One of the many curious aspects of the 2025-26 season was just how quiet things eventually became at Manchester United. The most supported, most discussed and, for a certain generation, most loathed team in England were certainly all over the back pages when their manager was sacked, but by Old Trafford standards, the final months of the campaign breezed by, interim head coach Michael Carrick securing Champions League football at a canter before being handed the job on a permanent basis. For the first time in three years, United could approach a new season with at most limited questions over the future of their manager.
There need be no recruiting of particular targets to fit a particular system as was the case under Ruben Amorim or the influx of those familiar to Erik ten Hag. Carrick must prove he can achieve the same sort of results this season as he did last when he has to balance European fixtures with domestic commitments. However, he can at least approach that challenge with the confidence of his employers and United supporters.
That is a better situation to be in than many of his predecessors. Well, misery loves company, and you will never want for company as a Manchester United supporter. Consistently being the best club in England (and occasionally Europe) at the time when the Premier League was growing into one of the biggest competitions in sports has a way of drawing fans from right across the world.
As for the misery, well, the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years have demanded a heavy toll for supporters reared on perennial Premier League titles. Not one in 13 years but a Europa League and some domestic silverware is hardly the worst a fanbase has had it since 2013, but that does not make it any less painful for United. The third place in which United ended 2025-26 was not false by any stretch of the imagination.
Carrick's men had the third-best goal difference, the third-best expected goal difference, the third most goals scored. Without ever really getting close to Manchester City and Arsenal, the Red Devils could reasonably feel that they were the best of the rest. Compared to some of their rivals though, it is not so clear that they can repeat those levels.
After all, to be the third best team in England, Manchester United needed Bruno Fernandes to deliver at record-breaking level. His 21 assists were more than any team in the Premier League. In every metric you care to mention, he was the best chance creator in the division by a ludicrous margin, providing 54% more chances and 35% more expected assists than the second best in the league for those metrics.
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