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| Manchester United's season ended on a high but they must not be deceived, it was a poor season by their old standards. (Photo credit: GOAL) |
After a turbulent season at Old Trafford, the club achieved a last-ditch victory at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
Erik Ten Hag was full of pride after the cup win. He took a dig at the owners, daring them to fire him, and he will go win trophies elsewhere. Whether his demeanor was more of arrogance than confidence is debatable, but you can’t fight his evidence.
How would you rate Manchester United’s 2023–2024 season? It is tough to look past their horrendous results, but you must also give them credit for ending it on a high, albeit shockingly, as many expected the champions to beat them at Wembley.
The season didn't start well for United, with patches of brilliance here and there and some unforgivable embarrassing results that led them to wonder if Ten Hag could lead them to glory. A Carabao Cup success in his first season was good enough to cut him some slack; however, league fortunes needed improvement.
After the loss at Arsenal, Ten Hag couldn't get the result out of his head as he found ways to insert his own opinion of the game in every presser he attended, failing to take responsibility or address his squad's dangerous decline in form.
New signings Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana both couldn’t settle in well. Johnny Evans was a surprise face at 35, but he soon became an important body after injuries ravaged the club, forcing the manager to chop and shove his centre-back options week in and week out.
In the Champions League, Hojlund found joy many times, but the club didn’t, finishing fourth in a group that had Copenhagen of Denmark and Galatasaray of Turkey, knocking them completely out of European competition at the first hurdle.
As the team continued to decline in the league, injuries continued to wreak havoc on the squad, leading former players, particularly Cristiano Ronaldo, to voice their justified complaints about the club's dire state of facilities.
Bruno Fernandes continued to create chances, but he had games in which he could have done better. Solace came for the club from youngsters, with Koby Mainoo shining bright alongside Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo.
Onana conceded too many goals for comfort, but you can't hold him solely responsible. Although the Cameroonian occasionally overachieved, he faced too many shots for a United goalkeeper.
United finished 8th on the log and could have missed out on Europe altogether if they hadn’t won the FA Cup. They will play Europa football next season, which could see them lose top stars like Fernandes, who is now talking to other clubs.
Casemiro endured a difficult season, and his time might be up at the club. Others will wait for whoever becomes the new manager to decide if they will stay or not, but with INEOS reportedly considering Mauricio Pochettino, Ten Hag’s time might well be up.
Player of the season has to be Diogo Dalot, he gave his all and, fought for the badge. Marcus Rashford and, Casemiro must share the flop of the season among themselves while Mainoo is no doubt their breakout star of the season.