Can United realistically win the CL this season?

[Momochiru]

Well you might want to refresh your memory then. Because that's really, really not how the game went. Seriously, watch highlights. They created a lot more than us - not hard of course as we created almost nothing - and should have scored more.

Obviously we are all biased here and all but this is next level. Let's face it, if we played and won the way City did, you would be lauding an absolutely brilliant performance from United.

Blaming the referee is pathetic. We played like shite and got beat. No shame in admitting that.

The only thing I agree with you is that we didn't play well. But even though we had a poor game, we were the team that was unlucky to lose. City didn't play better than us, I don't enjoy their style - passing the ball around for hours doesn't do it for me and I definitely wouldn't love it if we played as City, if I liked that, I would've wanted LVG to stay.

Blaming the referee is not pathetic when the referee is pathetic. I'm a referee myself with 16 years of experience and know very well, that sometimes one of the teams is at a disadvantage, because the ref favours a certain style. I don't have a problem with that as long as the calls are consistent. For example if the ref favours a more physical style, the more technical team would be at a disadvantage. This happens all the time and I don't have a problem with it - it's just bad luck. What I have a problem with is inconsistent calls - Michael Oliver was very inconsistent that day and it benefited City.

Would've we won if we had a good, consistent referee? If Lukaku didn't have a brainfart of a game? If Pogba wasn't injured? If Fellaini and Carrick weren't injured at the same time too? No one knows, but as I said before - a lot of things lined up against us on that day and despite that City won only by sheer luck. And that gives me enough confidence to fancy our chances against City again.

Anyway, I think we are derailing this thread.

 

[Fully Fledged]

It's the 50th anniversary of the 68 win. Let's do this.

 

[royboy16]

Liverpool will win it.

You might be right,I think they might get to the Semis as they a good at home in Europe and their attack is good enough for away goals.

 

[RedRom]

With a good draw maybe but it's very unlikely.

Reason being we'll spend a lot of time without the ball against better teams and we're simply not effective enough on the counter attack in big games. City home, Liverpool away and Chelsea away are all prime examples of where we can't get any foothold in possession or pose any sort of threat going forward because we're so poor on the counter. To be fair we didn't have Pogba for these games, but I still don't see us being both a defensive rock and devastating on the counter to the point where we could actually win it.

We also did not have Sanchez for them either, which changes things dramatically in our favour!

 

[minoo-utd]

To be realistic we might come 4th or 5th of the teams who are candidates to win it, IMO I see us come after Barcelona, City, PSG and maybe Juve.

 

[Gary Byrne]

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?

 

[Gary Byrne]

I think they can and this is from a pool fan
Thanks

 

[Fully Fledged]

I think they can and this is from a pool fan
Thanks

As I said above anybody who ever gets through the next round is in with a chance and that chance increases every subsequent round you get through.

 

[vidic blood & sand]

We'd have to have a run similar to when Chelsea won it. The kind of lucky streak the dwarfs had escaping from the goblin cave in the Hobbit.

 

[Dominos]

We also did not have Sanchez for them either, which changes things dramatically in our favour!

You'd hope. We have a habit of not getting the best out of the players that we sign, and he hasn't even pulled on the shirt yet to declare he'll change things dramatically.

 

[RedRom]

You'd hope. We have a habit of not getting the best out of the players that we sign, and he hasn't even pulled on the shirt yet to declare he'll change things dramatically.

Just out of interest which players are you thinking of when you say that we have a habit of not getting the bs out of players that we sign?

No club managers to get every single player that they sign to play well, so just wondering why you are particularly leveling that at us?
It just seems a strange thing to say, as I would think we have got far more right than wrong over the years, it just comes across as being very negative for no real reason.

 

[Stacks]

Mourinho has won the champions league with weaker sides then he has now and knocked out stronger then any team out there right now. IMO we have a better squad now with Sanchez then inter in 2010 (and Porto in 2004) while he knocked out pretty much peak Barcelona in 2010 en route to winning it. As long as everyone gets fully committed to the task and understand it fully, if we get luck with injuries and of course some luck on the pitch, then it's possible.

on the flip side you can argue that his last CL success was nearly a decade ago, he has managed 3 different teams and spent lots of money on better sides. fact is, I wouldn't bargain on past successes

 

[Greck]

Someone actually said Herrera could cancel out Messi.

 

[Dominos]

Just out of interest which players are you thinking of when you say that we have a habit of not getting the bs out of players that we sign?

No club managers to get every single player that they sign to play well, so just wondering why you are particularly leveling that at us?
It just seems a strange thing to say, as I would think we have got far more right than wrong over the years, it just comes across as being very negative for no real reason.

There's a reason we've spent so much money yet have found ourselves outside the top 4 in three out the last 4 years.

From the last 5 years the names that come to mind e.g. Kagawa, Mhiki, Di Maria, Schneiderlin, Shaw, Lukaku, Pogba, Memphis, Falcao, Mata.

Some were complete disasters, I suppose whether we're buying shite players or we're making them crap is up for debate.

Some you might find debatable, although I stress I said we haven't got the best out of them, not that they were shit. For example Mata was a much better player for Chelsea even if he has had some decent spells here.

 

[Andy_Cole]

Someone actually said Herrera could cancel out Messi.

Suppose Hargreaves did it in ‘08.

 

[Vanrouge]

Years ending in the number 8 stand out in our history. We won our first top flight title in 1908. Then there was the European Cup in 1968 and a Champions League in 2008. Of course, there was Munich too. But if we're not winning the league in 2018 (and we're not), then maybe the Champions League?

 

[Ram1fy]

If Ander Herrera steps up his game and shows energy and presence of mind, with a midfield three of Pogba, Matic, Herrera and a front three of Lukaku, Sanchez, Martial and a defense that has Bailly, Jones, Shaw, Valencia, and DDG, we have as good a chance as any. On top of this, consider having Lingard, Mata, Rashford to come off the bench.

 

[Ikon]

..and a defense that has Bailly, Jones, Shaw, Jones, and DDG, we have as good a chance as any..

You really like Jones don't you?

Be nice if we had a couple of Pogba as well..!

 

[Ram1fy]

You really like Jones don't you?

Be nice if we had a couple of Pogba as well..!

haha.. proofreading is not my strength.. actually, two pogbas and matic would be brilliant!

 

[GM K]

If Mourinho's Porto and Mourinho's Inter could win the CL, then this current Mourinho's United can certainly win the CL.

 

[Siorac]

Suppose Hargreaves did it in ‘08.

Not really. They were mostly on opposite flanks. It was Evra who usually had to handle Messi (and the central mids and CBs when the drifted inside from his starting position on the right)

 

[CA_vampire]

It is very difficult, but with some luck we can do it. For sure we are the underdogs.

 

[nikineil]

I think you forgot the most important of them all. We have Jose as our manager. If ever there was a big game manager, he's the guy. With that, and the wonderful post quoted above, we stand a very realistic chance of winning it.

 

[Red Goblin]

Jose did it with Porto. Yes, we definitely can.

 

[PieCrust]

Someone actually said Herrera could cancel out Messi.

That's not Herrera's game. If we actually asked him to attempt to mark Messi out of the game, he'd be sent off by 60'. It would be similar to when he was asked to do it against Hazard. Herrera has the will to do that kind of thing, but he doesn't have the discipline to pull it off for an entire match.

 

[shabadu84]

The two managers Mourinho's had the most trouble with are Pep and Klopp. If we don't have to go through both of them, I can see us going further. At full strength, and if Jose rotates well the rest of the way, I think we should be able to hang with any team now so yes, it's definitely possible.

 

[Murray3007]

That's not Herrera's game. If we actually asked him to attempt to mark Messi out of the game, he'd be sent off by 60'. It would be similar to when he was asked to do it against Hazard. Herrera has the will to do that kind of thing, but he doesn't have the discipline to pull it off for an entire match.

Did he no do that when we won 2-0 at old trafford, was doing it at chelsea in the cup game til the ref sent him off for all the other players fouling players, he was just the unfortunate player that night

 

[Adebesi]

That's not Herrera's game. If we actually asked him to attempt to mark Messi out of the game, he'd be sent off by 60'. It would be similar to when he was asked to do it against Hazard. Herrera has the will to do that kind of thing, but he doesn't have the discipline to pull it off for an entire match.

Surely the Hazard experience is an advert for him being able to do it, not for him not being able to do it. He did a fantastic job on Hazard that day, he didnt get a sniff.

 

[Greck]

That's not Herrera's game. If we actually asked him to attempt to mark Messi out of the game, he'd be sent off by 60'. It would be similar to when he was asked to do it against Hazard. Herrera has the will to do that kind of thing, but he doesn't have the discipline to pull it off for an entire match.

Sigh. Was ridiculing the notion that someone thought;
-simple man marking could cancel out Messi (a 10 year long debunked myth)
-By herrera of all people

 

[Niall]

Watching the Spurs game - this is why we can't win the Champions League this season. A good team exposing our defensive weaknesses.

 

[Robin Your Persie]

Yep the good teams really show how average our defence is.

 

[Minimalist]

Only way this ever happens is if we 'fluke' it with a few dire draws and snatch-n-grabs.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Only way this ever happens is if we 'fluke' it with a few dire draws and snatch-n-grabs.

Like Liverpool and Chelsea's only CL winning runs...

 

[Minimalist]

Like Liverpool and Chelsea's only CL winning runs...

Exactly. We're not up to scratch if you look an almost all of the times we play decent teams - even the win at Arsenal this season was dependent on Dave being literally a super goalie.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Exactly. We're not up to scratch if you look an almost all of the times we play decent teams - even the win at Arsenal this season was dependent on Dave being literally a super goalie.

When have we ever played like that to be fair? Madrid away in 2013 with a Welbeck header?

 

[jungledrums]

Watching the Spurs game - this is why we can't win the Champions League this season. A good team exposing our defensive weaknesses.

Perhaps those in power can learn something from today, make some tactical tweaks. We have good players, just not quite executing it.

 

[PoTMS]

A big fat NO.

 

[Minimalist]

When have we ever played like that to be fair? Madrid away in 2013 with a Welbeck header?

Van Gaal produced much better performances in the big games (as much as some hate to admit it). Mourinho seems to get the points down in the league from the lesser sides but dear me, anyone decent seems to dominate the match.

 

[Red Star One]

Nope.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

Interesting fact: Since our loss to Barcelona in 2011, our best season in the Champions League was... 2013-14, under Moyes