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Manchester United managed their worst points total in Premier League history last season, managing only 58 points. Over the summer, they have brought in Erik ten Hag as the manager, prying him away from Ajax. The Dutchman has got to work trying to revolutionize the way the club plays but has found it hard to erode the decay within the club.
Mentioned below are three goals that the club could realistically set for the upcoming season. Returning the club to its former glory will not be a quick fix, and it will take time. The club and the fans will have to remain patient, and the three goals below are possible steps in the right direction.
#1 United need to excite their fans again
When Maurizio Sarri left Chelsea, he did so by winning the Europa League, but the fans had a fractious relationship with the club and the manager. Frank Lampard came into the club and went about fixing that.
The football was not magical, and Chelsea lost Eden Hazard, but in came exciting academy players like Mason Mount and Reece James. These Cobham graduates had a bond with the fans.
Ten Hag needs to do something similar at United. During the pre-season, he has used some academy players like Alejandro Garnacho, James Garner, and others. Jadon Sancho, Lisandro Martinez, and Tyrell Malacia are also in their early 20s. They scored 14 goals over six games during the pre-season, and visually the football has improved.
Getting the fans back on their side is the first major step the club has to take.
#2 Feed off the underdog tag
Gone are the days when Manchester United were the best club in England. It is safe to say that the other 'Big 6' are doing better domestically. Even some of the teams that are traditionally below United are being run better. While this may seem like a negative, which it is, United can use it as a positive. The players and fans need to be realistic and try to overachieve.
No sensible fan would think United stand a chance of finishing in the top four. Malacia and Martinez are good signings, while Christian Eriksen brings experience and quality, but it is far from enough. Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, and Nemanja Matic left the club this summer.
Given all these circumstances, if the club can challenge for a fourth-place finish and just miss out on it, like Arsenal did last season, it would be an improvement.
They only have to better a 58-point tally, and there is no way the club can do worse than last season. They need to use the underdog tag and go into games fighting for every single point.
#3 Fix the dressing room instability
All of last season, there were leaks and reports that United's dressing room was divided into two camps. Cristiano Ronaldo had his group of players, while Harry Maguire and others had different ideas. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and Ralf Rangnick fell prey to this divide, but Ten Hag cannot make the same mistake.
While players have put on smiles for the cameras during pre-season, such problems are not easily fixed. Ronaldo has made it clear he wants to leave the club, and he left before full-time during the friendly against Rayo Vallecano. Harry Maguire is not behaving like a captain, and it seems like the Ronaldo situation needs to be resolved.
A dressing room that is united can make a lot of difference, and if Ten Hag can fix the divide, it could help him accomplish the other goals. The Dutchman has already shown that he is a disciplinarian. He will have to lay down the law within the club to get players with massive wages to listen to him. Player power has disrupted the Red Devils' trajectory for too long.
