Manchester United
Manchester United 2023/24 Season Preview & Expectations
The 2023/24 season is a hopeful one for Manchester United, especially after a strong 2022 season under Erik Ten Hag. The Dutch tactician was brought in to steady the ship after Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and he showed enough in his first season to be termed as the best Man United manager since Sir Alex Fergusson.
This season is now the time to build on that and significantly close the gap to noisy neighbours Manchester City.
But is everything likely to go according to plan for Ten Hag’s side? Things have been off to a rocky start with lots of issues in and out of the pitch, and we’ll preview the season for United. The article is based on our interview with football and online live casino expert Bernard Maumo from OnlineCasinoRank.
A Turbulent Start
Manchester United is engulfed in negative energy surrounding the club sale that has dragged on for over 7 months, with no significant news seemingly on the horizon. Most expected that the issue would be solved before the start of the season to give the club clarity in terms of the transfer season.
The pressure to sell from the fans has been compounded by the Mason Greenwood saga over the last few weeks. Following the conclusion of the issue six months after internal investigations began in January, the CEO Richard Arnold is now facing calls to resign owing to how the whole matter was handled.
And to top it off, the team has begun the season poorly. United struggled against Wolves in the opening fixture, only managing to edge out a 1-0 victory after Wolves were the better team in the second half.
This was then followed by a meekly defeat at The Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which highlighted the on-pitch issues that the team is still to overcome. There was also a 3-0 loss in a game that was played behind closed doors, although it mostly featured fringe players.
Ins and Outs
Heading into the new season, Manchester United’s priority was to sign a striker. The manager decided that young Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund would be the one to lead the team. The youngster is still not an established first teamer, but it would be interesting to see if he can fill the gaping void immediately and deliver the goods.
According to football and online live casino expert Maumo, solving United’s attacking issues completely would be too much to ask the 20-year-old, but not impossible.
In the midfield department, United also brought in Mason Mount from Chelsea. The midfielder is expected to provide energy and creativity in the midfield alongside Casemiro, pretty much the role that Eriksen was playing last season.
Andre Onana was also brought in to take the place of David De Gea after negotiations for the Spaniard to remain at the club failed. But although United offered the Spaniard a deal, Erik Ten Had has always wanted a ball-playing goalkeeper.
According to Maumo, Onana is one of the best ball-playing goalkeepers in the world, and that has already been evident in the first few games.
The main departures during the summer transfer window were Fred (Fenerbahce), Alex Telles (Al-Nassr), Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest), and David Degea (Free Agent).
Season Expectations
In the 2022/23 season, the expectations were a top-four spot to guarantee a return to the Champions League and at least a title.
The manager delivered on both, finishing the league season third behind Manchester City and Arsenal. He also managed to hand United the first trophy in six years by winning the EFL Cup. There was then the FA Cup final loss against City, which proved that the team had to improve.
The 2023/24 season is now expected to be the season to do that. However, Erik Ten Hag has already played down the expectations of winning the title, which is understandable.
Given City’s recent dominance and the transfer activities of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle, nobody would be upset about a top-four finish.
However, it’s expected that progress should be shown, and the team should at least challenge until March/April.
In the other competitions, winning silverware is the minimum after the EFL Cup win and reaching the FA Cup finals and Europa League semifinals.
Now that the team is in the Champions League, reaching at least the quarterfinals should be the target. But since we are talking about Manchester United, the dream will always be there among the fans to win the league or even the Champions League.
Wonderkid to watch
Last season saw the arrival of Alejandro Garnacho, and the youngster established himself enough to earn a start in the first game of the season. This year, Kobbie Mainoo is expected to be the young player to watch.
The 18-year-old academy product was named the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year for the 2022/23 season. He also made his senior team debut in the same season in a 3–0 EFL Cup win over Charlton Athletic. This was then followed by a league debut on 19 February after he came on as a substitute in the 3–0 win against Leicester City.
During the preseason in the US, Mainoo was the breakout star and was hugely impressive in the 2-0 win over Arsenal. He also played well in the friendlies against Leeds and Lyon before he got an injury that will keep him out at the start of the season.
Ten Hag promised that he will get his chances when he comes back, and he is expected to be a mainstay in the future. Bernard Maumo concludes that it will be interesting to see how much progress the youngster as well as the team can make.
Manchester United
Broken Eye Socket Sidelines Manchester United Women’s Star: Expected Healing Time and Return Date
Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has suffered a fractured eye socket that could sideline her for several weeks, dealing a significant blow to the Red Devils’ momentum in both domestic and European competition.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce Fractures Eye Socket
The 29-year-old sustained the injury during United’s Women’s Super League clash against Aston Villa on November 11 in an accidental impact that required immediate attention after the match.
While she escaped without a concussion, further medical assessments confirmed the fracture, forcing her to miss Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain and Saturday’s 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.
Marc Skinner confirmed after the PSG match that Tullis-Joyce had experienced “a little bit of irritation” around the affected area. She was spotted on the pitch before kick-off wearing sunglasses and talking with teammates, highlighting the sensitivity to light that typically accompanies this type of injury.
Expected Recovery Timeline
Recovery timelines for a fractured eye socket typically extend several weeks, with rest and protection crucial to ensuring safe healing before a return to competition.
Despite the concerning diagnosis, Skinner struck a cautiously optimistic tone ahead of the Manchester derby. “She should be fine, it’s just trying to make sure she doesn’t get another knock in that area,” the 42-year-old coach said on Saturday.
Impact on United’s Title Push
The timing couldn’t be worse for Manchester United. Tullis-Joyce has been in arguably the best form of her career this season, establishing herself as one of the WSL’s most reliable goalkeepers since inheriting the number one spot following Mary Earps’ departure in summer 2024.
Her absence forces United to rely on backup goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel, who impressed in her second senior appearance against PSG but remains relatively inexperienced at this level. The 3-0 derby defeat to City, where Middleton-Patel deputised again, exposed the defensive vulnerability created by Tullis-Joyce’s absence.
United currently sit third in the WSL table with 17 points from nine matches, but their fixture list intensifies significantly over the coming weeks. Beyond Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Wolfsburg, they face a crucial run of domestic fixtures that could define their season.
Internationally, the injury also disrupts Tullis-Joyce’s upward trajectory with the USWNT. After making her senior debut in April 2025 against Brazil, she’s been a regular in Emma Hayes’ squads and had positioned herself as a genuine contender for future major tournaments. With the United States set to face Italy in a doubleheader on November 28 and December 1, her availability remains uncertain.
Manchester City
Manchester United Women Suffer Unwanted Record for the First Time in 18 Months after Lackluster Display Against Manchester City
Manchester United Women endured their most toothless attacking display in 18 months during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, failing to register a single shot on target for the first time since facing Chelsea on May 18, 2024.
Despite controlling 60% of possession at the Etihad Stadium, United failed to test City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita once across the entire 90 minutes, managing just 11 shots with none finding the target.
Defeat in the derby. pic.twitter.com/6KImmqLhTj
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) November 15, 2025
It’s a damning indictment of Marc Skinner’s side, especially considering they came into this fixture as the only team with a perfect away record in the WSL this season. That unblemished run is now history, blown apart by Andree Jeglertz’s side who delivered three first-half goals through Rebecca Knaak, Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp.
Creativity Vanished When It Mattered Most
The absence of injured goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce certainly didn’t help defensively, but United’s attacking woes can’t be blamed on personnel. Jess Park started against her former club, Ella Toone was in the lineup, and Melvine Malard came off the bench. Yet none of them could fashion a single effort that genuinely troubled Yamashita.
United dominated possession but lacked any penetration in the final third. When they did manage to get shots away, it was either blocked, wayward, or hit straight at City defenders.
The worrying part is this wasn’t just a one-off. United collapsed 3-2 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League midweek despite initially leading 2-0, and now they’ve followed that up with arguably their worst attacking performance of the season.
Manchester City
(Photos) Not For the Faint-Hearted: Nasty Head-On Collision in Manchester Derby Leaves Stars With Lumps
Manchester United‘s Simi Awujo and Manchester City‘s Jade Rose caused a lengthy stoppage in the dying moments of Saturday’s derby after a brutal clash of heads competing for a goal-line clearance.
Medical staff immediately rushed on to carry out concussion protocols, with Awujo eventually forced off whilst Rose was cleared to continue post treatment.
Sickening Head Clash Stops Manchester Derby
The incident marred what had already been a punishing afternoon for United, who lost 3-0 to their cross-city rivals to fall seven points behind City in the WSL title race. Goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp handed City a comfortable victory, extending their unbeaten run to eight consecutive matches.
Jade Rose Shows Battle Scars on Instagram
Despite the severity of the collision, Rose appeared in good spirits afterwards when teammate Alex Greenwood snapped a photo showing the defender’s sizeable forehead bump. Rose posted the image to Instagram, writing: “Can’t say I didn’t put my body on the line.”
Manchester City Women’s Statement Victory
After tonight’s statement victory, City now sit four points clear of second-placed Chelsea, having played a game more, whilst United are stuck in third position seven points adrift of their rivals.
Jeglertz expressed delight at his first derby triumph despite the intensity. The Swedish manager particularly praised his side’s defensive solidity after keeping a clean sheet.
On the other hand, Manchester United boss Marc Skinner was left frustrated by his team’s individual errors.
United had been dealing with a tight turnaround after beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, when Awujo had made her first start in European competition before the unfortunate collision ended her afternoon prematurely.
Read more: Arsenal Women vs. Tottenham Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
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