Manchester United is in 16th place in the Premier League – and that can get worse – but the hierarchy of the club believes that a jump back in the top six is feasible
The Hierarchy of Manchester United wants to become a top hexagon next season. That is despite the fact that they are currently 16th in the Premier League with two remaining games of the season.
Mounted by West Ham in the weekend they saw further the table, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co have not prevented it from supporting the club to rise in the next term, the men reports. A top six finish would be good enough for European football, but it would also represent one of the rarest revivals in the history of Premier League.
United finished eighth last season but surpassed it for all the wrong reasons. Ruben Amorim, whose future after this season remains for debate, claimed that he “perhaps the worst Manchester United team in history” provided it only a few months ago.
The Red Devils are a point behind West Ham in the 15th, but are in the middle of a run that she has seen two pulling and losing five of their last seven games. Tottenham was able to jump the Manchester outfit and paint an even gloomy image of the season.
Recovery after a strong summer transfer window and a positive preseason are not unheard of. But to rise 10 places, which keeps an eye on the Manchester bosses, is something that is once reached in a blue moon.
In a Premier League of 20 teams, only five times has a team that has risen 10 places or more the following season. One of them was the miracle of Leicester City – who went from 14th after relegation to avert champions in a 5000/1 success. The type of story that is ever in your life.
Ignoring that only four teams have made the type of jump that they are looking for the red half of Manchester – and none of these was what you would have called traditional 'top six' sides. When they fall, it takes much longer to recover.
Everton In 2004/05, the previous year of 17th place was to register a top four in what was a stunning job of David Moyes. They abandoned Liverpool to lead their Merseyside rivals to the Champions League – and all after losing Wayne Rooney to Manchester.
A year earlier and Aston Villa celebrated the sixth and twisted in the 16th the previous season after swinging. That was due to a management change in which David O'Leary entered to replace Graham Taylor. That was an example of a new manager who really fuss a club when they landed the UEFA Cup – now Europa League – qualifying.
Fulham was another side to take advantage of a good transfer window and a previous season under Roy Hodgson in 2008. The experienced manager had somewhat avoided the relegation to end 17th, but in his first full season the cottagers brought all the way to the high heights of seventh – so they could start on their journey to the Europa League final.
In more recent years, West Ham managed to jump on 10 places and finished sixth in 2020/21 as 16th the year before. Just like the aforementioned situation of Fulham, the Hammers had changed the manager the year before and brought Moyes in. Like Hodgson, Moyes was able to bypass the club's fortune after a good pre -season and the chance to get his own players.
It is worth noting that Nottingham Forest, as soon as this season has ended, will also have made a leap of more than 10 places under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Amorim Back the Trend – and not in a good way
Of all the revival stories mentioned above, there is a common theme. Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Fulham have all changed their manager for six months before they started impressive campaigns. Amorim arrived about a similar time such as Nuno, Moyes and Hodgson.
But although they showed signs of promise, rejecting the threat of relegation, Amorim has only served to take the Manchester outfit in the wrong direction. In the case of Leicester and Aston Villa, they changed from managers in the summer and they were able to return immediately.
The Power Brokers from United really believe that a top six finish is an acceptable goal for next season, but the Premier League history suggests that it is a long order and the direction of travel under Amorim would end the sixth once of the great recovery.
It is also worth noting that, although United has never been so low in the Premier League, their biggest leap ever is from the seventh to fourth. If you look at the entire history of the club, the club has not jumped ten places in the competition since 1964, and that had to be achieved the sparkle of Sir Matt Busby.