Where do Man United go from here: A look into the now, and an uncertain future
- Christian Paris
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
Damning. Damaging. Uncertainty. Just three ways to describe the outcome of Wednesday’s Europa League final for Manchester United. What is next? All the woes and struggle from a historically bad Premier League campaign rode on this one match, and just like that, it is now unquestionable. This is the worst side there has been at Old Trafford in the Premier League era.
The consensus was that there was no way in hell the Europa League would save such a low domestically for the Red Devils. It feels only now that the outcome is decided we can all home in on what is Man United’s worst points tally in Premier League history.
Before we do, Brennan Johnson’s timely winner for Tottenham two night's back at the San Mames in Bilbao was just the exclamation point on a horrifically damaging season.
The entire performance in fact provided a culmination in all that has been wrong with United in 24/25. Forget about the quality, that has been missing all year, but where was the desire, the commitment, the will to win?
It was a horror show. From all accounts. Bruno Fernandes was ineffective from a deeper midfield position, Amad Diallo was sharp in spurts (particularly in the first half), whilst Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund failed to provide a spark.
Ruben Amorim has received criticism for the timing of his substitutions, leaving it until inside the final 20 minutes to introduce reinforcements. Alejandro Garnacho had words to say about that post-match.
Though it is clear INEOS and management will support Amorim, the real question is where do United go from here?
It cannot go amiss the embarrassment of finishing just outside of the relegation zone, albeit of no danger of dropping into the bottom three. We must call it what it is. A disaster under Amorim.
Six wins from 26 games. SIX. 15 points from a possible 78. Wow. To say where it has gone wrong would take days frankly, a mixture of drastic change that has included implementing a new system on the pitch, implementing a new management structure off it, not to mention a rotting culture that still remains at Old Trafford. It cannot be ignored.
Amorim by no means gets a free pass. Granted he has come into arguably the hardest job in world football at the moment, half-way through a season without the opportunity to bring in his own personnel or with the proper time to coach his system.
But, he should have found a way to adapt. To adjust. To tweak his style to suit the current crop of players he has at his disposal. We all know it is an average squad at best, but at Old Trafford winning comes first, or at least it used to. His announcement to the world of his stubbornness to stick to his guns was admirable, but it has left him hanging at times.
Wednesday night was one of them times. But what fascinates me is what comes next for United, for Amorim. The expected outrage in the following aftermath will settle, eventually, but a final that was significant for more reasons than the glory itself leaves the future entirely uncertain.
At least £80m has been missed out on now with the failure to win the Europa League, and the absence of Champions League football next season, with that figure potentially rising to £100m.
This is consequential not just for the upcoming 25/26 season, but for the subsequential campaigns of which United could have obtained a firmer financial footing.
It of course leaves questions surrounding the impending transfer window that is due to open in just over a weeks' time. Matheus Cunha looks set to be the first arrival this summer for a reported £62.5m, and a good one at that, whilst it will be even more intriguing, and in fact necessary to see significant outgoings.
Several members of the current squad you feel have run their course at Old Trafford, lack the quality, or most importantly the winning mindset that has waned at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013.
Tom Heaton, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, and Christian Eriksen are all out of contract in June, there’s a certain four to depart. Meanwhile if we are to dissect the playing squad, I’m not sure I would keep more than eight players.
The young core must be maintained. Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Kobbie Mainoo, Patrick Dorgu, and Diallo are all certainties to stay, with the futures of Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund unclear.
Returning loanees Marcus Rashford and Antony from their respective spells at Aston Villa and Real Betis both look probable to depart, whilst it has been reported Jadon Sancho’s obligatory clause to join Chelsea at the end of the campaign looks likely to go through with the Blues considering to pay United £5m to opt out.
All three will need to be shifted out swiftly to recoup funds for any more significant signings, whilst it remains clear that there must be an exodus at last to usher in a new era at United, a promise that has been on a continuous delay.
There must be a spotlight on INEOS now. It is over to them. They have gone all in on Amorim, and whilst it remains unclear if the Portuguese is the right man, it now more than ever must see a brave approach in the market.
Big decisions are needed. It casts your mind back to when Ralf Rangnick adamantly claimed United needed ‘open heart surgery’ in 2022, and it worryingly remains the case.
It is time, or what was once a great club will continue to fall away even more than they have. It must reset and redesign itself, become an even greater image of what it was. Now this club needs it more than ever, and it must start with an incredibly precise reparation this summer.
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