With apologies to my SBOTOP mate James, who is a diehard Manchester United fan, I’m taking a look at the gap between his team and treble winners Manchester City.
Under the guidance of the brilliant Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils dominated the Premier League for two decades and won their own treble back in 1999. Then the balance of power began to shift, following a change in ownership for the Sky Blues, and, while Sir Alex dismissed them as ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City set about their own period of domination, culminating in their incredible achievements this season.
Pep Guardiola’s side won the league at a canter and then beat United in the FA Cup final, before seeing off a stubborn Inter Milan in the Champions League final to complete the treble. It is so sweet for fans of the Sky Blues who have watched their team rise from the third tier of English football to become the Kings of Europe.
The Premier League 2023 betting odds have already installed Pep Guardiola’s City as odds on favourites to make it six league titles in seven seasons and I won’t argue with that; but the Red Devils, for so long the top dogs, are now living in the shadows of their neighbours and Erik Ten Hag is trying to set that right. Manchester United finished third in the Premier League and won the Carabao Cup, so it’s been a relatively successful campaign. But I see no reason (yet) to believe they will narrow the 14 point gap between them and the champions.
United need their ownership situation sorted out. Sheikh Jassim of Qatar is the front runner and he has just submitted a fifth bid, totalling around £5bn. And the loyal Red Devils fans hope that, whoever does take over, they will back Ten Hag to strengthen his hand.
But it will take time.
One area the club does need to strengthen is in attack, and United were hopeful of luring Spurs legend Harry Kane to the club after he scored 30 goals last season and has just 12 months left on his contract. The England skipper was said to favour a move to Old Trafford over signing for a European giant, but there has been little progress in recent days and the club may be about to turn their attention elsewhere, with Atalanta’s young striker Rasmus Hojlund on the radar.
There might be a couple of players on the way out of the Theatre of Dreams though, with misfit forward Jadon Sancho attracting interest at Tottenham. United want to recoup as much of the fee they paid out for Sancho as possible, and have valued him at £60m. And, after a torrid campaign, centre back Harry Maguire is also in Tottenham’s sights, though he is said to want to play for his place with United. Ten Hag needs competition for places and Maguire is worth a position in his squad, but the boss also needs to improve the levels at every position, either through recruitment or player improvement, and Maguire has recently reached his 30th birthday.
Chasing pack are already making moves
In other Premier League 2023 news Liverpool have strengthened in a key area as World Cup winner Alexis MacAllister has moved to Anfield from Brighton and Hove Albion for an initial fee of £35m. The Argentine was one of the stars of the Qatar World Cup and he will slot into a midfield in desperate need of reinforcement. The Reds missed out on a top four place and they will be in the market for two more midfield players, but the signing of MacAllister is an impressive start.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have already tied down impressive centre back William Saliba on a four year deal and head coach Mikel Arteta is looking to strengthen elsewhere. The Gunners finished second to Manchester City after leading the title race for much of the campaign and they really weren’t that far short. Now they need to thrive in Europe and cement their position as a top four club, as they were under Arsene Wenger.
West Ham United have said they will allow captain Declan Rice to leave in the summer and Arsenal are the front runners with the player said to be keen on a move to the Emirates. And the Gunners are also preparing an increased bid for Brighton star Moises Caicedo.
The top four race will be more competitive than ever next season, with Newcastle United and Chelsea owners both determined to see their teams at Europe’s top table, while Liverpool are on their way back and Arsenal are already strong. Manchester City will lead the way and the task for United is to keep pace with their neighbours and then maybe, just maybe, they will start to close the gap before too long.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
