All the teams in the top 4 this season spent more than us bringing in 1st team players. If we don't significantly add to what we have we will fall off. The fan protests did hamper our games against leicester and Liverpool though it mad etge last few games unbearable . Everyone seems to have forgotten that. We had good momentum heading to those games.
Are we going to be put back in our place next season?
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What prediction? I didn't make a prediction. I said I wouldn't be surprised if we finish anywhere between 2nd and 6th, dependent on signings (which includes our rivals). What's so unreasonable about that? Maybe I've been burnt by too many false dawns in recent years, but very little surprises me when it comes to United these days. A dodgy summer (which absolutely isn't beyond the realms of possibility) and I think we'll struggle.
There are big question marks over the GK situation, we don't know what is going on with Pogba who very well could leave this summer, our leading striker is 34, one of our most important players in Rashford looks completely overplayed and burnt out and has got the EUROs to prepare for in a few weeks. There are obviously big issues in defence and midfield and while I appreciate all this stuff could be sorted with a really effective and proactive summer, when it comes to the Glazers you just don't know what's going to happen.
The only thing that will keep us in the same top-four bracket of City, Liverpool and Chelsea next season is that other "supposedly" big teams like Spurs, Arsenal and Everton are utter trash and Leicester are complete bottlers.
I think we fall well short of City and Liverpool next season , due to their injury list etc Liverpool seriously underperfomed this season but their 1st team is still far better than ours.
We should finish top 4 again , but at the moment that seems to be the height of our ambition which is sad for club of our size and history.
The reality is that unless we add at least 3 players to to our current 1st team we are not serious about any title challenge.
We should finish top 4 again , but at the moment that seems to be the height of our ambition which is sad for club of our size and history.
The reality is that unless we add at least 3 players to to our current 1st team we are not serious about any title challenge.
City will be as good as ever next year
Liverpool will be better than this year
Chelsea will be better
Fight between Utd, Leicester, Tottenham, Everton etc for the other top 4 spot IMO.
Yet another long season ahead unless we have a shockingly good transfer window.
Liverpool will be better than this year
Chelsea will be better
Fight between Utd, Leicester, Tottenham, Everton etc for the other top 4 spot IMO.
Yet another long season ahead unless we have a shockingly good transfer window.
Yes.
Our squad is comparable to Chelsea's in quality but our manager is not comparable to Tuchel.
Liverpool will obviously overtake us and be City's main competition.
We'll be fighting with Spurs and Leicester for fourth.
Our squad is comparable to Chelsea's in quality but our manager is not comparable to Tuchel.
Liverpool will obviously overtake us and be City's main competition.
We'll be fighting with Spurs and Leicester for fourth.
I am not confident we can win the league next season, regardless of any business done in the window. More than that needs to change.
Who's talking of winning the league? I don't think there's a person on the planet expecting that.
A more realistic question is do you believe we can narrow the gap once City have a fit Liverpool to push them and the crowds are back (presumably impacting our away form) and stay 2nd on at least 80 points.
That should be the demand, +80 points, narrowing the gap further and finishing a season well for once.
Yes, in spectacular fashion. Fans will be back so that away record is ending quickly next season and not a chance we will see so many comebacks.
If we're not in a title fight in May next year Ole has failed his stated 3 year project.
In my view as things stand with no signings or managerial changes and fully fit squads we're going to finish 4th. City are a world ahead of us, a fully fit Liverpool are well ahead of us, Chelsea have turned a corner and look miles ahead of how they were under lampard.
We've improved this year but 2nd flatters us hugely. My key memories of the season are still 6-1 to Jose, embarrassed in the group stages of the champions League, a complete collapse against a string of average teams in January having gone top of the league, totally outplayed by Leicester in the FA cup semi and last night. That's too many shockers in one season for an elite manager.
We've improved this year but 2nd flatters us hugely. My key memories of the season are still 6-1 to Jose, embarrassed in the group stages of the champions League, a complete collapse against a string of average teams in January having gone top of the league, totally outplayed by Leicester in the FA cup semi and last night. That's too many shockers in one season for an elite manager.
I'll echo the sentiment in the thread. Tough race for top 4.
Things can change unexpectedly all the time, for Liverpool this season for the worse, for West Ham for the better.
Similarly you never know, Spurs with a new manager (maybe Rogers for ex) or arsenal under Arteta ( 2nd in table counting last 23 games or so) or Leicester may do much better than expected.
Having said that we have bigger worries at home with our owners and our transfers. Sigh.
Things can change unexpectedly all the time, for Liverpool this season for the worse, for West Ham for the better.
Similarly you never know, Spurs with a new manager (maybe Rogers for ex) or arsenal under Arteta ( 2nd in table counting last 23 games or so) or Leicester may do much better than expected.
Having said that we have bigger worries at home with our owners and our transfers. Sigh.
You don't think the goal posts will be moved prior to that?
Well yes we've done amazing to finish 2nd (and other teams did poorly). Without the correct arrivals in the summer theres no chance we push on from where we're at, and it'll be very hard to come 2nd again
The likes of Lindelof, Fred and a starting De Gea have taken us as far as they will go. The occasional Europa league and 2nd when our rivals have a poor league season
I disagree, i think the first 11 is quite equal, if not slightly in your favour. However i think we have more quality in depth
I think next season the four that finished in the CL spots will do so by a much more comfortable margin
Oh of course they will.
Woodward will give him a new contract and it'll be stated "the aim is to have United winning major honours within 3 (more) years".
The whole point Ole was given a permanent deal in the first place was to help slowly kill the ambition of winning titles, and make it easier for the owners to hoodwink the fans with "rebuilding job" this and "cultural reboot" that.
Woodward is stepping down, but let's suppose that were true (I don't think so, but for the sake of argument) - with the SL fiasco, the protests and the repeated failures at semi final stages and now a final where we were favourites, I just can't believe that will wash. So I think, and hope, that the pressure will very much be on from next season onwards, like it would be for anyone not with an emotional tie to the club.
But to expect a serious fight for the league I just don't think is realistic. We were probably benefitted from this chaotic season, obviously with Liverpool imploding and a few other rivals. If we just look at our own team in isolation, I would see a healthy points tally, goal difference, home record and run in the CL as the requirement. If Liverpool and/or City go back to 90+ points then I cannot imagine we stand any chance of fighting for the title. But this team should be finishing on 80+ points and dominating a number of games over 90 minutes.
All depends on this summer, we will see how serious the Glazers are.
If we don't reinvest and continue the positive momentum then we will probably slip back into the same old pattern. Sack the manager and end up 6th. Rinse and repeat.
If we don't reinvest and continue the positive momentum then we will probably slip back into the same old pattern. Sack the manager and end up 6th. Rinse and repeat.
The first one is from last year, and the second one is from this thread. Now I'm sorry for circling you out, because this has nothing to do with you. Point is, we are very hard on ourselves and posts on this forum tend to be gloomy.
We will struggle to come top 4 next season.
You could let him sign 11 world class players and he’d still struggle.
Hopefully there will be fans inside the stadium and eventually watching us struggle against some bottom of the league team will be the straw that breaks the camels back and Ole will be hounded out, hopefully, but not likely
You could let him sign 11 world class players and he’d still struggle.
Hopefully there will be fans inside the stadium and eventually watching us struggle against some bottom of the league team will be the straw that breaks the camels back and Ole will be hounded out, hopefully, but not likely
No one gets all their players that they want in, in one window. Any manager can say I want the worlds best this or that. Its working with the players you have, coaching them and improving them, melding the whole better than the parts. Klopp and Pep have shown it can be done. Im not sure Ole can, neither him or the coaching staff. If we improved our coaching staff he might have half a chance.
No, that shouldn’t be the target at all, it SHOULD be trying to win the league. Not narrowing the gap to a team that finished 10 points behind us. Why would we finish second and then set ourselves a target of staying second?
Moyes wanted Ronaldo, Fabregas and Modric. He didn't get them. Do we excuse him for being 7th because he couldn't get the players he wanted?
We can get Haarland and Sancho but we won't win the PL or CL with Ole.
We can get Haarland and Sancho but we won't win the PL or CL with Ole.
Did Ole finish 7th? Have we not shown signs of progression?
Except Tuchel has inherited somebody else's squad four months ago and Ole has been in charge of United for two-and-a-half years and had time and money to develop the squad to his liking.
City are miles ahead of us, we won’t come closer without significant investment. I’ve been saying it all season, the scousers will bounce back as well, and are already making signings with Konate set to join. A full of season of Thiago and Jota and they will be in the hunt again. Chelsea will also hit the market running to back Tuchel who’s had a good season. They’ll be in for Varane and Sancho, and if they were to get both, we’re fecked. I’m not overly concerned about Leicester, Spurs or arsenal. I think we finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th next season.
Unless we have investment in the areas that are needed then yeah we will be back out of the top 4 and starting again from scratch. I suppose the silver lining of this defeat is that it doesn't paper over the obvious cracks in our squad
We're in a much better place this season than after 17/18, but I don't necessarily think we'll seriously challenge for the league, CL and we don't have the mentality to win the FA or EFL cup. We need a huge summer window done early to do anything different this season, which is doable, but I'm doubtful on it happening.
As of now I'm guessing a 4th place finish and a limp showing in the cups. Sign Sancho, a CB, Trippier, sort out our GK situation and sign a midfielder and maybe we can challenge, but then it's all on the manager if we don't.
As of now I'm guessing a 4th place finish and a limp showing in the cups. Sign Sancho, a CB, Trippier, sort out our GK situation and sign a midfielder and maybe we can challenge, but then it's all on the manager if we don't.
When you put it like that, what were the season highlights, 6-2 against Leeds?
Serious investment is all well and good but at the end of the day the managers make the difference, and I don't think Ole can when up against Klopp and Guardiola. I expect both City and Liverpool to get over 90 points next season. The fact that Liverpool finished the season just 5 points behind us despite not having a central defence all season shows the ability of Klopp to get the most out of his players. Ole can't.
City, Liverpool, and Chelsea will be stronger next season with better managers. The best we can get is a top 4 finish.
City, Liverpool, and Chelsea will be stronger next season with better managers. The best we can get is a top 4 finish.
A historic Liverpool collapse and Chelsea being so bad that they sacked their manager was perhaps not reasonably foreseeable 12 months ago, but it ended up being the difference between us finishing 2nd and 4th. City were and indeed are miles ahead of us. I don't think that was an overly pessimistic prediction and nor do I think preciting that we're more likely to be involved in a top 4 scrap than a title challenge is an overly pessimistic prediction for next season.
Do you expect us to win the Premier League title next year, or do you think that we'll be closer to 4th than to 1st, just as we ended up being this season?
The league table doesn't lie, except when I don't agree with it. 
Anyone thinking Ole will turn this around and suddenly start winning trophies needs to take off their Ole tinted spectacles.
The man is a legend at the club as a player, as a manager he is severely limited.
5 semi finals, been knocked out each time. 1 last chance of a trophy this season, youd expect him to go all out and secure the silverware, but again his lack of game management cost us the trophy.
Countless games showed this season, that he is clearly not the man to take us forward.
Unfortunately we have owners that dont really care about on field success and only success on the profit sheet.
We are lumped with Ole until either we fail to make the top 4, or more likely, the fans turn against him and force the issue with the owners. The bad thing is when that happens his legend status will be tarnished.
The man is a legend at the club as a player, as a manager he is severely limited.
5 semi finals, been knocked out each time. 1 last chance of a trophy this season, youd expect him to go all out and secure the silverware, but again his lack of game management cost us the trophy.
Countless games showed this season, that he is clearly not the man to take us forward.
Unfortunately we have owners that dont really care about on field success and only success on the profit sheet.
We are lumped with Ole until either we fail to make the top 4, or more likely, the fans turn against him and force the issue with the owners. The bad thing is when that happens his legend status will be tarnished.
That's exactly why we should start by improving our coaching, it's like in Formula 1. We are competing against a faster car with a better driver, well at least get a great driver yourself.
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Who do you think we could realistically bring that would made us challenge City?
I mean we could bring Sancho, Rice, Kounde and whoever you like and still I wouldn't fancy us to beat city. Coaching plays a big part, until Pep and Klopp go away or we improve on Ole we have no chance. That's the hard truth, yes bringing some players will help to "secure" top 4, but when talking about the title forget it there's no chance we'll beat city. They have a great squad with worldclass management we have a good squad with average manager.
Yep the good old 'he needs to build his own team'. As if this Chelsea team does not have the quality.
Besides I'm not even saying Tuchel is bad, he's had a good half season, very good in fact. I'm saying double standards are shocking.
Oh please stop with this bullshit statistics. We would have easily had 6 more points if we needed to. We were uncatchable in the league and gave away several games in the end.
This doom-and-gloom thread is insane. We will be fine, and if we bring proper players (of Cavani and Bruno's ilk) we absolutely can win EPL.
Sure, that should be the aim, even for a team like Arsenal or Spurs, but then there's realism. We are quite far behind City's first XI and very far from their squad, we're also quite far from Liverpool's first XI though our depth is a bit better. If the team finds itself top of the league deep into the season (like this season) I do hope they have the belief they can keep going, unlike this time around. However, as a supporter with realistic expectations, I want to see this team progress to one that continually puts 80+ points on the board, is strong at home, dominates games and has a healthy goal difference.
If Ole fails to win a trophy next season I think the jury will be out. And rightly so. But we're hardly winning the league, and I wouldn't knock Ole for not doing so. If he wins the league he can sign a 10 year contract.
City are City, Liverpool will probably be better and Chelsea will probably be better, if the upturn in their fortunes since Tuchel’s arrival is anything to go by. So yes, United will most likely find it a lot harder next season.
As usual, depends on the Summer transfers.
If and it's a big if. But if we brought in Varane and Sancho with a midfielder than I feel like we could fight for the league. But if we feck up the window again and bring in our 2nd/3rd choice transfers then it's just going to be more of the same.