We revisited Man United pundit predictions and only one foresaw horror season

Cast your mind back to the glorious optimism of last summer and few would have predicted how low Manchester United would feel just nine months later.

United had just put up a fight in the Community Shield only to lose on penalties to Manchester City. Erik ten Hag looked to have become more powerful than ever before having ridden the wave of uncertainty to cling on to his job.

"I think they'll get [the] Champions League," Micah Richards confidently predicted on The Rest is Football podcast. "I was impressed with them in the Community Shield.

"I think [Marcus] Rashford's gonna be hungry. It's not great that [Rasmus] Hojlund's injured for the start of the season, again, but I think sometimes it helps them to play with pace on the counterattack with Rashford, [Alejandro] Garnacho and Amad as well. So I'm gonna say fourth for United this season."

Who would have thought that Rashford would now be as good as gone, United look destined for 16th and Champions League football for next season would still be on the cards - but thanks to the Europa League? Well he may not have predicted it to the letter but one pundit did manage to foresee the Reds having a worse season than many were anticipating.

"I think the very best they can do is fourth," Paul Scholes told The Overlap’s Fan Debate. "I’ve heard a lot of Manchester United fans say how excited they are for the new season; I’m struggling to get excited for it.

"I think we will struggle to do as well as Liverpool, as much as I would like it to be the other way around. United have too many issues at this point to get anywhere near them."

Scholes may come across as pessimistic at times but on this occasion there was good reason for it. He was right to not be excited for this season