You didn’t need a spreadsheet or a stat pack to see it: last season was a mess. A club of Manchester United’s size finishing 15th in the league wasn’t just surprising, it was unthinkable: Europa League final loss, no Champions League spot, and more questions than answers.
So, with pre-season behind us and the 2025–26 campaign knocking, what exactly needs to change? And can Ruben Amorim actually steer this ship back on course?
If you’re into football betting, you already know the odds have shifted. But this isn’t about predictions, it’s about what has to improve, right now, if United want to look like United again.
Let’s start in the midfield, because that’s where things slowed to a crawl.
Amorim said it himself: there’s not enough pace in the middle of the park. Not in terms of foot speed, but in how the ball moves, how quickly transitions happen, how teams are put under pressure. The midfield was just too slow. In a league where speed kills (or saves you), this cost United game after game.
Bruno might be barking orders, but without quicker link-up play and some vertical zip, that engine room stalls. And when your midfield stalls, your attack never really starts.
Last season, too many games felt like watching eleven strangers with different plans. United were disjointed, with overlapping runs that didn’t get the ball, midfielders pressing with no one behind them, defenders dragged into space with no support.
The stats showed the drop, but it was visible to anyone watching. Amorim has made it clear that cohesion isn’t optional. It’s a mindset. It’s the kind of thing you feel when a team wins second balls or closes down as a unit. Right now, that kind of chemistry still feels like a work in progress.
Rasmus Højlund didn’t have the season fans hoped for, with long spells without a goal, a dip in confidence, and very little support. That’s not all on him. Strikers live or die by service and spacing, and United rarely offered either.
Now there’s talk of Benjamin Sesko joining from Leipzig, and that could be the push Højlund needs. Competition sharpens players, and right now the front line needs more than promise – it needs production.
Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha showed flashes in pre-season, but consistency will be everything. With the right setup, this attack could click. Without it, we’re back to hoping for individual brilliance instead of building fluid play.
André Onana’s season wasn’t just shaky, it was polarising. One week he looked sharp, the next he looked lost. After some big mistakes and vocal criticism from former players, Amorim benched him in pre-season. That’s not a long-term solution but a signal.
Whatever happens next, the keeper situation needs clarity. No position demands more confidence, and no role broadcasts uncertainty more visibly. If Onana’s the guy, he needs to look like it. If not, someone else has to.
Trim the Squad, Tighten the Focus
Amorim has already hinted at wanting a leaner squad. Fewer passengers, more contributors. That’s smart. You can’t rebuild chemistry when half the bench knows they’re only there to make up numbers.
He’s not afraid to make cuts – big names have already been told they’re not in his plans – and that kind of clarity could help reset the culture inside the dressing room.
With no European football this season, United has one job: fix the basics. It’s not about overhauls or tactical experiments. It’s about speed, structure, and sharper edges across the pitch.
For fans and punters, there’s always that quiet hope. The “maybe this is the year” itch that won’t go away. But this time, hope has to be backed by something real: urgency, identity, and maybe a few better decisions in front of goal.
United won’t fix everything overnight. But if they fix the tempo, tighten the shape, and give their forwards something to work with, there’s a real shot at recovery. And maybe, just maybe, at making Old Trafford a place of belief again.
