How much worse can it get?

lysglimt

Full Member
Scout
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
15,100
Leeds, in their last season in the top flight fifteen long years ago, had a relatively decent side with (ageing) seasoned professionals such as Harte, Barmby, Viduka, Wilcox, Bakke, Matteo and Batty alongside several talented youngsters of that era in Robinson, Pennant, Smith and obviously Milner. Sounds familiar? If I remember correctly they were stuck in a rut for much of the season, suffered horrible runs of form and were ultimately relegated.

I'm not saying the same fate will happen to us in the near future but if we lose both De Gea and Pogba this summer, fail to properly replace them and become even more complacent despite all the warning signs, relegation is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Leeds were in reality bankrupt and had to sell everything they had to survive. Lets not comparevus to that
 

Bestietom

Full Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
8,021
Location
Ireland
Both DDG and Pogba could follow Herrera out. Martial seems disinterested, Lukaku’s regressed as has the undroppable Rashford who’s been convinced he’s a 22 year old Cristiano Ronaldo. Sanchez finished and Matic a shadow of his former self. The less said about Young, Jones, Smalling and Lingard the better. Although three of those have recently extended contracts and will be an integral part of our defence next season.

I just can’t see us landing the players that we need. Firstly that’ll take some competence from upper management to identify suitable targets and even then they’ll probably be snapped up by another club. Leading to panic buys of under par players. The teams above us will continue to improve and with the money in the league so will the teams below us.

So if this merry go round carries on for another few years without the club addressing the many problems we have how far, on the footballing side, can we fall?
We need to get away from buying players for commercial reasons, and start bringing in top YOUNG players who want to prove themselves. Woodward has to stop pleasing the Glazers and think of the team and fans, or get someone that does all the football matters. Woodward can then concentrate on commercial deals only.
 

redtony

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jun 15, 2017
Messages
63
We can continue to be mediocre for a while but because we have money and its such a money driven game, inevitably we will buy and spend to make sure the Glazers are profitable enough. If they aren't, then they'll sell to someone that thinks they can gain something from such a large fanbase (i.e Saudis) and then we'll spend more.

I can't see us becoming a Nottingham Forest or Leeds in this day and age.
Mediocre, is probably where we'll be in near future.
 

Havak

Pokemon master
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
7,613
Location
Salford, Manchester
I think there is at least a realistic chance that this goes about as bad as the Moyes season initially. If the likes of Wolves or Leicester have good transfer windows and hit the ground running, they will test United and Arsenal if neither get it right themselves. Our advantage is we can/will chuck more money at it than probably every team in the League this Summer, but as we've seen that doesn't always result in success. I think the worst we're likely to see is a stumbling finish to 7th, but at the moment I think we'd get very marginally better with some reasonably good signings and finish 5th, or possibly 4th if we use young lads in the Europa League and go full pelt in the Premier League.
 

Toad

Full Member
Joined
May 11, 2013
Messages
3,660
Location
England
For the last five years At the end of each season I have genuinely though it can’t get any worse... But it does. Incredible consistency at this club.
 

Kopral Jono

Full Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2007
Messages
3,388
Leeds were in reality bankrupt and had to sell everything they had to survive. Lets not comparevus to that
True and perhaps I should have pointed that out. But the gist of it remains the same: all it takes in a season for it to go completely pear-shaped is a few horrible runs of defeats, something we're most capable of doing the way things are going especially if we lose the likes of De Gea and Pogba without properly replacing them.

Now it's very unlikely to happen because in the end we have money and Leeds didn't (we'd most likely finish somewhere in the mid-table even if we fail to replace De Gea and Pogba should they leave), but the unthinkable is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility if we're not careful.
 

Raees

Pythagoras in Boots
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
29,464
If we retain the current squad then probably 6-8th again next year and if we mess it up completely as in lose big players and keep the deadwood and build around likes of Rashy - you’re looking midtable.

Long we will eventually get it right in terms of being top 4 threat but it could take a few years of more feck ups.
 

Ja'afar

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
1
Tbh, dunno how the glazers dont get that the better the football the better for business. It's a win win situation to restructure and invest in the club.
Sometimes it does feel like Ed is in the pocket of the neighbours.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

lysglimt

Full Member
Scout
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
15,100
True and perhaps I should have pointed that out. But the gist of it remains the same: all it takes in a season for it to go completely pear-shaped is a few horrible runs of defeats, something we're most capable of doing the way things are going especially if we lose the likes of De Gea and Pogba without properly replacing them.

Now it's very unlikely to happen because in the end we have money and Leeds didn't (we'd most likely finish somewhere in the mid-table even if we fail to replace De Gea and Pogba should they leave), but the unthinkable is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility if we're not careful.
No its not even close to being the same. Even if we dont sign a player in the summer and sell Pogba, DDG, Martial and Lukaku - do you think we would get relegated with :

Romero - Shaw, VNL, Smalling, Dalot - McTominay, Matic, Pereira - Martial, Lingard, Rashford ? I don't - and besides it doesnt matter because we will sign 4-5 players that will improve us a lot
 

Offside

Euro 2016 sweepstake winner
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Messages
26,627
Location
London
Could get a lot worse. We haven’t even had consecutive seasons in the Europa League yet. Could end up Europa dwellers like Liverpool and Spurs have been in the past. Wolves, Leicester, Everton all seem sharper in the transfer market and only going in one direction. We could end up going trophyless for the 3rd season in a row for the first time since the late eighties.

Having said that I think we will win the league next season.
 

Paul_Scholes18

Full Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
13,891
We are 1,000-1 on Betway to get relegated. I'm not saying it will happen, but there is value there.

I'd definitely say there's more chance of us getting relegated than there was of Leicester winning the title...
Yeah I probably agree with that given that there is only three places to get. Also declining often goes faster than improving even if confidence can go both ways.

Still can't really see us going that low realistically for a full season. I guess selling Pogba and not getting any top players in would be a risk.
If De Gea keeps being totally crap then we can leak goals and I don't trust our current attack without improvements.

Although if we fire a manager and spend in January we should be able to save the season even with so much negativity around.
 

Will Singh

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
5,675
Location
Theatre of dreams
If Citeh and the dippers stay at this level of play and strengthen the team each season then if we don't make gigantic changes to the structure of the club then I'd say we are fecked until we fix up. I can't see a glimpse of hope as Woody is a fecking lunatic but hopefully our value falls and the glazers get the hump, some oil tycoon come in and want use us to boost he's ego then things would start to improve.
 

BlueHaze

New Member
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
4,453
If Citeh and the dippers stay at this level of play and strengthen the team each season then if we don't make gigantic changes to the structure of the club then I'd say we are fecked until we fix up. I can't see a glimpse of hope as Woody is a fecking lunatic but hopefully our value falls and the glazers get the hump, some oil tycoon come in and want use us to boost he's ego then things would start to improve.
I don't think thats going to happen anytime soon.. I think we will be stuck with the Glazer's and Woodward for a long time.
 

cyril C

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
2,634
Replacing some of the current so-called super-stars is not a problem, there are plenty of those fighting for their chances. KEEPING Pogba would be a problem because things can only get worse when he is NOT wanted by other major club, while he won't get his 500K contract. If DDG continues with his form is another major problem. If the rest of the squad doesn't wake up to their problem and our 2Win 10 games form continue into next season, WILL be a big problem.
 

SaintMuppet

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Aug 7, 2016
Messages
859
Location
Thailand
We are in freefall, we will keep dropping till we hit the bottom wherever that is.

I can see the club going broke and getting relegated next year.

We is fecked.
 

The Boy

Full Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
4,317
Supports
Brighton and Hove Albion
We are in freefall, we will keep dropping till we hit the bottom wherever that is.

I can see the club going broke and getting relegated next year.

We is fecked.
This thread is mostly ridiculous, you've had a dodgy season and finished 6th, you have European football still, you have a decent squad even if you lose Pogba and DDG, losing both is unlikely to happen. You'd still have the squad listed above

Romero - Shaw, VNL, Smalling, Dalot - McTominay, Matic, Pereira - Martial, Lingard, Rashford ?
You're still one of the richest clubs in the world and will definitely strengthen over the summer, you are a million miles off relegation and trust me Man Utd is not about to go broke! At worst I see you finishing 6-7th next year, but depending on what Ole can pull of you could easily finish higher.

You should try supporting a club that really did go broke, lost a ground and was homeless for years and now fights relegation every season and is fecking proud to just be in the EPL. If that was the case then maybe all the posts like the one above would actually mean something.
 

SaintMuppet

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Aug 7, 2016
Messages
859
Location
Thailand
This thread is mostly ridiculous, you've had a dodgy season and finished 6th, you have European football still, you have a decent squad even if you lose Pogba and DDG, losing both is unlikely to happen. You'd still have the squad listed above



You're still one of the richest clubs in the world and will definitely strengthen over the summer, you are a million miles off relegation and trust me Man Utd is not about to go broke! At worst I see you finishing 6-7th next year, but depending on what Ole can pull of you could easily finish higher.

You should try supporting a club that really did go broke, lost a ground and was homeless for years and now fights relegation every season and is fecking proud to just be in the EPL. If that was the case then maybe all the posts like the one above would actually mean something.
Did the bit about ‘going broke’ not suggest I was not entirely serious?

I actually agree with you. In the big scheme of things United fans have nothing to moan or worry about. We have just become ‘entitled’ and when we get a tiny taste of what a lot of fans live with year in year out we really don’t like it.
 

The Boy

Full Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
4,317
Supports
Brighton and Hove Albion
Did the bit about ‘going broke’ not suggest I was not entirely serious?

I actually agree with you. In the big scheme of things United fans have nothing to moan or worry about. We have just become ‘entitled’ and when we get a tiny taste of what a lot of fans live with year in year out we really don’t like it.
Sorry was reading through the thread and couldn't believe how many people were talking about relegation, then your post appeared! I missed the joke, but am relieved you're not serious.

I know lots of Utd fans are hurting at the moment and questioning everything about the the club and rightly so, but I don't think there's any need for people to go off the deep end!
 

Nikelesh Reddy

Full Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2017
Messages
1,912
Both DDG and Pogba could follow Herrera out. Martial seems disinterested, Lukaku’s regressed as has the undroppable Rashford who’s been convinced he’s a 22 year old Cristiano Ronaldo. Sanchez finished and Matic a shadow of his former self. The less said about Young, Jones, Smalling and Lingard the better. Although three of those have recently extended contracts and will be an integral part of our defence next season.

I just can’t see us landing the players that we need. Firstly that’ll take some competence from upper management to identify suitable targets and even then they’ll probably be snapped up by another club. Leading to panic buys of under par players. The teams above us will continue to improve and with the money in the league so will the teams below us.

So if this merry go round carries on for another few years without the club addressing the many problems we have how far, on the footballing side, can we fall?
We”ve made a mistake by appointing Ole,so it will get worse next season.Ole will be sacked at some point next season....Then we”ll have to bring in a new manager to rebuild the club....Things will get worse before they get better unfortunately...
 

redtony

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jun 15, 2017
Messages
63
We”ve made a mistake by appointing Ole,so it will get worse next season.Ole will be sacked at some point next season....Then we”ll have to bring in a new manager to rebuild the club....Things will get worse before they get better unfortunately...
Im not convinced Ole is the right man, but we had 2 very successful manager before him that failed.
So with that Im assuming the on the field issues are more with the players than manager, and if Ole is successful in implementing more suitable on the field players, I am quietly confident that we will be ok next season.
 

SCJY

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Messages
333
It can a lot worse before it get better. I can envision a finish outside of the top 6. All hell will break loose. Ole won’t be at the wheel anymore, sponsors drop like flies, Woodward gets the sack and potentially, we could get relegated before the board finally.

OK, that’s all a bit hyperbolic, but this club is so incredibly blind-arrogant and mismanaged right now, I feel any calamity could befall this club over the next couple of season.
 

Melville Red

Full Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
917
Location
Arm chair or Pub
My predictions are:

We buy 3 players in position we don’t need. We are linked with players who play at number 10 and LW. Not quite sure how RW is still being ignored, whilst Young is first team RB at 34 years old.

We manage to sell only one of Darmian or Rojo for less than £8m.

De Gea won’t sign a new contract and we are torn between selling him at the end of the summer window or letting him go on a free.

Pogba won’t go until next season because Raiola is banned.

Solskjaer has a poor run of form simply because the squad isn’t good enough. Likely sacked around November/December time. We are 12th in the league and knocked out of the League Cup by a Championship side.
Hmm, food for thought. Time for a tune, how about some jazz?

 

AgentP

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
4,957
Location
Chennai
We have seen teams like Dortmund and Monaco go from title challengers to relegation contenders in just one season. Our form in the last 12 games was 2 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses. That is almost relegation form right there. But honestly speaking, we are too rich to go that way. We can buy our way out of any trouble. The worst we can go is finishing outside top 6. I'm expecting us to be in and out of top 4 for the 5-6 years.
 

RE1999

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
58
How bad can we get?

Well, another unsuccessful summer (both in terms of buying and selling) and we could drop off the top 6 pace a bit. Mixed with Everton, Wolves and Leicester generally being well run and likely to improve next season...the worst we can get is probably 9/10th.

Which is pretty much where Chelsea and Liverpool have been in the last few years prior to their rebuilds.
 

wolvored

Full Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
9,871
I'm going to say the opposite and reckon we will have a half decent season finish 4th and win Europa Lge. Nothing has happened yet but you are all already calling it another wank season. Let's at least play a few games first with our new players whoever they are, and evaluate around 10 games in
 

RedTechsture

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jun 8, 2017
Messages
62
Supports
Shrewsbury Town FC
We are in a bad way, theres no getting round that.
But to put a bit of reality in to the matter, we were still only 4 points away from the Champions League. Granted we're a long way off the top 2 sheisters, but the team in 4th place is in the champions league IFINAL, having had what I presume they would see as their best season ever, openly crowing about how well they have done (rightly so) and us.....having openly had our worse, is a lowly 4 points behind them.
As I say, Im not papering cracks here, as assets on the pitch goes, and then the inherent perfromances of those assets, its a million miles away from what United should be presenting every weekend.
Am just trying to put a bit of perspective on the situation. I think some of the talk of Leeds, and relegation is way over the top.

The club has the huge resources required to sort this. The financial postiion has just been presented in the last 24 hours as pretty positive, and although not in the CL for the season we can still attract talent.

We now have a summer to reset the counter and start again with a new/refreshed style with the new players we need (this is obviously reliant on Woodward doing his job.....hmmmmmm), and the conditioning and fitness of those we have chosen to retain.

If over the summer:
A) Ole can get the coniditioning required ito play the pacey attacking game he wishes to play, and
B) Is heavily backed financially with the players we need to fill the known holes in the first team

I think its more than fair to assume that looking at the results at the start of his tenure, topped up with new players and fitness, we can EASILY claw back 4 points.

Yes things WERE bad. But the season is over now. Time to look forward to a new manager, new players, new (or perhaps ironically) a more familiar exciting playing style, and the end of 6 years of boring, defencive, fitness sapping styles of play.

Its not THAT bad.....just BAD :D
 

RE1999

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
58
I'm going to say the opposite and reckon we will have a half decent season finish 4th and win Europa Lge
I like the positive approach. Realistically this would only take a small improvement (it would have take only 2 better results in the league this season but probably 3-5 better results needed next season as the clubs around us improve).

This is possible if we get rid of some of the negative influences in the squad and reinforce the key positions (RB and CB being the obvious 2 to start with).
 

ShaggyRogers

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Mar 29, 2019
Messages
70
Location
Straya
The issue with this club is not the glazers or woody or the lack of a DOF but rather the players. The players disinterest in playing for the club is the biggest problem with the most noticable player in pogba. Pogba is a band wagon player, when the team is playing well he will join in with the team to play well but not willing to put effort in to turn around a game.

The Sanchez deal has not helped in any way, shape or form as he has not played well and is on astronomical wages and that has distracted the other players and have them demanding for a bigger contract.

I think the DOF, technical director and all the other roles are all good and are a must for the club, but the real problem is with the players and their lack of effort, fitness and motivation and the wages that they are on. Until we have solved that problem then we will start to be able to perform.
 
Last edited:

Josep Dowling

Full Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
7,622
I'm going to say the opposite and reckon we will have a half decent season finish 4th and win Europa Lge. Nothing has happened yet but you are all already calling it another wank season. Let's at least play a few games first with our new players whoever they are, and evaluate around 10 games in
See to me as a Manchester United fan 4th isn’t a successful season and should never be called successful by the fans.
 

SAFMUTD

New Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
11,787
It will probably get worst, this was the first year that the Manchester United brand went a 5.8% down. It's normal considering the poor football results of the last years, but its alarming if comparing to other succesfull clubs like Madrid who went up 27%, Barcelona 12%, City 14%, Liverpool 20%.

Since we are not going to become any better the next year, this down trend will most likely continue and will eventually become a problem, the revenew will come down and there will be less money to spend on players, so we will not be stupid and rich anymore, just stupid.
 

Buster15

Go on Didier
Joined
Aug 28, 2018
Messages
13,295
Location
Bristol
Supports
Bristol Rovers
Next is going to be a real make or break season for us.
If Ole is able to both arrest the decline and start to turn this club around then brilliant.

But. If the decline continues then we are heading for a decade of disaster.