2 days Ago
Not since the 2022 World Cup have Manchester United’s men’s team gone so long without a game during a season. United’s last game was at Leicester City on March 16 while the international break and Ruben Amorim’s side being out of the FA Cup made it 16 days before tonight’s trip back to the East Midlands at Nottingham Forest. United haven’t won consecutive Premier League games this term and third-in-the-table Forest have surprised after a 17th-placed finish last term, but the United mood is lighter than a month ago, and as we prepare for the run-in, here are seven reasons for some cautious optimism.
In the last game at Leicester, the 3,000 travelling fans hollered: “Follow, follow, follow, ‘cos United are going to Bilbao...
” That was during a Premier League game but domestic success isn’t the story. Should United not finish above 13th, then to salvage anything after their worst league season since the 1973 relegation can only come from winning the Europa League. Advertisement Winning the competition will be difficult but United have reached the last eight and should they be successful in games against Lyon, then a semi-final against Athletic Club (of Bilbao) or Rangers will follow, then potentially another trip to Spain’s tenth-largest city for the final — and a third to the Basque Country in as many months after last month’s clash with Real Sociedad.
Winning the Europa League will guarantee Champions League football next season, a third successive season with a trophy, a much-needed financial boost, and more appeal to any new summer recruits. “We’re playing Champions League football” is more enticing than “We just finished 13th”. Former coach Jose Mourinho clinically targeted the Europa League against Ajax in 2017 but he had a team who had already won the Carabao Cup, and were sixth in the league.
Amorim does not but United’s 2024-25 season would be defined by winning a European trophy. Miss out and this will be a season everyone wants to forget. It’s Bilbao or bust.
We’re pulling out the positives here and United’s European form has settled to be one of the best on the continent. Remember the awkward stats about no away wins in six or only one European win in 10? They vanished with a December victory in freezing Plzen . That came after three draws in United’s opening three Europa League games.
They won the next five, then grabbed a creditable draw in San Sebastian against Real Sociedad before impressively defeating the Basques 4-1 at Old Trafford to set up a last-eight tie against Lyon. United are the only unbeaten team of the 72 clubs in the group stages of Europe’s two biggest continental club competitions. It’s also true that United have yet to meet a top side in Europe and those on the inside acknowledge that the calibre of opponents has been a reason United have been able to rack up wins, but nobody is complaining, especially as rivals have been eliminated from European competition already.
Advertisement Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire all returned to training after the international break. With Lisandro Martinez out, Maguire is needed. The 32-year-old was a first-choice starter alongside Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt in a back three until he picked up a calf injury last month.
Yoro wasn’t bought for this season but to settle in ahead of a hopefully prosperous career at Old Trafford. Yet after overcoming an ankle injury picked up on pre-season in Los Angeles, he featured in 14 of the next 15 league games, starting seven. He’s ready to play again.
Shaw hasn’t played for United since December 1 when he came on for the final 34 minutes of a 4-0 win at home to Everton. The 29-year-old also came on for the final 34 minutes of the preceding game at Ipswich, plus 30 minutes of the win against a Bodo/Glimt side United could yet meet again in the Europa League. Before that, Shaw hadn’t played for nine months and a game at Luton Town, yet in 2022-23, he played 47 United games.
When he’s fit, he’s an important player, though Shaw’s still not ready, according to Ruben Amorim. United’s overall form in 2025 has been played 17, won nine, drawn four, lost five. Hardly glorious but an improvement after the worst December since 1933.
The dressing-room mood is said to have improved from there, that there’s a better spirit and group mentality. That’s not always been the case. But there’s also realism.
The quality of players at United — or the stage of the careers that some of the younger players are at — is not close to being able to push for a title. United are 13th because there have been 12 better teams after 29 games. That and the last five league games were against Spurs (14th when the game started), Everton (14th), Ipswich (18th), Arsenal (second) and Leicester City (19th).
Advertisement United have picked up 43 per cent of their total league points this season in only six games against the bottom three. The next five are distinctly harder. They play Forest (third at present), Manchester City (fifth), Newcastle United (sixth), Wolves (17th) and Bournemouth (10th).
Four of those five have already defeated United in the league so far. An upturn in form against them will see the mood lift even more. Going out of the FA Youth Cup at the semi-final stage on penalties at Villa Park on Monday was a blow, especially as the final would have been at Old Trafford, where a 60,000-plus crowd would have been achievable, but the youth system is in a good place.
United use the support for their youth team (1,500 travelling fans were at Villa) and the clear pathway to first-team football to attract young players. In fact, it’s a young first team too and there’s clear potential of the new players, including the recently arrived Heaven and Patrick Dorgu. United’s women’s team are also having a good season and are well-placed for Champions League football next season, albeit ahead of a tough run-in .
Marc Skinner has led his side to an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on April 13th. Why is that a good thing, when we’re reminded of the talents of players who’ve been let out on loan? Well, it could be worse. When Antony Martial went to Sevilla in 2022, the idea was that he’d play well and increase his value and be sold.
Except Martial barely played and there was no desire from Spanish clubs to sign him. Across Seville at Real Betis, Antony is doing so well that his team-mate Isco has suggested that Betis start a crowdfunder to keep him . The Andalusians have started winning, rising from 12th to sixth in La Liga, and Antony has a starring role.
On Sunday, they won a first Seville derby in seven years. Advertisement There will be more eyes on him when he plays at the Olympic Stadium against leaders Barcelona on Saturday. Barca were once interested in signing Antony from Ajax.
Betis are delighted with Antony, who has started all 12 games since he moved to Spain’s fourth biggest city in January. United are unlikely to get anything like the £81.3 million that they paid for the 25-year-old and the days of Betis breaking the world transfer record, as they did to sign another Brazilian, Denilson, in 1998, are long gone, but he’s showing his worth in a top league, and that will be attractive to suitors.
Rashford is also being credited for doing well at Aston Villa. It’s good for both players, for their loan clubs, and it should be positive for United, either by getting a higher fee for them or, though less likely, welcoming back in-form players. It’s not all bright, though.
While Tyrell Malacia is getting much-needed games at PSV Eindhoven, Jadon Sancho has been less impressive at Chelsea . If United can do what they’ve struggled to in recent years and sell well, then it’ll make a significant difference to how much money Amorim will have in the summer transfer windows. Bruno Fernandes plays for Manchester United — and he’s currently by far the team’s best player, one of the few positives in a poor season so far.
If United are to salvage something from this season, he’ll be at the heart of it. (Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images).
