Are we going to be put back in our place next season?

Skills

Snitch
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
42,010
Anyone here feel the league position this season feels a bit flukey? The entire seasons got the 17/18 feel - that season also ended with a whimper, losing a cup final.

Are we going back to spending next season fighting for 4th again, watching Liverpool and City fight for the title?
 

SAFMUTD

New Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
11,787
Calling it right now, no matter who we bring in the summer we won't catch city. Not while they have Pep and we have Ole. Even if we match their squad quality coaching wise we are worlds apart.

So with the title being out of question, then yes we'll find ourselves fighting for top 4 once again.
 

Judas

Open to offers
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
35,964
Location
Where the grass is greener.
We're in for a tough top 4 fight, unless we do some serious summer shopping and one of City/Liverpool aren't at their best, then maybe we can push for some sort of title challenge. A lot of work to be done on the team first.

Every pre-season last few years people talk of loads of teams being in the title race and hasn't really happened, probably be the same again.
 

Pexbo

Winner of the 'I'm not reading that' medal.
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
68,412
Location
Brizzle
Supports
Big Days
Chelsea are going to be stronger. Liverpool are going to be stronger and I’d be surprised if City don’t sign Kane and become stronger too.

If we don’t invest heavily in this squad this summer, then standing still is taking 3 steps backwards after the two steps forward we’ve taken over the last couple of years.
 

elmo

Can never have too many Eevees
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
13,268
Location
AKA: Slapanut Goat Smuggla
Don't worry, next season Ole will have experience and we'll win the Europa cup proper this time.

Barring a fluke season with injuries to their main players, Liverpool, City and Chelsea are nailed on fort top 4. We'll need to hope Spurs and Leicester feck it up once again.
 

hubbuh

New Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
6,110
Location
UK, hun?
I'm not even sure what our place is right now. We crapped out of all the cups, we cruised to second place while failing to muster up any sort of a title challenge. Obviously it all hinges on the summer, but we could finish anywhere between 2nd and 6th next season and it wouldn't particularly surprise me.
 

Zoo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2010
Messages
29,715
We’ve definitely progressed and I don’t think it’s fair to say that we’ve been flukey. City and Liverpool are better teams and have better managers. Ole needs to be backed so he can properly try and compete, because no matter who the manager is we have glaring deficiencies.
 

gorky_utd

Full Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
1,925
Location
India
Top 4 again next season because I think the lower teams like ars, spurs are complete junk.
 

LisburnWhite

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Feb 26, 2015
Messages
431
Location
Lisburn, N.Ireland
As much as I love Ole he is just not a top manager and I'm not sure if he will ever be unfortunately.
For United to get above City we would have to have a far superior squad and even then would need them to be below their usual standards.
Don't see either happening anytime soon and can only see others teams getting stronger but it's football so who knows things sometimes surprise you.
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
13,966
Based on current squads we would expect to finish behind City, Liverpool and Chelsea. Regardless of manager. So most likely, yes.
 

Lee565

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
4,977
Most likely yes and it will be happening a lot all the time the glazers are here as they only care about top 4 football, just like spurs and arsenal did and we have seen where that complacency has got them, where as the likes of chelsea and man city are about winning top honours every season and not content with just a top 4 finish every season.
 

Siorac

Full Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
23,789
We're a 70-point team, give or take a few lucky bounces of the ball (last season we stayed under our xPts, this season we went over it).

I don't know who's going to fight for the title but there will be at least one team that gets into the high 80s or higher because there almost always is one, 2015/16 being the only exception in the last ten years.

So we might finish second again if the others pull themselves together, or fall down the table if they do.
 

DickDastardly

New Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2015
Messages
7,298
Location
Mean machine 00
Next season?! You lot are thinking of watching another game of football after tonight?? Kudos!

I'm still fecking livid. It's gonna take a while before i feel happy about watching us any time soon.

Liverpool won't improve, and City won't spend.
Chelsea might get better, but i don't think so.

It's all on us. Some tough calls to be made.

Too many weak minded players who don't perform.

Getting rid of them and bringing in some winners.
 

redshaw

Full Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2015
Messages
9,586
Yes I believe so. VVD is that good in defence and integral for fullbacks to get high up. City surely the team to beat and probably going to strengthen. Chelsea have been operating at a slightly higher level since Tuchel came in and have a better squad, we'll have to wait and see if Tuchel can sustain it but I think we're in for a huge battle to stay with these teams and need to get some new players and some coaching help for Ole.
 

GazTheLegend

Full Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
3,595
No. 74 points and the semi finals of every competition we ever enter minimum is not a "fluke". With improvement we will be challenging.
 

bsCallout

New Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
4,278
Like every team in the top 4 except City, it depends how we do in the summer.

If we get it right, we'll challenge.
 

Judge Red

Don't Call Me Douglas
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
5,993
City, Liverpool and Chelsea have more reasons to be optimistic going into the next season, although it was the same 12 months ago.

The bigger worry is that we’ll have to watch Spurs and Arsenal get their acts together while we waste another year on a lost cause.
 

izec

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
27,164
Location
Lucilinburhuc
We are Arsenal in the last years of Wenger, top 4 and a mini trophy is the best we can hope for
 

kirk buttercup

Full Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2016
Messages
2,483
Location
wickla!
We need Massive Changes to be able to compete. We have too many square Pegs for Round holes . The problem in my opinion is not that we dont have quality players its they dont Really fit into a system we can play with . for Example

Pogba - Years on and we still dont know where to play him
VDB- Is he 10 ? is he an 8 ? is he a 6 ? who knows leave him on the Bench
McFred system - This is literally to cover CB we cant trust ,neither work in a team that doesnt have two anchor midfielders
Lindelof and Bailly - Both are probably ok back ups but neither are good enough to Start realistically.
Martial - Is a LW or CF ? either way he doesn't look interested mostof the time
Greenwood - Being played on the RW, and dont get me wrong I think he is a great young player . But he supposed to be our future Number 9 ? Yet never plays there because we have no RW
Rashford - LW is probably his best position but at the moment the majority of the time he is either off side or loses the ball easily. He is not a CF and sometimes we use him on the right to accomadate Pogba because we don't have a RW or know Pogbas best position.
Mata- Where does he fit in ?
Matic - Who signed another deal not too long ago , Which midfield does he fit into ?
Dan James- LW do we need him if we have both Rashford and Martial who clearly are LWingers . Dan gives 100% but is not at this level.

Our squad is clearly very unbalanced. I wouldnt say we dont have quality players but we dont have depth in the right places in a system that works. Last night proved that when we couldnt make changes because when you looked at our bench there were just even more Square pegs for Round holes.

If we are going to compete we need to get the balance right and that is going to be expensive. So I would say probably not next season either. We have improved but its a long road ahead .
 

Skills

Snitch
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
42,010
No. 74 points and the semi finals of every competition we ever enter minimum is not a "fluke". With improvement we will be challenging.
I'm pretty sure we got knocked out of the FA cup QF and got lobbed out of the CL group stages ?
 

#07

makes new threads with tweets in the OP
Joined
Oct 25, 2010
Messages
23,258
Leicester have already lined up Soumare. Liverpool have lined up Konate. We need to make some big signings this summer or else we will be miles off next season. As things stand 4th or 5th is my expectation for 2021-22.
 

Drizzle

Full Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2021
Messages
1,350
We need Massive Changes to be able to compete. We have too many square Pegs for Round holes . The problem in my opinion is not that we dont have quality players its they dont Really fit into a system we can play with . for Example

Pogba - Years on and we still dont know where to play him
VDB- Is he 10 ? is he an 8 ? is he a 6 ? who knows leave him on the Bench
McFred system - This is literally to cover CB we cant trust ,neither work in a team that doesnt have two anchor midfielders
Lindelof and Bailly - Both are probably ok back ups but neither are good enough to Start realistically.
Martial - Is a LW or CF ? either way he doesn't look interested mostof the time
Greenwood - Being played on the RW, and dont get me wrong I think he is a great young player . But he supposed to be our future Number 9 ? Yet never plays there because we have no RW
Rashford - LW is probably his best position but at the moment the majority of the time he is either off side or loses the ball easily. He is not a CF and sometimes we use him on the right to accomadate Pogba because we don't have a RW or know Pogbas best position.
Mata- Where does he fit in ?
Matic - Who signed another deal not too long ago , Which midfield does he fit into ?
Dan James- LW do we need him if we have both Rashford and Martial who clearly are LWingers . Dan gives 100% but is not at this level.

Our squad is clearly very unbalanced. I wouldnt say we dont have quality players but we dont have depth in the right places in a system that works. Last night proved that when we couldnt make changes because when you looked at our bench there were just even more Square pegs for Round holes.

If we are going to compete we need to get the balance right and that is going to be expensive. So I would say probably not next season either. We have improved but its a long road ahead .
I agree. But Sancho, Rice and Varane (or their equivalents) fixes all those imbalances.
 

Lee565

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
4,977
City, Liverpool and Chelsea have more reasons to be optimistic going into the next season, although it was the same 12 months ago.

The bigger worry is that we’ll have to watch Spurs and Arsenal get their acts together while we waste another year on a lost cause.
I dont know about that, spurs are going nowhere and we will be even more screwed when kane leaves and arsenal still believe arteta is the second coming of pep. We will likely get top 4 football next season but make no mistake about it, it's only because spurs and arsenal have dropped off so badly over the last few years and then their is Leicester who have been finding ways to bottle it during that same period. That's not to say ole shouldn't get the boot as being happy with just top 4 champions league money is a slippery slope into complacency.
 

Bastian

Full Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
18,444
Supports
Mejbri
Calling it right now, no matter who we bring in the summer we won't catch city. Not while they have Pep and we have Ole. Even if we match their squad quality coaching wise we are worlds apart.

So with the title being out of question, then yes we'll find ourselves fighting for top 4 once again.
If we're honest, that would mean we'd buy around 5 excellent players or more. But of course Pep is levels above Ole, that's obvious to anyone, and Ole himself.
 

Andycoleno9

matchday malcontent
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
28,576
Location
Croatia
Even if we spend 200 mil, we will fight for top 4. For higher than that you need world class manager.
Lucky for us that our rivals for 4th spot are much weaker than us so there will be no problem in getting that spot. With this team, any decent championship manager would finish 4th
 

youmeletsfly

New Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2018
Messages
2,528
It all starts with a proper manager and that should be first priority. If we spend 200m again and finish 3rd-4th that's money thrown out the window.
 

Sandikan

aka sex on the beach
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
52,710
We had a bad finish after the protest stuff hijacked us.

However if we don't properly improve the team this summer we'll do amazingly to come 2nd again.
 

Adam-Utd

Part of first caf team to complete Destiny raid
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
39,954
Way too many draws. We don't seem to know how to kill off games or win them when it's tight.

If we have the same issue next year, I'm not sure we will get so lucky with so many come backs either.

things need to change big time this summer.
 

Judas

Open to offers
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
35,964
Location
Where the grass is greener.
It all starts with a proper manager and that should be first priority. If we spend 200m again and finish 3rd-4th that's money thrown out the window.
It's not thrown out of the window if you buy well. Yes a new manager will come in wanting his own players, but that issue is lessened if quality players are bought, and the next manager has a similar way of playing to Ole (whatever that is).
 

pacifictheme

Full Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2013
Messages
7,665
I would expect us to be 3rd or 4th but not fighting for top 4. Would not be surprised to see an actual top 4 emerge a bit next season. Spurs and arsenal are useless, only question mark is Leicester and Vardy isn't getting any younger.
 

Sylar

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
40,254
We need to sign at least three players for our starting line up. No squad players but improve the starting line up and those who will start.

If we do that immediately our squad improves as well.

I expect others to get better so standing still means we are stagnating
 

dove

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2013
Messages
7,899
We are not having 10 comeback wins next season that's for sure.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
33,738
Chelsea will reinvest more than us (after already spending £200m this season); Liverpool only finished 5 points behind us without a recognised CB pairing for about two-thirds of the season, and City are pretty much top level in every position.

And that’s ignoring the other obvious point that separates the four teams — managerial quality.

We should be progressing and competing, but expectations’ll be dropped soon for a top 4 chase.
 

iammemphis

iwillnotaskforanamechangeagain
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
5,987
Location
Hertfordshire
Battling for 4th again in my opinion. Chelsea and Liverpool finishing above us and we fight Leicester for 4th.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
33,738
We are not having 10 comeback wins next season that's for sure.
That’s a good point too. Our record this season of coming from behind - especially after half time - was insane and just simply not sustainable.
 

MadMike

Full Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2015
Messages
11,607
Location
London
We got 74 points which in none of the last 5 seasons would get you 2nd. Mourinho got us 81 points in 2018 for reference. We also came from behind more than any other team this season which indicates some positives like persistence, but also an element of luck that could well abandon us.

Objectively speaking as soon as Liverpool get a new defender and VVD back they again become stronger in almost every line (midfield debatable) while being significantly better coached. Man City are much stronger, with more quality depth and also better coached. These facts should be obvious to anyone watching football and claiming to understand it.

The odds are heavily stacked against us for next season. Statistically speaking the smart money would be us fighting Chelsea for 3rd-4th. If they lose the final they go into next season in almost the same boat as us. Uncertain if their manager and squad is the right one to win things after two final losses.

Unfortunately the ambition of the owners is to be in the CL spots and be profitable, not to win things. I think we will have too much for Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham again next season so we are likely to get top 4 and avoid an inquisition into why a team with our budget and expenditure cannot compete at the top. Or even have a discernible style of play for that matter.
 
Last edited: