24/25 Season Preview 20 in 20 - Man United

5 of 20 - Man U/United/Red Devils

Author

nick lochner
July 30, 2024

The 2024/25 Season kicks off Friday August 16 when Fulham travel to Man United.

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2023/24 Finish - 8th Place,

Will play in Europa League this season after winning FA Cup

Momentum. Watching their cross-town rival win a fourth consecutive title was tough enough for United fans and it was doubly tough as United saw their lowest ever finish in the PL. MU fans were frustrated all season but beating City in the FA Cup final may have given the Red Devils some momentum heading into this season. It got them into the Europa Conference, and it was most likely the reason club leadership decided to stick with Manager Erik ten Hag.

ten Hag. At most any other club, manager Erik ten Hag would be fairly happy with his first two seasons - a third-place finish and Champions League qualification in year 1 and the FA Cup title in year 2. But, an 8th place finish last season, early exit from the Champions League and a record number of losses at home in Old Trafford, and it looked like ETH was on his way out. After a several week review, leadership decided to stick with him. The start to the season could be interesting if United get off to a slow start.

Did I Hear That Right? Man United fans expect title runs every year and at a minimum Champions League qualifications. However, new sporting director Dan Ashworth and new minority owner Jim Ratcliffe have said on record the goal next season is “sustainable long-term excellence” and “the ongoing rebuild requires a measured approach”. Remains to be seen how those expectations will sit with fans.

More Talent Needed. United is used to having the best players in the world. That has not been the case of late, however, they have been very active in the off-season. The addition of 18yo Leny Yoro (Center Back) and Josua Zirkzee (Forward) are great additions. They also expect some big jumps in younger talent like 19 yo Kobbie Mainoo (Midfield) and 20 yo Alejandro Garnacho (Wing). All good steps, but more talent will be needed. Expect more signings before the transfer window closes on August 30.

All eyes will be on United. Really, nothing new.

The Club

Located in Old Trafford, Manchester

Old Trafford, 77,000 capacity

Rough estimates

$1B Annual Revenue

$285M Player Payroll

History on the Pitch

  • 20 Titles (the most), last in 2013

  • 13 FA Cups (Defending Champions)

  • 4 Europe Cups

Sponsorship

Home Shirt

Away Shirt

Ownership

Malcolm Glazer bought into MU in 2003 at 15%, to 30% in 2004 and then 57% and again to 75% in 2005. He took MU off the London Stock Exchange and his ownership to 98%. The final purchase price of the club totaled over $1B. Much of the money came from loans with an annual payment of over $75M per year. This level of debt did not sit well with the MU fanbase. A group of wealthy MU fans, “The Red Knights” put in a $1.2B offer for the club declined by Glazer. In 2012, Glazer IPOd the club on the NYSE at $14/share. Today it trades around $17/share. In 2021, Joel Glazer, Chairman, played a major role in the creation of a Super Leage. When the Super League fell apart, Glazer apologized to the fans and said, “he got it wrong”. There continues to be distrust from the fanbase on ownership. Lack of investment in Old Trafford, improving the squad and appointing a permanent manager all while the Glazers continue to attach debt to the club are listed as reasons for the discontent.

In December of 2023 the glazers sold 25% of the club to Jim Ratcliffe, who owns INEOS (Sport Company) and while the Glazers remain majority shareholders, Ratcliffe will take control of football operations.

Biggest Rival - Manchester City - Manchester Derby

  • Separated by 4 miles, the size and success of both clubs brings on this heated rivalry each year.

  • Maybe you remember this Commercial - “Born Into It”

  • With all the success lately for City, they still are behind United in the win column. In 193 matches, United has 79W 61L 53D.

  • Most recently, Man U beat City 2-1 to win the FA Cup Final in 2024.

  • Liverpool (30 miles from Man U) is a big rival as well, as both are big international clubs, and some consider both the most successful English clubs. Rarely have both clubs been successful at the same time. The rivalry took off during the Industrial Revolution when the cities were competing against each other.

  • 1962 - the last time a player was transferred from one club to the other.

The Culture

Top 5, if not TOP supported club in all of soccer depending on how you measure. A Global brand valued at over $6.6B, top 2 in value of ANY sports team in the world with Real Madrid. The club is listed on the NYSE. More supporter clubs than any team. Old Trafford - think Lambeau Field - history, retrofit, modern. The biggest in the PL. Recognized stars - David “bend it like” Beckham, Wayne Rooney.

If you are looking for a big club with title expectations every year in the PL and in Europe with the most fans in the world, this is the club for you.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Took over a club in danger of relegation in 1986 and reportedly was on verge of being sacked in 1990 but led The Red Devils to the FA Cup Title. Then in 1993 won the PL and went on to be the most successful manager in all soccer for 27 years. His success was historic:

From 1992, 19 of 22 years finishing 1 or 2 in the League.

Sir Alex won 34 cups as manager, double the next best, Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) at 17.

You can watch a documentary on Amazon Prime Video of his career - Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In 

Sir Alex Ferguson

Song

A single released Frank Renshaw of Herman’s Hermits in 1983, it is also the slogan of the official club magazine launched in 1994. “Glory, glory Man United, Glory, glory Man United, Glory, glory Man United, As the Reds go marching on, on, on!”.

Sir Alex

Game Day Pub Guide

Supporters You May Recognize

For a comprehensive list, click here, its long!

  • Elon Musk

  • Usain Bolt

  • Floyd Mayweather

  • Justin Timberlake

  • Rory McIlroy

Fan Sites

According to the AI tool COPILOT - here is an image of a Man United fan in front of Old Trafford, based on Wiki’s description of a Man United Supporter.

Possibly the biggest most followed club in the world. There are so many, here are a couple places to start.

Official Twitter

@ManUtd

High Follows on Twitter

@manutd_updates (52k)

@manutd_action (95k)

@RedDevilsHub (35k)

@manunitedworld (335k)

Many Many More

The Team

The Gaffer

  • Erik ten Hag (Dutch), 54yo

  • Took over at MU in 2022 for his first time in England after some success at The Netherlands top club Ajax.

ETH

ODDS

  • To Win League +3,000

  • To Be Relegated +15,000

  • To Finish Top 4 +200

  • To Finish Top 10 -2,000

Roster Notes

Full Roster click link

Projected to finish 4th

Americans on the team (as of July 27)

  • No USA players on the team

Interested in playing Fantasy Soccer? Here are the basics. Typical teams have a budget of $100M and 15 players - $6.7M per player.

  • Bruno Fernandes (MID) $8.5m

  • Rasmus Hojlund (FWD) $7.0m

  • Marcus Rashford (MID) $7.0m

  • Alejandro Garnacho (MID) $6.5m

  • Lisandro Martinez (DEF) $4.5m

Goalkeeper

  • Andre Onana - Top 10 in the PL

Old Trafford

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