Manchester United Has Work to Do to Chase Down City Rivals

Manchester United’s squad of 1998/99 has gone down as one of the greatest British teams ever, as they defied the odds to win a memorable treble.

Watching on as rivals Manchester City went on to repeat the feat by winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League last season will have been tough viewing for those at Old Trafford. With the focus already switching to next season, United has plenty of work to do if they are to shift the power back to the red side of Manchester.

Manchester Is Blue

There’s no doubt where the power currently lies: Man City claimed their third consecutive Premier League title last season. United, who finished the 2022/23 season in third, are currently priced at odds of +1000 in the outright sports betting markets to win the Premier League title next term. It will take some effort, considering City finished 14 points above United, while the Citizens also seemed to take their foot off the gas in their final two games with the title already secured.

With their manager Pep Guardiola, City has arguably the best in the world. He’s the one who turned up to the Etihad Stadium and proved his worth, by taking the club to the top of the Champions League. City had enjoyed domestic success and won the Premier League title before Guardiola’s arrival but it was European glory the club’s hierarchy were after.

There have been some near misses over the last few seasons, but City finally got the job done this time around with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final. It was the victory that secured the historic treble and saw City repeat the achievement United fans had been able to laud over the rest of English football for over two decades. The Red Devils, a club that was once used to being at the top of the English game under manager Sir Alex Ferguson, is now planning a route back to the top.

Ten Hag Has Foundations In Place

The 2022/23 season can be seen as a positive one for Erik ten Hag in the manager’s first campaign at Old Trafford. It started with concern following early defeats to both Brighton and Brentford, but United soon began to settle into Ten Hag’s way of playing and the results began to come.

Not only did the former Ajax boss help United finish in the top four, but he also delivered silverware thanks to success in the Carabao Cup. Beating Newcastle United in the final at Wembley, the Reds Devils secured a first trophy since 2017. United almost completed a cup double for the year but suffered a defeat to City in the FA Cup final.

There’s certainly a foundation to build upon for Ten Hag and United, which should give the supporters hope they can challenge City for the Premier League title next season. Big investment in the playing squad is expected to happen over the summer transfer window, as the Red Devils look to narrow the significant gap to rivals City. Some big names have been linked with moves to Old Trafford, while the squad is already blessed with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, and Bruno Fernandes. Some added quality over the summer and with another pre-season under Ten Hag, should see United make the improvements needed to stand a chance of toppling City.

Guardiola Needs To Keep City Hunger

After such a historic season for City, Guardiola’s job now is to maintain the hunger in the squad to go again and achieve more success next term. United managed to achieve that under Ferguson after their treble success in 1999, as the Red Devils claimed the Premier League title for the following two campaigns. Keeping the core of that squad together, while adding quality additions, United managed three league titles on the spin, as rivals Arsenal had to settle for the runners-up spots in that spell.

Undoubtedly, City is the one with a target on its back going into the new season, with the likes of United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle eager to knock them off their perch. Such has been City’s dominance in recent years, it will take something special from United to overcome the Citizens next term. However, there are plenty of ups and downs in football, as United well knows, and City’s time at the top will come to an end at some stage. United just have to make sure they’re the first in line to supersede their close neighbors.