The season has come to an end, and Erik ten Hag’s debut year at Old Trafford concluded with a League Cup trophy and a return to the Champions League. BD Cricket Match sees this as a fairly successful campaign for the Dutch manager. Most notably, Manchester United made clear progress compared to previous seasons. The club ended a nearly six-year trophy drought and secured a top-four finish to rejoin Europe’s elite.
However, their FA Cup final loss to Manchester City revealed a hard truth: United are still far from being able to challenge their cross-town rivals. There’s a long road ahead before they can compete for major honors. For Ten Hag, the mission now is to elevate the squad to the next level. At present, United’s inconsistency and lack of depth make winning the Premier League next season an unrealistic dream.
To take a real step forward, they must not only catch up with current runners-up Arsenal but also brace for challenges from resurgent sides like Liverpool, Newcastle, and Chelsea. BD Cricket Match firmly believes that both Liverpool and Chelsea will bounce back after a disappointing season. Chelsea have already appointed Mauricio Pochettino, an experienced Premier League coach who once guided Tottenham past Manchester City and into a Champions League final.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have already secured a Champions League spot and are expected to make significant moves in the summer transfer market. The pressure is on United to keep pace.
In the coming weeks, United face major unresolved issues—most notably, the club’s ownership. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group is currently leading the takeover race, with a proposal that allows the Glazers to retain minority shares. In contrast, the Qatari bid seeks full control. Should INEOS take over, it’s still unclear whether they’ll commit to heavy investment in the squad.
While Ten Hag has no control over ownership matters, he does have influence over squad decisions—especially regarding goalkeeper David de Gea, who is currently in contract talks with the club. Many pundits argue that if Ten Hag truly wants to push United back to the top, he should consider moving on from the Spanish veteran and signing a new first-choice keeper. With a tight budget this summer, however, De Gea might end up staying while the club addresses more urgent priorities.
A new striker is at the top of that list. Ten Hag cannot yet resolve the Mason Greenwood situation, so the club is targeting Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. But either player would cost a fortune, putting significant pressure on United’s finances.
After years of relying on short-term fixes—like Ibrahimović, Falcao, Cavani, and Weghorst—BD Cricket Match believes it’s time for United to finally invest in a proven, peak-level forward who can deliver consistently. Ten Hag is also determined to retain Marcus Rashford, knowing that the team needs him to rise to the occasion in crucial moments. Life is about seizing joy when it comes—and for United, that means taking bold steps to close the gap with City.