The 2023/24 season saw Manchester United narrowly miss out on a Champions League place and, instead, secure Europa League football. This, along with being knocked out of the FA cup, ultimately saw the United hierarchy pull the trigger on Erik ten Hag's time in the dugout. The decision was made easier, however, by the Dutchman's reluctance to concede much of his decision-making power regarding transfers.
In other league news, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton Town were relegated (sorry, fans of those clubs), while Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton returned to the Premier League for the 24/25 season.
As far as European competitions go, United were drawn in Group E of the Europa League, along with LASK, Toulouse FC, and Royal Union Saint-Gilloise.
I'll post another update after deciding transfer priorities and current players listed for sale/"leaving on a free." (Immersion counts for something, in my opinion, so I'll be terminating Amrabat's loan in-game, selling van de Beek and Greenwood.) There may also be some interesting developments regarding the futures of a few current players, too. Stay tuned.
Nice one - beware that doing a story is about longevity: either be detailed about a shorter period of time (one or two seasons), or try to rush and by doing so cover a long distance.
As a Dutch Ajax-fan, I never saw Ten Hag as a good fit for Man United. Just scroll back through the pages in the general discussion: it has nothing to do with quality, it's just that in The Netherlands, we split the roles of 'manager' and 'head coach' - good head coaches (like Ten Hag) are inexperienced as managers and vice versa. So, to immediately thrust them into that role at arguably the most demanding club in the world in England, is..., well: irresponsible.
And in the shoes of Ten Hag I understand to take the given chance, but from the club's management perspective: bad choice. Hopefully your future one will be better.
i had high hopes for ten hag. i'm a united fan, but espn+ lets me catch a ton of football and watching the way his ajax side played made me a huge ten hag fan.
i still have hope that he'll turn things around, as i do believe injuries have killed us this season. to come into a united side in the state we were in, get third, get to two finals, win a trophy, and rack the win percentage he reached--all while dealing with a string of headaches (ronaldo, takeover circus, etc)--is insane. i don't think fans should be calling for him to be sacked; i think we should want him--and players--to learn and improve. the modern game isn't bunnies and flowers, though.
so while i back ten hag in real life, in fc 24, i wanted to do something different.
the introduction of a "best-in-class" recruitment team at manchester united has seen the club go through its squad with a fine-tooth comb in an effort to conduct a thorough assessment of its players. the club believes in the qualities of its players, but admits that high managerial turnover without a proper recruitment structure has led to a squad with a mix of signings from five different managers. for this reason, it's been decided that several players may benefit from a move to a club better suited to their individual skillset. wages and injury record will also play a role in this process.
sir jim ratcliffe and his team were rumored to be unimpressed by the signing of certain players, with casemiro, in particular, being mentioned by several outlets. omar berrada is keen to implement a two-year policy like he did during his time at manchester city, which gives players two years to impress or risk being replaced. it's anyone's guess as to which players will be sold, but sales will mean a boost in united's transfer budget.
sir jim is also rumored to be actively seeking recommendations for a "marquee" signing as a sign of intent of his vision for manchester united's new era.
