Rank The Last Six Seasons

sugar_kane

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The last six seasons have been pretty bleak as a whole, but there have been some high points (as well as lots of lows)

Here's how I'd rank them from best to worst:

1. 2016/17

Highs

  • Hiring a world class manager after two failed experiments
  • Signing Pogba and Zlatan
  • Winning the Europa League (first time ever) and guaranteeing CL football
  • Winning the EFL Cup with Zlatan in beast mode
  • Mourinho's handling of Rooney
  • Return of attacking football, ish.
Lows
  • Getting hammered by Chelsea
  • Mourinho's treatment of Shaw, Martial and Mkhitaryan
  • Zlatan getting injured
In general it felt maybe we had laid the foundations for a decent 2nd season under Mourinho, and getting in Lukaku and Matic post-season genuinely felt like logical buys at the time for a title push

2. 2014/15

Highs

  • Signing Shaw, Herrera, Di Maria and Blind
  • The excitement of getting LVG post World Cup
  • Juanfield (inc. Gerrard getting sent off)
  • Liverpool's general averageness after nearly winning the league
  • Getting CL football again
  • The March/April run against Liverpool, City and Spurs
  • A clear commitment to promoting youth
Lows
  • The terrible start to the season (despite the often aired view that we were good until the Leicester game, we were shite in our first ten games getting 13 points)
  • MK Dons
  • LVG's treatment of Di Maria and Van Persie
  • Most of our promoted youth players being shite
As per 2016/17 it felt like even though it was a patch season we had perhaps laid the foundations for something special the following season...

3. 2015/16

Highs
  • Rashford bursting onto the scene, especially the Arsenal game
  • Martial and his debut goal
  • signing what at the time seemed a very exciting group of players in Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin and Depay
  • Winning our first proper trophy post-Fergie (and one we'd not won for a while)
  • The semi-final against Everton and Martial's last minute winner
Lows
  • Getting completely outclassed by Liverpool in the Europa League
  • Awful, boring football that got worse and worse as the season went on
  • Inability to get a shot on target in most games
  • The creeping sense that LVG was probably just a mad man
  • LVG selling a load of players who could have proved useful for us in the years to come and were experienced PL winners who got the club
The football this season was atrocious and the mood in Old Trafford bordered on mutiny towards the end of the season - way worse than anything I saw under Mourinho.

The reason I look back on it fondly is the FA Cup win which was great in almost all respects, Mata bringing us back in the game and Jesse getting the winner and wiping that smug grin off Pardew's face (the dancing prick...)

Rashford and Martial also gave us a lot of great memories that season.

The fact that this season is 3 out of 6 in this list probably says everything about how shite things have been since Fergie left.

4. 2017/18

Highs
  • Our best league finish and points tally since Fergie, and one of our best points tallies overall in the Premier League era
  • Coming back to beat City at the Etihad and ruining their title celebrations
  • Getting to the FA Cup Final and outclassing Spurs in the Semi
  • Liverpool falling at the final hurdle in the CL
Lows
  • The Sanchez signing and resulting fall out
  • The two legs against Sevilla and Jose's meltdown
  • Jose falling out with Pogba and dropping him for Fellaini
  • The 2nd half of the season in general
  • our performance in the FA Cup final
  • City absolutely dominating the league and breaking every record going
When this season started I remember thinking it was going to be a good one, a refreshed looking 2nd season Mourinho, a further strengthened core with Matic & Lukaku coming in.

The first half of the season was decent from memory, albeit we continued to play cowardly against the top teams and should have decimated a Liverpool team in a very poor spell but instead parked the bus.

It all went to shit when we signed Sanchez and Jose started publicly squabbling with Pogba who suddenly turned to shit having been our best player for 18 months.

While our league position was good, we were way behind 1st and all the signs suggested a complete meltdown the following season.

5. 2018/19

Highs
  • Ole's initial run and the feel good factor around the club
  • Us breaking the record of best ever start of a manager and most away wins in a row
  • The Miracle in Paris
  • Dismantling some fairly decent sides under Ole
  • McTominay starting to look like a decent player
Lows
  • Disastrous transfer window
  • Jose clearly losing the plot on the pre-season tour
  • The entire first half of the season
  • Jose losing the dressing room and most of our players turning to shit
  • The disastrous run from Ole getting the job full time
  • Liverpool winning the Champions League
  • Clear confirmation of our club being terribly run
  • Awful kit - in itself not an issue but it was just insult to injury that we couldn't even get the colours of the kit right
This was in with a shout for being the worst season, but is saved by Ole's first few month's in charge which while a distant memory now were nearly three months of bliss and arguably the most fun we've had under a manager since Fergie.

Other than that though it's been an unmitigated disaster and a confirmation that our club needs to get it's shit together, which I don't have much hope it will any time soon.

6. 2013/14

Highs
  • Evra's wonder goal vs. Bayern
  • Adnan Januzaj, especially his goals against Sunderland
  • Signing Juan Mata was exciting for a bit even if it was clearly not what we needed
  • I seem to recall Kagawa/Mata having a few decent games together
  • The brief excitement of seeing Giggs manage the club
  • er... we had a nice kit?
Lows

Too many to list really, but the main ones are:
  • Breaking every negative record going
  • Our transfer window, and resultant signing of Fellaini
  • The game of a thousand crosses
  • Olympiakos first leg
  • Being the laughing stock of the country almost every week
  • Seeing the club you loved completely collapsing in a rapid amount of time
  • The dawning realisation our squad was mostly shit and Fergie was a miracle worker
  • Listening to David Moyes and his miserable, defeatist shit every week
Anyway, if you made it this far well done.

Here's to 2019/20 :D
 
Last edited:

Skills

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Worstest to worst (yes that's a word, feck off)

1. Moyes
2. This season
3. 15/16
4. 14/15
5. 17/18
6. 16/17

Next season might surprise us all with a big run for the top spot.
 

bosnian_red

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Would agree with that. This season beats Moyes' year because we at least had a few good months in it.
 

Raw

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Pretty much agree with that. The fact that we had two okay seasons, two poor seasons and two utterly crap ones is depressing. Only a few glimpses here and there of being a proper good team, the rest is shrouded in dreariness and off pitch clownery.

I think the only room for debate here is whether 15/16 was better than 17/18.
 

FujiVice

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I'd put this season ahead of Moyes season as the worst. At least throughout 2013/14 there was hope that you remove the problem, we'll be alright. This season was just fecking brutal and we ended it with so little in sight in terms of a good future. Its depressing how far away we are.
 

sugar_kane

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I'd put this season ahead of Moyes season as the worst. At least throughout 2013/14 there was hope that you remove the problem, we'll be alright. This season was just fecking brutal and we ended it with so little in sight in terms of a good future. Its depressing how far away we are.
I'd sort of agree with this (eg. you could write off the season as a Moyes-related blip at the time) and almost put this season last until I started thinking about the unceasing misery and embarrassment of the Moyes season, and what a shock to the system it was from start to finish.
 

EwanI Ted

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1.LVGs first season. Not our best on paper, but looked like we were finally building a new team.
2. Mou 2nd season. Best finish, though there were serious doubts about whether the team really had enough quality or whether we just benefitted from a season where others fluffed their lines.
3. Mou 1st season. Boring for the most part but finished well and looked like we were building something good.
4. LVG 2nd season. Boring as feck, but we won a pot.
5. Mou’s final season. Disaster albeit with a little fun in the middle.
6. Moyes. Not only a disaster with a strong team, but it was obvious we’d fecked up any chance of a smooth succession.
 

Revan

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Best to worst:

16/17: B-
17/18: C+
15/16: C
14/15: C
18/19: D-
13/14: F
 

Djemba-Djemba

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I'd put this season ahead of Moyes season as the worst. At least throughout 2013/14 there was hope that you remove the problem, we'll be alright. This season was just fecking brutal and we ended it with so little in sight in terms of a good future. Its depressing how far away we are.
Plus this season we've had City win a domestic treble and Liverpool win the CL. I'm not sure how things could be any worse or more painful that that.

I think you have to take the whole season in context so this season feels even worse than the Moyes one for me, I mean we had the Gerrard slip in the Moyes season. That was better than anything we've seen this year.

16/17 B minus
17/18 C plus
14/15 C
15/16 D
13/14 F
18/19 F
 

Canagel

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There is no best- but least worst to worst

1. 16/17
2. 14/15
3. 17/18
4. 15/16
5. 13/14
6. 18/19
 

sugar_kane

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Plus this season we've had City win a domestic treble and Liverpool win the CL. I'm not sure how things could be any worse or more painful that that.

I think you have to take the whole season in context so this season feels even worse than the Moyes one for me, I mean we had the Gerrard slip in the Moyes season. That was better than anything we've seen this year.

16/17 B minus
17/18 C plus
14/15 C
15/16 D
13/14 F
18/19 F
Ah yes how could I miss that off my list of 'highs' for that season...

I guess the thing that made this season bleak as well is it felt like we had to deal with nearly six months of it looking like Liverpool would win the league, unrelenting stress which went right down until the last day.

At least in 13/14 it felt like the danger went as quickly as it came, and in humiliating, hilarious fashion.

It also felt back then that they'd blown it for a few years, no way would Brent fashion a similar title push especially with Suarez leaving.

Unfortunately this time around they have a far better team, a far better manager and I could see them staying at this level for years to come.
 

Djemba-Djemba

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Ah yes how could I miss that off my list of 'highs' for that season...

I guess the thing that made this season bleak as well is it felt like we had to deal with nearly six months of it looking like Liverpool would win the league, unrelenting stress which went right down until the last day.

At least in 13/14 it felt like the danger went as quickly as it came, and in humiliating, hilarious fashion.

It also felt back then that they'd blown it for a few years, no way would Brent fashion a similar title push especially with Suarez leaving.

Unfortunately this time around they have a far better team, a far better manager and I could see them staying at this level for years to come.
The Gerrard slip is legit the 3rd or 4th best moment for Utd fans since Fergie retired which is depressing to think about but true.

I agree with that you said though yeah.

Another reason I'd argue this season was worse than 13/14 is that at least in 13/14 the squad was still full of players who we all loved and who had provded us with great joyful moments.

Even though they were terrible that season it still felt like I was watching players who were legends and cared about the club like Rio and Evra and Giggs and Carrick etc.

I don't feel that affection or affinity with any of the current squad. There is less good will for them.
 

El Zoido

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All trash almost all the time. Good moments were mainly one off games or handfuls of games.

- Winning cups (FA Cup, Europa)
- Evra goal vs. Bayern
- Comeback vs. City
- Beating PSG
- First few games under Jose where we were level with City
- First 10 games under Ole

In 6 years, that’s about it really. Everything else has been depressing garbage, and I probably feel worse now that when Moyes was in charge. Mainly because at least with Moyes it felt like there was hope once he was gone and we got a better manager in. Now I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.
 

Aloysius's Back 3

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Worst was the Jose seasons.

A breakthrough of Rashford - let's cover it with a short term Zlatan! Don't worry Jose said - Rashford is going to get chances. Next season Lukaku comes.

I want Perisic for LB his fans said, nope let's buy Sanchez who can play at RW to knock Martial off form after arguably showing some consistency.

Matic is world class apparently. So is Fred who is Brazilian :eek:

Ole after LVG would have been better for us than anyone who has to come after Jose.

Eff him.
 

SirAF

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Worst was the Jose seasons.

A breakthrough of Rashford - let's cover it with a short term Zlatan! Don't worry Jose said - Rashford is going to get chances. Next season Lukaku comes.

I want Perisic for LB his fans said, nope let's buy Sanchez who can play at RW to knock Martial off form after arguably showing some consistency.

Matic is world class apparently. So is Fred who is Brazilian :eek:

Ole after LVG would have been better for us than anyone who has to come after Jose.

Eff him.
You have to let go off the Mourinho bitterness.

The manager you have named yourself after was not better.
 

Djemba-Djemba

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The standard of football we've played in the last 6 years has been appalling.

How many genuinely good exciting performances have we put in since Fergie went? Less than 20 I'd say.
 

Irwin99

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Pretty much agree with the OP although I don't think LVG treated RVP badly at all. The guy ran himself into the ground for Holland at the World Cup 2014 and never looked the same player afterwards. LVG gave him a lot of chances but he just didn't perform anywhere near his best level.

On a personal level I found the football in the second half of 17/18 and Jose's attitude in preseason of 18/19 to be the most depressing time being a supporter (although right now and the last three months is running it very close). Moyes felt like a one season catastrophe and I could always look forward to next year, LVG is someone I liked and could understand what he was trying to do even if it went wrong.
 

Ubik

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This is the worst. At least after Moyes there was a feeling that we could get back on our feet quickly. And Liverpool slipped up. Now we're miles back and losing ground.

Best? There is no best.
 

wolvored

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All wank premier league wise. Even when we finished 2nd we were never challenging for the league. We won the minor cups, so 16-17 the 'best' and 15-16 the next 'best'. The rest a disgrace.
 

Ban

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First Mou and LVG seasons were decent and I was hopeful things were changing. 2nd LVG season was awful. Mou 2nd one was good in the first half, ended with a good position but overall it didn't amount to anything. This and Moyes season are the worst. As someone said in Moyes season we had Gerrard slip at least, in this we had Ole run but Liverpool winning the CL makes it so much worse (and it's already pretty bad). If they had won the league too it would be a disaster of an epic proportions.
Worst thing is, after 6 seasons we're not much smarter and are back up square one.. Al the while our 2 biggest rivals looking like beasts of clubs.
 

Mcking

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Last season was decent I think. We started very well, finished second and reached the FA cup final. I'd put Mourinho's first season ahead of it though because we won two trophies.
With LVG, we won the FA cup in his second season, but I think his first season was better and we finished top 4. This season and Moyes' season were just terrible.
Best to worst:
16/17
17/18
14/15
15/16
18/19
13/14
 

Aloysius's Back 3

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You have to let go off the Mourinho bitterness.

The manager you have named yourself after was not better.
No I'm okay mate.

Bringing Jose after LVG was the worst mistake that could happen. Was as opposite as changing religions.

Every mistake Jose made happened & his 3 year tenure was accurately followed including his second season being the best season.
 

bonothom

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Moyes season by far the worst as he took a title winning team and completely wrecked it.
 

Nou_Camp99

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I think we've just had a worse season tbh. Liverpool winning the CL and City winning the domestic treble has topped the Moyes season for me.....just. Both truly woeful though.

The club is going nowhere. We haven't even appointed this football technical director yet and we're now in transfer season. Expect more of the same boys. In fact I think the vermin will finish ahead of City next year.
 

thejtrain

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Fun thread.

1. 16/17 - Torn between this and 14/15; if we had won the FA cup that year instead of the following, I would have picked 14/15
2. 14/15 - Interesting signings, generally good performances against top teams
3. 17/18 - Fact that this was 3rd on my (and most people's) list goes to show how we have fared since Fergie
4. 15/16 - FA cup, but otherwise painful
5. 18/19 - Mourinho & Ole
6. 13/14 - Moyes

I expect 19/20 to be up there with the worst. Probably the first season since Fergie you know beforehand you don't have the right manager, players (unless we let go a lot of deadwood between now and the start of the season; won't be holding my breath), or the setup. I was not optimistic going into the 18/19 season due to lack of signings, Mourinho, etc., but this season takes the cake.
 

elnorte

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Fun thread.

1. 16/17 - Torn between this and 14/15; if we had won the FA cup that year instead of the following, I would have picked 14/15
2. 14/15 - Interesting signings, generally good performances against top teams
3. 17/18 - Fact that this was 3rd on my (and most people's) list goes to show how we have fared since Fergie
4. 15/16 - FA cup, but otherwise painful
5. 18/19 - Mourinho & Ole
6. 13/14 - Moyes

I expect 19/20 to be up there with the worst. Probably the first season since Fergie you know beforehand you don't have the right manager, players (unless we let go a lot of deadwood between now and the start of the season; won't be holding my breath), or the setup. I was not optimistic going into the 18/19 season due to lack of signings, Mourinho, etc., but this season takes the cake.
You'll cop a lot of the flak for the one from the usual suspects. You'll have to wait a while to be proven right even though of course in the grand scheme of things it would be better if you were entirely wrong!
 

bosnian_red

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Fun thread.

1. 16/17 - Torn between this and 14/15; if we had won the FA cup that year instead of the following, I would have picked 14/15
2. 14/15 - Interesting signings, generally good performances against top teams
3. 17/18 - Fact that this was 3rd on my (and most people's) list goes to show how we have fared since Fergie
4. 15/16 - FA cup, but otherwise painful
5. 18/19 - Mourinho & Ole
6. 13/14 - Moyes

I expect 19/20 to be up there with the worst. Probably the first season since Fergie you know beforehand you don't have the right manager, players (unless we let go a lot of deadwood between now and the start of the season; won't be holding my breath), or the setup. I was not optimistic going into the 18/19 season due to lack of signings, Mourinho, etc., but this season takes the cake.
Have to disagree strongly with this. That was last season easily. The season was a write off from pretty much most fans on here, everyone was just waiting for Mourinho to be sacked. This next season is automatically better because everyone knows big changes have to happen, a lot of players will leave between this year and next year, and a lot have to come to replace them. We have promising youth players who will come in at least to replace them as squad players, so automatically that makes me look forward to next season more. I'd rather see Gomes/Chong/Greenwood/Tuanzebe get chances and us finish mid table then see the likes of Rojo, Sanchez, Mata these days, Matic and whoever else constantly stink up the place despite the money they all make and us finish outside top 4 anyway.
 

Sir Scott McToMinay

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Each and everyone of those season was utter tripe and I would’ve love to forget it ever happened, one day hopefully.

Having said that, the Moyes season was the one of the most i was ever invested in football, I can’t explain it, it was fascinatingly horrific.

The last six seasons were an absolute disgrace to the football club, and almost everyone who was involved should be well ashamed of themselves.
 

FootballHQ

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Interesting the best ranked season from OP is one where Man. United finished 6th in the league. Didn't even make the lows part.
 

SAFMUTD

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In not one of the last 6 seasons we have even remotely challenged for a major trohpie. All of them are equally shit.

We are not a top team anymore, just rich poor investing team, and it doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
 

thejtrain

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You'll cop a lot of the flak for the one from the usual suspects. You'll have to wait a while to be proven right even though of course in the grand scheme of things it would be better if you were entirely wrong!
Yep, would love to be wrong about it, but just can't see it. At the end of the day, all of us want the best for United; it makes sense to get behind the manager and the players, but just hope we don't persist with them too long after it becomes obvious they are not the right fit. Oh well, that's for another thread.

Have to disagree strongly with this. That was last season easily. The season was a write off from pretty much most fans on here, everyone was just waiting for Mourinho to be sacked. This next season is automatically better because everyone knows big changes have to happen, a lot of players will leave between this year and next year, and a lot have to come to replace them. We have promising youth players who will come in at least to replace them as squad players, so automatically that makes me look forward to next season more. I'd rather see Gomes/Chong/Greenwood/Tuanzebe get chances and us finish mid table then see the likes of Rojo, Sanchez, Mata these days, Matic and whoever else constantly stink up the place despite the money they all make and us finish outside top 4 anyway.
Like I said, I wasn't optimistic going into the 18/19 season either, but I did not expect it to go this bad. Consequently, this season can only be better, but I just don't think it will be. However, if the prospect of seeing those youth players get their chances excites you enough and makes you look forward to the new season, then fair enough.
 

BigRon1985

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The Moyes season will never be beaten as the worst ever for me. Going from PL Champions to having to wear a paper bag over my head going into work on a Monday morning on a regular basis in a matter of months takes some beating! :(
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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1. 16/17 - Shit in the league, but 2 trophies and what looked to be a decent foundation for Jose to build on

2. 17/18 - Best league finish since Sir Alex and an FA Cup final. Cracks starting to appear with Jose and players and a horrible exit from Europe. High note being the comeback win at City, and Paul Pogba's finest hour in a United shirt.

3. 14/15 - Exciting Summer window. Horrible start to the season, decent middle, brilliant spring, poor ending. Looked to be going places under LVG.

4. 15/16 - Horrid season. Awful football, undroppable Rooney. Exciting signings not living up to the hype. Bright spots were FA Cup, Martial and Rashford

5. 18/19 - Typical 3rd season implosion from Jose after a circus of a pre season. Fantastic start by Ole topped off with the memorable comeback in Paris. Relegation form to end the season on the 2nd worst low of my lifetime as a United fan, not helped by all of our rivals succeeding either domestically or in Europe.

6. 13/14 - Moyes. Nuff said.

Lets be real though, all 6 were shit seasons if we're honest, just some less shit than others.