Man United will return to Old Trafford on Saturday to face Italian side Fiorentina.
George is a Senior Football Writer for the Manchester Evening News, mostly covering Manchester United. He previously worked for football.london before joining the MEN team in July 2021. As well as covering United, George is a Championship-enthusiast and co-hosts The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24), which you can find on all major podcast platforms.
Ruben Amorim issues an instruction from the Old Trafford touchline.
Ruben Amorim has a big challenge ahead of himself.(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images.)
Following four pre-season friendlies overseas, Manchester United will return to Old Trafford on Saturday for their final dress rehearsal ahead of their Premier League opener against Arsenal later this month.
The Reds will welcome Italian side Fiorentina to M16 for their final warm up match, marking an occasion that promises to be emotional afternoon for former United and current Fiorentina goalkeeper David de Gea.
Although the whole narrative of the fixture will centre around the Spaniard and his homecoming, head coach Ruben Amorim will be focused on ensuring his side finishes pre-season with a positive result and another positive performance.
United have won two and drawn two of their opening four friendlies this summer, scoring eight goals and conceding four. On the whole, it has been a positive summer.
However, pre-season results and performances will count for nothing if United make a slow start to the competitive action. They won just two of their opening seven Premier League matches last term, losing three.
Two of those three losses were 3-0 home defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. They marked the first of five Premier League home games in which United conceded three goals last season.
United's Old Trafford record in the Premier League last season was terrible. They lost nine of their 19 home games, winning just seven.
They also sieved 28 goals on their own patch in the league alone. Across all competitions, they conceded 43 times at Old Trafford.
If United are to climb the Premier League table this season, they must resurrect their home form. United were a soft touch at Old Trafford last season, losing to the likes of Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and Wolves.
Wolves' players celebrate after their goal at Old Trafford last term.
Wolves won 1-0 at Old Trafford last season.(Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images.)
In addition to losing 3-0 to Liverpool and Spurs, Bournemouth, Forest and Brighton also scored three goals at Old Trafford last term. As a result, United won just 24 points on their own patch, meaning they had the 14th-worst home record in the Premier League.
For a club of United's stature, that is simply unacceptable. They won just four games and 14 points at home following Amorim's appointment in November.
The backbone to any successful team, more often than not, is turning their home stadium into a fortress. United proved that themselves in former manager Erik ten Hag's first season at the club in 2022/23.
His first season in charge saw United turn Old Trafford back into the fortress it once was, winning 15 of their 19 home league games to collect 48 points. Only Manchester City, who won the title that season, earned more (52).
Across all competitions, Ten Hag lost just two of his first 33 home games in charge of United and he regularly banked praise for the way in which his team made full use of home advantage. Amorim needs to try and hope he can boast a similar M16 record this coming season.
Securing a record like that, though, is an easier said than done task. United need to earn the right to turn Old Trafford back into a fortress.
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim needs to turn Manchester United's Old Trafford fortunes around.
They were often slow and uninspiring on home soil last season, allowing visitors to get on the front foot and seize control, highlighted by the fact they conceded the first goal in 12 of their 19 home league games. That is a problem in itself that needs ironing out.
With no European football to come this season, United will have plenty of free midweeks they have not been used to in recent years, meaning there will be more time to spend preparing for Premier League fixtures on the training ground.
Old Trafford was once the most intimidating away ground in the Premier League, but most clubs rocked up last season confident of leaving with all three points in the bag.
Amorim must change that by turning his side's home form around, but he will only be able to do much once his players cross the white line. Nevertheless, as a collective, United need to ensure Old Trafford is not considered as a playground for their opponents again.