Can United realistically win the CL this season?

[dave1956]

in one word " Yes "

 

[Henry Gaervell]

To state the obvious, our chances have just improved with sanchez. I think we are one player short of mounting a serious challenge this season - a defence minded midfielder is needed. Matic is looming a bit jaded and needs rotating, while we may need to play with two defensive mids in certain games (fellani and Herrera have limitations).

Although PSG and Man City are emergent threats for the CL, the old guard are all weaker this season in my opinion. Munich are an ageing side that are not the force of old, ditto for Real who are really struggling, while Juve have been in a slow decline since last season. Even Barca who are bossing la liga, are not the team of old.

All the above are still a threat of course and are capable of beating us - but overall I'd say this is our best chance of winning it this decade (assuming we'd made the knockouts post fergie). The competition is distinctly lower than recent years

 

[Giggs86]

Yeah, we're pretty underrated by people which suits us well, people will come up against us unprepared but if we can get our best players playing well then we have a real chance. That being said I think we need to ditch the 2 man midfield in big games, Pogba and Matic are brilliant players but it's so easy to play around a 2 man midfield as a 3 which a lot of the European teams play.

Only a fool would underrate a Mourinho team.
Other than that I agree.

 

[Denis79]

If Sanchez gets our attack going I can't see why not. Our defence is good enough.

 

[Denis79]

I can't see how you can say that considering how good City are.

Who?

 

[ash_86]

Not with our midfield of Matic and Pogba. We need couple of good ball retainers/ carriers in the Mid to go anywhere near CL trophy.

 

[simonhch]

Some people are setting themselves up for a huge fall. This Sanchez deal is great, but really people need to calm down a bit. We are still far from the finished item.

 

[mike bird]

I think every game from now on will be a final. Do we have a chance? Of course we do, every single team at this stage has a chance. However, Jose always won it with teams that were considered outsiders, and in our case we are one.

 

[cyril C]

Realistically being the key word. Obviously everyone still in it has a chance, but only a few can realistically do it.

PSG, Real, Barca, city

Sanchez may just be a game changer. We've got a brilliant core. De Gea, Bailly, Matic, Pogba, Martial, Sanchez, Lukaku. If you get those players playing well and kept fit, I don't see any reason why United can't do it.

Also we do generally tend to win it in this part of the decade..

Thoughts?

Real, in their current form, is no better than Liverpool or Spurs or Utd. I think we have better chance of winning CL than EPL. Ironically, due to runaway lead of Barca, BM, PSG and City, apart from these 4 teams, Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs, can afford to rest players between CL games and put higher priority on CL progress. let's see who we will face in QF.

 

[Canucantona20]

I think its possible, need some luck and players to hit form at the right time anything can happen. Plus we have a manager who is arguably the best CL manager of our time.

 

[meamth]

We have an exciting front 3/4 now. Actually one of the best in the world atm.

If you line up our attack against any team in the world bar City and PSG, we are on par at the moment.

Based on the topic, can we win CL? Definitely yes, we might be the underdog but not favorites yet. Just remember Greece won EURO back in the days, anything can happen in Cup Tournaments.

 

[Touseef]

Statistically- Yes
Realistically- No

 

[midnightmare]

Should have a good chance, I think. Mourinho has a good Cup record and is generally good with defensive organization. We're tight at the back and that's huge in Cup competitions. Also, with City possibly out of reach come the later stages (am going to assume we'll roll past Sevilla), we could well start prioritizing the CL like we did EL last time around. Liverpool are now 6 behind, Spurs 8 and Arsenal 11. That could well see us 'comfortable' in the league (Top 3 finish) even with the odd blip caused by prioritizing the CL - and teams that do so tend to do better. Mourinho's failure to win the CL at Real in the second season was largely down to the ferocious Real-Barca rivalry domestically that went down to the wire.

With Alexis added, our big issue of being too uni-dimensional in attack (only threat on the right was the marginal one from Tony V) should get solved. Keep him fit and get him firing and I think we should go deep and have a good chance!

PS: Personally am torn between the possibilities of ditching PL for the CL (and winning) vs City doing a Devon Loch and us going hell for leather in the PL and pipping them at the post. While I'd normally take the CL, the prospect of the latter is just too sweet!

 

[Isotope]

If somehow before the transfer window close we sign Kante, I think it's possible.

 

[tenpoless]

It is possible with Jose in charge and the current team.

I wouldn't mind him playing ultra-defensive with pragmatic approach away from home. As long as We get through.
It's his speciality, to win cups.

I won't expect us to win it but in UCL you never know. It is possible.

 

[Kapardin]

Without being delusional, we have a shot if it goes like this:

Winner of Real-PSG faces Barca in QF and Juve get Bayern.

Winner of Barca vs Real/PSG faces Juve/Bayern in semis.

In the meantime, we beat Sevilla in Ro16, then we get the winner of Shakhtar/Roma in QF. Then we face an English club in the semis. If we get through that, we will still have to beat one of the big guns in the final (Juve being the weakest possibility, I suppose).

Requires a tremendous amount of luck and Jose-ball, so not point thinking about it atm. Let's make sure Matic is fit for the rest of the season before dreaming, as he is a key player who's simply not had sufficient rest.

 

[AgentP]

The signing of Sanchez gives us a better shot obviously. PSG and Barca are still stronger than us. Apart from that, no team is clearly better. This is how I would rank the teams -

1. Barca (Messi is back to his best)
2. PSG
3. City, United, Bayern, Madrid
7. Juventus, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs

 

[Dancfc]

I think City are the most Iikely out of any English side.

Liverpool just don't have the defense, Spurs are Spurs while Chelsea and United struggle against high pressing teams, add high quality in the mix (look at how City strangled the life out of us both at our own grounds) and it doesnt look good.

What gives us both a small chance is our defenses but I think this title is between City, Paris, Barca or Real (they will sort their shit out by the time the crunch games come).

 

[Timdbro]

Teams far worse than us have won it, so yes.

 

[Nevilles.Wear.Prada]

Rafa did it liverpool,mou did it with feckin porto.. Well why not.

 

[ricky-romeo]

Rafa did it liverpool,mou did it with feckin porto.. Well why not.

di matteo won it with chelsea. anything is possible.

 

[idmanager]

With Sanchez now IN , I won't be surprised if we reach the semis.
After that, its anyone's call.

 

[SpyLuke10]

Real, Barca, Bayern, Juventus, City, PSG, United and Chelsea can all realistically win the competition imo, obviously 2 of barca madrid psg and chelsea will be eliminated, but nevertheless i do believe it is possible.

 

[NoLogo]

Chelsea proved that everything is possible. If they could win it playing like crap we have a chance as well.

 

[Mockney]

Assuming "realistically" means "wouldn't seem completely mad if it happened", then of course, yes. We're a very good team, with some very good players, and a very good manager. Winning a cup wouldn't be remotely unrealistic.

I'm not hugely optimistic, but however prestigious it may be, it is still a cup. And like most cups, it's just as often won by momentum and luck as quantitative superiority*. Hence why it's only ever been retained once in 25 years, and that a mere 6 months ago. Neither Fergie's peerless Roo & Ron side, nor Pep's GOAT Barca team managed it, so why people assume the presumed "best" side is always a shoe-in is a mystery. The better side do generally win the Final, but getting there is a lot more reliant on fortune than winning a League is.

Since Porto won in 2004, it's been won by arguably the best team a max of 8 times, and unarguably not the best team at least 5. 7/6 if we're going off who did or didn't win their League that year. I think the fact that we've always won the league whenever we've won the CL, makes us prone to overlook the fact that you can actually just win in as a Cup. It may not be as 'bigly', but it is possible.

* Assuming a baseline of "already pretty good", obviously. Real are clearly more likely to win it than Shaktar. But by the Semi-Final stage, it's often a much of a muchness.

 

[kouroux]

There is always a chance but I don't think so. The team is a bit too open in central midfield.

 

[royboy16]

Barca and PSG are probably our biggest threats. I believe we can beat Real and City in a two leg tie.

Interesting you left out Liverpool,I'm not sure if we could beat them over 2 legs.

 

[CristianH]

After Chelsea winning in 2013, everything could happen. But, Sevilla first.

 

[Quizierda]

Realistically NO!
To have a realistic chance to win the CL we still have too many issues in our squad/line-up and there are other guys around who are one/two steps ahead of us at the moment. BUT did Porto have a realistic chance to win it or did Monaco have a realistic chance of winning the league + reaching the CL semis at the beginning of last season?

I think we are still a few pieces away from the absolute elite in European football but you never know. I would be more than happy if we could make the semis to be honest - just to show the world that we are on the right way and maybe encourage DDG to renew his contract in the summer!

 

[groovyalbert]

Would need favourable draws, as would most. Sanchez would have to hit the grand bus running. It would be in keeping with how mourinho has won his previous champion leagues.

 

[Turnip]

It's realistic that any of the teams remaining win it, so yes.

That said, even with a decent squad and a new difference maker, we still play poorly regularly. We play like we did the other day against any of the teams remaining in the CL and we'll get spanked. That said I do believe most of our players have the ability to up their game against better opponents most of the time, but it's still not something they've really shown in any bug games this season or last.

 

[royboy16]

One step at a time. Lets get past Sevilla first.

A very sensible post.

 

[J_Red 11]

At the moment the only players I think who can make the difference are Sanchez, Martial, Pogba & de Gea. Lukaku has been disappointment in big game, defensively we aren't too bad but I don't think they are mentally good enough to handle the pressure, we still lack quality in midfield compare to teams like Barcelona, City, Real, PSG, Bayern and also our midfield & team performance are depending too much on Pogba.

There is a chance but we are still behind City, Real, PSG, Bayern & Barca. Signing Sanchez only move us above Juventus.

 

[Siorac]

Real Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona, PSG and City are clearly and obviously better than us, Sanchez or not. Juventus, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs are around our level probably.

So we would need huge amounts of luck to win it. The top five should knock each other out so we can sneak in to the final with a favourable draw. Then perhaps. Or we can hope for pulling a Chelsea 2012. But only last season we struggled big time against such powerhouses as Anderlecht and Celta Vigo so CL is probably a step too far...

 

[Havak]

I don't think we'd have enough if the draw is bad and I think Sevilla will be a huge test as well.

I'd hate to face most of the teams really, over two legs I don't like us against City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona or maybe PSG.. But the rest, or in a one-off game (the final), I would quite fancy us to win.

The problem would come if we keep getting drawn against those kinds of teams. Eg. We could get say, Liverpool next round if we were through and just steal it, but then Barca the round after and having to do it all again? I don't know.

 

[redchamp]

De Gea gives us a chance against anyone

 

[stu_1992]

We certainly can win it, with the manager we have I think you have to give us a shot. We're pretty solid and now, with the addition of Sanchez, we have a fantastic attacker so you couldn't count us out. Are we one of the massive favorites? No, but worse teams have gone on to win it than us.

 

[Jacko21]

I thought we’d have half a chance without Sanchez, so with him I see no reason why we can’t have a good campaign.

But I think Mourinho will have to coax the players through the tournament - bit like he did with the Europa League.

One game, one tie at a time.

 

[Tincanalley]

Statistically- Yes
Realistically- No

It's three games. It's top end opposition. It will take composure (Marcus! Breathe. Do yoga. Fall in love.), it will take a measure of luck, too. I am certain we can beat Real. Barca and one of the English teams our biggest threat, I would say. And yes, of course it's possible. If we won it, or even do very well in it, we become even more attractive to emerging elite footballers. After that, we need the summer of all signing summers. And...

 

[Striker10]

Liverpool did when they were un-fancied. Other teams have created upsets. We just need to create a run. If we lose our first game or even draw it and then we lose the next one suddenly we're frustrated. Now we have Sanchez, people are imagining we can win this competition. You need luck. If Zlatan recaptures his fitness/form etc I think we have a chance. We've good options. But let's respect our opponents. We had to take things one game at a time. Of course we can win it ...but it's easy to say that. Luck with injuries, decisions, suspensions etc. You need a lot of luck. Hopefully we can win the FA cup this season at least.