Man United: What to expect in the 2022/23 Premier League season

Greg Lea assesses how Manchester United are shaping up ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

It cannot get much worse for Manchester United. Last season was the nadir of their post-Alex Ferguson existence, as a team widely predicted to challenge for the Premier League title instead slumped to a sixth-place finish. United only avoided the ignominy of finishing in the Europa Conference League qualification spot because West Ham United failed to beat Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day.

Erik ten Hag is an astute appointment but he has his work cut out in lifting this club out of its malaise. Pre-season has been promising but the transfer market has been a mixed bag up to now. So, what does 2022/23 hold in store for the 20-time English champions?

Top players 

Cristiano Ronaldo was United’s top scorer last season, although there are doubts over how well the 37-year-old will fit into Ten Hag’s pressing system. Ronaldo has also told the club he wishes to leave, but there do not seem to be too many potential buyers out there.

Jadon Sancho showed flashes of his quality in the second half of last term and could be set for a big season. Bruno Fernandes is another player Ten Hag will look to for inspiration in the final third.

United fans hope Marcus Rashford can rediscover his verve after a period of stagnation, while Raphael Varane will be expected to improve upon an underwhelming maiden campaign at Old Trafford.

David de Gea was United’s star man last time out but everyone at the club would be delighted if the Spaniard was not so busy in 2022/23. 

It's unclear whether Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Man United for the 2022/23 Premier League season

Formations and tactics

The biggest tactical change Ten Hag has implemented is out of possession. Throughout pre-season his team have pressed from the front with energy and intensity. Anthony Martial has been brought back into the fold and will probably be the starting No.9 if Ronaldo does leave. Related to this new proactive approach, United will defend with a higher line than we saw last season.

The formation will likely flit between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. Christian Eriksen’s arrival should take some of the creative burden off Fernandes, and it will be interesting to see how Ten Hag fits them into the same midfield. United’s pursuit of Frenkie de Jong seems to be going nowhere, so there is the possibility of deploying Eriksen in a deeper role in the 4-2-3-1.

Strengths and weaknesses

For all that last term was a disaster, United’s squad is not without talent. If Ten Hag can create a system which allows the team to press high and gets Ronaldo into goalscoring positions on a regular basis, United can contend for the top four. Even if the Portuguese superstar departs, a fluid front four of Fernandes, Sancho, Martial and Rashford is capable of causing plenty of problems for opponents.

The main question marks are in defence and midfield. Harry Maguire had a campaign to forget last term and we will have to see if he can rediscover his confidence and adapt to Ten Hag’s demands for a high line. If not, Lisandro Martinez could partner Varane at the back, but there is some concern over the 5ft 9in Argentine being targeted in the air.

The engine room has been the weakest area of United’s team for several years now, and the addition of Eriksen is not enough to dispel the doubts. Neither Scott McTominay nor Fred is a natural holding player, and the departures of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic mean United have actually gone backwards in that part of the pitch.

How does the team compare to last year?

In terms of personnel, Martinez, Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia are all good signings – but none is a game-changer. 

Eriksen’s ability to knit the player together will be invaluable, and his Premier League experience means he should be able to hit the ground running at Old Trafford. But neither Martinez nor Malacia is guaranteed to start, and the XI on the opening day against Brighton could easily feature 10 players that were at Old Trafford last term.

The biggest changes will be in on-field style and off-field discipline. United’s dressing room was fractured last season and Ten Hag has worked hard to foster better camaraderie and spirit. On the pitch, his team will look to play with the sort of energy and dynamism that was conspicuous by its absence in 2021/22.

Prediction

Sixth. Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal finished above United last term and have also done a better job of strengthening their squads this summer. Ten Hag is the right man for the job and he should be given time to put his imprint on the team, but there will be no quick fix at Old Trafford.