Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has offered his views on next season’s title race. The Englishman was part of the last Red Devils team to win the Premier League, under the stewardship of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.
Since the Scottish manager’s retirement, United have struggled to maintain their place among English football’s elite. From being serial winners under Sir Alex, the Red Devils have slowly faded away from the title race over the past decade.
Things went from bad to worse in the 2024/25 season, when, under former head coach Ruben Amorim, the English giants finished a lowly 15th in the Premier League table. The Portuguese head coach was eventually let go at the turn of the year, with a top-four finish once again in doubt.
INEOS handed the keys to the first team to Michael Carrick, initially on a temporary basis in January. Such was the Englishman’s impact at the Theatre of Dreams that he secured the full-time job before the end of the season.
United were the league’s best in-form team under Carrick
Carrick’s arrival transformed United and helped them seal third place in the Premier League, courtesy of a run of 12 wins and three draws in 17 games. Stats show that the Red Devils were the league’s in-form team since the beginning of the year, scoring the most goals and picking up the most points during that period.
United ended up seven points behind Manchester City and 14 points adrift of champions Arsenal. Those were, perhaps, the best results the squad could have achieved given the circumstances.
Premier League Top Five: 2025/26 Season
| Pos | Team | Games Played | Games Won | Games Drawn | Games Lost | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 38 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 71 | 27 | 44 | 85 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 77 | 35 | 42 | 78 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 38 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 69 | 50 | 19 | 71 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 56 | 49 | 7 | 65 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 63 | 53 | 10 | 60 |
Source: Premier League website.
United’s decision to invest wisely in the squad last summer was key to their rise, with the striker and goalkeeping departments showing significant improvements. Only Arsenal (71) and Manchester City (77) scored more Premier League goals than the Red Devils (69) in the 2025/26 campaign.
INEOS remain committed to further squad reinforcements this summer, with recent reports suggesting that a move for Ederson is done and dusted. Fans have every right to be optimistic about the upcoming season, and Rooney has hinted that United could have a glorious chance of battling for the league next season.
No overwhelming favourites for the Premier League next season
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Wazza pointed out that the Premier League now has several good young managers at top clubs, and there are no outright favourites for the title next season. He said: “I think the title race next year will be really incessant because you’ve obviously got Chelsea, [a] new manager [at] Liverpool.”
“Man City, obviously [a] new manager, United with Carrick coming in. So, there’s [sic] lots of good young managers in the league. So, I think the first time for a long time. There’s not an out-and-out favourite.”
Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot have both departed Manchester City and Liverpool this season, with the Merseyside club already confirming Andoni Iraola as their next manager. City are yet to announce Guardiola’s successor, although all signs indicate former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will take charge at the Etihad next.
Final Thoughts
Carrick’s impressive run at Old Trafford suggests that he is ready to go toe-to-toe with top managers in the league. If INEOS manage to properly reinforce the squad over the summer, United fans could be in for a treat next season.
Featured image George Wood via Getty Images
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