The excellent news for Manchester United followers is that their terrible 2023/24 season is almost over. The unhealthy information is it isn’t fairly over simply but.
Wednesday sees the Purple Devils host European rivals Newcastle, who’ve already gained 3-0 at Outdated Trafford this time period, earlier than their Premier League marketing campaign ends with a visit to Brighton.
It appears probably that United will report their lowest end within the Premier League period, presently sitting eighth within the standings, and so they have cancelled their annual awards ceremony on the finish of this moderately tumultuous marketing campaign.
The membership insist that is so to not distract from their FA Cup closing towards rivals Manchester Metropolis. However it’s not an important look both manner, actually.
To not concern, as a result of we at 90min are available to dish out the awards on their behalf – simply as we did with Chelsea final yr.
Not less than not each United participant has been totally rancid this season.
Congratulations to 19-year-old Alejandro Garnacho, who has needed to do a number of maturing simply to make sure that his facet have been in a position to simply be aggressive at the least.
Good lord, the pickings have been slim right here.
A lot was made about United’s summer season switch enterprise as and when it was taking place, that they have been the signings wanted for Erik ten Hag’s facet to assist bridge the hole to the title challengers.
However Mason Mount has spent a lot of the yr injured, the load of expectation has inevitably introduced down the rise of Rasmus Hojlund, and Sofyan Amrabat ought to possibly take into account taking on aggressive curling.
Regardless of an totally horrendous and self-destructive begin to life in Manchester, Andre Onana has began to show a nook.
A league-wide enhance in stoppage time has caused some beautiful late comebacks this season, and it is solely becoming for a group like United to get in on the act themselves.
For 92 minutes of their residence conflict with Brentford, the Purple Devils have been clearly second-best. After which Scott McTominay popped up with a brace, scoring on minutes 93 and 97.
That is United heritage proper there.
Alright, so Harry Maguire will not be the quickest defender. Or the neatest. Or the strongest. Or the very best within the air. Or essentially the most inspiring. Or well-liked amongst followers. Or gracious of gamers.
However he has simply sufficient of all the pieces to be respectable and has refound his confidence this season. To the Euros, he goes.
You need to give credit score to Ten Hag for remaining optimistic regardless of the decline he has overseen.
“We’re one of the dynamic and entertaining groups within the league at this second. We’re creating a great deal of probabilities by taking part in good soccer.”
Effectively, he is proper when you take into account that United video games are often entertaining to look at. It is simply hardly ever his facet which can be creating the leisure when in possession.
United have given up over 600 pictures this season – a stat that ranks among the many worst in Premier League historical past. These are numbers to rival the very worst group relegated from the highest flight.
However Ten Hag is not anxious about that.
“We’re possibly not so good in pictures towards, however in objectives conceded [we are good], and it is all about that. They’re the numbers [that] depend.”
They don’t seem to be significantly good within the objectives conceded stat both, for what it is price.
After one way or the other dropping at Outdated Trafford earlier within the season, Brentford managed to precise their revenge on United again on the Gtech Group Stadium.
The Bees have been dominant from begin to end, although thought that they had misplaced out to a 96th-minute aim from Mount, just for Kristoffer Ajer to transform an equaliser earlier than the ultimate whistle.
Brentford registered 85 touches within the United field – the third-most on report within the Premier League period. However, you realize, Ten Hag mentioned it was positive.
We may do an entire article on United’s worst defeats of the season (and consider me, we in all probability will), however their 4-0 tonking at Crystal Palace takes the cake.
Jamie Carragher despatched a moderately stern message to Casemiro after his horrendous displaying at Palace: “Depart the soccer earlier than the soccer leaves you.”
Oof.
United led 3-2 at Chelsea with 99 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.
They misplaced 4-3.
A boyhood United fan in Cole Palmer scored a match-winning hat-trick for the Blues.
Since Garnacho’s 89th-minute aim at Arsenal was dominated out for essentially the most marginal of offsides again in September, Ten Hag has sought to level to it as a sliding-doors second at any time when doable.
No, Erik. The season wouldn’t have regarded that totally different. That aim would not have magically made you higher at defending.
Donny van de Beek one way or the other clocked 21 minutes throughout two appearances for United this season earlier than becoming a member of Eintracht Frankfurt on mortgage.
A lot for a redemption arc below his former Ajax boss.
Jadon Sancho should not have lashed out at Ten Hag on social media. Ten Hag should not have dug him out in public the best way he did.
Each events are proper and flawed, however solely considered one of them will compete in a Champions League closing subsequent month.
Now it is time for him to regain some candy, candy switch worth.
