Harry Maguire believes Manchester United have a "fresh start" as they head into a new season seeking to atone for a dire past 12 months.
United's post-Ferguson malaise hit an all-time low after a 15th-placed finish – their worst ever in the Premier League – and not even a run to the Europa League final, where they lost to Tottenham, could paper over the cracks.
But the big-name signings of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, as well as a £50m training ground upgrade, have given United a spring in their step to go into the new campaign.
They welcome old rivals Arsenal in their season opener on Sunday and Maguire, appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, said: "The lads are working hard and it’s a great atmosphere in the place.
"We want to be successful, we’re doing everything we can to be successful. Sometimes we know it’s not been good enough for a recent (period) and we’ve not given our fans as much.
"I feel like it’s almost a little bit of a fresh start and hopefully this start is a good start."
Maguire, who missed the start of a pre-season trip to the United States for a personal matter, joined United six years ago from Leicester in an £80m deal, a then world record fee for a defender.
His signing is among a number of eye-popping sums United have spent but consistent success under any manager has eluded them in the last dozen years since Alex Ferguson’s departure.
Maguire said: "There has been a transition period, obviously, when [Ferguson] was here and we had the best team by far and won all the trophies. But the reality is that we’re not the best team.
"You’ve got to thrive off the pressure and you’ve got to play like you’re playing in a playground. I think that’s what we’ve struggled to find over the last 10 years."
Maguire has polarised opinion at Old Trafford and his days appeared numbered under former manager Erik ten Hag, who stripped the England centre-back of the captaincy and dropped him from the first team.
A move to West Ham in 2023 collapsed as Maguire decided to fight for his place and he has found himself back in favour since Ten Hag was dismissed and replaced by incumbent boss Ruben Amorim last year.
Indeed, a 12-month extension to his contract was triggered in January and United have reportedly rejected overtures from a number of clubs to keep Maguire, whose deal expires at the end of the season.
Addressing the criticism he gets at United, the 32-year-old added: "I think there’s more scrutiny on Manchester United just because more people in the country hate them – and that’s just a fact."
Ahead of United's opening Premier League game of the season against Arsenal on Sunday next, a supporters' group has postponed a demonstration against the club's ownership planned for that
The 1958 had organised a protest march to Old Trafford , with banners referring to minority owner Jim Ratcliffe.
The 1958 has overseen numerous demonstrations in recent years, principally aimed at unpopular majority shareholders the Glazers, but frustration has now spread to Ratcliffe.
The billionaire British businessman, who owns a 28.94% stake in United, has instigated wide - often unpopular - changes since taking over day-to-day operational control from the Glazers in February 2024.
"Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and, in our opinion, is helping keep them in charge," said a group representative, who added Ratcliffe was "no saviour" and "like a (red) devil in disguise," last week.
However, after conducting a survey, the group has acknowledged opinion is split and the time is not right for a protest.
A statement read: "With a fanbase as diverse and passionate as ours, finding the right balance isn't always easy. We've had to consider momentum, timing, fan appetite, broader consequences of protest activity whilst assessing how current and future decisions may impact us as fans.
"Given the current sentiment within the fanbase and particularly in light of these recent survey results, it's clear there is no unified view on the direction of the club under Ratcliffe.
"That split is real, and we believe it would be irresponsible to risk creating a situation that could result in any 'red on red' conflict inside or outside the stadium."
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