There have been sizeable changes at Old Trafford this summer, with few considering the revolution at Manchester United as anything other than positive.
Last season’s displays under Louis van Gaal were underwhelming to say the least and it is with excitement and expectancy that the United fans look forward to the new campaign.
The now ousted Dutchman’s only success was winning the FA Cup, which has facilitated the return to Wembley to face surprise English champions Leicester City on Sunday, August 7 in the Community Shield.
New manager Jose Mourinho will be glad to have the opportunity to start his time at United with a piece of silverware, even if the club has more significant objectives than lifting the pre-season shield.
There will be many United fans backing Mourinho to bring trophies to Old Trafford with the game against champions Leicester a telling measure of the expected improvement under Mourinho. If you are betting on the game or on United this season, GamblingSites.org helps you find a betting site with favourable odds to help you get the best return on your bets. To start off, there is a consensus among the bookies that United are favourites to triumph at Wembley.
Although the result will be largely meaningless in the grand scheme of the campaign ahead, starting the season with silverware could be symbolic and provide a morale boost before the opening day fixture against Bournemouth.
Jesse Lingard’s goal in extra time against ten-man Crystal Palace was enough to see United win their first trophy since the Sir Alex Ferguson days – and most bookies are offering odds in the region of 4/9 for the Red Devils to add to their silverware collection against Leicester.
Mourinho has been quick to bring in new faces such as Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with a much-anticipated return to Old Trafford for Paul Pogba also on the cards.
For many United fans the Community Shield will be their first chance to see the new faces in the club’s iconic red colours and assess their ability to fit into the current squad.
Ibrahimovic in particular should excite the supporters and provide a predatory edge in the final third that was missing for the majority of 2015-16.
The Swede is a proven winner and will want to start his time at United with a trophy, while most bookmakers have the former Paris Saint-Germain striker as third favourite to top the Premier League goalscoring charts this season, at 10-1.
Mourinho also knows the importance of starting a campaign well, with a poor pre-season with Chelsea last summer sowing the seed for his eventual dismissal.
A recent 4-1 humbling at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in the International Champions Cup was not exactly ideal preparation for the challenges that lie ahead and the Portuguese trainer will hope his side’s performances are much improved by the time the Community Shield rolls around.
Should United start the season well, most will anticipate and dream of a Premier League title challenge, with the bookmakers placing Mourinho’s men as second favourites to be crowned English champions in 2016-17.
However, lifting silverware and getting a good run out against Leicester will be the first step in what promises to be an exciting and hopefully successful campaign at Old Trafford.
------------
The RoM Manchester United 2024-25 season preview is now available. It includes articles from the country's best football writers about our expectations for the season ahead and our brightest talents, as well as proposed transfer business and which youth players to keep an eye out for. All profit goes to The Christie so please support this fantastic cause.