Amad Diallo is targeting an almost unprecedented change in fortunes for Manchester United, describing a leap up to the Premier League’s top five as a “good season” for the club.
Despite the best efforts of the Ivorian forward, who was one of the few United players to enjoy a productive individual season, United slumped to a dire 15th-placed finish in 2024–25, the club’s lowest top-flight league position since relegation in 1974.
However, you have to go back even further to find evidence of United pulling off the type of feat Amad is targeting. To go from 15th to fifth, the Red Devils would have to scale 10 places in the space of one season—the last time the club achieved such a feat was between 1962 and 1964. After flirting with relegation to finish 19th in 1962–63, United leapt 17 places to claim runners-up spot behind Liverpool just one year later.
The emergence of a certain George Best ensured that United’s ‘Holy Trinity’ of the Northern Irish starlet, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law was formed for the first time in that transformative 1963–64 campaign. Unless United have a future Ballon d’Or winner tucked away in the academy, they may find it difficult to replicate such a turnaround.
Never before in the Premier League era have United climbed more than four places—going from sixth to second under José Mourinho between 2016 and 2018.
Amad was undeterred. “A good season will be top five,” he told assembled journalists after United began preparations for the coming campaign with a grim 0–0 draw against Leeds United. “I hope we can achieve that top five at the end of the season because I think we would deserve it.
“I think the fans have to be patient with us. There’s a new manager, with new players and new tactics, so we know last season wasn’t really good for the team. But I think this season we will win a lot with him and I hope we are going to achieve a lot of good things by the end of the season.”
England’s top flight was arguably easier to scale in a time before the vast wealth sloshing around the sport cleared a path for the richest clubs to retain their lofty status. United have unintentionally bucked that trend by plumbing the table’s depths, but the task laid out by Amad has been achieved by another club in the modern era.
Leicester City are responsible for the largest leap in places during the Premier League era, climbing 13 spots to lift the 2015–16 title. Yet, even their lowly starting point from the season prior (14th) was higher than United managed last term.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Be Patient’—Amad Diallo Challenges Man Utd to Match 61-Year Record.
