2016/17: Half-term review

[Irrational.]

So now we're exactly half way through the season.

How would you rate our season so far /10?

Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?

Any disappointments?

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?

For me, I'd give our season 6/10 so far, we're only just getting going.

I'm not going to lie, I thought we'd be higher up the table than we are, but its not for a lack of trying. We've played some good stuff since Jose was appointed, and in quite a few games we've just been unlucky and not had the run of the ball. I'm much happier than when LvG as in charge.

Disappointments include Memphis, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger. Combined with our frustrating draws, especially at home.

From this point, I'd be happy with top four (ideally top three) and a cup.

 

[charlenefan]

Has to be 6/10 as in just above average

I expected us to be second at worst whereas we'll be lucky to finish 4th

Things are looking up but then things are also looking good for all of our rivals

 

[Raw]

About 7/10

The most important thing is that we're finally entertaining again. The new signings are all bedding in nicely and we've seen some lovely goals. Not just that, we've seen a revitalisation of players like Jones and Rojo who I thought were destined to be the first to leave. Then there's players like Herrera and Valencia that Mourinho has really helped improve.

However I expected a title challenge, and the points we've dropped have been fecking ridiculous. That period of 2 wins in 11 will have such a big impact on our season. There's still room for improvement, and I do think we need to be scoring more goals. Hopefully that'll come in time. I also think our record vs the top clubs need improving.

I expect us to put a good fight for top 4 and get close at the very least, the competition for top 4 has been incredibly tough this season so there are no guarantees. I also think we can win a cup, the League Cup is looking likely but Klopp's Liverpool will be tough to beat. As for Europa, I haven't a clue. Depending on the draw I think we can get to the quarter finals, then who knows?

 

[NYAS]

Unpleasantly surprised at some really shit results. Pleasantly surprised at the quick and seemingly consistent turn-around.

5/10 so far.

I said this at the start of the season and I'm sticking to it. The bare minimum for this season to be considered a success in my view is Champions League qualification for next season, whether it's via 4th place and no Europa League, or lower than 4th and Europa League winners. In addition, I expect us to retain the FA Cup and will be very disappointed if we don't.

 

[Ødegaard]

How would you rate our season so far /10? 7/10
We're dragging behind, not because we lack quality on field or that our form is shit, but because we had to adjust at the beginning and got left behind back then.
We're doing well now, long may it continue and improve further.

Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?
No... Not really. I think we're playing entertaining football. Happy again watching United (as long as we don't get a fecked up ref performance again like Masons)

Any disappointments?
Our beginning, but while it's a disappointment, it's an understandable one. Moving away from LvG's style and settling new players takes some time.

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
Fighting for top 4, but keep the good play.

 

[Leftback99]

6/10 but it's basically been a freak set of home draws due to terrible finishing/great goalkeeping/bad refereeing/bad luck, away from a 9/10.
The draws have completely derailed our league season and I'd be surprised if we finish top 4 from here. I think we'll do well in the Europa however.

It's been disappointing that Mourinho has taken so long to find his strongest side when some decisions were obvious (Carrick, Mkhitaryan). Otherwise can't fault him.

The biggest surprise has been that Jones and Rojo have managed to put in reasonable performances during an otherwise injury crisis.

 

[simmee]

If 5/10 is good enough it's 4/10 for me, would've expected us to be in the top 4. Which we should've been had we not fecked up against stoke etc. But we're obviously in good form and playing really well at the moment, so I'm not as negative as I sound. It's the end of the season that counts!

 

[dove]

7/10.
Last season we played some really horrific football, I thought we were very lucky to finish 5th so I didn't really expect us to challenge for the title this season. We were mediocre for the last 3 years so I knew Jose will need time to sort it out. Our performances improved a lot since last season and we deserved to have more points. We are on a 12 games unbeaten run so I am very positive that we will finish in TOP 4. With a couple of new signings in the summer I think we will be ready to go for the title next season.

 

[Reddevildans]

Performances are miles better than the performances in the last 3 seasons. Stats will show a considerable rise in the amount of shots on target/chances created than last season. I no longer have the urge to throw something at the tv as I did under LVG with the sideways/backwards football seen. Our new signings have been a success and the likes of Pogba will only improve. Others like Herrera, Valencia, and Rojo have seen thier performance levels rise. However, that sequence of draws have severely dented our season and the damage looks like it has already been done. Results are probably similar to those seen in the previous seasons so i'll have to give the half term report a 6/10.

 

[Skills]

4/10

Should be challenging for the title given the talent at the club, but we've thrown away the title already and are outsiders for a top 4 place.

 

[dichinero]

How would you rate our season so far /10?
Despite the upturn of form it is a 5 for me.

Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?
Not really. When we signed José, I had my concerns and expectations. Nothing unexpected just yet.

Valencia has been the biggest positive surprise so far

Any disappointments?
The start of the season, all the whining and excuses and public outbursts were just unnecessary IMO. I still don't think the Shaw and Smalling thing we handled well.

I expected us to at least challenge for the title given the amount of money we had to play with and the experience we signed in José

I was hoping to see bring the best out of Delay, Schneiderlin and Varela.

Fellaini-fellarni, why is he still here and players with potential will be sold.

TFM might be the biggest disappointment yet. He wasting away IMO.

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
My heart says we finish 4th but my head says 5th. I don't see us winning the EL but in expect the league cup and the FA cup final.

 

[Ivor Ballokov]

How would you rate our season so far /10?
6/10 - We should be doing better in the league but we've got a semi final to look forward to and despite being uninspiring we're still in Europe.

Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?
Expected us to comfortably be in the top 4.

Any disappointments?
Our league form in Oct/Nov was horrible, Mourinho taking too long to figure out his best team was frustrating, probably wasn't helped by our poor preseason but for such a good manager I expected better.

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
Challenge for 4th, depending on injuries we could get it but I think we'll fall short because of our unbalanced squad. Hoping for at least one cup win.

 

[donkeyfish]

7/10
Played 4 bad matches in 6 months, that can't be too horrible. Impressive transition to a style that is quite different. Excellent signings. With a bit of fortune, we would've been second. With average fortune we would've been 3/4th.

 

[Chorley1974]

4/10 - there are some trolls and dickheads on here

 

[Pavl3n]

6/10 seems fair.
It started so well with 4 great signings and 3 out of 3 until that bad performance vs Watford and it all went against us.
Boys firstly played bad and then felt like they can't get a Win in the league. For 3 months it was a struggle. And then December came. Pogba stopped giving tHe ball away. Mikhi started playing and we started getting results.
Scored 3 in tHe league again.
Ups and downs. But the positive feeling will sit in and I believe we will finish in top 3 and Win Europa.

 

[R'hllor]

Lost game vs City at home,instead of finding them out and show others how to beat them,he went full coward mode at home.Makes my blood boil even today,spec when you see teams they lost against away.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

How would you rate our season so far /10?

- On the whole, 7/10.
We've played the type of football I want to see, I haven't left OT thinking I wish I hadn't bothered today, I have left thinking how the hell haven't we won today (well Burnley and Stoke definitely).

But the pieces of the puzzle are fitting now, we've won 18 out of 29 games, we're definitely challenging for CL football which on the basis of the last 3 years is a fair expectation, we're still in the EFL, still in the EL, and we'll start the defence of the FA Cup next week, which I'd say is a good turnaround on the whole compared to previous seasons where at this point in the campaign we were all pretty much done with it. There's a real sense of intrigue at the moment. We won't win the league, but you get that feeling like in the 05/06 season that we're going to make a statement and next season we'll be up there.

Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?

- I thought we'd be higher up in the league given the investment. I actually thought we would be out of the EL, but fair play to them they've realised it's an opportunity to make something of the season. The first 2 games were pretty drab, but the home games against Fener and Feyenoord were proper European nights for me, really enjoyed them.

But you can't ignore the league position. It is tight up there, but we should be at least 3rd because on the balance of performances, I think we're better than the teams above us up to 3rd place. Spurs are Spurs, on their day they're bloody good, but they just lack a bit of character. Arsenal, Sanchez aside, I don't know who consistently stands out for them. City...see below.

Any disappointments?

We're below City. The turnaround from their win at OT to today, I'm baffled as to how we're below them. On paper it's essentially that win which puts them above us, and if that's the case at the end of the season it'll hurt. They are a mess at the moment, and losing Gundogan for the season may well be a disaster, because with the current form of their defence, they would really have benefitted from his presence to calm things down.

The way the two teams are going, I expect United to leapfrog them in the next month.

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?

- I'm not expecting anything more than 4th. With 5 teams ahead of us, getting in the top 4 and staying there is going to be tough. Sods law, we win 5 on the bounce and still haven't clawed our way in, but when we drop points, they all do too. It's Chelsea's league to lose, but we won't claw back 13 on them, they look majestic this season.

 

[17Larsson]

8/10

The Rooney problem has been sorted. Pogba and Mkhitarian are starting to find form. Zlatan is scoring/assisting for fun. Herrera is a regular starter. We are back to attacking teams and the football is entertaining. Mourinho is our manager and I am loving this season so far

 

[Gizzyspop]

6/10

The biggest disappointment was the 4 home draws in a row. We outplayed all 4 teams, and would be second 5 points off Chelsea if we had won. No other issues.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

6/10

Out the title race, but United are looking like a team to be feared again for the first time in nearly 4 years. Pogba & Zlatan have a great understanding, and we're still in all the cups

 

[surf]

One below par, so about 5/10. Great transfer window, some disappointments among our star players, frustrating home draws and late goals leading to dropped points, then a much improved December. It's up to Mourinho to show his greater experience in this league than some of his newbie rivals and get us over the line into 4th place.

 

[Seanus]

Disappointment has been Shaw's injuries and/or loss of form.
Pleasant surprise Zlatan's performances and the way he has grown to be our biggest personality sine Eric.

 

[Sunny Jim]

With a little bit of luck here and there we could be easilly 10 points better off. And im not talking about big things. Imagine Pogba and Herrera scoring instead of hitting the frame of the goal, imagin refs giving as stone walls penos, imagine scoring some clear cut chances.

Performance-wise id give us 7/10, result-wise 5/10. That gives 6/10.

Special mention for Jose. He has been briliant so far.

 

[Sigma]

7/10

We have been far better than our league position shows

 

[RedPed]

In relation to our position in the league at the moment, I'd say 5/10.

In relation to how we're playing compared to last season...well there's no comparison really so I'd give that an 8/10.

I'm surprised that the transformation in style of play has been so quick and significant, considering the 'process' that the previous incumbent subjected us to. My only disappointment is those 4 draws that should have been wins and Rashford's regression. Apart from that, I'm 100% happy with everything else.

As to expectation, I would be over the moon if we won the EFL and EL trophies this season and replaced some peripheral players. On Bluemoon the Berties take the piss in that despite our 5/5, we're still in 6th place.....but they don't mention that we're now just 3 points behind them. And they're not doing too well themselves. We can still finish high up the table.

 

[Carlsen19]

7/10.

We've been incredibly unlucky on the whole. Even in the games we've won, we've had shocking decisions against us and seem to hit the woodwork at least once a game (normally Pogba). Mourinho made a few iffy team selections at the beginning but it seems like he's settled on a team that we all can mostly agree with. Our style of play has been excellent, and his handling of Rooney has been first class.

All of our signings have been great and the improvement of players such as Herrera, Valencia, Rojo, Jones has been impressive. As long as we keep playing like we are then I can't see any reason why we can't get top 3/4. I really fancy our chances in the cups too.

 

[Kag]

6/10.

The league position remains unacceptable and mistakes have been made. However, we're playing much better football, creating chances, conceding very little and have settled on a balanced front six that actually works.

We're on the right lines, and other than Adidas money that I don't really give too much of monkeys about, the league position isn't the be all and end all.

 

[lysglimt]

5/10 - The first 3 months were awful - and well below what I thought would be a worst case scenario. But November and december have been really good and Mourinho finally found a way to use some of our players the right way. It may seem harsh to give it a 5 but we are 13 points behind Chelsea and with the kind of money we have spent, that is not good enough.

The biggest surprise for me is that there has been a complete reversal of fortune on most players who were with us last season. Smalling, Martial, Rashford were perhaps our best outfield-players then - all have been poor so far. Herrera, Valencia, Rojo and Jones have perhaps been the best players this season - neither were brilliant last season.

Our position in the table, Smalling and Martial - and perhaps most of all that it took Mourinho 3 months to find a way to get our team to play football.

That we win the Europa League - I can't seriously see more than maybe 2 times that are somewhere near our level (and I honestly Believe we are a better club than Spurs now) - and that we reach 4th or better in the League. Oh yes - and we really should win the League Cup.

 

[December_16]

6/10, but with a ton more optimism for the second half of the season.

I, kind of, sort of, look forward to @noodlehair 's reviews, whether it be mid-year and post-season. Always a big chuckle.

 

[harms]

7/10

First - I haven't expected that much of this season, and I would've definitely rated this season much lower if we were in SAF times.

Mourinho finally found the right scheme for all the players and I'm enjoying every game (although we do lack points atm). He even went creative tactically when we needed a goal yesterday. Pogba, Micky, Ibra, Bailly, Herrera, Carrick, Valencia, Jones, Rojo all playing brilliantly.

Disappointments are: earlier results (not critical), Fellaini (should be hidden in the basement until an offer comes) and treatment of Schweinsteiger, who is the natural Carrick's back up/successor. Although we don't know what happened there, but since he had some minutes earlier I expected him to be gradually introduced into our first team.

 

[space]

So now we're exactly half way through the season.

How would you rate our season so far /10?

7/10 - We are not top of the league and still a bit away from top 4, but we are playing exciting football, and that is enough for me to give a 7 after the shit we've seen. I genuinely believe we've been very unlucky and extremely hard done by and should be higher in the table.

Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?

I thought we'd be higher, but then I didn't think we'd play football like this so all is even

Any disappointments?

Memphis, Schneiderlin, Darmian, Smalling

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?

Top 4, League Cup and a good run the in the Europa League.

 

[paulscholes18]

5/10 things are getting better but we're still 6th, thought we would be in the top 3 at this stage.
Disappointed in the Watford, Arsenal, West Ham, Burnley, Stoke & Everton results.
Should hopefully win the Europa League, like to get top 4 but not expecting it

 

[Carolina Red]

So now we're exactly half way through the season.

How would you rate our season so far /10?
6/10 - we're still in Europa League and within touching distance of top 4, but have had to overcome a slow start to do so
Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?
Definitely thought Jose wouldn't take the Europa League as seriously as he seems to have done
Any disappointments?
Our early season form against lower table teams and that Schneiderlin and Memphis haven't seemed to improve under Jose's leadership like guys like Rojo
What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
We continue to gel and realize more of Jose's influence on the club.

Best realistic result for this season to me... A Europa League title. I would really love to see us to win that trophy, plus it gets us Champions League, while a domestic cup win only guarantees Europa League again.

 

[RedPnutz]

So now we're exactly half way through the season.

How would you rate our season so far /10?

Any surprises as to how you thought we'd do?

Any disappointments?

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?

For me, I'd give our season 6/10 so far, we're only just getting going.

I'm not going to lie, I thought we'd be higher up the table than we are, but its not for a lack of trying. We've played some good stuff since Jose was appointed, and in quite a few games we've just been unlucky and not had the run of the ball. I'm much happier than when LvG as in charge.

Disappointments include Memphis, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger. Combined with our frustrating draws, especially at home.

From this point, I'd be happy with top four (ideally top three) and a cup.

7/10
Not many surprises for me as I expected the team to take time to form a cohesive unit, to erase the philosophy of the previous two regimes and to bed in new signings. The one surprise was Rooney. In my posts at the start of the season, I predicted Jose will phase Rooney out only around Christmas but he's done it way quicker than I expected.

I hope we go into the second half stronger. I expect a top 4 finish.

Main disappointment for me has been the fans, especially the forum fans who are often fair-weathered, too knee jerk and too quick to write off our manager and players.

 

[ash_86]

7/10 . Would have given 6 , but our recent form warrants 7. Hopefully Jose knows enough of players to trust and vice versa. Strap on the seat belts, we're in for one hell of a ride forward.

 

[matherto]

7,

Could've been immensely frustrating but it feels like we've knocked down a wall that we'd put up ourselves recently.

The Middlesbrough game felt amazing in a way that it hasn't when watching United for a long, long time.

I'm cautious of being hopeful (because any time I've ever positive about us, we lose) but there are signs of great understandings in the squad. Ibra, Martial, Mkhi and Pogba with Mata, Lingard, Rashford and a Rooney that isn't guaranteed a spot in the slightest is now that it's starting to click.

We're becoming fun to watch again because of the quality of the attack.

 

[wolvored]

How would you rate our season so far /10?
6.5/10. If I was marking the last 2 months then 8/10. We are getting better, but still not scoring anywhere near enough goals to chances created.

Any surprises on how you thought we'd do?
Yes. I though we would be in the top 3 at least, especially with the outlay we spent. That said we should still qualify for top 4 at least, as City and Arsenal are having quite a few indifferent results now.

Any disappointments?
Depay. I was expecting him to improve, but its not to be. The same with Schneiderlin. I thought he would be a big player for us. The new Carrick.

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
Finish top 4, and we should be in with a good shout with the cups. I also wouldn't be surprised if we bring in a couple of players this month.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

7/10

Just so much better than last season, feels like we have direction but we still need more goals.

Manchester United have had 74 shots on target in 10 league games at home this season, just one less than in 2015-16 [75 in 19 games].

 

[ChaddyP]

6.5 out of 10

we should be really in the thick of the title race, just took us too long to get into our stride. What sucks is that the entire top 6 have really been consistent and winning their games. Winning 5 in a row and not losing since the Chelsea game while still not moving a single place up shows what we are up against.

I'm still hopeful of the league till it's mathematically impossible.

 

[Bwuk]

4/10

We should be doing better. Looks like we are starting to turn it around though.

Top 4 and a strong showing in the Europa League are musts for me, otherwise it's a bit of a disaster.