The Football Insider With Mikael Silvestre: Where Do United Go From Here?

As the season draws to an end there have been a lot of stories that have taken fans through the ups and the downs since it all started in August.

Liverpool have pretty much cruised to the English Premier League title – rarely slipping up during the season and even when they have nobody has been able to take advantage.

Manchester City will look back on this season as one of extreme transition. Yes, the injury to Rodri was a body blow but even accounting for that they have been way off the pace in a way that was unthinkable at the start of the campaign.

Arsenal again have been the nearly men and you have to wonder how many more shots at glory Mikel Arteta and this team will have - it might be next season is really crunch team for a brilliant collection of footballers who just don't seem to have the killer instinct.

But with all that said, there is only one football story in England that I find myself personally looking at more than any other and that is the even greater demise of Manchester United this season.

Europa League victory would have done so much for the club - a trophy in the cabinet, an injection of money with the Champions League and the ability for Ruben Amorim to do something pretty drastic with the squad.

But defeat at Spurs means United have reached a new low - and the manner in which they played the final sums up just how lacking in quality and spirit this squad is.

It looks like the Old Trafford bosses will stick by the manager and I think they have little choice.

But if you take, for example, that the manager is able to move on Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof, where do they find the players with little money that will for the system?

On top of that he clearly wants to shape a team without the return of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony. So, you are looking at maybe five to six players leaving and in my mind it is time to say goodbye to these boys. The question is that arises again is: who replaces them?

If there is any hope for United fans is that this might just represent the rock bottom needed to wipe the slate clean and go again with reduced expectation.

I also have a theory – maybe one of hope – that the defeat can be a blessing in disguise. Amorim will only have domestic football on his plate next season so he will have so much time with the players on the training ground. That will allow him to truly implement his philosophy and focus on the league and cups.

So, there you have it laid bare – United really are at a new low.

But can Amorim and his coaches stage a monumental resurrection? United fans, like me, will have to trust him!

(Former French defender Mikael Silvestre won five Premier League titles with Manchester United. He was also part of the United team that won the 2008 Champions League title)

MENAFN28052025000049011007ID1109604197