The next four games...

All games we dropped points in last season, and got a massive 1 point from twelve.

Watford away - lost 3-1
Arsenal away - lost 2-0
City home - lost 1-2
Bournemouth home - drew 1-1

What would be an acceptable points return for the corresponding fixtures this season?

We should be beating Watford and Bournemouth. If we having issues with those sides then we got big problems.

For me 8 points out of the four would be respectable. But would be nice if the players turn up for a big game especially away from home as Arsenal are beatable.

If we want a chance for the title we should at least have 10 points from those. the point would be against City.

Watford and Bournemouth, we should beat them without problems.

Arsenal away is difficult but we can do a job on them.

And city well, for me that we'll decide if we're still in the title race or not. i can't see us coming back from at least 11 points and a defeat against them. not just in term of points but more so in term of confidence.

Watford will be tough, especially away from home.

We won't win all 4 in our current form.

Im dreading the City game.

We need to beat Watford & Arsenal, dropping points in either game would be a disappointment
I'd take a point against City
Obviously we need to smash Bournemouth

Think we will take 4 points, maybe 6 maximum. Will end the title charge IMO.

We need to win all four games if we want to keep up the mad notion that we're still in the title race. There's barely any games on paper I can see City dropping points in, so we need to take maximum points against them.

Defining games for this squad, if we get a good return we will kick on through Christmas and January fixtures. If we don't we will lose any belief in this season and bundle to may.

If we want to challenge for the title - a minimum of 10.

We should be beating sides like Watford and Bournemouth. I think we can beat Arsenal away, and a minimum of a draw at home v City.

This.

If we have designs on the title I say 12 from 12 is about the only option. Beating City is a must to make a statement if nothing else.

Watford and Bournemouth are games that you have to win. Arsenal aren't bad at home, will be difficult...if we are to drop any points this one is about the only acceptable one if we want to be in the mix.

10 points minimum and only if included beating City.

Anything less and any lingering title dream is well and truly over

Watford we'll struggle but I think we'll squeeze out a win. One of those games where by the end of it we say "we didn't deserve that".
Arsenal will be tough. Like us they haven't dropped a point at home so I can honestly see this ending in a draw.
City at home will be tougher. Our home form is good but I don't think we'll be good enough to beat them. Another draw.
Bournemouth home should be a relatively easy win.

8 points total, which I fear would set us back even further.

10 Points. Three wins and a draw.

Anyone saying they would take a draw at home to city is conceding the title, that game is must win!

Should be 8-10 points at least, after that we had another easy run.

An acceptable return would be 4 wins. We're 8 points behind, so nothing else is acceptable, unless we don't want to win the league, which would be unacceptable. City don't look like dropping points, they're playing well and getting the luck.

To claw back any ground on City, the derby is an absolute must-win. This upcoming derby is feeling a bit like the 12/13 derby with the RVP deflected goal in stoppage time. Winning that game pulled us away from them and we were top for the rest of the season, whilst delivering a hammerblow to them and their belief. If we don't beat them, we'll be (at least) 11 points (there's no way they're not beating Southampton at home tomorrow) and probably drained of all confidence, as they were in 12/13.

They are all hard games in the premiership and with no creative player to open up defences we will find it harder to score goals. We must stay in the race until after the Christmas period and then bring in a top creative player and a winger.

To stay in the race we must go in city match with this 8 points gap. City will win next two home games so we must win at watford and arsenal. Not sure how, not confident at all that we will but we must

Probably at least 8/12 if they have any sort of title aspirations.

Bournemouth aren't a good side
City beat Watford 6-0 away
Should be able to nick a point away at Arsenal
Shouldn't be losing at home to title rivals, even as good as City are

Not that I expect United to get 8/12. I reckon 6 max.

Need minimum of 10, ideally 12, to keep some hope of a Title charge

In reality, can only see us getting 4 (Loss to Watford, Draw Arsenal, Loss City, Win Bournemouth)

To be honest @Varun . I think we need a couple more creative players to push city for the title this season. I thought from the start it was between us and City for the title, and I gave us to shade it. But as you say, City are having an abnormally good season and we are just not scoring enough goals lately. We need someone in the mould of De Bruyne or David Silva and maybe a top Winger also.

Yes I agree, But In January we need a creative player and a goal scoring winger. The FB positions will be OK until the summer.

10

7 points would be acceptable. Can’t see us getting anything from City and 4 points from Arsenal/Watford away will be tough.

If we are going to challenge for title we really need to win 4 out of 4 with the way things stand. City have a healthy lead which we need to be looking at cutting down and the Arsenal game is significant because of our recent away record against the other top six. We really need a win in one of those fixtures and also beat City at home if we are serious about a title challenge.

If all we are looking for is to finish top four then 8 points would be good, 10 would be very good and 12 would be excellent.

Bournemouth and Watford should be wins

Arsenal and City we should atleast get 2 points

So 8 is the bare minimum

If we don't beat Watford and Arsenal it will be a must win for top 4 rather than the title.

Personally, I think every game becomes must win when you are 8-10 points adrift of the top spot if you are serious about challenging for the league at least until the gap has been narrowed to 3-5 points. Even this early in the season as dropping points just means we drop further off the pace or fail to take advantage of an opportunity to gain ground. Every time we have caught someone with a 8-12 under Fergie lead it is when we went on a consecutive run of wins and likewise whenever we have lost a healthy lead it has been when a challenger has put together a very strong run.

12 Points!

Think we'll have our work cut out vs Watford tonight, think we'll pick up a point in a 1-1 draw. We'll go defensive against Arsenal as Jose won't want to lose vs Wenger, either 1-1 or 0-0 in that game. City at home we'll stick with 5 at the back again, think they'll have too much for us and beat us 2-0, Bournemouth at home we'll win 2-0/3-0 as they'll park the bus, so 5 points from 4 games.

Christ. Has it really come to this? Anyone here saying anything less than 12 points is as bad as Moyes.

And anyone expecting 12 points is going to be very disappointed!!

• Beat Watford away
• Draw to Arsenal away
• Beat City at home
• Beat Bournemouth at home

10 points out of a possible 12.

Assuming City win in the match they play when we play Arsenal, my set of results would see us cut the lead to 7 points.

There's a difference between expecting and wanting. When did we become so defeatist?

What kind of atmosphere can a crowd create if most folk walking into the ground are expecting us to be beaten 2-0?

Beat watford.
Lose to arsenal.
Draw to city.
Beat bournemouth.

8 points