Poll - What are realistic ambitions next season if we spend 200m?

What is a realistic ambition next season if we spend 200m?


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    573
  • Poll closed .

Big Andy

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We should be spending more than £200m to be honest. We need to make a huge statement and we need to do it soon. When Liverpool win the league (jinx please) they'll be only 1 title behind us, and they're more likely to win it before we do again. The primary aim should be putting United back to the top of English Football, regardless of the cost. We have the spending power to do this, and we should do this.

If we don't, we'll get further left behind.
 

SadlerMUFC

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What is the matter with you people? When I first saw the title for this thread I thought the answer was obvious. Now I'm shocked to see that most of you think that "top 4" is our realistic ambition? When did we become Arsenal? Our ambition every year should be to challenge for the title. Yeah, it sucks that we aren't challenging and haven't for a while, but we are Manchester United and we don't lower our expectations no matter how disappointing the outcome has been...
 

TRUERED89

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We should be spending more than £200m to be honest. We need to make a huge statement and we need to do it soon. When Liverpool win the league (jinx please) they'll be only 1 title behind us, and they're more likely to win it before we do again. The primary aim should be putting United back to the top of English Football, regardless of the cost. We have the spending power to do this, and we should do this.

If we don't, we'll get further left behind.
They wont be behind, they'll be level at 20 titles each!

Correction:- they are currently on 18! you're right, so there's a little leeway, they haven't caught us yet :)
 

Toddler

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200 mil is not enough I am afraid. It will get us 2-3 top quality players which is definitely not enough. But it really depends how we spent it and how much can we improve. Then we will see how much money we have to spent to really be competitive.
 

breakout67

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We should be spending more than £200m to be honest. We need to make a huge statement and we need to do it soon. When Liverpool win the league (jinx please) they'll be only 1 title behind us, and they're more likely to win it before we do again. The primary aim should be putting United back to the top of English Football, regardless of the cost. We have the spending power to do this, and we should do this.

If we don't, we'll get further left behind.
Titles don't bring in the money until several years after, usually with a new generation of fans. So don't expect the glazers and Woodward to give a feck. They will milk the hard work of SAF and his players until we have run out of good will and become a joke. We used to compete with the best in the world, now we are chasing the pack, we are becoming a richer Arsenal.
 

TRUERED89

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Titles don't bring in the money until several years after, usually with a new generation of fans. So don't expect the glazers and Woodward to give a feck. They will milk the hard work of SAF and his players until we have run out of good will and become a joke. We used to compete with the best in the world, now we are chasing the pack, we are becoming a richer Arsenal.
We have been a rich Arsenal since 2013. Going to be touching nearly a decade at the end of next season without a PL title!
 

breakout67

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We have been a rich Arsenal since 2013, we're closer to becoming the new Liverpool. Going to be touching nearly a decade at the end of next season without a PL title!
To be fair to Arsenal they actually win trophies regularly. We are not Liverpool status yet where 1 trophy every decade is good going. We win cups every few years. Hopefully they lose the league title while finishing on 96 points, it would be a sight to behold.
 

deadrevelz

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We need to spend more than £200m and the owners should cough up the money, but that's not going to happen. IF we get the reported £200m and we somehow manage to generate £100m from sales of deadwood + Lukaku that gives us a much more healthy £300m which should be enough to buy 4/5 quality players. Then it depends on who is available...

Realistically it will takes us two summer windows to get all the right players in for a title challenge.
 

Roboc7

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What is the matter with you people? When I first saw the title for this thread I thought the answer was obvious. Now I'm shocked to see that most of you think that "top 4" is our realistic ambition? When did we become Arsenal? Our ambition every year should be to challenge for the title. Yeah, it sucks that we aren't challenging and haven't for a while, but we are Manchester United and we don't lower our expectations no matter how disappointing the outcome has been...
This is the problem we have approached every season since SAF left with this kind of attitude. The reality is we aren’t very good, and haven’t been for good few years. We may be Manchester United be we aren’t very good.

We’re stuck in a cycle of expecting we can solve all our problems in one transfer window and will suddenly go from a team that is struggling to consistently finish in the top four to winning the league. It would be much better to aim to win the league in 2 years with some kind of plan than being unrealistically optimistic and thinking we can win next season.
 

MadMike

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What is the matter with you people? When I first saw the title for this thread I thought the answer was obvious. Now I'm shocked to see that most of you think that "top 4" is our realistic ambition? When did we become Arsenal? Our ambition every year should be to challenge for the title. Yeah, it sucks that we aren't challenging and haven't for a while, but we are Manchester United and we don't lower our expectations no matter how disappointing the outcome has been...
It takes more than one transfer window for even a good manager to turn a decent team with funds into title contenders. Klopp started mid-season (a bit like Ole) in 2015 and took him two and a half years, (or 3 summer transfer windows) to build a team that can challenge for the title. Pep did it in 2 years but he spent through his eyeballs. People who think we can close a 20-point gap in 1 year are being overly optimistic. You can hope that it happens, but that's a different thing from setting it as an expectation and sacking the manager if he fails to do that.

Finally, I also have my doubts that Solskjaer will be backed to the tune of £200m. I think the club will outspend Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool this summer and expect the manager to deliver top 4 and a marked improvement in the team as a result. And probably a 100-130m spend will see us outspend those rivals. The cost of a rebuild that would be required to create a squad capable of fighting for the title would be insane. Not to mention the risk that the money will be spent unwisely is huge.

I think a bit like Klopp at 'pool, Ole has to prove himself first before being backed to the hilt. That includes improving the team on the pitch year-on-year as well as making the right calls with regards to who comes or goes. I don't think they're gonna risk him spunking 200m in one window and then having to do the same in the following summer with a new manager, if Ole flops. He's still a bit of an unknown as to how he will perform on the transfer front and over a full year.
 

Smores

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We started this season with a lot of people thinking we should challenge for the title and wanting the manager sacked for 2nd place. What a strange turn around.

Now we're saying with another 200m invested its unrealistic to have ambitions to win the title, that's mental.
 

MadMike

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We started this season with a lot of people thinking we should challenge for the title and wanting the manager sacked for 2nd place. What a strange turn around.

Now we're saying with another 200m invested its unrealistic to have ambitions to win the title, that's mental.
That's a very bizarre statement.

After we only signed Fred in the summer, the expectation by the vast majority in here was that we would not close the gap to City and challenge for the title. Compounded by Mourinho's fall-out with Ed, which was sure to increase the toxicity around the club and make things even harder. In fact more people predicted that Mourinho would be sacked in his typically disastrous 3rd season, than people predicted he would challenge for the title.

If there was some crazy minority who thought that we could bridge a 20-point gap by signing 1 CM, you can't hold their craziness against the rest of us. That would be mental
 

breakout67

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We started this season with a lot of people thinking we should challenge for the title and wanting the manager sacked for 2nd place. What a strange turn around.

Now we're saying with another 200m invested its unrealistic to have ambitions to win the title, that's mental.
I got hounded out and called a Jose lover whenever I said that this team wasn't good enough. Don't forget the absolute bollocks opinion of 'Pep Guardiola would win the league with this squad'.
 

kouroux

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Top 4, too many issues to compete for the title. We need to learn to play football and improve our basics (off the ball movement, team pressure)

We started this season with a lot of people thinking we should challenge for the title and wanting the manager sacked for 2nd place. What a strange turn around.

Now we're saying with another 200m invested its unrealistic to have ambitions to win the title, that's mental.
I know I didn't at least. Only deluded fans thought we were, last year's 2nd place meant feck all as the gap with City was ridiculous
 

Smores

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That's a very bizarre statement.

After we only signed Fred in the summer, the expectation by the vast majority in here was that we would not close the gap to City and challenge for the title. Compounded by Mourinho's fall-out with Ed, which was sure to increase the toxicity around the club and make things even harder. In fact more people predicted that Mourinho would be sacked in his typically disastrous 3rd season, than people predicted he would challenge for the title.

If there was some crazy minority who thought that we could bridge a 20-point gap by signing 1 CM, you can't hold their craziness against the rest of us. That would be mental
I said a lot not all and i stand by that. These were constant discussions on here.

To be fair I guess people have just realised that our players are worse than we thought and attributing our form to Ole rather than them playing up to their potential. Views shift by the week on here as after his first couple of wins it was assumed that the freedom he'd given them brought them up to their level.
 

MadMike

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I said a lot not all and i stand by that. These were constant discussions on here.

To be fair I guess people have just realised that our players are worse than we thought and attributing our form to Ole rather than them playing up to their potential. Views shift by the week on here as after his first couple of wins it was assumed that the freedom he'd given them brought them up to their level.
I mean you can stand by it, but it doesn’t really mean much even if you’re right. A lot of people vote Greens but they’re still a small minority. It’s a football forum. Any subject you broach in any direction, you’ll find some takers to debate and maybe agree with you. Can’t use that to judge the forum as a whole, or as a majority even.

Another thing about forums is that vocal minority that posts a lot on a certain subject that feels close to heart might be misconstrued as the majority opinion. When people that disagree simply don’t post on it.

If we rank the following pre-season predictions:
A) Optimistic - Title challenge
B) Realistic - Top 4
C) Pessimistic- Mourinho implosion

... in terms of popularity in the forum, then I think for me the order would clearly be B, C, A. I saw far fewer people expecting a challenge than I saw people expecting a Top 4 finish or collapse.

There were constant threads about a Mourinho implosion after his public fall out with Ed. Way more than threads about us winning the league.
 

Drz

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Regardless of the amount invested in one transfer window, I don't expect us to be challenging for the title next season.
 

11101

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200m spent well should be enough to mount a title challenge. I wouldn't expect us to actually win it, but we should certainly still be up there in Feb/March and aiming beyond simply top 4.

If we waste it like we have done every summer so far, then top 4 is the expectation.
 

StrettyEnder07

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To be honest not even thinking about a title challenge next year, £200m is not what it use to be when the likes of Callum Wilson and Batshuayi are being talked about at 40m each, for the quality we need, £200m will get us nowhere near where need to be.

We are a long long way behind City/Liverpool at the moment and there is no chance we can make up that kind of ground with 3/4 signings. Our main area of focus this summer should be:

1. Get rid of the utter classless deadwood we have hang around for far to long, love the fact that Ole/Phelan have said some big tough decisions will be made for the good of the club, music to my ears.

2. Decide on a formation and style of play, ensure we have the players capable of implementing it as at the moment we have a complete mismatch of players.

3. Buy the right players, creative, young, hungry. We lack so much creativity it is scary but at the moment due to our back 4 being as bad as it is, we have to play with 2 DMC's to ensure they are covered, we offer nothing from either flank.

Top commanding CB would help and a top class DMC, we could then have two creative midfielders rather than just Pogba, someone like Ndombele/Fernandes. Attacking RB to compete with Dalot, top class RW (Sancho/Brooks/Pepe).

Give Martial another season as he has been woeful this year again, and depending on Lukaku staying or going, would take a straight swap with Icardi all day long.
 

Patrick08

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Regardless of the amount invested in one transfer window, I don't expect us to be challenging for the title next season.
Whats the point of spending than if we are not going to improve on those levels. If we spend in screwed way and improve from the back and midfeild the attack should sort itself out.
 

cyril C

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No offence mate but I think this poll is rather stupid. If you spend 200m on Bailly Schweistiger Sanchez type of players then obviously we will be worse off, because we lost Herrera and Fellaini in the process and obtain 4 rather useless benchwarmer.

If on the other hand we recruit Salah, KDB, VVD type of players who can hit the road immediately on 1st season, then obviously we are challenging for the title.

So the real question is not on the money, which is adequate, the real question is WHO will we buy, whether they show up (even if half a season later like Lindelof), and whether we buy the right players - i.e. not another left wing end up playing on the right......
 

Sarni

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Liverpool spent 186 or so million last summer. Fans from every other club declared we have to win the league.

So I don't understand how people are saying 200m shouldn't mean united have to win the league. Somethings not adding up or it's just double standards.

If United spend 200m, you will have to do as you all pointed out last summer, and win the league.
Liverpool reached CL final while playing very good football and had one of the most exciting front trio in Europe. Obviously expectations were going to be higher for you considering you addressed two of your biggest weaknesses with great signings.
 

Mb194dc

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Need to aim for 100 points to ensure the title these days. £200m getting you 25 ish extra points?

City will replace Fernandinho next year, I think even if they win the league with 9x points this year Pep will be disappointed. VAR will help them as well next year.

Liverpool have had the most favourable possible fixture scheduling, almost every single decision and piece of luck go for them this season yet still only just ahead with one extra game played.

Even a world all Star team would struggle to get ahead of Pep's City team next year.
 

fallengt

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Imagine our rivals spent 200m and still lowball expectation. Jesus
Proper 200m investment could get you half of a quality team. United will buy 4 Freds though.
 

Van Piorsing

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Tricky poll because you know Pep, Sarri and Klopp can also spend some hefty sum... and apparently we are chasing the top 4 now.

From experience of last few summer windows top 4 seems only realistic option. Anything higher than that would require owners & board let go of their bussiness philosophy and go 100% football matters this time.
 

Drz

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Whats the point of spending than if we are not going to improve on those levels. If we spend in screwed way and improve from the back and midfeild the attack should sort itself out.
Its not just about spending. There is a lack of cohesion that i feel can only develop by playing together.
Given the gaps in our squad/team, even if we get quality players (irrespective or price or age), the team will still need to click. And that will take time.
That said i atleast expect improvement as next season goes on, and if things are falling into place, a strong finish to the season.
There is so much to work on.
 

B20

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If you sell de gea and Pogba in the summer, expectations should surely be even higher as your gross spend will be that much higher than otherwise.
 

Shark

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I'd say we're pretty much in the darkness for a few seasons yet, the club and Woodward have made an absolute mess of our hiring process, have failed to offload the dross that still plaques the club, setting us back more and more summers and have handed ridiculous contacts out to average players. Ole isn't going to fix this in one summer.
 

Bastian

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We started this season with a lot of people thinking we should challenge for the title and wanting the manager sacked for 2nd place. What a strange turn around.

Now we're saying with another 200m invested its unrealistic to have ambitions to win the title, that's mental.
I think most were thinking that at the very start of last summer, before a very disappointing transfer window. Our 2nd place finish last season gave no indication that we were catching up with City in the slightest.
 

Pfmpd

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You also sold Coutinho for a £140m. I don't think your net spend was as high as £186m, or was it?
Sorry, I've read it in euros. 182m euros for fabinho shaqiri keita and Alisson. So about £155m.

VVD was signed the previous season.
 

deafepl

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I'd probably put us closer to title challenge than top 4 if we spend 200m excluded player sales for at least 3 players XI guaranteed. Only City is ahead of us by 1 point in Ole's league form based on 16 games with that squad but if we improve our first XI with at least new 3 top quality player, we would be more comfortable in top 4 as we are like 9 points ahead of Chelsea with a game in.
 

MisterLupus

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No need to spend more than £2.000-£7.000 this window. Buy three South African Mastiffs and train them to maul on command - then pay Keano £50 per matchday to sit benchside yanking their chains before ordering them about as he sees fit. Oh and tell him to shave by the way - the dogs that is not himself. It'll make the whole setup way more effective I guarantee it.
 
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SadlerMUFC

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It takes more than one transfer window for even a good manager to turn a decent team with funds into title contenders. Klopp started mid-season (a bit like Ole) in 2015 and took him two and a half years, (or 3 summer transfer windows) to build a team that can challenge for the title. Pep did it in 2 years but he spent through his eyeballs. People who think we can close a 20-point gap in 1 year are being overly optimistic. You can hope that it happens, but that's a different thing from setting it as an expectation and sacking the manager if he fails to do that.

Finally, I also have my doubts that Solskjaer will be backed to the tune of £200m. I think the club will outspend Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool this summer and expect the manager to deliver top 4 and a marked improvement in the team as a result. And probably a 100-130m spend will see us outspend those rivals. The cost of a rebuild that would be required to create a squad capable of fighting for the title would be insane. Not to mention the risk that the money will be spent unwisely is huge.

I think a bit like Klopp at 'pool, Ole has to prove himself first before being backed to the hilt. That includes improving the team on the pitch year-on-year as well as making the right calls with regards to who comes or goes. I don't think they're gonna risk him spunking 200m in one window and then having to do the same in the following summer with a new manager, if Ole flops. He's still a bit of an unknown as to how he will perform on the transfer front and over a full year.
I don't care if we spend 200m or $20. I still expect us to challenge for the title. And this team isn't as far off as you may think. Even without a transfer, we still have a squad that can challenge for the title. Don't forget, a title isn't won by beating Liverpool and City (though it doesn't hurt). A title is won by beating all the other teams in the league and staying consistent...
 

SadlerMUFC

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This is the problem we have approached every season since SAF left with this kind of attitude. The reality is we aren’t very good, and haven’t been for good few years. We may be Manchester United be we aren’t very good.

We’re stuck in a cycle of expecting we can solve all our problems in one transfer window and will suddenly go from a team that is struggling to consistently finish in the top four to winning the league. It would be much better to aim to win the league in 2 years with some kind of plan than being unrealistically optimistic and thinking we can win next season.
Since Ole took over we are 12-2-2 in the EPL. That's good for 38 points or 2.375 points per game. Spread that out over 38 games and we are on course for 90.25 points. Spread that out over what's been played so far (33 games) and that puts us on roughly 78 points, which is only 5 back of CIty and 7 back of Liverpool (who has played one more game). So realistically that puts us 5 points behind the leaders assuming us and City both win the game in hand, and 4 behind Liverpool. That's with the team that we have right now. Add in a couple of signings and hell yeah, we are right there. But I get it. You're tired of being disappointed so you want to lower the excpectations. Well greatness doesn't come from keeping the bar low. Greatness comes from raising the bar, and if you end up falling short, you learn from it and get better the next time. So yeah, I expect us to challenge for the title next year regardless of how much we spend...