Are we chasing too many competitions?

stepic

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imagine if Fergie thought like this in '99.

jeez there's been some dumb threads lately.
 

Snafu17

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What's the point in being in a competition if you don't play to win it?

*except maybe the EL
 

Adam-Utd

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imagine if Fergie thought like this in '99.

jeez there's been some dumb threads lately.
The thing is our 99 team was built to deal with it. We had strength in all positions.

What the OP is saying is partially correct, do we have the strength in depth to rotate and still win? I wasn't so sure recently but our squad has shown they can step up.

We could end up chasing everything and end up with nothing, sometimes it's better to prioritise?
 

mufcneville

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Rest players in the cup?

Nah, the only realistic chance of a trophy left. Rather that than top 4 tbh.
CL exciting but not something you can count on.
 

TRUERED89

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The thing is our 99 team was built to deal with it. We had strength in all positions.

What the OP is saying is partially correct, do we have the strength in depth to rotate and still win? I wasn't so sure recently but our squad has shown they can step up.

We could end up chasing everything and end up with nothing, sometimes it's better to prioritise?
Did we though? Apart from the strikers (Teddy, Cole, Yorke, OGS) if you look at it we didn't tbh, SAF just managed the squad superbly, and had fringe players performing out of their skin. our CL final line up was
-----------------------Peter-----------------

--G. Neville-----Stam----Johnsen-----Irwin

---Giggs------Beckham----Butt-----Blomqvist

----------------Cole-------Yorke----------------

If any of our back 4 got injured who did he really have? David May :lol:

and the Midfield without Keane and Scholes was pretty weak and lacking backup (Becks in midfield was extremely bold from SAF) hence why we got battered for 90 mins in that final, but becks saved the day with those world class corners. I honestly feel we were only secure upfront in terms of depth, but all 4 were world class and carried us to a treble.
 

Random Task

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Why 68 and not 69 :D or 100%? :devil:

Going through this thread, happy that all of you agreed. It is good for the Club, good for the Manager, good for the players and fantastic for the fans to remain in as many competition as we can.

Bring them on.
Preach it, brother!

Ain't no stopping us now, we're on the move.

Do dodo do do dodo.
 

ryan_forlan

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our squad is thin?

Forwards: lukaku rashford martial mata sanchez lingard
CMs: pogba herrera matic fred mctominay
fullbacks: shaw young dalot darmian valencia
cbs: smalling lindelof bailly jones rojo
gks: de gea romero grant

That is not a thin squad. We have two for each spot in every position. More than 2 for fullbacks and defense.
That is not a thin squad.

We have had injuries, yes. But any squad will be "thin" after so many injuries. And Martial, Matic, Herrera, Mata, lingard should all be back by the end of the international break.
We can give up on valencia and rojo for this seasos, but we still will be at 2 for a spot.

Once could argue that we have crap players or that they dont fit. But this is not a thin squad.
 

Adam-Utd

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Did we though? Apart from the strikers (Teddy, Cole, Yorke, OGS) if you look at it we didn't tbh, SAF just managed the squad superbly, and had fringe players performing out of their skin. our CL final line up was
-----------------------Peter-----------------

--G. Neville-----Stam----Johnsen-----Irwin

---Giggs------Beckham----Butt-----Blomqvist

----------------Cole-------Yorke----------------

If any of our back 4 got injured who did he really have? David May :lol:

and the Midfield without Keane and Scholes was pretty weak and lacking backup (Becks in midfield was extremely bold from SAF) hence why we got battered for 90 mins in that final, but becks saved the day with those world class corners. I honestly feel we were only secure upfront in terms of depth, but all 4 were world class and carried us to a treble.
I suppose you could argue a lack of good wide players in reserve, but our squad was pretty fit back then and didn't seem to get injured anywhere near as much as modern players do. Whether that was because we won matches at a canter i'm not sure.

The freak thing of losing Keane/Scholes was what messed the team up, as Becks was a 1 man army on that right side also.

Honestly though the current squad is a year or 2 away from peaking with the youth we have IMO. I just don't think we can play at the intensity required with 1 team. You need 2 squads of 8 (CB/GK will be OK) rotating every other match.
 

glazed

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our squad is thin?...

Once could argue that we have crap players or that they dont fit. But this is not a thin squad.
Kind of is. just as an example, CMs: pogba herrera matic fred mctominay - two are suffering injury and two aren't very good.
 

StrettyEnder07

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Seriously, FA Cup, Champions League, top four finish with a squad that is patently too thin. I think Ole should be playing the B-team on Saturday against Wolves.
Do us all a favour and don't ever go to a game home or away, this sort of comment will get you strung up
 

Siorac

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The thing is our 99 team was built to deal with it. We had strength in all positions.

What the OP is saying is partially correct, do we have the strength in depth to rotate and still win? I wasn't so sure recently but our squad has shown they can step up.

We could end up chasing everything and end up with nothing, sometimes it's better to prioritise?
We had a brilliant starting XI but the backups to Giggs and Beckham were Blomqvist and Jordi Cruyff. And I'm sure no one would confuse Henning Berg and David May with world-class centre-backs.

We had good strength in depth in the striker position but that's it. In central midfield we had Butt and Ronny Johnsen behind Scholes and Keane. Or Beckham was moved inside, as in the CL final. Overall we had eight players who appeared in more than 50 games. For 2008/09 - a season in which we played even more competitive games than 1998/99 - the same number was four; that is, four players played in 50 or more games (Vidic, Ronaldo, O'Shea, Tévez).
 

Adam-Utd

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We had a brilliant starting XI but the backups to Giggs and Beckham were Blomqvist and Jordi Cruyff. And I'm sure no one would confuse Henning Berg and David May with world-class centre-backs.

We had good strength in depth in the striker position but that's it. In central midfield we had Butt and Ronny Johnsen behind Scholes and Keane. Or Beckham was moved inside, as in the CL final. Overall we had eight players who appeared in more than 50 games. For 2008/09 - a season in which we played even more competitive games than 1998/99 - the same number was four; that is, four players played in 50 or more games (Vidic, Ronaldo, O'Shea, Tévez).
I guess that just shows how fit/determined that squad was. They didn't know the meaning of burn out.
 

Andycoleno9

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Youth team in FA, B team in CL. Then if we get that 4th spot and CL, we can play B team in that CL because we need A team to qualify for that CL. And then....repeat.
Seems logical
 

glazed

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Do us all a favour and don't ever go to a game home or away, this sort of comment will get you strung up
Fortunately I find the stupidity of our more genetically challenged supporters quite endearing.
 

killerboi2

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Yeah, might as well sacrifice the FA Cup and concentrate on Top 4 and CL. It wouldn't be so much of a problem if top 4 was already wrapped up. And FA Cup didn't exactly do LVG's legacy any good. He's still remembered as a clown.
 

Hoof the ball

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The thing that's always separated United from the rest is that we've never accepted 2nd place, let alone a top four finish, within the past few decades. We've become a club and a fanbase which doesn't see 2nd place as an achievement, and rightly so. If you're not winning, never be content until you are.

God forbid that we ever become a club that doesn't chase every single competition with every last effort and resource that we have. Stretched thin or otherwise, in the words of van Gaal, "We go for it!"
 

StrettyEnder07

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Yeah, might as well sacrifice the FA Cup and concentrate on Top 4 and CL. It wouldn't be so much of a problem if top 4 was already wrapped up. And FA Cup didn't exactly do LVG's legacy any good. He's still remembered as a clown.
Yeah those Lingard and Martial goals at Wembley were horrible, remember at the time of nearly trashing a pub with christ knows how many United fans thinking "yeah this is shocking, hate the cup, if only we were fighting for 4th"
 

Apokalips

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We're in the quarters and you want to sacrifice a potential semi final place in the hope that we simply gain the right to take part in next year's version of the same competition?

I'd rather try win the CL and not be in it next season, than aim for top 4. The players should be more than capable of playing the required amount of games, especially when they all mean so much. Concentration and motivation should be at it's highest. This is the reason the top guys play!

Imagine Cristiano said feck the CL we're 2-0 down, let's concentrate on the league. Loser mentality and one I do not want anywhere near my club.
 

Hughie77

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I've gone for a few changes on Sat night, but still strong enough to get through. Herrera we need back but willing to leave it till international break over.
 

glazed

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We're in the quarters and you want to sacrifice a potential semi final place in the hope that we simply gain the right to take part in next year's version of the same competition?
No. I just want to deprioritise the FA Cup.
 

SAFMUTD

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Feck, we are becoming Arsenal indeed....what kind of thread is this? we should be really competing for all, not just participating
 

ChaddyP

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Seriously, FA Cup, Champions League, top four finish with a squad that is patently too thin. I think Ole should be playing the B-team on Saturday against Wolves.

Sigh... How much we have fallen that these are genuine questions from posters these days.
 

ChaddyP

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Yeah, might as well sacrifice the FA Cup and concentrate on Top 4 and CL. It wouldn't be so much of a problem if top 4 was already wrapped up. And FA Cup didn't exactly do LVG's legacy any good. He's still remembered as a clown.
1 extra point to get us in top 4 wouldn't have made him less of a clown
 

Web of Bissaka

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It's enough of competitions.

Never has it been a problem. Look, I know the previous manager made many meals out of injury and all, which speaks volume he really just don't trust our youth nor our young players or even the rest of the players selectively, he just doesn't get what United is. Seen many posts that said something like "we should just throwaway the CL games even the cup, it's not wort it, focus on finishing top 4". Geez, is the influence by the prev managers that strong and lasting.

My point is, the mentality of United is always to have a good go at all the competitions, no complains when we had challenges aa problems along the way, when we had this problems many times before, and oh Ferguson sure did, but no, he did not complain. Instead he just make use what he got, trusting our players even if he had to for a few temporary games play players out of position, and gave chances to our youth with plenty got promoted in the process. Thankfully Ole and the players didn't make this kind of excuses.

While I understand OP's concern and plenty that share the same view, it's not a problem and it shouldn't be.
 

MikeKing

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We went in with a weakened squad and won against PSG, then we lost against Arsenal the week after with better players on the pitch. Easy answer is go with the right collective team and deal with issues as they come. We should always aim to win everything
 

Chairman Steve

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Regularly played games does have the ability to increase monentum and develop a better team understanding on the field. We should ideally play at least once in a week to keep that sharpness up. It’s bad to just rest the best players for a fortnight, thinking they’ll recuperate but at the same time, they potentially lose their sharpness and momentum.

On the same point, we’ve had considerable injuries and they’ve been out for about three weeks on average so if we’re going with the reason for not chasing all the competitions being fatigue, then a good portion of the squad shouldn’t have that issue anyway.
 

StrettyEnder07

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Bless? Ha that's your comeback? Makes about as much sense as wanting to play a B side in an FA Cup quarter final.

Gonna take a stab in the dark here but going to say you have no idea what the Tollgate is and have probably never stepped inside Old Trafford?

Awww bless
 

Trophy Room

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There is always a risk in aiming too high as you may end up with nothing. Certainly, there is a risk that Ole’s greatest achievement this season will be PSG and nothing else. But heck I’d rather dream and go for everything than continue to have the conservative mindset if the last few years.
 

cyril C

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Rest players in the cup?

Nah, the only realistic chance of a trophy left. Rather that than top 4 tbh.
CL exciting but not something you can count on.
After we beat Wolves, the Barca game will come right after FA Semi. Will have to rest a few players....
 

mav_9me

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If we fail in all three competitions, would you change your mind?
Nope. I'd rather try in process of which I might fail at everything then fix it as opposed to giving up now on any one.

What you are suggesting is the mentality of a club with smaller resources. And rightly so. Say teams like Wolves are in EL, they have to prioritize. But with our squad? How else do you give chances to everyone?

Imagine if we had given up against PSG. Turned out to be the 4th best European night for us.
 

Casanova85

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The depth of the squad is there. Man Utd just needed the right management to achieve Top4, a FA Cup title and UCL QFs.

With Mou already gone by June, and an easier draw in UCL QFs, the PL title and UCL semis-final could have been reasonable objectives as well.
 

glazed

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Nope. I'd rather try in process of which I might fail at everything then fix it as opposed to giving up now on any one.

What you are suggesting is the mentality of a club with smaller resources. And rightly so. Say teams like Wolves are in EL, they have to prioritize. But with our squad? How else do you give chances to everyone?

Imagine if we had given up against PSG. Turned out to be the 4th best European night for us.
There's an inconsistency here though. I say 'we should play a weakened team' and the Stretford Enders cry ' No no that's not the United way. You are a traitor and not a proper fan. What we must do is rotate our squad.'

But the two are exactly the same thing. You rest tired players or they get injured. Simple as that.
 

Yagami

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This is what footballs all about, though. Chase every competition we can! Who knows what we'll end up with. We may be in for a nice surprise after a depressing start to the season.
 

Yagami

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Did we though? Apart from the strikers (Teddy, Cole, Yorke, OGS) if you look at it we didn't tbh, SAF just managed the squad superbly, and had fringe players performing out of their skin. our CL final line up was
-----------------------Peter-----------------

--G. Neville-----Stam----Johnsen-----Irwin

---Giggs------Beckham----Butt-----Blomqvist

----------------Cole-------Yorke----------------

If any of our back 4 got injured who did he really have? David May :lol:

and the Midfield without Keane and Scholes was pretty weak and lacking backup (Becks in midfield was extremely bold from SAF) hence why we got battered for 90 mins in that final, but becks saved the day with those world class corners. I honestly feel we were only secure upfront in terms of depth, but all 4 were world class and carried us to a treble.
We had to play Johnsen in midfield the odd time, too. Maybe only a game or two, but still.