Manchester United's 2022-23 campaign came to a close at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, with the Red Devils suffering a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup.
A Bruno Fernandes penalty levelled the scores after Ilkay Gundogan had sent the Citizens ahead in the early seconds, but the latter's second goal of the match ultimately secured the trophy for Pep Guardiola's side.
Man United have ended the season with a trophy, though, lifting the EFL Cup at the end of February, while they impressed in the Premier League, securing third position in the table, seeing them return to the Champions League for the 2023-24 season, which was always Erik ten Hag's main goal in his first term in charge of the 20-time English champions.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look back at Man United's 2022-23 campaign, which also saw them reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League, losing to eventual winners Sevilla.
SEASON OVERVIEW
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Final league position: 3rd
EFL Cup: Winners
FA Cup: Runners-up
Europa League: Quarter-finals
Top scorer: Marcus Rashford (30)
Most assists: Bruno Fernandes (15)
When Ten Hag took charge of Man United last summer, his brief for the 2022-23 campaign was relatively simple - secure a top-four spot in the Premier League table and a return to the Champions League. Success in the cup competitions was desired but not demanded, so it has been a strong first season at Old Trafford.
Of course, many will point to the players that were added to the squad last summer and insist that Ten Hag has not overachieved, with Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony arriving to boost an already-talented squad that had seriously underperformed in 2021-22.
Ten Hag has navigated his way through some incredibly difficult situations this season, namely the Cristiano Ronaldo saga, with the Portuguese eventually having his contract terminated at the end of last year due to the explosive interview that he gave to Piers Morgan. Underperforming captain Harry Maguire has also largely been consigned to the bench, with Ten Hag showing his authority throughout the campaign.
Man United's start to the 2022-23 Premier League season was disastrous, losing back-to-back games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, but the 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford on August 22 was a statement of intent, with the level being raised from that point forward.
Of course, there have been some real low points in the Premier League - the 6-3 loss at Man City and 7-0 defeat at Liverpool to name two, but Man United have developed an important quality of bouncing back quickly from disappointing results, and they actually won seven of their next 10 league games after the 4-0 defeat at Brentford, which demonstrates their character.
The team's fourth loss of the Premier League campaign came at Aston Villa on November 6, but they then responded by winning five and drawing one of their next six ahead of the trip to title hopefuls Arsenal, which brought a 3-2 loss for the 20-time English champions.
The back-to-back losses at Brighton and West Ham United on May 4 and May 7 respectively made the top-four race a lot closer than it should have been, but they ended up winning their final four league games of the campaign to secure third, and their home form was magnificent, picking up 48 points from 19 matches, which was a record only bettered by Man City (52), as Old Trafford became a fortress again.
Man United incredibly lost eight times on their travels, though, so it is obvious where improvement is needed next season if they are to be serious challengers for the title.
Ten Hag's achievement in securing a top-four spot was made even more impressive considering that he lost Ronaldo for the second half of the campaign and added Wout Weghorst, who failed to score a single Premier League goal during his time at the club. It is certainly arguable that Ronaldo would have performed better than Weghorst, but the Portuguese could not remain at the club after all that had happened.
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The Dutchman wanted more in the January transfer window, but three loan signings arrived, with Weghorst being joined by Jack Butland from Crystal Palace and Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich.
Man United's six-year trophy drought also ended this season, with the team lifting the EFL Cup, beating Aston Villa, Burnley, Charlton Athletic, Nottingham Forest and then Newcastle United in the final.
The Red Devils had also been seen as the favourites for the Europa League, and they overcame Barcelona in the knockout round playoff before comfortably dispatching Real Betis in the round of 16, but the team's journey was ended by eventual winners Sevilla in the quarter-finals.
Ten Hag will point to injuries to Martinez and Raphael Varane as a reason for the team's elimination, and it might have been a different story had the pair been available for the second leg at Estadio Ramon, which included a horror performance from David de Gea and questionable one from Maguire.
Defensively, there has been a huge improvement this season, and De Gea actually ended the 2022-23 Premier League campaign with the Golden Glove, but the Spaniard made some high-profile errors, and there remain huge question marks surrounding his ability to play out from the back.
Ten Hag has also had to deal with the off-the-field ownership situation, with the Glazers currently in talks over a sale, and the Dutchman is still unsure how much money there will be to spend this summer, which is hardly ideal with the opening of the transfer window just around the corner.
Man United were looking to end their season on a hugely positive note by beating Man City in the FA Cup final at Wembley, but it was not to be for the Red Devils, suffering a 2-1 defeat to their rivals, as a brace from Gundogan proved enough for Guardiola's side to keep their treble hopes alive.
Injuries prevented Anthony Martial and Antony from featuring in the team's final game of the season, while Sabitzer's absence was also felt, with the Austrian bringing energy and quality during his relatively short time at the club.
Third in the Premier League, EFL Cup winners, FA Cup finalists, and quarter-finalists in the Europa League is beyond what many believed Man United would achieve this season, and Ten Hag has shown that he is every inch the manager that the Red Devils have needed since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure due to his ability to make uncomfortable decisions in the biggest moments.
PREMIER LEAGUE STATS
Wins: 23 (3rd)
Draws: 6 (=7th)
Losses: 9 (17th)
Goals scored: 58 (=7th)
Goals conceded: 43 (=13th)
Yellow cards: 78 (4th)
Red cards: 2 (=3rd)
Passes: 19,086 (6th)
Shots: 593 (=4th)
Big chances missed: 71 (2nd)
Saves: 101 (15th)
Tackles: 658 (9th)
Own goals: 1 (=6th)
Hit woodwork: 20 (=3rd)
Clearances: 734 (9th)
HOW DID IT COMPARE TO LAST SEASON?
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An incredibly turbulent 2021-22 season saw Man United have three managers at the helm, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked in late November following a poor run of form, which led to Michael Carrick being brought in on a caretaker basis until the start of December.
Ralf Rangnick then took charge on an interim basis for the second half of the campaign, but a hugely disappointing Premier League season saw them finish down in sixth position, some 13 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and 11 behind Arsenal directly above them.
Man United conceded 57 Premier League goals last term, so there has been clear improvement in that area of the field, but they have only managed one more goal in the league this season.
The Red Devils won just 16 league games in 2021-22, but they ended this season with 23, and returning to the top four was Ten Hag's main goal for this term, so it has been a successful campaign.
Man United have also ended this season with an EFL Cup, in addition to reaching the FA Cup final, whereas they were knocked out in the fourth round of the FA Cup last term and third round of the EFL Cup.
The 20-time English champions did manage to reach the Champions League round of 16 in 2021-22, which was comfortably their best achievement of a difficult campaign, whereas they were knocked out in the quarter-finals of this season's Europa League by Sevilla.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: MARCUS RASHFORD
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Casemiro has been outstanding during his first season at Man United, with the Brazilian playing a leading role in the team's success, while Martinez also starred for the club before picking up a season-ending injury.
Luke Shaw and Fernandes are also certainly worth mentions in this category, but the club's player of the season simply has to be Rashford.
It was hardly a shock when the England international was named the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and also Players' Player of the Year during the club's official award ceremony.
Rashford ended the season with 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances, playing a key role in the team's success, and he took his game to a new level in Ten Hag's first campaign at the helm.
The forward is completely unrecognisable from the player that struggled so badly during the 2021-22 season, and it would have been disastrous if Man United allowed him to leave last summer.
Ten Hag maintained from the very start that Rashford would be a key player for the club, though, and the Red Devils must address his contract situation as soon as possible in order to ensure that he remains at Old Trafford on a long-term basis, as he is vital to their chances of returning to former glories.
STANDOUT RESULT: MANCHESTER UNITED 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY
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There were three contenders in this category - Man United's 3-1 win over Arsenal in the Premier League back in September is certainly worth a mention, with the success making it four straight victories after a poor start, and the run also included a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag's side were also impressive in their 2-1 success over Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League knockout round contest in February, with the result sending them into the round of 16.
However, Man United's 2-1 victory over Man City in the Manchester derby back in January was the standout result of the campaign due to the nature of the opposition.
The Red Devils, as has been the case in a number of recent derbies, fell behind to Guardiola's team, with Jack Grealish making the breakthrough, but Fernandes levelled the scores in the 78th minute before Rashford struck the winner four minutes later.
The result made it just one defeat from Man United's last 19 games in all competitions, and there were jubilant scenes at the final whistle, with Ten Hag showing that he is capable of outwitting Guardiola, which should stand the team in good stead moving forward.
> Click here for a full list of Man United's results from the 2022-23 season
BEST MOMENT
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There were a number of excellent moments for Man United over the course of the season, with their EFL Cup success at the end of February certainly worth a mention in this category.
However, there is one particular moment that stands out in the season in terms of emotion, with Casemiro's late equaliser against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in October sparking jubilant scenes in the away end.
Man United would have felt hard done by when Jorginho scored from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, and the goal looked to have secured all three points for Graham Potter's side.
The Red Devils and Casemiro had other ideas, though, with the Brazilian's stunning header from a Shaw cross securing a share of the spoils for Ten Hag's side, and the pure emotion that followed the midfielder's goal makes it incredibly worthy of being the standout 'moment' of the campaign.
TOP PRIORITY FOR SUMMER
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Man United's goals scored column in the Premier League this season is a clear demonstration of where they need to improve, having only netted 58 times in their 38 matches, which is a total bettered by Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton, Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City.
The Red Devils desperately need to bring in a world-class centre-forward, with Tottenham's Harry Kane and Napoli's Victor Osimhen viewed as their leading targets, while Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani and Atalanta BC's Rasmus Hojlund are also admired.
Whether the club are able to sign Kane or Osimhen remains to be seen, but a big-money addition in the final third is required if they are to get closer to the Premier League summit next season and make an impression in the Champions League due to the level of competition.
Ten Hag is also said to be keen to bring in another central midfielder, with West Ham United's Declan Rice and Chelsea's Mason Mount being heavily linked with moves to the club.
A lack of midfield energy cost Man United in the FA Cup final, and adding both Rice and Mount would be a serious statement of intent, but the duo would likely cost the best part of £120m.
Martinez has been excellent in his first season at Old Trafford, but another centre-back will be required if Maguire leaves, with Napoli's Kim Min-jae said to be a leading target.
Man United's priority this season is undoubtedly a world-class centre-forward, but they will need to add quality across the board if they are to become serious challengers for the biggest silverware, with a new goalkeeper also required if a contract with current number one De Gea cannot be agreed.
FINAL VERDICT
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Lifting the FA Cup on Saturday would have been the perfect way to round off a strong season for Man United, but it was not to be for the Red Devils; the result does not take away from the progress that has been made this term, though, and it has go down as a successful campaign for the club.
Such was the unrest at Old Trafford last season, it would have been hard for Ten Hag to actually take the team backwards, but the Dutchman has had to show strength in the face of adversity to navigate the club through a difficult period in their history.
Returning to the Champions League for the 2023-24 campaign was the main goal, which has been achieved, while a trophy has also been secured.
The club might have regrets when it comes to their Europa League campaign, but all in all, a lot of progress has been made in a short space of time, and there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful of a bright future under Ten Hag.
Matt Law
