My assessment of Manchester United is the same as yours. They may have improved, but they haven't reached the stage where they've truly maximized their potential. They might not be a team that struggles if they're just competing in the top 10 or even in the top 5 or 10. But if it comes to getting a ranking higher than that, I still have my doubts about Manchester United. But Ruben Amorim is a very good young coach. So he could surprise us by making Manchester United perform exceptionally in the new season. But realistically, I think Manchester United still can't compare to Chelsea, even considering their current preseason performance. But well, it's only preseason, and their true performance hasn't been seen at all. So we can't judge them too quickly. Because their true abilities will be displayed in the real season. We'll have to wait to see that. And I can't wait to see the opening match of the new Premier League season, which is just around the corner. But Amorim will definitely be a little nervous in the opening match because the opponent they face is Arsenal.
I won't compare Manchester United to any other team; that would be inappropriate. What Manchester United should be comparing themselves to last season is their own performance, which gives them a strong incentive to improve next season.
Let's be realistic: a team like Manchester United that hasn't made many changes certainly can't develop rapidly or experience significant changes. So, in my opinion, if they can improve slightly compared to last season, that's enough, and it shows they're making progress.
Don't expect too much from Manchester United; they have a process to go through, and it will take a long time for Manchester United to return to competing at the top.
I think we are on the same page because so many people think that Manchester United will return to the top but despite that we shouldn't underestimate their performance at least let give them hope by saying they may likely get back to the top because football nowadays changes a lot and full of surprises. Quite right last season was among the worst season ever for Manchester United but despite their performance in the Premier League they really stood up in Europa League which they presented themselves as the favourite to win the league due to their excellent performance in the competition. Amorim really make a very good choice by focusing on Europa League since they know that they are not relegating but unfortunately they where defeated by Tottenham.