With only one day left until the return of the Premier League, it’s safe to say that the anticipation among fans couldn’t be greater.
For Manchester United and Fulham, the 2024–25 season begins on Friday evening when the Red Devils host Marco Silva’s side in the season opener.
After a summer of spending – including the signings of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui – expectations for Erik ten Hag’s team are high.
However, there are still some question marks regarding their squad – such as what role some young players could play and where a veteran like Casemiro fits in.
Here NATHAN SALT from Mail Sport provides all the answers.
Manchester United and Fulham start the 2024/25 season on Friday evening
Expectations are high for Erik ten Hag’s team after a summer of spending at Old Trafford
CAN KEY PLAYERS STAY FIT?
Luke Shaw will miss the opening match against Fulham due to injury
If Erik ten Hag had any hair left, he would probably have ripped it all out last season as the desperate Dutchman struggled with an injury crisis that included over 60 separate incidents.
He was without his No. 1 centre-back, Lisandro Martinez, for long periods of the season; Luke Shaw lasted 45 minutes against Luton Town in February and was not used for the rest of the season; Rasmus Hojlund was also absent three times.
The season has not yet started and £59 million summer signing Leny Yoro is already out for three months with a foot problem, while Hojlund will be out for six weeks.
As Mail Sport revealed, United have begun restructuring their medical staff, but it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can turn things around or be left with a feeling of déjà vu in the physiotherapy room.
HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE CASEMIRO?
This is a real problem for Ten Hag and United. For much of last season, Casemiro seemed far too easy to play against and more recently he embarrassed himself in the friendly defeat to Liverpool when he was turned inside out on the edge of the box before they could score.
United are keen to improve the area of the pitch but have so far held off on their interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte due to disagreements over the transfer fee.
Casemiro played no role in the FA Cup triumph against Manchester City and there is a growing opinion that Kobbie Mainoo needs a more reliable – and mobile – partner at his side in Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 system.
This is one area that United cannot afford to address before the transfer window closes as Casemiro’s effectiveness continues to decline.
Casemiro, once considered one of the best midfielders in the world, has become a problem
Man United have shown interest in Paris Saint-Germain number 6 Manuel Ugarte this summer.
WHO ARE THE WINGERS?
For Ten Hag and his coaches, this is a rather encouraging dilemma, but consistency is important and it is also about balancing a lot of egos.
Last season, Alejandro Garnacho made 50 appearances for United, Marcus Rashford 43 times, Antony 38 times, Facundo Pellistri 14 times before going on loan and Amad Diallo made 12 appearances.
When you consider that Jadon Sancho has returned from his loan at Borussia Dortmund and amazingly settled his dispute with Ten Hag, United have no shortage of options, especially with summer signing Joshua Zirkzee also comfortable on the wing.
Rashford, Garnacho and Sancho all favour the left flank, while £86million man Antony, who had a nightmarish first season in Manchester, is making a fresh start on the right and looking to compete with United’s pre-season star Diallo.
Given that Rashford, Garnacho, Antony, Pellistri and Diallo only scored 16 Premier League goals between them last year, ten Hag urgently needs to find reliable players in the two wide positions to take the team forward.
Although he plays best as a centre-forward, new signing Joshua Zirkzee can also operate on the wings
Alejandro Garnacho came off the bench to score United’s first goal in the Community Shield
DOES MASON MOUNT FIT INTO THIS TEAM?
Mount arrived as Ten Hag’s number one midfield target last summer and played little role in United’s overall subpar season.
He played deeper in the No.6 role and looked uncomfortable in it, then was pushed out wide as he could not displace No.10 and club captain Bruno Fernandes from his preferred advanced position.
Injuries did not help, but Mount’s transfer became increasingly worrying – although ten Hag insisted to Mail Sport at the end of last season that the Englishman was developing well.
Mount was one of the positive aspects of the pre-season and the key to the high pressure that Ten Hag and his assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy had demanded.
There are still some question marks about where Mason Mount fits in at Manchester United
Kobbie Mainoo will be keen to get going this season after a sensational 2023/24 season
The problem for Mount is that he will not displace Fernandes in the No. 10 position and never really looks comfortable in a shielding role in front of the back four.
The big question is whether Ten Hag can find a role for Mount and make him an important part of the puzzle. That will be decided when everyone is fit and available.
ARE THE YOUNG CHILDREN REALLY READY?
Mainoo’s development in the first team last season was huge for Ten Hag, with the teenager exceeding all expectations and eventually making it into England’s Euro 2024 squad thanks to that performance.
The question now is: are the next boys off the assembly line, Toby Collyer and Harry Amass, really ready for the rigours of Premier League football?
Left-back Amass has been used frequently in pre-season, as Luke Shaw is taking a break after the European Championships and Tyrell Malacia is still out due to injury.
The 17-year-old really does have a lot of potential, but even at the best of times it is a lion’s den and it would still be a big risk for the coaching staff to put Amass there despite being paired with some of the world’s best wingers.
Amad Diallo, who has just played in the Community Shield, could get the nod on opening day
The same goes for Collyer, a midfielder who seems less experienced than Mainoo but also showed promising signs in the summer.
If Ten Hag can hit at least one home run out of the academy again this season, he will delight fans and bosses, and also save United millions in the transfer market. It just feels like a big ‘if’ when it comes to the academy’s next big hopes.
