It has been a long time since Manchester United fans have been able to confidently predict that the team will play well.
Social media has made a big thing about one fan who refused to cut his hair until United won five games in a row, and that probably tells you everything you need to know about the state of the club in the eyes of football fans.
From being the most dominant club the English game had ever seen, to one that was more of a poor running joke, United’s performances have been hard to watch at times. There are still huge concerns over the ownership of the club and what the future holds, but recent developments have made the world a slightly better place for the fans.
No one should be getting carried away with results since Michael Carrick took over as manager (and that guy waiting for a haircut will have to hold on a little longer), but there does now seem to be light at the end of the tunnel. None of the best sportsbook websiteswill be predicting a league title for United – but the sky could be the limit for this team.
Before this season, there had only been one other since the ban on English clubs ended that Manchester United didn’t play in Europe. Last season, the Europa League campaign only disguised the woeful league form, and some fans will have thought that the players didn’t deserve to end up with a winners’ medal after the performances throughout the season.
You have to go back to the relegation season of 1973-74 for a worse finish in the English top-flight for United. Ending up just above the relegation places, in a league where three clubs went straight back down again after being promoted, was not acceptable, and there was a lot that had to change this season. Ruben Amorim would probably say that he was finally getting something out of the players, but his departure had been on the cards for a long time, each win only papering over the cracks that weren’t all down to the performances on the field of play.
Bringing in Darren Fletcher as interim manager, and then Michael Carrick for the remainder of the season, might have been seen as a sign of desperation from the owners frantically trying to keep the supporters on side by bringing back names from the glory years of the 1990s. Fletcher actually only oversaw a draw against Burnley and a loss to Brighton in the FA Cup. But a feeling of renewed hope was already there. What has happened to the side since Carrick has taken over has only cemented that belief.
It should be clarified that when we proclaim that the sky is the limit for this United side, we don’t mean that it is going to win the league, Champions League, and dominate English football once more. Rather, there is nothing stopping it from improving all the time and making the club a legitimate contender for trophies in the years ahead. It is unlikely that Carrick will even be in place by the time the 2026-27 season kicks off, but the building blocks are already being put down.
Four wins in a row, including victories over both Manchester City and Arsenal, will excite any fan base. But for United supporters, having been used to watching sub-par performances for what seems like years, they were a sign that the corner had been turned. The subsequent draw against West Ham was a reminder to not get too carried away, but even the stoppage time equalizer from Šeško showed the fighting quality of the team.
Carrick has been able to adapt a team that was already improving under Amorim, no matter what the mainstream media might like to say about the Portuguese coach’s tactics. Yes, his lack of versatility hindered United’s chances, but he would probably claim that he was getting things back on track before the disagreement over transfer policy which, ultimately saw him leave Old Trafford.
Some of the players brought in under Amorim’s stewardship are also the main beacons of hope for United fans. Mbeumo and Cunha have proven that they can both handle the pressure that Manchester United brings, after impressing for smaller clubs previously, and now, after a difficult bedding-in period, Šeško is also delivering the goods. Even if he is not going to be the goal-getting striker that leads United to another league title, he will definitely play a part in the journey.
The sky is the limit for Manchester United because, for the first time in a long time, there is real hope and belief that the glory days will soon be returning. Many pundits have said over the last few years that teams aren’t afraid of coming to Old Trafford anymore – and they were right – but those days will soon be gone as well.
The major caveat on United’s future prospects is not knowing the identity of the person who will be in charge of the team next season. Hopefully, Champions League football will return,and the club will be able to attract the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Luis Enrique, or Unai Emery, as reported. The short-term success of qualifying for the Champions League will also bolster Carrick’s case for an extension on his contract, but the club is surely going to look for a bigger name to control the next chapter.
It is a fact – United is back. That might not mean winning every trophy going over the next few seasons, but it definitely feels as though there is a chance of some success. That is why the sky really is the limit now.
