3rd Season Curse: What are your expectations for next season?

Nikelesh Reddy

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In the last 10 years both teams have finished either first or second on all but one occasion. my point is that during his tenure a second place was not a huge achievement.
Fair enough,but it's a bit unfair to say that his 3rd season at Real was a disaster or that he always implods in his 3rd season...
 

edgar allan

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Fair enough,but it's a bit unfair to say that his 3rd season at Real was a disaster or that he always implods in his 3rd season...
True, every job is different. Sure the old quote was that he always won the league in his second season.
 

JMack1234

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Put it this way, there are three distinct possibilities for next season.

1. We win the league
2. We have a Jose 3rd season meltdown and due to the size of United that'll be a Jose meltdown to end all Jose meltdowns.
3. We have a nearly identical season.

Out of those three I think number 3 is the most likely and winning the league the least likely.
 

breakout67

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Mourinho also was supposed to win the league in his 2nd season at every club.

Porto : League + CL, left for another challenge
Chelsea: LC + FA cup, left early next season due to disagreements with board
Inter : no 3rd season, left for another challenge
Madrid : no trophies
Chelsea: sacked midway

He's the longest serving manager for Madrid for over a decade and Zidane has had a 'meltdown' in the league worse than Mourinho this season. He's also been the longest serving Chelsea manager for ages as well and they change managers every 2 seasons.

So long as we are winning trophies, he will stay here. He is not a manager prone to meltdown anymore than most other managers.
 

gerdm07

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I absolutely stopped having any expectations for the upcoming season, this team and this manager. Let's face it, he is not going to suddenly transform his approach just because he bought two new fullbacks/additional midfielder. Premier League title? No chance, everytime I see us play we look so disjointed it's beyond me, CL? better not to talk about our chances in this competition, that shit Roma side would blow us out of the water. So probably another season of top4 fight and some mickey mouse trophy.

I just wish I could enjoy our team play and be excited for an upcoming match, right now it's more like a chore.
My thoughts also.

I'l add that I think it' likely that mou will engineer his exit especially if we do not start well. He will not want to be the United manager when city win 2 or 3 PL titles consecutively. This would be a huge blow to his ego and legacy.
 

yo@Kirk

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I expect tumescent, boring Mourinho football. I expect Mourinho will sell Martial fairly cheap, retain Fellaini, and overspend on 4 or 5 old players like Vidal and Perisic. I expect United to edge Spurs for 3rd in PL but finish well behind both City and Pool in the title race. I expect United to get a tougher draw in group stages and exit the CL at group stage. I expect Mourinho to then go all out to win the Europa Cup because he, and his admirers, will claim it's a major trophy and should justify him retaining his job as manager by winning it. I expect the board to agree.
 

Oyibo

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We will finish 2nd, improving again, this time 5-6 points behind City.
Quarter Finals of Champions League after a much improved run in Europe
 

TMDaines

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Fivethirtyeight are modelling us to finish a (comfortable) sixth, with fewer points than under Moyes, and more likely to be relegated than win the league. That’s how average our performances have been for too long.

 
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Eric's Seagull

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Next season I expect to do better than this season. I think this season at a push and 'hopefully' we will make it into the Champions League, I think we might get there by a stroke of luck.
In the summer hopefully not before, as although I don't particularly like Jose, I think Jose will gone but I think he deserves until the end of the season. In the summer in my opinion I think he will either walk or more than likely get sacked by the owners. I think with a new manager will come in with a new mentality to bring attacking football back to Old Trafford, although I realise results come first I think fans deserve to be entertained whilst watching our club. I would like to get Pochetinno but thing he is unattainable, so I would like to get in Leardo Jardim, although I think the decision to bring in a Director of Football is a smokescreen devised by Ed and the owners to take some of the heat away from Ed, I sincerely hope not but I think the Director of of Football will just be a 'yes man' who reports to Ed and Ed will still be the main man in charge of transfers and if it doesn't work it he can still use the Director of Football as a scapegoat sand say that he only handles the commercial side. Personally I think the Director of Football is going to be one of the most important appointments in the history of our club. Also I think we will bring in a Director of Football should be a proper football man and I want someone to come in who has a good rapport and shares the same vision as the manager. I think with this in place and if the manager is given the funds to succeed)which I doubt as they just see us as a big cash cow), I think we will be much closer to winning the title if we get in the right players, than 4th place which I think is the best we can hope for this season.
 

wolvored

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Next season I expect to do better than this season. I think this season at a push and 'hopefully' we will make it into the Champions League, I think we might get there by a stroke of luck.
In the summer hopefully not before, as although I don't particularly like Jose, I think Jose will gone but I think he deserves until the end of the season. In the summer in my opinion I think he will either walk or more than likely get sacked by the owners. I think with a new manager will come in with a new mentality to bring attacking football back to Old Trafford, although I realise results come first I think fans deserve to be entertained whilst watching our club. I would like to get Pochetinno but thing he is unattainable, so I would like to get in Leardo Jardim, although I think the decision to bring in a Director of Football is a smokescreen devised by Ed and the owners to take some of the heat away from Ed, I sincerely hope not but I think the Director of of Football will just be a 'yes man' who reports to Ed and Ed will still be the main man in charge of transfers and if it doesn't work it he can still use the Director of Football as a scapegoat sand say that he only handles the commercial side. Personally I think the Director of Football is going to be one of the most important appointments in the history of our club. Also I think we will bring in a Director of Football should be a proper football man and I want someone to come in who has a good rapport and shares the same vision as the manager. I think with this in place and if the manager is given the funds to succeed)which I doubt as they just see us as a big cash cow), I think we will be much closer to winning the title if we get in the right players, than 4th place which I think is the best we can hope for this season.
I think what would be better is Woody gets the go ahead from the Glazers how much money to spend. He hands it to the DOF and keeps well away from transfers unless a pattern emerges where we are buying dross. The DOF as well as agreeing with Woody the best manager we can get, should then work with that manager to see who they need in a position/style of play and who they can get. A line manager style of working would work well.
The bolded bit is essential I think
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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When reading old posts, one thing always sticks out to me. We always massively overrate ourselves. Talking about winning the league & CL etc. Even the OP, semi final in the CL? You having a laugh chief?

5 or 6th, group stage or last 16 CL exit. Mourinho sacked when top 4 mathematically impossible, or just at the end of the season.
 

wolvored

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When reading old posts, one thing always sticks out to me. We always massively overrate ourselves. Talking about winning the league & CL etc. Even the OP, semi final in the CL? You having a laugh chief?

5 or 6th, group stage or last 16 CL exit. Mourinho sacked when top 4 mathematically impossible, or just at the end of the season.
Thats more realistic and probably true.
 

Casanova85

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When reading old posts, one thing always sticks out to me. We always massively overrate ourselves. Talking about winning the league & CL etc. Even the OP, semi final in the CL? You having a laugh chief?
What? Overrate ourselves? We finished 2nd last season; Mourinho is supposed to be one of the very best and most successful managers of the last 15 years; Pogba is supposed to be a TopPlayer and a current WC champion. Lukaku is Belgium's NT ST, currently the 3rd best NT in the world; Alexis and Martial were supposed to be Top Class; Fred looked like a good signing; De Gea still on board; Lindelof played a good WC, etc.

Just because August and its transfer window turned the season into a meltdown, with Mou sad and angry and most players underperforming, and Pogba/Martial and Mou openly at odds, doesn't mean our expectations were silly (PL challengers and ChL semis)
 
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Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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What? Overrate ourselves? We finished 2nd last season; Mourinho is supposed to be one of the very best and most successful managers of the last 15 years; Pogba is supposed to be a TopPlayer and a current WC champion. Lukaku is Belgium's NT ST, currently the 3rd best NT in the world; Alexis and Martial were supposed to be Top Class; Fred looked like a good signing; De Gea still on board; Lindelof played a good WC, etc.

Just because August and its transfer window turned the season into a meltdown, with Mou sad and angry and most players underperforming, and Pogba/Martial and Mou openly at odds, doesn't mean our expectations were silly (PL challengers and ChL semis)
We had all of those last season when we finished 20 points behind the champions & were knocked out of the CL by a midtable spanish team. City, Liverpool & Chelsea have all improved. Our manager was entering his toxic 3rd year. This was always going to happen.
 

m1tch

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Top 4 next season will be the only aim the board will be concerned with
 

Casanova85

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We had all of those last season when we finished 20 points behind the champions & were knocked out of the CL by a midtable spanish team. City, Liverpool & Chelsea have all improved. Our manager was entering his toxic 3rd year. This was always going to happen.
A bit harsh, isn't it? City had a "one in a million" season last year (with Chelsea out of the picture, btw, and Wegner still around at Arse). Sevilla a midtable team?? What? Sevilla is a classic Top Spanish side, currently way better than Valencia, many Europa League titles plus decent ChL runs. I'm not defending the way Mou handled it but to say that Seville is a midtable team is just biased.
And other than 2007 and 2016 (both with Chelsea) Mou left his clubs on a high note (Porto, Inter) or at least finished the season (Madrid).
 

Kent Devil

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Looks like the 3rd season curse is possibly happening as predicted. Hope it is wrong and it gets turned around but it is doubtful.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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A bit harsh, isn't it? City had a "one in a million" season last year (with Chelsea out of the picture, btw, and Wegner still around at Arse). Sevilla a midtable team?? What? Sevilla is a classic Top Spanish side, currently way better than Valencia, many Europa League titles plus decent ChL runs. I'm not defending the way Mou handled it but to say that Seville is a midtable team is just biased.
And other than 2007 and 2016 (both with Chelsea) Mou left his clubs on a high note (Porto, Inter) or at least finished the season (Madrid).
They finished 7th out of 20 last season. Is 7 out of 20 not around the middle?
 

Yagami

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Shit football, maybe top 4 and a cup to boot.
Yeah, so far as expected. He probably won't even last long enough to get that cup, though.

To think some actually thought we'd challenge for the title. Had people not seen us play last year? Yeah, we finished 2nd, but if you look past the league position and look at our actual performances we were by and large rubbish.
 

VeevaVee

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I’m actually surprised it’s happening right on cue. He’s not been great at any point but to see it unravel this much like the prophecy says is impressive
 

Eric's Seagull

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I think what would be better is Woody gets the go ahead from the Glazers how much money to spend. He hands it to the DOF and keeps well away from transfers unless a pattern emerges where we are buying dross. The DOF as well as agreeing with Woody the best manager we can get, should then work with that manager to see who they need in a position/style of play and who they can get. A line manager style of working would work well.
The bolded bit is essential I think
I think that the scenario you proposed would be great in a perfect world and I totally agree with you that Ed should stay away from transfers. Although there is one way that I think that this won't work out properly. As I've said I think the Glazer's are happy with 4th place as long as the money keeps flowing for them to line their pockets with and I don't think they are going to hand over the cash to the person to spend wisely to get us back to the top. That leads me to another question, which manager is going to come in if he knows he is not going to get the full financial backing of the board? I think when the new manager eventually comes in, (hopefully at the end of the season), I think and hope that he is going to have the ambition to get us back to the top and will want enough money to get us back to the top, not operate within financial restraints after all we have so much money, we should spend as much as it needs to get us back among the elite results-wise and not just on the commercial side. That is why I think it is so important to get in the right man as the Director of Football.
 

wolvored

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I think that the scenario you proposed would be great in a perfect world and I totally agree with you that Ed should stay away from transfers. Although there is one way that I think that this won't work out properly. As I've said I think the Glazer's are happy with 4th place as long as the money keeps flowing for them to line their pockets with and I don't think they are going to hand over the cash to the person to spend wisely to get us back to the top. That leads me to another question, which manager is going to come in if he knows he is not going to get the full financial backing of the board? I think when the new manager eventually comes in, (hopefully at the end of the season), I think and hope that he is going to have the ambition to get us back to the top and will want enough money to get us back to the top, not operate within financial restraints after all we have so much money, we should spend as much as it needs to get us back among the elite results-wise and not just on the commercial side. That is why I think it is so important to get in the right man as the Director of Football.
I agree. If we can get the best DOF we can scour the leagues for the right manager and it neednt be a 'top name', just someone ideal to how we are going to play
 

Vialli_92

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I think he needs to look in the mirror, clearly something is not right with his managerial style of he keeps getting sacked after 3 seasons

I think he burns the players out and they just get tired of his constant complaining and fights with the media and the internal staff and players
 

Raw

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I really tried hard to believe that it wouldn't happen again. It's amazing how it keeps on happening!