"That is what I'm looking forward to" - Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel hoping to see change at club under new boss Erik ten Hag
Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has said that he is looking to the future now as the Red Devils' embarrassing campaign is coming to an end. He's hopeful that with incoming manager Erik ten Hag, there'll be many positive changes at the club.
United have now gone five years without a trophy. They will also miss next season's UEFA Champions League, and even a UEFA Europa League place hasn't been confirmed yet.
They lost 4-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, May 7, to add yet another embarrassing chapter to the season. They can now reach only 61 points in the league, which would be their worst-ever points tally in a Premier League season.
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Schmeichel said on Sky Sports that United have been struggling for a while, adding:
"It's not nice to watch. It really is difficult to understand and put a finger on exactly what is wrong. We've been struggling since Sir Alex (Ferguson) left the club, actually since David Gill and Sir Alex at the same time, we've been spending a lot of money, and we've got somewhere, but we've not got far enough."
However, with Ten Hag taking over from interim manager Ralf Rangick at the end of the season, Schmeichel believes there is an 'opportunity for change'. He said:
"With Erik ten Hag coming in now, Richard Arnold taking over as CEO, it is an opportunity for change, and I think this is what we want. We want change; we want to modernise the club a bit, restructure the club."
He added:
"That is what I'm looking forward to, I'm looking ahead rather than looking at what's happening now. I have no explanation as to how it's gone, the way it's gone in the last four or five weeks. I find it difficult to understand what happens in the games. I look at the names and all of the players are capable and good enough, but it's not happening for us in the games. I have absolutely no idea why."
Manchester United could fail to qualify for European football next season
Manchester United are sixth in the Premier League table, three points above West Ham United, who have a game in hand. They are also eight points above eighth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have played two games fewer than United.
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If United fail to win their final match against Crystal Palace and West Ham and Wolves win their remaining games, the Red Devils will finish eighth.
That could perhaps be a good thing for a Manchester United team set to undergo transition. However, for a club with one of the most expensive squads in world football, it will just be another piece of misery.