Gary Neville is predicting a top four finish for Manchester United (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville says he’s ‘quietly optimistic’ about the club’s chances this season, despite having two major worries about Erik ten Hag’s squad.
It’s been a summer of change at Old Trafford behind the scenes, with Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada arriving at board level following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 27.7% stake purchase.
On the playing side, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have arrived in £140m of spending.
Ten Hag retained his job after the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City in May, as the Dutchman signed a new one-year contract extension.
Nevertheless, the pressure remains on his position following an eighth-placed finish last term.
And, while Neville is ‘quietly optimistic’ that off-field changes will see United improve this term, he is concerned by Luke Shaw’s injury and a lack of depth up front.
Shaw is out for a month (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
‘No doubt if he has a really poor start and the results the same as last year that he’ll come under massive pressure very quickly but I’m actually quietly optimistic about Manchester United,” Neville told Sky Sports.
‘I just think that the signs that they’re bringing in are of a different profile than they have in the past. The group of people now who are at the club, from the owner down to the sporting director, technical director, and CEO, will not make the same mistakes that Manchester United made in the last three or four seasons, where they have wasted money, and they made signs that you knew at the time were going to bring pressure to them at some point.”
‘I think the profile of the players that they’re bringing in is the right profile. They need a younger, quicker, more athletic, energetic football team, and I think that’s what you’re going to see from Manchester United this year.
‘There’s still an imbalance in some parts of the team that need to get better, worries about obviously Luke Shaw who’s now injured at left back and who’s going to play there potentially up front if Højlund does continue with his injury.
‘Obviously, you know, United are short up there, but just generally, I think that they’re in a better situation than they were last year, no doubt.’
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