2022 has been another disappointing year for Manchester United in all competitions. The club were not able to end their long trophy drought during the 2021/22 campaign and also finished with their worst-ever points tally (58) in a Premier League season.
However, there has been plenty of optimism among fans after the appointment of manager Erik ten Hag. United are currently three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the league this season with a game in hand and are still alive across all competitions.
Here are our expectations and predictions for Man Utd in 2023
United will be hoping to be involved in the top four race and in the Europa League by March, when interest in Grand National betting usually peaks ahead of the race in April.
Ten Hag has brought a fresh belief within the United squad and he has transformed the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who looked short in confidence last term. The Dutchman also needs to be lauded for Diogo Dalot’s fine form this campaign.
There is still room for improvement for several other players including Jadon Sancho, who has yet to find his feet under the new manager. The England star has not lived up to the high expectations from his Borussia Dortmund days and hopefully, he can redeem himself in 2023.
He has been sent on a special training programme to the Netherlands by Ten Hag and it is left to be seen whether the attacker can revive his Dortmund form. Focusing away from the players, United’s minimal aim this season should be to qualify for the Champions League next term.
A top-four league finish could be their best chance of doing so, considering they have been drawn against Barcelona in the knock-out play-off round of the Europa League. The La Liga giants are also in transition, but are ahead in their process with manager Xavi having taken charge last term.
Aside from Champions League qualification, United’s faithful will be hoping that the club can end their trophy drought which has extended to a sixth campaign. The Carabao and FA Cup could offer the best opportunity for United to end their prolonged wait for major silverware.
United should particularly fancy their chances in the Carabao Cup with several big teams already out of the competition. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur bowed out in the third round ties while Manchester City and Liverpool will be facing each other in the fourth round.
Four of the biggest clubs in the country will be eliminated before the quarter-final stage and United should be one of the favourites to win the competition. In our opinion, a top-four finish with a League Cup trophy can be considered as excellent progress for United in Ten Hag’s debut season.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
