Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has made an early – and telling – prediction for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United side in the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Manchester United endured a chaotic 2023-24 season under Erik ten Hag, who led the Red Devils to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League table.
The Red Devils managed only 18 wins in the league, with United losing 14 matches and picking up six draws in a lacklustre Premier League campaign.
United finished level on points with seventh-place Newcastle and three points behind sixth-place Chelsea, with the Red Devils failing to mount a top-four challenge.
Erik ten Hag’s side finished eight points behind fourth-place Aston Villa in the league table and missed out on Champions League qualification for the 2024-25 season.
United also failed in their Carabao Cup title defence and Ten Hag’s men crashed out of the Champions League after finishing bottom of Group A with a single win.
However, United boss Ten Hag did manage to end the season on a high note after the Red Devils defeated Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final last month.
Ten Hag lifted his second piece of major silverware as United boss at Wembley in May, having fallen short of the FA Cup trophy to Manchester City in 2023.
Merson makes Man Utd prediction
Speaking on Sky Sports, Paul Merson has already tipped Manchester United to turn things around in the 2024-25 campaign after an up-and-down season.
United are expected to reinforce this summer after Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe captured a minority stake and became co-owner of the club in 2023.
The Red Devils will also see the departures of first-team players this summer, including defender Raphael Varane and striker Anthony Martial.
Merson has insisted that the Premier League landscape has been altered and that challenging for the top four is “hard now.”
The 56-year-old Arsenal hero believes that both Tottenham and Chelsea will be challenging for top four, with Merson adding that United can only become “better.”
“I’ve got a feeling for next season,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“I think Tottenham have got to concentrate on one thing. I think top four, Chelsea are going to be there, Man Utd can only get better – top four’s hard now.”
Steve Bruce wants Ten Hag to stay
Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford remains up in the air, despite the Dutchman lifting the FA Cup trophy with United last season.
The former Ajax boss is under contract until 2025, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival has plunged Ten Hag’s long-term future at the club into doubt.
Speaking on talkSPORT, United legend Steve Bruce admitted that he is keen for Ten Hag to remain at Old Trafford for the 2024-25 season.
“I hope Ten Hag stays, I really, really do,” he said in May.
“But when you read all the stuff in the newspapers, I do fear for him, because it’s not just coming from nothing.
“There are a lot of rumours and speculation going around.”