THE VITALS:

Team: Manchester United

Brand: Adidas

Era: 2022-23 (Used for the 2022-23 Premier League season, the 2023 EFL Cup Final and the 2023 FA Cup Final)

Name/Number: Martinez #6

CONDITION: EXCELLENT

Despite the slight pink discolouring to the name and numbering; this shirt is in nothing short of excellent condition! The collar has very little folding meanwhile the material, and sponsorship decal are also in fine standing.

DIMENSIONS:

Size: Medium

Pit to Pit Measurement: 20.0 inches

Shirt Length: 30.0 inches 

Made by Adidas in their ‘Aero Ready’ style of shirts that they introduced in 2022; the dimensions suggest that this shirt suggest that it may also be suitable for someone who is a size large that likes to wear a more fitted shirt.

DESCRIPTION:

The 2022-23 season home shirt would see the first time during Adidas’ second tenure as Manchester United’s kit supplier that a traditional polo collar was used and the first to grace any United home shirt since the 2010-11 season while the Adidas three stripes were coloured black for the first time since the home shirt used in the 2018-19 season. The standout features however were the use of a shield to house the club crest inside of and the pattern on the collar which seamlessly meshes the collar and the body of the shirt. DXC Technologies also replaced KOHLER as the club’s shirt sleeve sponsor. Erik Ten Haag was selected as the man to lead to United out of the mire that was the 2021-22 season and he passed the test with flying colours where despite a rift with Cristiano Ronaldo that resulted in the legendary striker leaving the club in December 2022; he delivered the 2022/23 EFL Cup which ended a six year trophy drought, as well as a run to the Europa League quarter final and FA Cup Final and a 3^rd place finish which guaranteed Champions League football in 2023/24. In addition to Ronaldo’s departure; Fred, Phil Jones, Alex Telles, Dean Henderson, Eric Baily, Axel Tuanzebe, Anthony Elanga and the legendary David De Gea also left the club permanently in the summer of 2023, and neither of Jack Butland, Wout Weghorst or Marcel Sabitzer’s loans were made permanent either.

THE SEASON:

The 2021-22 season could not have been more of a disappointment following the preceding season. The return of Cristiano Ronaldo and the huge outlay spent on Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane would not yield the desired effect as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed in November 2021 and his interim replacement - Ralf Rangnick could only lead the club to a 6^th place finish with 58 points acquired; their worst in the Premier League era.

Ajax’s Erik Ten Haag was chosen on 21^st April 2022 to take over the hot-seat in 2022-23 and he would be without high profile names – Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Nemanja Matic who were all released at the end of the 2021-22 season. His squad however would be bolstered by the signings of his former Ajax players – Lisandro Martinez and Anthony and fellow starlet from the Eredivisie – Tyrell Malacia, and there were also the arrivals of decorated veterans – Christian Eriksen and Casemiro to give the team a fresh look.

ETH’s professional debut in the dugout began on 7^th August 2022 at home against Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford and the team would be humbled in a 2-1 defeat at home before falling to an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Brentford six days later. The mood would change shortly after when United defeated Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford – making it their first league win over their fierce rivals since March 2018. This would usher a 4 match winning streak that ended with a 3-1 win over Arsenal to inflict their first defeat of the season. United next made the short trip to the Etihad Stadium on 2^nd October 2022, and although they were soundly beaten 6-3 by the champions; United would lose just once and draw twice and win four of their remaining seven outings before the World Cup kicked off in November 2022. After the 2-1 win over Fulham on 13^th November 2022; ‘The Red Devils’ were in 5^th place on 28 points – sitting just 1 point behind Spurs.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo was no longer a Manchester United player by the time the World Cup concluded; Lisandro Martinez would return from Qatar as a World Cup winner and United resumed the league campaign on winning terms when they beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 and ended a turbulent 2022 on a high-note by seeing off Wolves 1-0 at Molineux on 31^st December 2022.

Manchester United would start 2023 by defeating Bournemouth 3-0 at home and would make it five wins in a row when they exacted revenge over Manchester City at Old Trafford on 14^th January 2023 when they won the Manchester Derby 2-1. Any talk of an unlikely title charge was squashed as United drew with Crystal Palace and then were beaten 3-2 by Arsenal on 22^nd January 2023. After another unbeaten streak of four games that yielded three wins; United would be brutally beaten 7-0 by Liverpool on 5^th March 2023 and would fail to win each of their next two games. After the 2-0 defeat to fellow top-4 chasing Newcastle United on 2^nd April 2023; the team would rally to enjoy a brilliant final quarter of the league season where they won eight of their last eleven games to finish in 3^rd place with 75 points.

Manchester United would begin their quest to win the EFL Cup for the first time since the 2016/17 season with a thrilling 4-2 win over Aston Villa and then comfortably defeated lower league opponents – Burnley and Charlton Athletic to set up a semi-final against Nottingham Forest. The East Midlands side would be beaten 5-0 on aggregate to set up final against Newcastle United. Goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford would seal a 2-1 win at Wembley Stadium on 26^th February 2023 to deliver United’s first piece of silverware since winning the Europa League in 2017!

After the previous season’s disappointing exit in the 4^th Round of the FA Cup; United sought to win the FA Cup for a 13^th time in 2023. That journey delivered four successive 3-1 wins as Everton, Reading, West Ham United and Fulham were respectively beaten by that same scoreline. The semi-final with Brighton however would be decided by a penalty shootout where United prevailed 7-6 over their recent bogey team. The final on 3^rd June 2023 would produce the rubber match between Manchester United and City with the added caveat being a win for City would see them complete 2/3 of the treble they were chasing! Unfortunately for United, they would fall just short of their own second piece of silverware as City prevailed 2-1.

Installed as one of the favourites to win the Europa League after winning the trophy in 2017 and reaching the semi-finals in 2020 and the final in 2021; United would be beaten on Match-Day 1 when Real Sociedad visited Old Trafford on 8^th September 2022. Cristiano Ronaldo would score in his first ever Europa League outing in the 2-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol. This win would be the first of five, however, not even 15 points from an available 15 was enough to see them finish top.

Moreover, the new competition rules meant they were had to battle a team relegated from the Champions League in a play-off to reach the Last 16. Their opponents were none other than FC Barcelona in what was a dream tie for the neutrals. Erik Ten Haag would secure his signature continental win as United coach when he masterminded a 4-3 aggregate triumph – winning the 2^nd Leg at home 2-1 after an absorbing 2-2 draw unfolded at Camp Nou.

Spanish opposition remained the order of the day as Real Betis were swept aside 5-1 on aggregate to set up a quarter final against the team who eliminated them from Champions League in 2018 and then the Europa League semi-final in 2020 – Sevilla. United would lead 2-0 after 21 minutes in the 1^st Leg, only to surrender the advantage entirely in the last 10 minutes of the game. The inevitable outcome of the tie against the ‘Real Madrid of the Europa League’ after that collapse materialised in a catastrophic 2^nd Leg performance at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan where Sevilla won 3-0 to reach the semi-final.

The notable players that season were:

Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Antony, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Amad, Wout Weghorst, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Elanga, Bruno Fernandes, Cristian Eriksen, Donny Van De Beek, Casemiro, Fred, Scott McTominay, Marcel Sabitzer, Facundo Pellistri, Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Diego Dalot, Tyrell Malacia, David de Gea, Jack Butland, Tom Heaton