Manchester United had a strange first season under Jose Mourinho. They’ll expect to challenge for the title in his second.
INS: Victor Lindelof (£31 million, Benfica), Romelu Lukaku (£75.8 million, Everton), Nemanja Matic (£40 million, Chelsea)
OUTS: Wayne Rooney (free, Everton), Adnan Januzaj (£7.6 million, Real Sociedad), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (released)
THE STORY: Jose Mourinho, who is entering his second season in charge of Manchester United, has never not won the domestic title in his second season in charge of a club. If he continues that run with the Red Devils in 2017-18, it should go down as one of his more impressive achievements.
United finished sixth last season, seven points off the top four. They also won two trophies, the League Cup and, crucially, the Europa League, which victory saw them qualify for this season’s Champions League. To criticize their league finish without acknowledging the role their Europa League run played in it would be foolish, but there was a reason Mourinho had to prioritize the cup run, and it wasn’t because United looked like title contenders.
But make no mistake, the expectation this season will be a Premier League title challenge at the very least. The Red Devils haven’t lifted the trophy since 2012-13, the longest they’ve gone without winning since the Premier League was formed in 1992. They’ve won the championship 13 times, including four of the first five titles. They’ve had two separate three-peats. So, yeah, their fans won’t accept another sixth-place finish.
United have been busy this summer transfer window ensuring they don’t have to. They’ve made only three signings so far this summer, but all cost big money and should improve the starting XI immediately. Victor Lindelof arrives from Benfica to bolster an already solid defense that only gave up 29 league goals last season, the second best record in the league. Nemanja Matic may be made of actual steel; he gives the Red Devils the world-class defensive midfielder they’ve been missing.
Then there’s Romelu Lukaku, who, although he had been productive for Everton before, finally looked like the player many thought he could be last season, netting 25 goals in 37 appearances. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic leaving, the center-forward position is all his heading into the new Premier League season. Big things will be expected of the Belgian.
Perhaps the biggest question facing Mourinho is who he surrounds Lukaku with. Henrikh Mkhitaryan wasn’t stellar in his first season, but showed his worth in the Europa League and should see more time. Juan Mata picked up an injury toward the end of last season, but was one of United’s best players when fit, and could challenge Mkhitaryan for the primary creator role.
Then there are the two youngsters, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. Martial had a good 2015-16 league season, scoring 11 goals in 31 appearances, but only found the back of net on four occasions last year after seeming to fall out of favor with Mourinho. Rashford saw his playing time increase dramatically in 2016-17, appearing in 32 Premier League matches, but he only managed to equal his 2015-16 goal tally of five. Rashford only saw the field 11 times that year. Mourinho isn’t known for giving young players extended opportunities, but Martial and Rashford could have big roles to play if another attacker isn’t brought in before the end of the window.
The formation Mourinho prefers (more on that later) will certainly have an effect on who gets time in the United midfield. Matic, Mkhitaryan, Mata, Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and, of course, Paul Pogba will receive the lion’s share of available minutes behind and around Lukaku. That leaves little potential playing time for the likes of Jesse Lingard (who Mourinho actually seems to favor a bit), Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young. This a good problem to have, but Mourinho will need to figure out the most effective combination.
Last season’s biggest area of strength was defense, and four of the back five seem nailed-on heading into the new season. David de Gea will start in goal, Antonio Valencia, who has developed into one of the league’s best full-backs, will be on the right, while Lindelof will likely partner Mourinho-favorite Eric Bailly, who was terrific in his first season, at center-back. That leaves Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo vying for minutes at left-back. Frankly, it probably doesn’t make a huge difference who starts. United will have one of the league’s best defenses again either way.
The 2017-18 Premier League season will also mark the first time in 13 seasons Manchester United take the field without Wayne Rooney as a member of the club. For die hard United supporters and casual soccer fans alike, it will take some getting used to. Rooney won five titles with the Red Devils, and notched double-digit goals in each of his first 11 seasons at Old Trafford, but was largely sidelined in Jose Mourinho’s first year in charge, scoring only five times. Now, after a wonderful career at Old Trafford, he has returned home to Everton, his boyhood club.
Will this new era begin to return the magic to the Theatre of Dreams? Quality summer signings and veteran leadership will leave the United faithful in a state of cautious optimism. United have a long way to go in order to return to their former glory, but never bet against Mourinho, especially in his second season at a club.
KEY PLAYERS: Pogba is the obvious choice here. The 24-year-old returned to Old Trafford last season after four years with Juventus. Amid soaring expectations, Pogba failed to provide the attacking output some expected, scoring five goals and adding four assists in 30 appearances, but showed the breadth of his skill set as Mourinho asked him to play several different roles, often at the same time, throughout the season.
The lack of a bona fide defensive midfielder in the squad forced the Frenchman to do slightly more defensive work than he probably would’ve liked, but the addition of Matic should allow Pogba to show off his play-making more. United definitely need him more involved in the attack to be successful. His club doesn’t have much of a shot at the top four if he fails to deliver.
Another United midfielder that will need to have consistent impact this season is Mkhitaryan. After joining from Borussia Dortmund before last season, the 28-year-old appeared in 24 league games and scored four goals. He only managed one assist. Granted, Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn’t leave very many scoring chances for others when he’s on the field, but the Armenian play-maker must provide more play-making.
United fans will hope for a replica of Mkhitaryan’s 2015-16 season with Dortmund during which he scored 11 goals and assisted on 15 more. He showed something closer to that form for United in the Europa League last season, scoring six goals during their winning run, but will need to do more in the league. Look for him to greatly increase his offensive production this season after having a year to settle.
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THE MANAGER: What more, good or bad, can be said about the Special One? Mourinho wins everywhere he goes, at least for a while. After a few seasons in one spot, his antics and head games games start to wear on people. The 54-year-old will then jump ship to the next high-profile club to start the process all over again.
No other club provides the opportunity for more glory than Manchester United. The Red Devils are still ranked as the most valuable soccer team in the world. Their history is nearly unrivaled. Returning them to the actual “best” club in the world is the perfect challenge for Mourinho.
On a more micro level, the formation Mourinho settles on for this season will be intriguing to see. He has been experimenting with a three-man back line in preseason, and certainly has the personnel for it. Last year he relied on a 4-2-3-1 with Zlatan leading the charge and Pogba in a more defensive role.
For this season, and with this roster to select from, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the United manager utilize a 4-3-3, the formation he dominated the Premier League with during his first stint with Chelsea. Matic makes this possible. It allows Pogba the freedom to make things happen.
That all being said, another lackluster season at Old Trafford for the Special One may have him looking for greener pastures.
BEST CASE: Mourinho continues his run of second-season success, United win the league and go on a deep run in Europe.
WORST CASE: United miss out on Europe all together. Mourinho quits in a fiery rage before the end of the season.