Winds of change at Old Trafford after another dismal season

The English Premier League season has just wrapped up, but where do the teams go from here? Here are three key talking points.

Bleak future for Man United

Denying 10-man Aston Villa a Champions League spot with a 2-0 home win is scant consolation for 15th-placed Manchester United, who are on the verge of sinking into a black hole.

Losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur did not just cost them a place in the Champions League, but also more than £100 million (S$174 million) in broadcast, match-day and commercial income as their transfer budget takes a huge knock.

In the aftermath, United reportedly put their entire squad up for sale, which is an admission that they are in financial trouble and that their players are not good enough for a club of their stature.

Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe had said that if not for his cost-cutting measures, the club “would have run out of cash” by the end of 2025, after having him put US$300 million (S$385 million) in and if they buy no new players in the summer.

This puts them in a vicious circle where they could be lowballed by clubs who want to sign their players, as they struggle to stump up funds to get the players Ruben Amorim needs for a revamp.

Ironically, they are linked with Villa’s out-of-contract World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. But do they really need a volatile player who was sent off for a disgraceful and unnecessary foul on Rasmus Hojlund as his team needed a win to qualify for the Champions League?

Even at their worst transition periods, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have never finished so lowly. There is something seriously wrong at United in so many areas that things may still get worse before it gets better.

Contrasting fortunes at City Ground

After barely beating the drop in the preceding campaign, Nottingham Forest would have gladly accepted an offer for the Europa Conference League spot at the start of the season.

But the two-time European champions managed to work their way into the top five and stayed there for so long, that the unexpected prospect of Champions League qualification seemed a formality.

The wheels then came off in the last eight games as they picked up a mere eight points from a possible 24 and failing to keep a clean sheet when they had amassed 13 shut-outs in the preceding 30 matches.

Forest will wince, especially when they look back at how they threw away two points in the costly 2-2 home draw with the relegated Leicester City in May.

Despite all their troubles, Forest still had their fate in their hands with their home match against Chelsea.

But, with Newcastle and Aston Villa losing their respective games, the Blues slammed the door shut with a 1-0 win that sealed their own Champions League qualification at Forest’s expense.

Chelsea, who were one win from the top at Christmas, can look to build on and maximise the potential of their billion-dollar squad next season under Enzo Maresca.

But there may not be continuity at Forest, as Nuno Espirito Santos, confronted on-pitch by owner Evangelos Marinakis after the Leicester draw, declined to comment about his future.

Do Spurs stick or twist with Postecoglou?

Every post-season comes with re-evaluation and hire-and-fire decisions to be made.

Nowhere will it be less straightforward than at Tottenham Hotspur, who lost 4-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion at home and finished in 17th place, but qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.

Does manager Ange Postecoglou then qualify as a success for what he claims to be an “outstanding” season and should the club stick with him for the next term?

Looking at his tenure in totality, the Australian deserves a chance. He did guide the team to fifth place in his first season, earning them a Europa League spot, which led to Champions League qualification and the end of their 17-year title drought.

Bar the final, they have generally stuck to his high-octane attacking philosophy to score 64 league goals, which is the same as fourth-placed Chelsea’s tally, but struggled with injury problems, missing up to 11 senior players at one point as they leaked 65 goals.

Ultimately, Postecoglou was shrewd enough to prioritise the Europa League over the Premier League, and won a major trophy when bigger clubs and more illustrious managers could not.

Hence, Spurs will do well to keep and equip a serial winner who has the street smarts to take them to another level.