Man Utd consultants predict participant to look at, title probabilities and the massive remorse

Strap yourselves in, folks, we’re about to be taken on a ride and who better to take us all through it than the Manchester United experts and our sister title the MEN…

Michael Carrick insists Manchester United could do “something really special” this season, and the Manchester Evening News will be there every step of the way,

Is a Premier League title challenge really out of the question? Will the Old Trafford trophy cabinet be furnished with silverware this season? Who are the players to watch out for? And what is the one prediction for the 2026/27 season that our writers think could become reality, even though it sounds absolutely ridiculous?

Here are the Manchester Evening News’ predictions for the new season (and yes, we actively encourage you to send them to us in a few weeks’ time when they look very silly):

Who is the United player to watch out for in the 2026/27 season?

Tyrone Marshall: “I’m going to go for Matheus Cunha. I think all three forwards signed in 2025 had good first seasons, but if this United squad are going to win the league, they all need to find another level to go to. Cunha might have it in him. He rose to the occasion at the World Cup and as a Brazilian No.10 strikes me as a big-game player. He could really relish those Champions League nights.”

Steven Railston: “Shea Lacey is the correct answer. Lacey was impressive in a handful of senior cameos last season, and it has felt like he is coming to the boil throughout pre-season this summer. The youngster can play on the right wing and in attacking midfield. There has been a buzz about Lacey in youth circles since he was a boy, and he can announce himself to the rest of the world with more senior involvement. I think he’ll provide goals and assists, and entertain supporters when he’s on the pitch. He is a genuine talent.”

Ross Jackson: “You’d usually associate this kind of question with a youngster who could enjoy a breakthrough campaign, but I’m going for Bryan Mbeumo. The Cameroon international has looked sharp in United’s friendlies and has had the benefit of a full pre-season campaign with Carrick, having not been part of the World Cup. He has excelled as a No.9 and looks set to be handed plenty of minutes down the middle next season. If he can hit double figures again then it will be another successful campaign, but don’t be surprised if he goes up a gear in 2026/27.”

Where will United finish in the Premier League?

Tyrone Marshall: “I think there is a really open Premier League season and I’m struggling to call the top six at the moment. Manchester City are clearly attacking the window but the change there is huge and it does bring an unknown quantity. Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool could all improve under a new manager, while Arsenal have to show they can go again. United do have stability, I think they’ve been decent in pre-season, and I wouldn’t rule out a really successful season. But the Champions League brings a new challenge. I will say fourth, but with the caveat that they will feel closer to the title than they did last season because it will be a very close, very competitive season.”

Steven Railston: “I think fourth place sounds about right. Last season was interesting because Liverpool majorly dropped off after winning the title, Chelsea were a mess, and Tottenham were even worse. Each of those teams should be stronger in the new campaign, and Aston Villa always deserve respect with Unai Emery in charge, which means United will face stiffer competition to secure Champions League football. Like most, I think Arsenal and City will finish first and second again, and I suspect a team may leapfrog United to finish third, but you can guarantee that it’s going to be tight around the European places.”

Ross Jackson: “There’s been a lot of upheaval at City but I still think they’ll finish in the top two, as will Arsenal, so I can’t see United finishing higher than third. A lot has been made of the number of games that will be added to United’s schedule this season, and rightly so, but Carrick is no stranger to the churn of two-game weeks, albeit at a different level in the Championship. I fancy Chelsea to take advantage of their lack of European football and enjoy a strong campaign, so I’ll go Chelsea in third but United will get fourth.”

How far will United go in the Champions League?

Tyrone Marshall: “It feels like they need at least a couple of knockout ties. It still baffles me that Bruno Fernandes has played one knockout tie in the Champions League with United and he’s been here for more than six years. They will get out of the league phase, but obviously finishing in the top eight is the aim. The Premier League teams managed that last season and I think United can do it. A kind last-16 tie and I’m going to say they reach the quarter-finals.”

Steven Railston: “It’s practically impossible to exit the Champions League group stage after the competition’s format was revamped to a league table. Something would have gone spectacularly wrong if United do not progress to the knockout rounds. And from there, they will be hostage to the draw, but they should have enough quality to reach the Round of 16, although I’m not sure they will go further than that.”

Ross Jackson: “Finishing in the top eight of the league phase certainly isn’t out of the question, though it would be an impressive feat from a club that hasn’t troubled the knockout stages of the competition since 2022. A place in the playoffs is far more likely, and United should make it through to the knockout rounds. I can’t see them going much further than the last 16.”

Will United win a trophy in the 2026/27 season?

Tyrone Marshall: “They’ve already won the Snapdragon Cup and Boyle Sports Cup in pre-season! Anyway, I’m not sure they will but I don’t think that has to count against Carrick. Let’s be honest, domestic cup competitions do depend on the luck of the draw and I just think at some point the schedule might catch up with United. They will have a good run in at least one of the cups, but there will be no silverware.”

Steven Railston: “United must target reaching the finals of both domestic cup competitions following a season in which they exited both at the first hurdle. Carrick will be aware that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time at the club is remembered in a mixed light due to his failure to win a trophy, so I expect to see relatively strong teams picked in the early rounds of the cups. With that in mind, I can see United making the League Cup final, which is traditionally the easier competition to win, and then it will be down to 90 minutes at Wembley. I think they can do it.”

Ross Jackson: “So we’ve already taken the Premier League and the Champions League out of the equation. In terms of the domestic cups, Carrick knows all too well the importance of United continuing to pick up silverware. That being said, it has been so long since United made a splash in the latter rounds of the Champions League and with a top four/five finish being so imperative to what he is building at Old Trafford, he’s likely to rotate very heavily in the cup competitions and United are likely to come unstuck at some point. It’s another season without a trophy for me.”

Give us a laughable prediction but you believe could happen…

Tyrone Marshall: “United will be in the title race for a long time. I’m not sure they will win it, although I don’t think it’s impossible, but I do think they will start well. The fixture list is kind, pre-season has been sensible and they should hit the ground running. I actually think they will be top of the league after Everton away on September 6 and we will spend a good few months talking about a possible title challenge.”

Steven Railston: “Amad will be in contention to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award. He contributed just two goals and four assists last season, which was really disappointing. He has been written off by some, but I think Amad will bounce back to his best and show everyone what he is capable of again. He was brilliant for the Ivory Coast at the World Cup and should have returned to Carrington feeling 10ft tall. With a smile on his face, he can regain his sparkle and contend for the United POTY award.”

Ross Jackson: “This is a half Liverpool/half United prediction: United will finish at least 20 points ahead of Liverpool this season. For context, United haven’t finished that far ahead of their rivals since they last won the title in 2013. As has already been covered, I don’t think United will win the title, but they will be in the conversation for a while, and I really think those on the red half of Merseyside should be worried about the direction their team are heading. Liverpool will have a shocker this season and the gap between them and United will be as big as it has been for a long, long time.”