Man Utd set Premier League title victory deadline

Jacque Talbot

Updated: 27 Sept 2024 08:38 BST
4 min read

Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada has told staff that the aim is to win the Premier League title in 2028.

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The former Manchester City man wants the club to bring back the title to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the club being formed.

United have not won the league since the 2012/13 season - Sir Alex Ferguson's final season at Old Trafford. Since his retirement, the club have finished second on two occasions, once in 2018 under Jose Mourinho and also in 2021 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the dugout.

The Athletic reports that Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth will keep Erik ten Hag as the manager for the foreseeable despite a rocky start to the season.

Berrada reportedly told United staff "I think it’s the club’s 150-year anniversary in 2028… if our trajectory is leading to a very good place in that sort of timeframe then we’d be very happy with that. Because it’s not easy to turn Manchester United into the world’s best football team.

"The ultimate target for Manchester United — and it’s always going to be thus, really — is that we should be challenging for the Premier League and challenging for the Champions League. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world."

© IMAGO - Ten Hag is in his third United season

Berrada informed staff of “Project 150”. It represents the many years that the club was founded, initially as Newton Heath in 1878r, before changing its name to Manchester United in 1902.

Is Ten Hag the man for the job?

United sit currently 11th in the Premier League after two wins, one draw, and two defeats. There have been indications of improvement - such as the club's 3-0 away win against Southampton as well as the 7-0 thumping of Barnsley - but ultimately it's not been good enough.

United also drew their opening game in the Europa League to FC Twente, Ten Hag's former club. It's now the Dutchman's third season in charge but he knows results must improve. After landing third spot in the Premier League and winning the League Cup, Man Utd slumped to an eighth-place finish last season though they did manage an FA Cup win.

TeamTalk recently reported that Ten Hag is now on "borrowed time" and "and they are actively looking at managers who could replace him."