectations for a decade. 

Now, they have a promising striker to rely on again. 

Although Højlund struggled initially, failing to score in the league, he showed promise with 5 goals in the Champions League group stage.

The underwhelming performance of Rasmus Hojlund at Manchester United

 

But in the end, Hojlund overcame it.
After scoring his first league goal in the second half, he finished the season with 10 league goals.
For a young player born in 2003, in his first transfer season, it was a decent record. More important than the record itself is his attitude and impact on the game.
He contributed diligently to pressing and defense, significantly improved his ball contests, control, and linkage, which were challenging in the early season.
He also proved that his original strengths, excellent speed, and left-footed shooting, are effective in the Premier League.

 

Goalkeeper André Onana also showed noticeable improvement and stability as the season progressed.
In the early season, he made many ridiculous mistakes.
Mistakes in matches like the Champions League game against Bayern Munich were critical, and it's not an exaggeration to say that Onana was the main reason for their Champions League elimination.
However, in the latter part of the season, he frequently made the brilliant saves expected of him, and effectively initiated buildup play with his outstanding foot skills.

 

After a tough season, it's time to prepare for the next one.
Personally, I believe things can't get worse, and the trend can only be upwards.

The acquisition issue, which was noisy before the season, has been resolved.
Now we have a solid management team, led by the new head Jim Ratcliffe, allowing us to focus on football.

Especially notable are experts like Brailsford, seen as the top authority in modern sports team management,

football giant Jean-Claude Blanc, 

and Dan Ashworth, known for revitalizing Newcastle, 

who is practically confirmed though not officially announced.
The club, which was run in a haphazard manner, can now operate with a system composed of the best professionals.

 

There's a lot of talk about whether Ten Hag should be fired or retained; 

personally, I think he should stay.
As I've said repeatedly, this season was severely unlucky with too many injuries overall.
Of course, regardless of the situation, a manager should be judged by results.
Many matches during the season were indeed terrible.
But there's no suitable alternative to Ten Hag right now, and he's shown what he can do when the first team squad is functioning normally, both last season and in the FA Cup final this season.

 

Most importantly, he's the first manager since Mourinho in 2017 to bring a trophy, and he's done so for two consecutive seasons.
If a manager should be judged by results, this cannot be overlooked.
However, if Ten Hag remains in his position, I believe his authority over the transfer market should be significantly reduced.
Honestly, his scouting ability seems lacking.

 

It's already been made official that Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial will leave after this season.
Especially Varane, who came during difficult times, often injured but performed excellently when he played, deserves thanks.
Beyond them, this summer will be a busy time for squad adjustments.
There are still too many players that need to be sorted out rather than new signings.

 

The most urgent task is to clearly define the structure of the management, including the manager.

The direction of the next season will likely be determined by this summer's actions.
Though the 2023-2024 season was dreadful, it's now in the past. 

Since we've finished with at least some success, it's time to shake it off and look ahead.