The team has signed two world-class players in Antony and Casemiro, and they have already been boosted by the arrival of Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia.
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Things seem to be improving at Manchester United of late. The club reached its lowest ebb with a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brentford FC (a team built on a fraction of United’s budget), but new coach Erik Ten Hag galvanized his players and things soon picked up with victories over Liverpool and Southampton. The manner of the win against the former was particularly impressive. And that – alongside the new signings of Casemiro and Antony – seems to have satisfied the fans. At least for a short while.
Followers of United know, however, that there is still a massive rebuild job for the club. The team feels lightyears behind Manchester City and Liverpool (despite that recent victory), and it’s going to take a lot of time, effort, and money to get United back to where the fans believe they should be – challenging for trophies. The first step, however, seems to lie in getting back to the Champions League. That will inevitably help with player recruitment, as the lack of Champions League football can be a sticking point for signing top talent. For example, see Frenkie de Jong’s refusal to join United, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s reasons for wanting to exit this summer.
Nonetheless, United need to get back into the Champions League. The easiest way is, of course, to finish in the Top 4. According to the Premier League football odds online, United are priced around 3/1 to finish in the Top 4. But with City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and perhaps Newcastle, all believing they deserve to be in there, it’s not going to be easy.
Perhaps the Europa League is the better option? While United’s odds (around 7/1) would suggest that it’s more difficult than finishing in the Top 4 of the Premier League, the Europa League feels like more of a clear path. Arsenal aside (the Gunners are favorites), the Europa League looks particularly weak this season. Roma, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, and Lazio are all fairly formidable teams, but they remain much weaker than the two Premier League sides. Anything could happen, of course, and favorites don’t always win tournaments, but this feels like a good opportunity for United to win silverware, especially if the team continues to improve under Ten Hag.
Of course, we must add a caveat – the Europa League can get a lot tougher in the knockout stages. The parachuting in of 3rd place Champions League teams means some big names can suddenly arrive in the competition for the springtime. For instance, one of Bayern Munich, Barcelona or Inter will likely finish in 3rd in Champions League Group C this season.
Still, United should have the confidence to take on anybody. The team has signed two world-class players in Antony and Casemiro, and they have already been boosted by the arrival of Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia. Lest we forget, the Red Devils also have Ronaldo on the books, and there has been the return to form and fitness of Raphael Varane to celebrate. The team is in transition, yes, but there is enough talent to win Europe’s secondary competition and to get the United ship steered in the direction of the Champions League again next season.
