The drama surrounding United leading up to last season was relentless – from the Jadon Sancho dramatics to the questionable treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo. Where was Sir Alex when you needed him? Probably cringing, like the rest of us.
Like it or not, Ten Hag had a terrible season, with Manchester finishing a record-worst 8th in the Premier League. And that wasn’t the only negative record Ten Hag and his team broke – they’d never lost at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until Ten Hag and went 40+ years without losing two opening away games until Ten Hag. The list could go on.
Still, it’s a new beginning for the Old Trafford club under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and they are desperate to return themselves to one of Europe’s premier sides.
Read on to learn more.
The New Structure
Sir Jim Ratcliffe buying a massive share of Manchester United paves the way for a significant shake-up at Old Trafford. Ratcliffe has seized control of football policy by making Dan Ashworth sporting director and taking Jason Wilcox as technical director. The new leadership team looks to provide United with a foundation to build on. If you’re betting on the Premiere League at 10bet, maybe it’ll finally be with United.
Ex-Ajax coach Ten Hag is looking forward to the shifts in the schedule and believes his team will be much better for it, pointing out that they now have more backup.
The Ratcliffe vote of confidence and the presence of seasoned non-executives make them well-placed to help take United back to the top. Surely, it can’t be worse than last season, can it?
Improving On-Field Performance
Where the new architecture should have one of its biggest influences will be on-field performance.
Despite a much better improvement towards the end of last season, which saw the United win both the FA Cup and an impressive semi-final finish in the Carabao Cup (their first since 2016), it was clear there is still work to be done.
But an eighth-place Premier League finish and Champions League qualification failure is what everyone was talking about. Even with the FA Cup victory as a saving grace, it was nothing short of a terrible season for United with some lucky moments.
Building a Strong Foundation
Support is everything for each team’s top prize, and that’s why these new signings hold the key. Just look at how much England struggled without the support of its fans in the UEFA Euros.
With a grounding in sporting strategy, thanks to his extensive work for the Football Association -most notably as technical director overseeing England age-group teams and 28 other areas of operation from grassroots upwards at St George’s Park – Ashworth brings invaluable experience. Wilcox also provides an essential eye on detail around how United plays strategically going forward.
The idea is that this well-resourced network of staff underpins everything the first team does to be able to compete at the top of their sport.
Short-Term Barriers and Long-Term Goals
Ten Hag, however, knows there will be more challenging tasks to come despite the encouraging evolution.
Rebuilding a squad to compete at the Premier League and European levels is not something that happens overnight. The Premier League is a difficult league to win, and they may not be able to mount a serious title challenge right away.
Yes, the notion is to win every match in front of you, but Ten Hag realises that in the long term, he has a goal of forming a squad that will be challenging for Silverware year after year.
With a mixture of experienced personnel like Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox tasked with occupying essential roles in this blueprint, the new structure will put them alongside such talented youngsters as McNeil. It should ensure only those accustomed to working at an elite level are being embedded behind the scenes.
The improvements at Carrington and the financial firepower of Sir Jim Ratcliffe are part of a grand scheme to get Manchester United back where it should be.
Will the new structure at United help Ten Hag? Something has to. If he has a season like last year, we can only assume it’ll be his last. Manchester United are an iconic team with a history of greatness. United can be in the top five, if not a top 3 finish in the 24/25 season. We’re sure that’s what the fans will be hoping for, anyway. The following season has everything it needs to improve, including fewer key players injured on the bench.