"Rashford will surprise a few people next season"

Every year we bring out a charity season preview, with all proceeds going to Trafford Macmillan, to get Manchester United fans ready for the campaign ahead.

The country’s top journalists contribute to the preview, discussing their thoughts on transfers, the previous season and how they expect the team to get on in the new season.

To read their opinion and predictions in full, buy the season preview, but here are their takes on which players will succeed in the year ahead.

Daniel Taylor, Senior Writer at The Athletic:

Strangely enough, I think Rashford might bounce back from this slump. It’s just a hunch. It’s been a long slump and maybe I have under-estimated whatever is wrong with him. But yeah, I have a funny feeling he might surprise a few people.

Henry Winter, Chief Football Writer at The Times:

Marcus Rashford. His wobble last season stemmed from many things, including injuries and nobody quite knows the sheer level of disgraceful abuse he receives. I’ve seen some of the malevolent messages sent to him and they’d affect anyone. He has good people around him. He looks supremely fit now, physically and mentally, and has a manager who will coax and coach him in equal measure.

Jadon Sancho will also respond to a coach of Ten Hag’s quality. He has too much talent not to. Anybody who knows Luke Shaw will know he will respond to Tyrell Malacia’s arrival.

James Ducker, Northern Football Correspondent at The Daily Telegraph:

I have high hopes for Jadon Sancho. It’s easy to forget because he has this reputation as a flair player and dribbler but Sancho has been honed in the patterned football of Manchester City and Borussia’s very structured approach to pressing so is it any wonder he found the transition hard last season given that it was a free for all under Solskjaer and Rangnick?

Rob Dawson, Manchester United and Manchester City Correspondent at ESPN:

Jadon Sancho. It’s never easy in your first season at Old Trafford and people forget because he’s English that he had never played in the Premier League before. He had a spell under Rangnick when he looked great. A good break and a full pre-season should help him find a level of consistency. He’s already been one of the stand-out players of the summer.

Charlotte Duncker, Football Reporter for The Times:

I’m interested to see how Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford get on, especially if Ronaldo leaves.

Sancho showed glimpses of being good last season but wasn’t consistent and had a really slow start. With a season of Premier League football under his belt he should be able to push on and show the form that made United make him their number one transfer target last summer.

Rashford is another one who needs to improve. He had a dreadful last campaign but has been working really hard in the off-season to put himself in the best position ahead of the new season. He’s wanted to work with a manager who works closely with him in training on improving his technique and believes he hasn’t had that in the past. Ten Hag has already started that so it will be interesting to see how he starts the season. He definitely could benefit from a good couple of first weeks because his confidence took a massive hit last season and that contributed to his poor form.

Tyrone Marshall, Senior Football Writer at the Manchester Evening News:

I think Fred could really benefit from working under Ten Hag and I can see him being a favourite of the manager. He was one of the better performers last season and it feels like he might be ready to kick on in his United career. I’d also expect to see an improvement in Jadon Sancho, who has his first season under his belt now and thrived in the Bundesliga under a coach who was similar to Ten Hag in terms of the structure he created on the training ground.