It's a cup, so it's always possible but the "worse team have won't it" argument works both ways, we could easily be the better team that loses against the underdog.
Can United realistically win the CL this season?
- Thread starter LawCharltonBest
- Start date
Yes
We can “realistically” win it (whatever that means) just as any other team can “realistically” win it
We can “realistically” win it (whatever that means) just as any other team can “realistically” win it
I see no logical reason to suggest that we are not amongst the favourites for this trophy, we have the best chance out of all of the English sides, and only really Barcelona and PSG that I can see could cause us too many issues.
We should quite rightly be scaring other sides, rather than ourselves being worried of anyone else, we are a very good side, and we should be looking forward to this competition with great excitement, I don't see why anyone would feel any negativity towards our chances whatsoever.
We should quite rightly be scaring other sides, rather than ourselves being worried of anyone else, we are a very good side, and we should be looking forward to this competition with great excitement, I don't see why anyone would feel any negativity towards our chances whatsoever.
I think we’ve a decent chance this year. There’s no stand out team thats miles ahead, PSG’s attack is scary but they can definitely be got at, Barca are strong but nowhere near their peak team and I wouldn’t fear them at all, Real seem to have fallen off a cliff although I wouldn’t write them off yet, City definitely aren’t all they’re made out to be. We’ll definitely be far stronger now with the return of Bailly coming soon hopefully, Pogba and Martial improving each week and obviously adding a world class attacker in Sanchez.
Realistically don’t think we’ll win it this year, but imo next year we’re going to be a big threat, once Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Lukaku etc. have another years experience and Sanchez fully gels with the squad, plus whatever new additions we make in the summer.
Realistically don’t think we’ll win it this year, but imo next year we’re going to be a big threat, once Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Lukaku etc. have another years experience and Sanchez fully gels with the squad, plus whatever new additions we make in the summer.
It's possible. I give us at least 20% chance. The draw was very good to us, not only is Sevilla very beatable, but a lot of strong or uncomfortable opponents will eliminate each other:
Juventus : Spurs
Real : PSG
Chelsea : Barca
Bayern : Besiktas
Shakhtar : Roma
We just need a little luck with injuries. If DDG, Jones, Valencia, Matic, Pogba, Martial, Sanchez and Lukaku stay fit and we avoid a pile of injuries in any area, then it's very realistic.
Juventus : Spurs
Real : PSG
Chelsea : Barca
Bayern : Besiktas
Shakhtar : Roma
We just need a little luck with injuries. If DDG, Jones, Valencia, Matic, Pogba, Martial, Sanchez and Lukaku stay fit and we avoid a pile of injuries in any area, then it's very realistic.
no!
Possible? Yes
Probable? No
Likely? Hell no!
Probable? No
Likely? Hell no!
I think the first response nailed it.
We are clearly not the favourites but with Mourinho there is always a chance. And not just an outside, everyone-in-the-competition-has-a-chance chance, but a real chance.
I don’t think we are favorites or anything but there’s hope.
I’d say about 8 teams have a legit chance at winning it.
I’d say about 8 teams have a legit chance at winning it.
The lack of technical ability in our full back positions will be our biggest let down in the end.
I think you will beat Sevilla and then anything is possible.
A few good teams will be getting knocked out in R16 due to being drawn together and there may well be a friendly passage to the latter stages for a fortunate team.
You're hard to score against and have a Manager who has been in this situation many times.
A few good teams will be getting knocked out in R16 due to being drawn together and there may well be a friendly passage to the latter stages for a fortunate team.
You're hard to score against and have a Manager who has been in this situation many times.
I always thought 'probable' and 'likely' were basically interchangeable.
Maybe. Jose is good at 2-leg matches but I'm not sure that we're good enough when playing agains the top sides. And if we kick out Sevilla, we'll play a big team next for sure. But let's say, yes, we've got a chance. Alexis will be a huge boost.
Jose would love to do with us what Fergie couldn’t, beat Barca and Messi in a CL final, anything is definitely possible.
Its amazing how a single signing can buoy supporters belief in the team and its potential. Not a month ago the threads were full of negativity, now people are asking if we can realistically win the Champions League. Sanchez is good, but hes not that good. We have about as much of a chance as anyone depending on the teams we face.
I think with the added purchase of Sanchez you will have the fire power to win the CL. The concern will be over the defence, can you hold out the opposition attacks.
Possible yet unlikely.
Possible yet unlikely.
I think we can definitely win the Champions League if we stay injury free and carry a bit of luck. And i'm not one who over exaggerates our team like alot of people do.
Alot of worse teams then our current team have won the CL. Just look at that mediocre Liverpool team that won it, the Chelsea team, Porto etc. The list goes on...
When you look at the potential challengers for it:
- Real Madrid: Are in decline. Ronaldo and Benzema look shot. Modric isn't dictating things as much as he once did. Plus they have gutted alot of their squad players last Summer so they are certainly not the force they were. They can switch it on any day though, so they will remain a tough challenger. There is no reason why we couldn't get a result against them.
- Barcelona: They are cruising in La Liga, yet on many occasions I have watched him this season, They haven't looked anything special. Not to the degree the old Barcelona teams did anyways. They are aging and are weak in defence. Our attack has more than enough pace and power to overcome them.
- PSG: They have a remarkable forward line, and that would be the thing that would stop us beating them if that were to happen. We would need a Jose masterclass away from home and then beat them at Old Trafford. Their defence and CM leaves alot to be desired though, so I think they could certainly be got at. Plus there are stories of unrest in the changing room which may hamper them.
- City: Pains me to say it, But I think City have a great chance to win it this season with the other teams having such weakness. In a Manchester derby though anything can happen, so no reason why we couldn't beat City. Would be a tough one though, that's for certain.
- Bayern: Running away with the Bundesliga, but even most writers and pundits for the league have said that this Bayern isn't as strong as the one a few years ago. Same can be said for Juve, but they aren't even running away with Serie A this year.
The other teams I cannot imagine getting past the above. So while it may be a big ask, I see no reason why we can't win it. Do I think we will? Probably not, But it's still an achievable feat.
Alot of worse teams then our current team have won the CL. Just look at that mediocre Liverpool team that won it, the Chelsea team, Porto etc. The list goes on...
When you look at the potential challengers for it:
- Real Madrid: Are in decline. Ronaldo and Benzema look shot. Modric isn't dictating things as much as he once did. Plus they have gutted alot of their squad players last Summer so they are certainly not the force they were. They can switch it on any day though, so they will remain a tough challenger. There is no reason why we couldn't get a result against them.
- Barcelona: They are cruising in La Liga, yet on many occasions I have watched him this season, They haven't looked anything special. Not to the degree the old Barcelona teams did anyways. They are aging and are weak in defence. Our attack has more than enough pace and power to overcome them.
- PSG: They have a remarkable forward line, and that would be the thing that would stop us beating them if that were to happen. We would need a Jose masterclass away from home and then beat them at Old Trafford. Their defence and CM leaves alot to be desired though, so I think they could certainly be got at. Plus there are stories of unrest in the changing room which may hamper them.
- City: Pains me to say it, But I think City have a great chance to win it this season with the other teams having such weakness. In a Manchester derby though anything can happen, so no reason why we couldn't beat City. Would be a tough one though, that's for certain.
- Bayern: Running away with the Bundesliga, but even most writers and pundits for the league have said that this Bayern isn't as strong as the one a few years ago. Same can be said for Juve, but they aren't even running away with Serie A this year.
The other teams I cannot imagine getting past the above. So while it may be a big ask, I see no reason why we can't win it. Do I think we will? Probably not, But it's still an achievable feat.
Before Sanchez's signing I thought it was unlikely if technically possible. I don't see one attacking player making enough of a difference to that assessment, but maybe I would say we're more of a legitimate darkhorse now.
What concerns over our defence is there??
We have the best defence in the league, and the best keeper in the world, so prey do tell what issues with our defence are there??
Plus should the point not be, could the opposition hold out our attackers??
it's between city and barca....no other teams are on their level currently
In knockout football though, anything can happen. Just look at the some of the teams that have won the trophy. Certainly not always been the best teams.
Since the start of the season I've had an inkling that we might get deep into the knockout stages, but I've never entertained the idea we might win it.
A decent showing in the semi-finals would be a fantastic sign of progression IMO.
A decent showing in the semi-finals would be a fantastic sign of progression IMO.
20 percent chance?? We can barely beat teams like Burnley, how are we going to beat Europe's elite over 2 legs??It's more like 2 percent than 20.
I give us an 8% chance. Without Sanchez it was about 5%.
2% chance? So what was Liverpool's chance when they won it with a bang average team?
It's more like 2 percent than 20.
Of course we have a chance. Highly unlikely though. Midfield and fullbacks not good enough to compete with the best.
Obviously incredibly low.
Bookies have us at 14/1 which is 6.7% as an implied probability, which seems about right.
By that statement alone I can say that you haven't. Unless you watched one or two specific games where it could have seemed so, but that's not a large enough sample to base an objective opinion on, is it? I suggest you check the stats both in la liga and in UCL >>> goals conceded (yes, it doesn't paint the whole picture, since Ter Stegen has been a wall for us, but that's what the keepers are for I guess... just like your De Gea). It seems that some of the united fans are getting carried away after Alexis signing.
Yep, sounds fair. Not impossible, but there are at least 5 teams with a better chance of doing it.
We can but its unlikely.
As I posted - the draw was very good to us, many of the hard opponents will eliminate each other next round. And after that it's only 5 games. We have one of the strongest defenses, which is very important in cup competitions.
It's more like 2 percent than 20.
OK, maybe 20% is a little too optimistic, but definitely more than 2%, I would say around 10%. The way I calculate it:
beat Sevilla - 80%
beat next opponent - between 30% and 70% depending on draw, lets say 50% on average. 80% * 50% = 40%
So we have 40% chance to reach semifinals.
another 50% to beat next opponent, so 20% to reach final
another 50% to win final, so final odds are 10%
I watch alot of La Liga (and go to Atletico games a few times per season) so I have made my judgment based on what I have seen with my own eyes. Stats don't tell the whole story on alot of occasions, and you can always find a stat to fit your chosen narrative to be honest. The mid to lower teams in La Liga are at the worst standard they have been for about 10 years in my honest opinion, and that's why I have found Aleti's season so frustrating, but that is another conversation for another time.
I see no reason why the likes of Alexis, Martial, Lukaku and Pogba wouldn't fancy their chances against that defence.
Yes, we have a shot, and I think the biggest reason right now is the draw.
-There's no excuse for us to not be able to get past Sevilla over two legs.
-There are some brutal ties for the top teams right now. Juventus, Spurs, Madrid, PSG, Chelsea, Barca. Half of those teams will be out of it before the final 8.
I think the final 8 will be
Juventus
City
Liverpool
Madrid
Bayern
Barca
United
Roma
With Alexis added, and if Pogba stays fit, I think we will give any of those 7 teams a hell of a tie
-There's no excuse for us to not be able to get past Sevilla over two legs.
-There are some brutal ties for the top teams right now. Juventus, Spurs, Madrid, PSG, Chelsea, Barca. Half of those teams will be out of it before the final 8.
I think the final 8 will be
Juventus
City
Liverpool
Madrid
Bayern
Barca
United
Roma
With Alexis added, and if Pogba stays fit, I think we will give any of those 7 teams a hell of a tie
This seems right, but it's possible Shaw has the raw talent to put together a fine 4-5 game stretch and Valencia is solid.
The answer is yes. Mourinho + De Gea + Pogba + speed in attack (Martial, Sanchez, Lukaku) is a clear and simple formula for parking the bus and beating superior teams. Bailly coming back could really help. He's the right age to make a leap if he's healthy, and we'll need some excellent defending from our CBs with the amount of possession we'll concede. Also worth noting that while he's struggled this year, Herrera is more than capable of harrying top players and being a nuisance in the midfield.
Apart from the question mark at LB, this is a pretty formidable team for playing ugly football and getting a goal on the break with Mourinho pulling the string defensively:
----Lukaku/Sanchez---------
Martial--------Sanchez/Lingard
----Pogba--Herrera------
---------Matic------------
Shaw----------------Valencia
---Jones/Rojo--Bailly-----------
--------De Gea---------------
We have as much chance as anyone in the CL. One of PSG and Madrid will be out. If Chelsea do Barca, I would say we have good chance.
We don't look very strong last season in Europa, but we did manage to win. CL is different because of quality but I LL say we have a chance.
We don't look very strong last season in Europa, but we did manage to win. CL is different because of quality but I LL say we have a chance.
Worth remembering that in recent years, Porto, Liverpool, Inter & Chelsea have won it, and they would not have been considered the best teams in Europe at the time.
But they got a decent draw, raised their game and got a slice of good fortune along the way...!
But they got a decent draw, raised their game and got a slice of good fortune along the way...!
Sanchez gives us some extra firepower but given how shaky we've looked at the back in some games this season I would say no. The better teams will punish some of the slack defending we've been getting away with in some games.
Over two legs I reckon we can take any of them. Wouldn't be favorites against the majority but it's not like we're f'ing Swansea (sly dig) we defo have a chance
PSG must feel they have a chance, and you can never write off a team like Bayern Munich. So much tough competition at this level.
Wigan won the FA Cup against City, so anything is possible. Believe.