‘Quietly optimistic’: What 9 pundits have predicted for Man Utd’s prospects in 2024-25

Manchester United’s 2024-25 campaign is already underway, having kicked off the season with a penalty shootout defeat to rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield. But how will they fare this season?

Despite ending up with a goal difference of zero last term, and a worst-ever Premier League finish of eighth, there’s an optimistic mood at Old Trafford after a change in the ownership structure and some interesting summer signings.

We’ve rounded up what nine pundits make of Manchester United’s summer transfer dealings and what that means for their hopes in 2023-24.

Gary Neville

“I hope Erik ten Hag will still be the Manchester United manager come the end of the season,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“There’s no doubt that if United have a really poor start and the results are the same as last year that Ten Hag will come under massive pressure very quickly. But I am actually quietly optimistic about Manchester United.

“I just think the signings that they are bringing in are of a different profile from what they have bought in the past.

“The group of people they have now at the club, from owner down to sporting director, will not make the same mistakes the club have made in the last three or four seasons. They have wasted money and made signings that you knew would bring pressure to them at some point.

“The profile of the players they are bringing in now is right. They need a younger, quicker, athletic and more energetic football team, and I think that is what you are going to see from Manchester United this year.

“There is still an imbalance in some parts of the team where they need to get better. There are worries about Luke Shaw, who is now injured again, at left-back. Who is going to play there now?

“There’s also potentially issues up front if Rasmus Hojlund’s injury issues continue. Manchester United are obviously short up there.

“But just generally, I do think they are in a better situation than they were last year, and hopefully the change at the very top of the club with INEOS, which everyone has wanted for years, can bring more sensible decision-making.”

Elsewhere, speaking on Stick To Football, Neville predicted United will finish in the top four… but doesn’t consider them in the title picture alongside Manchester City and Arsenal.

Jamie Carragher

“Do you think Manchester United will get in, but Liverpool won’t?” Carra asked Neville on Stick To Football.

“You say this every season without fail. Bookmark this.”

The former Liverpool defender doesn’t believe that United will finish in the top four this season. Expanding on his thoughts about their upcoming campaign, he told Sky Sports:

“Manchester United have to start really well. It’s obvious the hierarchy were looking for a new manager in the summer and they couldn’t quite find one so they stuck with the manager they had.

“He’s been allowed to make signings and spend money this summer, but that is the nature of being Manchester United boss.

“He’ll know, and I’m sure everyone at the club will know, that the pressure will intensify if they don’t make a good start, starting against Fulham on Friday. Fulham beat them at Old Trafford last season so United know they have to be stronger at home this time around.

“They need to try and make Old Trafford a fortress again because they lost too many games last season – 19 in all competitions. That’s far too many for a club the size and the stature of Manchester United.”

Roy Keane

“I think United will make [the] top four,” the legendary United captain said on Stick To Football, having also backed Aston Villa to finish there ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham.

“But a lot will happen… there’s still a couple of weeks [left in the transfer window].”

“It’s always a worry for me about competing and I still worry about the spine of that Manchester United team,” Keane continued.

“For all the nice play they have and good players, I still worry about the goalkeeper and striker.”

“On paper, they have a decent squad, but the reality is when they’ve played games, and last year with their record in the league they were so open.

“If you’re on about competing, I worry about the spine of the team.”

Ian Wright

Wright didn’t expand on his thoughts on how United’s season will pan out, but by the process of elimination we can gather he doesn’t think they’ll finish in the top four.

Speaking on Stick To Football, the former Arsenal striker talked up Arsenal and Manchester City in the title race and backed Liverpool and Aston Villa to join them in the Champions League qualification spots.

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Rio Ferdinand

“Man United improving on that eighth position of last season to [the] top four but I’ve got a sneaky feeling about Arsenal [to win the title]” Ferdinand told TNT Sports.

"I'd go with Arsenal to win it. Man United in top four" 🏆@rioferdy5 and Owen Hargreaves give their Premier League predictions for the upcoming campaign 👀 pic.twitter.com/5S8jAm9xIq

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 14, 2024

Michael Owen

At the time of writing, Owen is yet to post his usual 1-20 Premier League predictions on Twitter.

However, he has given some predictions to the official Premier League website… and gone with Manchester United outside the top four. He did say they’ll qualify for a UEFA competition but listed them behind Newcastle and Spurs… which presumably means a prediction of seventh in the table.

Elsewhere in the same article, Tim Sherwood predicts that United will finish third, Karen Carney and Matt Holland go with fourth, while Darren Bent, Mark Schwarzer, Don Hutchison and Leon Osman all stuck them somewhere between fifth and seventh.

Owen, Holland and Shay Given all gave Kobbie Mainoo a shout for best young player.

Alan Shearer

The Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer believes that United will finish fifth, ahead of Spurs, Aston Villa and Chelsea but behind Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle,” he wrote in his Betfair column.

“Like all managers, Ten Hag will be under pressure. It wasn’t a nice situation for him to be in, in terms of everyone knowing that the bosses at Man United had spoken to other managers and put it out in the public, so he wasn’t put in a nice position last season but that’s been forgotten.

“They have said that he’s their man to take them forward and they wanted a bit of stability.

“It’s a big season for him and Man United because they’re going to have to improve massively in terms of the league campaign, they did win a trophy, like they did the previous year but in terms of the league position they are going to have to improve.

“I was reasonably impressed with them in the Community Shield and with the additions that it looks like they’re going to make in the coming days, there’s no doubt they’ll improve.”

BBC Pundits

The BBC collated no fewer than 26 pundits for their 2024-25 predictions.

Almost all of them went with Manchester City and Arsenal in the top two, but Steve Sidwell predicted the Red Devils to finish as high as second – the only one of their pundits to do so.

None predicted United would finish third, with the vast majority backing Liverpool for that slot.

Micah Richards, Karen Bardsley, Joe Hart, Dion Dublin and Rob Green all backed United for fourth spot, with some pundits tipping Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League at United’s expense.

Ellen White went with the bold shout of West Ham finishing fourth, ahead of United.

In terms of averages, Tottenham are ranked ahead of Manchester United.

Incredibly, though, only six of the BBC’s 26 pundits think that United will make the top four.

Phil McNulty

The BBC’s chief sports writer also believes that Ten Hag’s men will finish outside the top four – going with fifth, behind Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa,

“Erik ten Hag is still in a job after winning the FA Cup last season but he is surely realistic enough to know he needs a good start to stop speculation rearing its head again, even after signing a new contract,” he wrote in an extended article.

“United have not made any signings that can be considered game-changers and the injury to new teenage central defender Leny Yoro was a body blow.

“Ten Hag will hope Lisandro Martinez, a real warrior, can stay fit while he knows what Matthijs de Ligt can give him in central defence from his time at Ajax, but he was not an unqualified success at either Juventus or Bayern Munich – and it has often been a case of “buyer beware” when the latter are happy to sell their players.

“Lots of questions to answer – not least from the manager. Can Marcus Rashford revive his career? What will become of Jadon Sancho? How will Joshua Zirkzee fit in?

“There are outstanding youngsters, though, in Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, so with less than full confidence I go for an upgrade in league position this season. Ten Hag will need it.”