After breaking free from the cycle of failure, everyone in the team is eager to taste success, said defender Harry Maguire.
Manchester United is determined to bounce back from last season’s disappointments. The players are sweating it out in training, preparing themselves for the new campaign. Maguire believes they are ready for a fresh start.
The 2024-25 season was a write-off for United. They finished 15th in the English Premier League — their worst-ever finish in the Premier League era. The team exited early from the League Cup in the quarter-finals and from the FA Cup in the fifth round. However, they showed some promise in the Europa League, reaching the final with impressive performances. Unfortunately, they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the final, crushing their hopes of a trophy and qualification for the Champions League.
As they gear up for the new season and aim to return to their rightful place, Manchester United’s preparations have been promising. They’ve strengthened their attack during the summer transfer window by signing Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha, Cameroonian forward Bryan Mbeumo, and Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko.
United will kick off their new Premier League season against Arsenal next Sunday. Speaking on a podcast with former England defender Rio Ferdinand, Maguire expressed optimism about the team.
“The boys are working hard and the atmosphere here is fantastic. We want to succeed and we’re doing everything we can to achieve that. Sometimes it feels like we haven’t performed well recently and haven’t given the fans much to cheer about.”
“I think this feels like a fresh start and hopefully this time we’ll get off to a good beginning.”
Maguire joined United from Leicester City six years ago for £80 million, which was a record fee for a defender at the time. He was sidelined and lost his captaincy during Erik ten Hag’s tenure but has since regained his place and trust under new coach Ruben Amorim. Now 32, Maguire is a key figure again.
United, who have been in transition for a long time, are about to start the season with a much-changed squad. Despite the changes, Maguire does not consider them the best team.
“We have been in a rebuilding phase. When Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, that was our best team and we won every trophy.”
“But the reality is we are not the best team right now. We have to take the pressure off and focus on winning, playing like it’s our home ground. I think we’ve been fighting to find that for the last 10 years.”
