Gary Neville believes Manchester United will finish ‘seventh or eighth’ in the Premier League this season.
The Sky Sports pundit’s former club have invested £200m in a new frontline this summer following last year’s hugely disappointing 15th-placed showing.
And there is a quiet confidence within Old Trafford of a much better campaign this time around, with manager Ruben Amorim now able to call upon the potentially-explosive trio of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.
Neville is expecting a much better showing this time around and believes United will be targeting a top-six finish.
‘That would be healthy,’ he said, ‘but my feeling is probably between seventh or eighth.’
Speaking at the launch of Sky’s new coverage of the Premier League season, Neville added that his former club could benefit by not having to play on the continent this year.
Gary Neville, right, believes his former club Man United will finish seventh or eighth this season
Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha have joined to boost United’s frontline
Neville has been impressed by the recruitment and expects Ruben Amorim’s side to improve
‘Without Europe, they could get into the top six if they have a good run,’ he said.
‘It has to help, because there’s basically more training time, less pressure on the players, less injuries, it means that the best players can play more often in the league, and not have those demands of a Thursday night game.’
Neville thinks that those within the corridors of power at Old Trafford will be aiming higher than his prediction. ‘I think they’ll be looking at Champions League,’ he said, when asked by what would represent success.
‘I think that’ll be the ambition, obviously. I think we’ve gone past the point now where we say Manchester United have to win the league, I think that’s unrealistic.’
Neville has been impressed by United’s recruitment.
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‘Those three signings, if you said to me after that Tottenham game in the Europa League that Manchester United would have a forward line of those three that they’ve signed, I’d take that, I’d snap my hand off,’ he said.
‘Two of them are proven Premier League players, obviously they’ve got to step up a level, Sesko’s young, he’s got potential, can they somehow settle those three players in to how he wants to play in that system? Can they embed themselves at United? Can they get the probably 35-40 goals which would be par for those three players?’
United kick off their campaign against last year’s runners up Arsenal on Sunday at Old Trafford in what may well be a tough assignment.
‘I’m glad they’ve got that start,’ Neville said. ‘Why? I just think they need something big.’