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Manchester united might not have finished the season with silverware, but there were some quite remarkable improvements compared with the previous season. To begin with, Jose Mourinho’s men ended the season as runners
up, four positions up from what they had managed in 2016-2017. United also had 81 points, 12 more than the previous season. Other remarkable achievements included conceding fewer goals while scoring more. Winning the FA cup would have allowed United end the season on a high, but Chelsea made sure it wasn’t to be.

The start of the season looked very promising for united, with six out of seven wins in their first matches. However, their defeat at the hands of Huddersfield and then Chelsea seemed to set Mourinho’s men back, and soon it became clear that they would have to play catch up to eventual title winners Manchester City. Indeed, City’s win over United in December was enough to make Mourinho admit that all hope of winning the title was now probably over.

The team’s form during the second half of the season seemed patchy, with pundits and fans questioning the coach’s tactics at times. His conservative approach led to the defeat to Sevilla as United crashed out of the Champion’s league. His team selection also proved divisive. That said, though, there were still some very good days for Mourinho this season, with the win over rivals Manchester City at Etihad standing out.

That United are serious title contenders next season is something many people will question. As it is, Pep Gurdiola’s men are still the clear favorites. The arrival of new players in the summer will, of course, boost the team’s confidence. So far, Mourinho has signed a few notable names, with Fred the latest entrant into an arguably bland team. But if Manchester United are to mount any serious challenge for the title next year, Mourinho must improve their style of play.

While Manchester United are often expected to challenge for honours, and the Jose Mourinho era has delivered two major trophies so far, it’s fair to say that storm clouds are gathering over Old Trafford. A rather tempestuous pre-season tournament in the USA, complete with poor transfer dealings, means that United come into their season opener with Leicester City in rather irritable mood.

United News

The Red Devils will be short of some key players, with the likes of Antonio Valencia, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial likely to miss out. With Mourinho criticizing Martial for his tardy return from his child being born, and also calling out Valencia for getting injured, there’s not much harmony in the United dressing room at present.

With so many key players missing and a rather quiet transfer window going on, it’s hard to see any surprises for United come the big kick-off barring a total change in the pacing of their transferring dealings.

Leicester News

The Foxes have had a challenging summer, too, with Riyad Mahrez going out the door to Manchester City. With Harry Maguire still likely to move on, too, it’s interesting to see how the former champions handle the expectation of a new season.

Incomings have been quite understated, though, which should help add some life to the way that Leicester play. Disjointed summer windows has led to a chaotic pair of seasons, and it’ll be interesting to see how they handle a quieter transfer window – will it make them more consistent?

Verdict

Hard to say; opening weekends often produce some major shocks. United, though, are in much lower mood than Leicester: any kind of result for the Red Devils, though, will be enough as they try to tread water until their more established names return to the side.

Chelsea may have begun the 2017-2018 season as the defending
champions, but there was not much during their campaign to signal they’d end up the same way. During their first game, they suffered a 3-2 loss against Burnley at home. The departure of Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic seemed to weaken the team, and as their form deteriorated further through the season it was clear that they would lose the title they’d won just a season before. Losing five out seven premier league matches during the second half of the season was enough
indication of how far the team had sunk. Conte’s men ended the season as they had begun, losing 3-0 to Newcastle during the final match to stay out of the top four.

There were, of course, moments during the season that Chelsea fans will want to remember. The win against Tottenham in Wembley in August comes to mind. Beating rivals Manchester United to lift the FA Cup was
also an exciting moment in an otherwise disastrous campaign.

That Chelsea will not play champions league football is perhaps the biggest proof that neither Chelsea nor Antonio Conte have been good enough. They were the defending champions, and that title comes with certain expectations. Next year does not look very good for the club either, with Manchester City expected to dominate the league like they did this year. As things currently stand, the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham have greater sides. If Chelsea hopes to mount any challenge for the title next year, things must change. Hazard and Willian have been great, but they need the rest of the team to be at par. Alvaro Morata has endured a difficult season, and it seems as if he is destined to follow Conte out of the door if Chelsea sack their manager. With a new manager, hopefully things can start to change in time for the 2018-2019 season.

All’s well that ends well, but as per usual England, with the help of the ref, don’t make it easy for their supporters. At least Panama should be a walk in the park? Right, right? Could 2018 be the end of England’s World Cup woes?