How much threat do we face from the clubs below us?

sullydnl

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In light of this article:


and these Solskjaer quotes:

We have to make sure that we are getting closer and moving that way up the table and not looking over the shoulders because there are big clubs, good clubs wanting to chase that top six. You’ve got Leicester, Everton, Watford, probably Newcastle, you’ve got clubs that want to chase us. We have to make sure that we are ones who chase those ahead of us.
How much threat do you think we face from the clubs beneath us? Could one of them overtake us next year? Or are Burt and Ole exaggerating the threat they pose?
 

beergod

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I think it's a massive concern, especially as we'll have the extra workload from the Europa League. We're a mess and the likes of Leicester, Wolves, and Everton aren't going to stand still with what they have. Leicester are the main threat for me with Rodgers there for the full season.
 

Bastian

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It's not a worry. If Ole really believes that, he is not just the wrong man for the job, but the most wrong man in the world for the job.
 

Denis79

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Wolves and maybe Everton are better than us at the moment imho. But hopefully we get our shit togetherby next season.
 

Zlatattack

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Depends if we continue to regress. I really think next season should be about getting back into top 4. I think of the chasing pack Wolves are a big threat - they have ambitious owners.

Of the teams ahead of us, Arsenal seem to be the weakest and this season Chelsea face a transfer ban. We need to be on the front foot, not licking wounds.

I'd like to see us pick off talent from the best of the rest. Strengthen us, weaken them.
 

VeevaVee

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We could easily be in a battle with them. Wolves especially look hungry and have spending power.
 

ZIDANE

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It wasn't that long ago that this team was in the latter stages of the CL and sweeping lower opposition aside when we tried. We are bad but a bit more confidence and a few players this team will finish way ahead of those teams. If we are losing players who says they won't? I don't think they will break the quality and depth that the top 6 have over the course of a season otherwise they would've this season considering we've had one of our worst in the modern era yet comfortable in 6th. Are the teams a couple of points above us looking at Wolves?

It's the gap to the top that's the problem. And I mean Roy Keane's top, top means top!
 

el3mel

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Everton and Wolves are going to finish ahead of us next season.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Our team is comfortably better than the ones mentioned. It's not even close as long as we are well managed.
 

redtony

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I think if we get a decent squad that are interested in playing for us and a decent run together - being Man United still gives us an advantage.

The teams below us can only play to their max potential. No one is afraid of a Wolves, West Ham etc.

Not sure how long we can still say that, but it counts for something. And in football, psychology still plays a big part
 

mav_9me

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Watford/Newcastle/Leicester? Highly doubt it. Now I think there is every chance we might finish below Everton or Wolves in 7th or 8th next year under Ole but we may have to go backward before we go forward. I'm more interested in what we do with the squad and our playing style than results and position. I think Ole can cull the squad but I'm not sure he can do much with the playing style.
 

bonothom

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That's why we need to be raiding these teams for their best players.
 

NoPace

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If Pogba goes this becomes a question but isn't one at the moment.
 

Bestietom

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We really must make a statement in the transfer market this summer. We need a huge investment in new players and get rid of the bad apples.

I would say as much as 6 players needed to bring in. We already need a CB, RB, LB, RW, and 2 Midfielders.

If Pogba, Sanchez, and Lukaku, were to go, we need even more. We may have a few youth players coming through who might just save us millions, but we need young proven players mixed with experience to make a team.
 

Leftback99

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A big threat if we don't get recruitment right this summer. I would swap all of their back 6/7 (def/mid) outfield players for ours. We have the edge in attack but we've got some big issues to sort elsewhere.
 

wolvored

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If our defence choices still consist of Jones, Smalling Rojo and Young next season, we could end up in one hell of a mess, even if only a couple of them play at the same time. Ole ought to shift them on. If Ole can build a defence who the midfield can trust so they can play higher up the pitch, then in theory we should be looking up at top 4, not watching the teams below.
 

AgentP

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None. We are going to spend big again and will get in a few players. Teams below us are way too inconsistent to compete on a regular basis.
 

JPRouve

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In a season where we have been very inconsistent, had an injury crisis, a change of manager and then ended the season terribly, we finished 9 points above the next team. This is pure sensationalism.
 

roonster09

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In a season where we have been very inconsistent, had an injury crisis, a change of manager and then ended the season terribly, we finished 9 points above the next team. This is pure sensationalism.
If you think this is pure sensationalism, wonder what will you think about this thread?

Agree with your point. There is a good gap between top 6 and rest.
 

Bestofthebest

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We have a new manager who we are told will be given funds to " refresh " the squad. Only time will show how successful this will be. If we do our usual trick of rushing out and buying players for over the top money and finding they don't fit into the team then we will struggle. After all we see clubs buying or even borrowing players who seem to settle to the Prem quite successfully in teams such as Everton, Leicester, Watford and even Newcastle. This does not appear to happen for us for some reason. Also there is usually a surprise club, often newly promoted, who have a good initial season like Wolves.

It is all down to the players we buy, how we play them and how good a start we get to the season. If any of these are not right it is inevitable that at least some of the clubs finishing below us this season will climb above us. Get it right and who knows what will happen.
 

Nou_Camp99

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What a joke. But I wouldnt be auprised if we do end up 7th or 8th with Ole in charge.
Came 6th with Jose in charge. 7th with Moyes. 5th with LVG. All far more experienced managers than Ole.

Might tell you something. It's not the managers that are killing us. It's our useless and inept board.
 

El Zoido

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It's not a worry. If Ole really believes that, he is not just the wrong man for the job, but the most wrong man in the world for the job.
This again, really? He’s right. It’s not a loser mentality to be real and honest about the situation. It was different with Moyes since he inherited a title-winning squad. This team is dysfunctional and I’d question any manager that was talking about the league title. There’s a difference between talking up the squad and being flat out delusional. Right now, if we were to go in to next season with the exact same squad (minus Herrera), our big challenge for the season would be fighting off Wolves and Everton, not pushing for the title, or even top four.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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This again, really? He’s right. It’s not a loser mentality to be real and honest about the situation. It was different with Moyes since he inherited a title-winning squad. This team is dysfunctional and I’d question any manager that was talking about the league title. There’s a difference between talking up the squad and being flat out delusional. Right now, if we were to go in to next season with the exact same squad (minus Herrera), our big challenge for the season would be fighting off Wolves and Everton, not pushing for the title, or even top four.
I agree in as much as if we're talking about what is more likely; we catch City or get caught by Wolves, I'd have to go with the latter. I think Ole's comments are a realistic assessment after a truly dreadful end to a season, but I'm sure he's acutely aware how unacceptable it would be to finish ninth or tenth behind the likes of Wolves, Everton and Leicester so he's got the summer to get us into shape to stop that from happening. As you say talk of a title challenge next term would be crazy, so acknowledging the challenge of keeping ahead of the chasing pack and battling for top four is about all Ole can do at this stage.
 

Skills

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Long term? None.
Short term? I think with some of the decisions the club is making we can finish as low as 10th next season.
 

Judge Red

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Everton and Leicester have already finished about us in the post-Fergie era and as things stand their fans have more reason to be optimistic about next season.

But they could be posing a threat to Arsenal and Chelsea too.
 

Dutsey

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Chelsea who finished 3rd finished a whopping 6 points ahead of us. Are they also in threat of finishing below us. Sensationalist headline at best
 

dogwithabone

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If our form continues into next season, we'd easilly be bottom half. It's not doommongering but 8 pts in 30 is bottom half material.

Post like yours are ridiculous. Of course if our current run continued we’d be bottom half but if City lost two in a row and that continued they’d be relegated not just bottom half ! You obviously haven’t been listening but we are getting rid of up to eight and one would assume bringing in at least a similar amount over the course of the two windows and if you really believe that a new manager, new players and a new philosophy won’t improve on our end of season run then that’s just delusional.

We will be top six undoubtedly, good chance top four and a slim chance that we might even mount a challenge here and there but unlikely to sustain it. Pretty good chance we could go deep in all the cups too. As for people saying bottom half, mid table behind Everton and Wolves etc, really ? Do people really believe with the influx of players coming in - and of course they will be quality - that we are going to drift round mid table ?

This seasons been crap but we aren’t going to be mid table or bottom half next season.
 

WolfInSharp'sClothing

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Everton and Wolves are going to finish ahead of us next season.
I made a similar prediction in January on the Ruben Neves thread.....

Here’s one for you and I want you to remember it. Wolves will finish higher than Man United in the Premier League within the next 5 seasons :D
At the time I went for 'within the next 5 seasons' and was shot down and laughed at.

The reason I said that is that we are on a steep upward trajectory and Man United are on a steep downward trajectory.

Our rise doesn't appear to be slowing down, so unless your downward spiral slows soon, it may well be sooner than 5 seasons.
 

The holy trinity 68

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Articles like this are the biggest load of crap.

If barely any of our players would get in the teams below us then what is the explanation for us finishing 9 points above the direct team below us?

I have seen people in other threads saying barely any of our players would get in the Leicester Everton and Wolves 11. News flash, we finished far above all of them and our team is far better. We are just not as good as the teams above us.
 

WolfInSharp'sClothing

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Articles like this are the biggest load of crap.

If barely any of our players would get in the teams below us then what is the explanation for us finishing 9 points above the direct team below us?

I have seen people in other threads saying barely any of our players would get in the Leicester Everton and Wolves 11. News flash, we finished far above all of them and our team is far better. We are just not as good as the teams above us.
Yes, it's very difficult comparing players that are in form, against players that are out of form.

On paper, a lot of your players are clearly better. Pogba is unplayable when on form, as demonstrated in Ole's early results.

But football is all about opinions. Ask any Wolves fan at the moment if they would swap any of our side for any of your players? There might be a few that want player like De Gea, Lindelof or Rashford, but there won't be many. Pogba would make us a much better side on paper, but I certainly wouldn't want the toxicity that comes with him (not all his own doing).

Wolves had issues this season beating sides who defended deep and didn't play football. We were the only side to lose twice to Huddersfield as a result. If we hadn't had those issues, we might have finished above you this season! I expect that we will sign a more creative midfield player this summer to try and help to address this issue.

That's one problem we have that will be addressed. Everything else on and off the pitch is working together like and absolute dream.

With your current issues on and off the pitch, you are a lot closer to teams like Wolves, Everton and Leicester than you are to Liverpool and City at the moment.
 

Smores

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This again, really? He’s right. It’s not a loser mentality to be real and honest about the situation. It was different with Moyes since he inherited a title-winning squad. This team is dysfunctional and I’d question any manager that was talking about the league title. There’s a difference between talking up the squad and being flat out delusional. Right now, if we were to go in to next season with the exact same squad (minus Herrera), our big challenge for the season would be fighting off Wolves and Everton, not pushing for the title, or even top four.
Incredible
 

Sky1981

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Post like yours are ridiculous. Of course if our current run continued we’d be bottom half but if City lost two in a row and that continued they’d be relegated not just bottom half ! You obviously haven’t been listening but we are getting rid of up to eight and one would assume bringing in at least a similar amount over the course of the two windows and if you really believe that a new manager, new players and a new philosophy won’t improve on our end of season run then that’s just delusional.

We will be top six undoubtedly, good chance top four and a slim chance that we might even mount a challenge here and there but unlikely to sustain it. Pretty good chance we could go deep in all the cups too. As for people saying bottom half, mid table behind Everton and Wolves etc, really ? Do people really believe with the influx of players coming in - and of course they will be quality - that we are going to drift round mid table ?

This seasons been crap but we aren’t going to be mid table or bottom half next season.
2 games trend and 10 games trend are the same. Well done sir. Hats off to you
 

charlenefan

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Both Leicester and Wolves are much better coached than we are presently. Whether that changes come August when Ole has got a pre-season under our players and Leicester and Wolves have potentially lost some of their better players remains to be seen but right now the threat is real
 

UnofficialDevil

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I'm not anti Scottish, I just wanted Moyes out.
Came 6th with Jose in charge. 7th with Moyes. 5th with LVG. All far more experienced managers than Ole.

Might tell you something. It's not the managers that are killing us. It's our useless and inept board.
Which makes it ieven worse, with a totally mediocre manager in Ole we could easily end up 10th then.