Erik ten Hag has today been officially unveiled as the new Manchester United manager at an Old Trafford press conference after witnessing first-hand the size of the task in front of him at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Ten Hag's predecessor Ralf Rangnick has presided over United's worst ever Premier League campaign - one in which they have ended up a staggering 13 points off the top four despite having been long odds-on at the start of the season to finish in those Champions League places.
The key statistic that should embarrass United more than any other is the goal difference total of ZERO, a number that is barely comprehensible for a side that contains the world's greatest ever goalscorer.
United's 21/22 campaign fizzled out tamely with a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, their first defeat in that particular fixture since May 1991. United, who lost their last SIX away Premier League games, joined Norwich City as the only sides not to score a single goal on the final day of the season.
There is no doubt that this team needs a reset and Erik ten Hag has a hug job on his hands if he's to turn the United ship around. In fact, it is such a big job that Betfred have given them an opening price of 20/1 to win next season's Premier League.
However, that's a shorter price than both Tottenham (25/1) and Arsenal (50/1) despite those sides ending the season with significantly more points on the board than United. It is also only four points bigger than Chelsea, despite Thomas Tuchel's side amassing 16pts more than United this season.
So, despite United being at their lowest ebb in decades, the layers clearly believe that Erik ten Hag can get the Old Trafford club going back in the right direction. The biggest indicator of that is the fact that bookies are going just EVEN MONEY about the Reds reclaiming their position in the top four next season.
2022/23 Premier League betting is understandably dominated by Man City (4/7) and Liverpool (2/1), the outstanding sides in the division right now, but the focus will be on United this summer as ten Hag and his new tam embark on a complete rebuild of this United side.
#Ad: 2022/23 Premier League title odds with Betfred
- 4/7 Man City
- 2/1 Liverpool
- 16/1 Chelsea
- 20/1 Manchester United
- 25/1 Tottenham Hotspur
- 50/1 Arsenal
- 66/1 Newcastle United
- 150/1 bar
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