We are 2nd in the league and deserve to be there. Agree?

simplyared

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For the first time in ages I feel our players are performing at a level that justifies 2nd place. We are the 2nd best team in the PL right now and we deserve to be where we are.
Anyone feel the same?
 

Eire Red United

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Yeah definitely, I reckon we’re comfortably best of the rest. But we’re nowhere near where we want to be
 

SER19

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Yes I'd agree. Not a very strong league and current form were not 2nd best but over the course of the season yes, we should be second
 

M Bison

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Yes agree, albeit tentatively and don’t think there’s much in it, we could quickly become 5th or 6th without the right investment.
 

adexkola

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Yes

Still work to be done to match the ridiculous standards set by City and Liverpool and Conte's Chelsea over the past 4 years, but I think we've created a good foundation to push from.
 

Bocca9978

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Yes, but we could do so much more.
Shouldn’t be as closed to other teams.
 

Deery

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We’re only there because everyone else has been shit tbf, we’ve done okay and gotten good draws against some of the top 6 which is good if they were 1-0 wins I think we’d all definitely say we deserve to be there fine margins really.

I think we’ll win a cup this season though we’ve got the squad for it now.
 

Andycoleno9

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I never understand that "deserve" word in football. Did we cheated? No. So deserved. Every club in PL is in deserved position.

Well, except City. They cheat with FFP.
 

harms

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We deserve to be based on our performance this season & the standard of the league (so yeah, we deserve it). But we’re not at the level where I’d be comfortable to consider ourselves title-contenders, which is a level that is usually associated with 2nd place.
 

sullydnl

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Yes, based on this season we are the second best team in the league and deserve to be where we are.

Two points worth noting with next season in mind though:

1) It isn't a vintage season, which would be a more promising time to be second in the league.
2) Liverpool are heavily underperforming this season. Which obviously doesn't mean we deserve to be where we are any less this season but it does mean that they have more potential to quickly improve next year than their current position suggests.
 

DWelbz19

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Yes, we are the second best side in the league currently. We have the fewest positions of priority to strengthen in (discounting City obviously) which makes us the safest bet on paper to finish second.
 

DoomSlayer

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Yes and no. We have been the 2nd best team so far, but it's incredibly far from being "comfortable". In 1 game we might be 3rd and in 2, we might be 4th or 5th.
 

Chesterlestreet

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Sure, yeah.

The problem is that we clearly don't "deserve" to be any higher either.

And there isn't a country mile between us and a handful of other teams sitting in the positions below us currently. More like a country inch. If that.
 

ShinjiNinja26

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We finished 3rd last season and could potentially finish 2nd this season so progress has been made but next season Ole has to deliver and by that I mean a serious, sustained title challenge and a trophy in at least one cup competition. Simple as, no if, buts or maybes.
 

el3mel

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Yes but it's nothing to gloat about when we're not challenging for the title and 12 points away from the top. We're the best of the bad bunch. That's about it.

Everyone will be talking about City and how they dominated the league in a one horse race. No one will care about our glorified 2nd place trophy.
 

DoomSlayer

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We finished 3rd last season and could potentially finish 2nd this season so progress has been made but next season Ole has to deliver and by that I mean a serious, sustained title challenge and a trophy in at least one cup competition. Simple as, no if, buts or maybes.
We haven't finished 2nd yet, hold your horses.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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When is the trophy presentation?

This is about standards. Who gives a shit if we finish 2nd? It’s the same as finishing 3rd & 4th. If you’re not champions you’re battling for top 4, the order doesn't matter. Give me 4th & an FA Cup over 2nd & feck all any day of the week.

United fans bragging about being 2nd,feck sake. We’re 12 points away from where we need to be. Up your fecking standards.
 

tomaldinho1

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Table is the table, it means nothing until game week 38.

Liverpool have the easiest run in, followed by Spurs, Tuchel's form so far is PL winning worthy and then you have teams knocking around like Everton and Leicester who will stay around if they avoid injury. Top four is going to be a real fight.
 

bosnian_red

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Yup. In a normal year we're probably 3rd best, as we were last season. Liverpools drop off meant there is only City as a complete top team. The rest have significant issues for one reason or another still. Until the issues are resolved, this is the best we can hope for (or winning with there being no true top team like when Leicester won).

Our specific issues are:
  • Right wing (need creative threat to balance both front 3 balance, and the partnership with the right back)
  • Center back (need a fast, aggressive CB partner who can partner Maguire properly)
  • Midfield duo (need a better balance of defensive ability/holding and on ball ability/ball progression/passing range)
  • Fill in the gaps with depth so everyone can be rotated to some extent at least (mainly just RB)
  • Striker situation
  • Goalkeeper situation
Regardless of manager. Sort out these issues, I'm expecting a title challenge. Can be done with 3 signings even. Goalkeeper and striker can be sorted out with a bit of patience/promoting internally (or its worth trying). Right back depth can be sorted internally with young players, or more likely just buying cheap. Sancho completes the right wing issue. Keeping Pogba and signing a top defensive mid sorts out midfield issues. And then we obviously need a CB which I'm not sold on anyone really so who knows there. Basically I think the 3 right signings and keeping Pogba can give us a complete lineup with enough quality/potential in other positions to sort themselves out. It's hard to get those spot on though, specifically midfield and defence, as well as keeping Pogba seems unlikely. Sancho is a no brainer which we love overthinking for some dumb reason.
 

OleBoiii

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A part of being a football supporter is to accept that the league table never lies. If we can't even trust the league format, then why even compete? The next part is acknowledging that the table only matters after round 38.

You always deserve the spot you're in. It's as simple as that.
 

Giggs' right foot

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I can understand the frustration with us still being nowhere near the level of the champions (some seasons also number 2 and 3) for +8 years. But I do think - generally - we're playing better, buying and selling better, and producing better players from the academy these years under Ole, than the six years prior.

Don't get me wrong - the sentiment of posters like @Schmeichel's Cartwheel is needed to hold on to as a fan of a club like United - because if we start to get happy about 2. places we might as well close down the club. But I do see improvements and I really hope - say we finish 2nd - that the club doesn't view it as an achievement, but go out in the summer and fecking bridge the gap to Pep and City. The money is there.
 

Infra-red

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I think that Chelsea and Liverpool probably have more quality overall, but have underperformed this season for various reasons. They'll both improve next year. I'd say we are ahead of the others in the chasing pack though (eg Leicester, Spurs, Everton). I predicted that we'd finish 4th at the start of the season, but Liverpool and Chelsea's poor form, coupled with the fact that we are massively outperforming our xG (at the moment anyway), means we have a decent chance of finishing second.

City are a long way ahead of all of us, obviously. Again, I expect Liverpool to close the gap on them next year. Feels similar to 2017/18.
 
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LoneStar

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If we are 2nd in the table after 30 odd games, of course we deserve to be 2nd. I don't think that the league position at the end ever lies. You can fluke a cup win, but not a league title.
 

Beachryan

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Does anyone else have a sneaking suspicion we won't be second at the end of the season?

Our run in is tough, with City, Leicester, Liverpool and Spurs all to come. We have a lead of 6 over Chelsea and 7 over Liverpool. If we can finish above either of those, I believe we'll be top 4.

But, I think we need 20 points from the last 36 to be 2nd - will be tight again imo.
 

simplyared

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Looking at quality player for player and amongst the ones that feature on a regular basis, I would say we have just 2 players that are "weaknesses" if we are to cement 2nd place should Liverpool start to punch their weight for example. Those players imo are Lindelöf, who I believe is improving, and Martial who I rate as a lost cause. We need more quality in those positions.
 

gajender

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Table is the table, it means nothing until game week 38.

Liverpool have the easiest run in, followed by Spurs, Tuchel's form so far is PL winning worthy and then you have teams knocking around like Everton and Leicester who will stay around if they avoid injury. Top four is going to be a real fight.
Chelsea have taken 15 points in 7 matches since Tuchel has taken over as manager which is good but certainly not Pl winning form by any stretch of imagination and I can't see them sustaining it either and overtaking us, gap would only grow between us and them they would have done really well if they make top 4 from here on.

Leicester are already facing serious injury issues and well Everton won't be making top 4 either injury crisis or not.
 

Jeffthered

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Yeah definitely, I reckon we’re comfortably best of the rest. But we’re nowhere near where we want to be
We are there on merit as the League doesn't lie... but wouldn't agree that we are definitely best of the rest. I haven't a clue how we would fare against many teams in the Premier League on a given day... am I confident going to Palace this week for example? Hopeful, but not confident.

I feel the fact that we are second, is a statement about the current quality of the Premier League, rather than our being better than everyone apart from City, but that's a seperate discussion.
 

largelyworried

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Agreed, but it’s a big jump to first, even before we wonder about Liverpool next season. In previous seasons it could be a distant third. But I’m not going to knock an obvious step forward this season.
 

Infra-red

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Does anyone else have a sneaking suspicion we won't be second at the end of the season?

Our run in is tough, with City, Leicester, Liverpool and Spurs all to come. We have a lead of 6 over Chelsea and 7 over Liverpool. If we can finish above either of those, I believe we'll be top 4.

But, I think we need 20 points from the last 36 to be 2nd - will be tight again imo.
Yes definitely - we are nowhere near secure. We're in a top four fight, the same as everyone else between 2nd and (arguably) 10th.
 

gajender

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Does anyone else have a sneaking suspicion we won't be second at the end of the season?

Our run in is tough, with City, Leicester, Liverpool and Spurs all to come. We have a lead of 6 over Chelsea and 7 over Liverpool. If we can finish above either of those, I believe we'll be top 4.

But, I think we need 20 points from the last 36 to be 2nd - will be tight again imo.
You need to check others run in as well Chelsea have pretty tough fixtures to come as well, Liverpool seem to have relatively easy run in but they haven't been good this season ,we should be comfortably finishing in top 4 .
 

RORY65

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I would say on this season that it's fairly tight but that we have been the 2nd best team. The issue a lot have I suppose is that we probably all know deep down that Liverpool would be better if they hadn't had the issues they've had and are just having a tough time with injuries as well as the fact that we're probably closer in quality to 6th than we are to 1st.