In just over fourteen days, the first team of Manchester United runs in Old Trafford to hire Arsenal in the first game of their 2025/26 season.
A fixture that was once a war between the two best teams in the English top flight has recently lost its luster, but as season openers go, it couldn't really get better.
Changes needed in the Theater of Dreams
The Theater of Dreams will be packed on the trusses and the vast majority of the 75,000 crammed into the stands will expect a home victory.
After last season's debacle, Ruben Amorim made it fairly clear that there would be changes in the new season before a ball was made in anger, but here we are already deep in their pre -season and fans will be concerned about the lack of movement in the transfer market.
The Portuguese have always been held on his weapons when asked about his tactics and preference system, and it soon became clear that certain players simply did not fit in.
Others were not Amorim's cup of tea, but only Marcus Rashford managed to leave the club this summer.
With it believed that Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia have all heard to find new clubs by the coach, Amorim runs the risk of starting the season with a quartet of players he no longer needs.
What is worse is that an observed editions for bringing in new faces did not really get started.
Gyokees will stand in line against his former manager
Matheus Cunha was first through the door and signed Wolverhampton Wanderers for £ 62.5 million, and he was soon followed by Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo for £ 71 million. Gooit the 18-year-old full-back Diego Leon, and that is the amount of United's affairs this summer.
Although nobody doubts the Premier League references of Cunha or Mbeumo, neither could be the 'superstar' signing sessions on which United should focus with respect.
If to ram the point home about how many the Red Devils have dragged their heels into certain aspects, the old Amorim target, Viktor Gyokeres, has drawn for Arsenal and will be in the first place against his former manager on the opening day.
The Swedish striker, who has been on fire in the Portuguese League in recent years, would have been an ideal addition to the Frontline of United.
Any interest in Liam Delap from Ipswich Town evaporated when he drew for Chelsea and indeed, Amorim is still looking for his desired goalkeeper, because it seems that he does not judge Rasmus Hojlund or Joshua Zirkzee to do that work.
It all points to more disorganization behind the scenes and opening the prospect that the club will start the season if it is not in disorder, then not far away.
Potential recipe for a disaster
A coach without the players he wants in situ and forced to play that he does not want or judge … It is a recipe for a disaster.
Suggestions that RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko or Aston Villas Ollie Watkins are now the target, do not seem to be without a basis, but how are their numbers and who might be better suited for the role?
Watkins is not really a goalkeeper as such, but is skilled in lagging behind or playing the shoulder of the last defender. It is important that he is an experienced frontman with Premier League vostle tree, although he will be 30 by the end of this year.
Sesko is the most important man for Leipzig for the goal and has only become 22 years old. The question mark that lingers is whether he can transfer his output from the Bundesliga to the supposed 'best competition in the world'.
In the past two seasons, Sesko has scored 33 goals and offered eight assists in 71 games in all competitions, where Watkins packs an impressive 54 goals and 27 assists, albeit by playing 46 more matches in the same time frame.
As can be expected, the Slovenian nine of those scored with his head, but Watkins has 14.
Both players have an identical status of 43.9% for shots on goal, where Watkins simply has the accuracy of the shot conversion in the shade (21.9% to 19.7%).
Age about experience or vice versa?
There is also a difficulty to compare the pair of Like-For-Like, because the English man has effectively played an extra season in competitions compared to Sesko, and a definitive decision can not only amount to age or vice versa, but which brings more to the party.
The completion rate of Sesko has never gone more than 68.3%, while the lowest of Watkins in the past two seasons was 69.9%and has become as high as 95.5%.
The 1002 disputed one-on-one duels from the Villa man is almost double that of Sesko's 540, but it is the last to have a better profit rate and a much better profit percentage with regard to Kop duels.
The board of United and Amorim cannot afford to get it again in the market again, so their next purchase must be well thought out and everything is considered before a final decision is made.
There are plus points and minuses for both signing sessions and the sooner the choice has been made, the better for all involved.
#Jason Pettigrove