Football's New Season: Hope Turns to Despair for Fans
Football’s new season always starts the same way. Like kids staring at wrapped presents, supporters convince themselves this is the year it all changes.
Then the paper comes off.
For fans of Manchester United, Tottenham, West Ham and Rangers, the first glimpse of 2024-25 has already brought that familiar sinking feeling.
United’s optimism meets Hull’s reality
Manchester United came into the campaign with something they haven’t had in years: a hint of genuine optimism.
Michael Carrick had dragged them to third place last season. The club moved decisively in the market, landing midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. The fixtures computer handed them promoted sides in their opening two games. It looked like a soft launch for a supposed revival.
Supporters bought it.
“For the first time in years, I'm actually impressed not only by United's line-up, but the substitutes bench as well,” texted United fan Danny to BBC Sport before the trip to Hull City.
Ninety minutes later, that mood had vanished.
Hull, up via the play-offs and expected to be clinging on, instead looked every inch the established Premier League outfit in a 2-0 win. United, 13-time champions, looked like the ones just visiting.
The defeat cut straight through a fanbase already scarred by a decade of false dawns since Sir Alex Ferguson walked away in 2013. The 2012-13 title under the Scot remains their last.
“As a Man United fan for 38 years if the last 15 years have taught me anything it is not to be optimistic,” said Alec. “I laughed when I read how strong people thought our squad depth was. It's as deep as a toddler's swimming pool. Another long season ahead.”
Even the journey home twisted the knife. While United’s players laboured on the pitch, the 2,400 travelling supporters learned two trains back to Manchester had been cancelled. Hull fans revelled in it, chanting “You should have come in a taxi” at the away end.
United’s season is only one game old. The mood already feels older than that.
Spurs spend big, start small
Tottenham know all about false dawns. They’ve lived through enough of them.
Back-to-back 17th-place finishes had dragged the club to the brink. Survival on the final day last season underlined how far they had fallen. This summer was supposed to be the reset.
The chequebook came out. Hard.
Spurs brought in centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke and midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. They spent £237m and counting, including a £100m outlay on Tonali. Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi were also in the starting XI on opening weekend. On paper, this was a different Tottenham.
On grass, it was the same old story.
Brentford tore into them, ripping them apart in a 3-0 defeat that felt brutal but fair. The neighbours with fewer headlines and fewer fantasies simply outplayed the big spenders.
“Let's face it: Spurs have been through so many false dawns in the Premier League era that the only difference this time was the ludicrous amounts of money they've spent in the summer transfer window,” said Spurs fan Mark.
Richard, another supporter, wasn’t shocked in the slightest.
“United losing at Hull was a surprise, but Spurs? Not at all. Two 17th place finishes on the spin! Lots of money spent on bang average players, £85m on a player relegated twice the last two seasons! Not surprised at all.”
The money has changed. The doubts haven’t.
West Ham’s promotion push stalls on the runway
Relegation last season ended West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League and broke plenty of hearts in east London.
The Championship, though, offered a chance to reset and charge straight back. On paper, West Ham looked ready to do exactly that.
Nuno Espirito Santo stayed on. The club backed him heavily. They smashed the Championship transfer record to sign Arne Engels and added Manor Solomon, Joel Piroe and Divine Mukasa. The squad looked stacked for a title tilt.
Two games in, the talk of promotion has already been replaced by something else: concern.
West Ham took a two-goal lead at Burnley and threw it away. One point there. Then came a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton. One point from six. The mood turned quickly.
“Will someone put Nuno out of his misery,” said fan Les. “He got the tactics wrong last season and is doing the same thing again. He should have gone at end of last season playing like this. We deserve nothing.”
From Corfu, Mike sounded just as weary.
“Sat in Corfu, and like a lot of West Ham fans, unsurprised by our start to the season. No no Nuno. You've had 33 games. If you were the guy for Forest and Wolves, fine. But you ain't for us. But enough is enough.”
This was supposed to be a ruthless march back to the top flight. Two matches in, it already feels like a slog.
Rangers’ big summer, bruising start
North of the border, Rangers entered the season with grand plans of their own.
The Ibrox club spent heavily again, bringing in 11 new players. Derek McInnes arrived from Hearts after a memorable campaign and brought his captain, prolific striker Lawrence Shankland, with him. For many Rangers fans, it felt like a statement.
Reality has hit hard.
Rangers crashed out of the Europa League qualifiers to Jagiellonia Bialystok. They were booed by their own supporters. Questions about McInnes’ future have already surfaced despite the season barely starting.
Domestically, the numbers are no kinder. Just one point from games against Dundee United and Hibernian has piled on the pressure.
“Rangers are going nowhere! What has McInnes been training these guys,” said Bill. Graeme, a veteran of six decades following the club, didn’t hold back either: “I have been watching Rangers for over 60 years and this is the worst team I have ever seen.”
Last season, Rangers stumbled under Russell Martin and never recovered. He was gone by early October. With August not yet over, patience at Ibrox is again being stretched thin.
Across Manchester, north London, east London and Glasgow, the pattern is painfully familiar.
New signings. New managers. New hope.
And already, for some of football’s biggest, loudest fanbases, the season feels less like Christmas morning and more like opening a box you never wanted in the first place.
The fixtures keep coming. The money has been spent. The questions now are simple: who steadies themselves first—and who discovers this was never a false dawn, but another long, unforgiving winter?
