---
title: "Next season’s odds tell us there is much work to be done"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2018/06/07/next-seasons-odds-tell-us-there-is-much-work-to-be-done/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Articles"
published: "2018-06-07T08:32:12Z"
modified: "2018-06-07T08:32:12Z"
---

# Next season’s odds tell us there is much work to be done

Odds aren’t always right ‘on the money’ in football. For evidence, just look back to [Leicester City’s 5000/1 triumph in 2016](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/03/5000-1-outsider-leicester-city-bookmakers) to remind yourself that the bookmakers can get it spectacularly wrong. However, there is also a lot we can read into odds. They are, after all, where the number-crunchers and actuaries of the sport’s world envisage your team to be.

Jose Mourinho does not seem the type of manager to worry what the likes of William Hill or Paddy Power say about his side, but the reality is that they collectively believe United will still be a considerable distance behind Manchester City next season. Emphatically so.

![Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2018/06/960147982.jpg)

Every major UK bookmaker has installed City as odds-on favourites next season. Bet365 are reflective of most outlets, going in at 4/7 on Guardiola’s men. Putting such a low price on a team before a Premier League campaign is almost unheard of in the modern era. We are really looking at a similar situation to the other ‘one team’ leagues of Europe – Bayern Munich, PSG etc.

**Liverpool’s performances have caught the eye**

While City being favourites might come as no surprise, after all, they finished on a record 100 points last season, the kicker for staunch United fans might be the fact that the Red Devils are not even second-favourites with the bookies. That honour goes to Champions League finalists Liverpool, who Bet365 have put down at 5/1.

United – and you can check out the latest [Bet365 welcome offer](https://www.freebets.co.uk/bet365/) to back them – are given a price of 7/1. Most fans would accept the fact that they are priced behind City, but they may take exception to be given bigger odds than Liverpool after United finished six points and two places ahead of them in the table last season.

> YouTube: Manchester United vs Liverpool 2-1 All Goals & Highlights – EPL (10/3/2018)

It might also surprise you to know that the bookies really see City, United and Liverpool as the main contenders this coming season. Chelsea are priced at 12/1, Spurs 16/1 and Arsenal, whose stock has really plummeted in the eyes of the bookmakers, are in at 28/1.

**Mourinho will be unconcerned about odds**

Of course, we know Mourinho, the fans and everyone else connected at the club won’t want to come third in a six-horse race. It has already been mentioned that the odds won’t bother Mourinho (or most fans), but they do underline the fact that improvements will have to be made if United are to catch City.

For many, those ‘improvements’ will come in the shape of blundering the best talents on show at the World Cup in Russia. Even now there is talk of the [imminent arrival of Fred](https://readmanutd.com/2018/06/01/manchester-united-keen-to-confirm-fred-deal-next-week/) and somewhat more fanciful talk of Gareth Bale coming (again).

**Signings alone will not solve issues**