Offf.... my man. You're missing the point. By a whole universe.
Manchester United is, wether you want to or not, unlike most clubs in the sense that we have a enormous heritage after Sir Alex retired. 26 years as a manager in a football world where the average term for a Premier league boss is 1.8 years. Most fans under the age of 35~ of this club has really only known football with Sir Alex in charge, and the years following his retirement.
There are a few strong characteristics that defines Manchester United:
A) Continuity
B) The Academy
C) Stellar recruitment
D) Winning mentality
Now, you can disagree with all that and act a bit spoiled while you look to other clubs and admire what they are doing like a petulant toddler, or you can take a seat and reflect on what this club actually is. Because if you want your club to buy every world star imaginable, buy a Manchester City jersey and go enjoy the echo from the stands at the Etihad.
Since Sir Alex retired we've seen the gross dismantling of A) - Lack of focus on B) - Spectacular failures of C) and D) coming and going like the tide.
Instead of nurturing the heritage after Ferguson, the board overseen the decline into a mish-mash of marquee signings, expensive failures, the worst contract in football, lack of continuity and direction, lack of great youth development, abhorrent contracts and loss of the Premier Leauge throne.
We have spent the money and more than our counterparts, and we have exactly what to show for it? That's right, a 2nd in the league, a EL trophy and some forgettable silverware. The ENTIRE identity of this team has been gone and forgotten and attempted replaced by a buyers club mentality that has failed in spectacular fashion. So you don't think we have a lot to celebrate? I'd rather argue that we have a LOT to celebrate. But first of all let me just rephrase what the club has said several times:
We are in the middle of a rebuild. - A REBUILD. The manager has been VERY voical about this being a process that will take years to complete. Ed Himself has been vocal about this being a rebuild. They've identified that they are on the wrong path, and are commited to getting back to, as they say, 'The Untied Way'. I don't understand why people have such a massively hard time with this concept, so let me just use the most common phrase in the world: Rome wasn't build in a day. For the first time since Sir Alex retired, the club and manager are fully on a clear path with a common goal with the backing of the board. The goal is to reclaim the identity of this club, and that takes time. Now, I am sorry if that displeases you and fans with a similar disposition for the patience of a gant, but that is the reality we find ourselves in. The club isn't even focusing on mounting a title challenge next year. The spoken goal is the year following, that is when the club expects to be at a place where they can compete for the PL trophy and CL trophies again through the following key factors:
Youth deveopemnt coming to fruition
Player purchases who have contiued developing
Continuity in the squad
Continuity in the coaching staff
Continuity in the manager.
IF you lack patience, you're supporting the wrong club. If you think you've had enough patience, blame the former managers and player recruitment for finding ourselves where we are today. They are at fault for this process having to take place, not the 19/20 version of Manchester United.
So what is there to celebrate? Well, as it turns out.. a LOT.
1) The project is developoing as the club wants. There was a goal this season: Secure Champions league, and we did that. They wrere realistic about the capabilities of the squad and they made it over the finishing line. We've had some high peaks and deep valleys. It should be a surprise to no one because the bloody manager said that is what we should expect this season. It's almost, so very almost, like he had somewhat of an idea of how the season would pan out. Ole knew what he was talking about, who would have thought?
2) Player recruitment has been phenomenal. Across the board player recruitment of 19/20 gets a B+. Overall we recruited no dead weight, and promoted solid, solid players from the academy.
Daniel James has overall been the weakest player to come in, but even he has contributed a impressive 6 assists in the PL this season, which is enouh for joint third with Martial, and 1 behind Rashford and Bruno overall. He is only 22 and very much still developing. He's currently projecting to be a good rotational player and impact sub.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has fixed a enormous problem from last season: our right back. Whereas before it was a significant problem, now I feel quite relieved if they are attacking down the right flank. He is the best defensive rightback in the league by some margin, and has taken good strides going forward in the latter half of the season. Also 22 years old and still a developing player. A lot of posters use Trent Alexander-Arnold against him with regards to offensive production, but if your only argument is 1 guy in football, then you don't have an argument to begin with.
Marcus Rashford has nearly doubled is previous goal scoring total on a season from 18/19. At 22 he's one of the best prospects in football. Before his injury he was on a solid trajectory to compete for the golden boot. For us who enjoy stats, his xG stats indicated that he should have been the Premier Leauge top scorer this season before his injury. He's wasted a lot of chances, but also generated some enormous goals, like the Chelsea free kick.
Mason Greenwood - Age 18 - A superstar in the making. I predicted 10 goals on the season for him. He netted 10: In the Premier League. Enough for joint 21st overall. Not too bad for a player who'se primary contribution comes in 2020. 19 goals overall on the season for a 18year old is sensational and puts him in the same echelon as other greats at the same age.
Brandon Williams, Age 19 - Gave Luke Shaw real competiiton for the Left Back position, a couple Player of the Match appearances and overall an incredible breakout season. He's still so young that he is nowhere near the player he will develop into the next seasons yet.
Anthony Martial - Still only 24 years of age about to hit his prime years, record goal scoring season matching Rashford at 17 on the season. His first year being givent he number 9 role, and he's taken it with both hands. Remember the player that Ole yelled at during warmup for the Cardiff game last season? He's nowhere to be found, this version of Martial is willing to break his face to score a goal.
Harry Maguire - The new captain of Manchester United. The first outfield player to play all PL matches since Gary Pallister in 92/93 (I think thats the year). He's being given a lot of schtick for having a pricetag, like it's somehow his fault. A very solid 2/3's of the season for Harry, a bit so-so the last third some matches but overall you can't call this a bad signing.
Bruno Fernandes - The best signing in the Premier League 19/20. He gave this team a dimension we never had with the likes of Pereira on the pitch. We have a LOT of speed with Rashford, Martial and even James, but no on to thread the ball. With Fernandes we got that and it changed our dynamic immediately.
Fred - Became pivotal in a season where Pogba spent most of it injured. Fred is one of the players of the year and had his breakout season in the club this season. His only crime for being benched after the re-start is that his isnt Paul Pogba.
Luke Shaw - At 25 years of age he is entering his prime. If you need any evidence as to why Shaw is one of the most important players on the pitch, notice the difference when he's playing and when he's not. He is SO important to that left side. Without him Rashford is forced to play deeper than he should. Shaw at times is an absolute beast. Having him and Williams competing for that Left back is beyond incredible the next seasons.
3) The academy is recruiting some incredibly exciting talent that will see Premier League action the next 1-2 years. Hannibal Mejbri, James Garner, Axel Tuanzebe, Tahith Chong (potential), Dillon Hoogewerf, Ethan Laird will all see first team football before the 22/23 season is finished. Out of all of these, Hannibal is projected as the biggest talent and one of the 'next big thing' players. If that comes to fruition, we'll just have to wait and see.
4) The continuity and the staff are keeping players very happy. Team morale means everything when the results aren't coming in. We've gone through rough patches and yet the only thing we've hear come out from the squad is how they are all pulling in the right direction. Scott McTominay even went as far as going public and urging the board to back the manager. Unlike other managers, Ole has always had the support of this group of players, and now that we've gotten the results we came for this season their effort and camraderie will grow even stronger. It's essentially the hallmark of any cohesive unit that you don't throw blame around. I've not seen anyone throw any blame around at all. Even the most criticized player in this squad was embraced by the best player in this squad last night after his 2-0 goal. There is actual camraderie and a will to play for one another in this group and that is something that all the pounds in the world can't buy. You build that and the coaching staff has gone to enormous lengths to achieve just that. Ole has himself been vocal about a new player needs to have the right mentality to be a Mancheter United player. Being a good player isnt' enough, he needs to be one of the 'lads'. That is why we will never see a mercenary purchase like Angel Di Maria again as long as Ole is in charge.
5) Key players are signed on long contracts. Rashford just penned a new long term deal, Greenwood is about to sign a bumper deal, De Gea extended the rest of his career here. The only player we have on a soon outgoing contract is Paul Pogba, and having come from a place where he wants to move on, he's now in talks to sign a new contract. A player who is not happy where he is does not sign a new contract, he can run it out and be paid just as much in Madrid if he wants to. If Paul puts pent to paper and commits the rest of his prime years here, that is the last piece we need to confirm that absolutely everyone are aboard this new direction of the club.
6) Securing Champions League removes a potential financial and professional hurde of signing Jadon Sancho. A long term significant target, he's going to essentially complete what is the most dangerous forward group going forward along with Liverpool. This deal will get done eventually and Sancho will be a Manchester United player soon enough.
7) We can actually go into the playoffs of a major trophy and be inredibly chill about it. No doubt we are one of the favorites to take it home, and with some solid rest of a lot of the guys I think we will take it home, but right now we don't have to win it, but we very much can, and will.
This has been a very weird season that mirrors the 15/16 seasons with most top6 sides dropping points left and right. But that doesn't matter becuause at the end of the season we are in third and that is all that matters. You are not awarded rankings based on 'what ifs'.
In the opening game of the Premier League season we played the youngest squad in the Premier Leauge and beat Chelsea 4-0 at home. The key takeaway here is that this squad is very young and full of developing talent that will only get better.
There is a LOT to be extremely happy about this season, both with regards to overall rankings, individual player development, affirmation that the project is going as expected, the ovearll mood of the club that has not been this good since 2013, and the promise of a continued legacy of a football club that is different from everyone else.
Sir Alex said it as good as anyone could have in this exerpt from his farewell speech in front of 80,000 Manchester United fans at Old Trafford in 2013:
"I'd also like to remind you that when we had bad times at the club, all the staff stood by me, all the players stood by me. Your job now is to stand by your new manager.
I wish the players every success in the future You know how good you are, you know the jersey you're wearing and you know what it means to everyone here. Don't ever let yourselves down. The expectation is always there."
So maybe we the fans, should remember that we can have bad times, they come for any football club, and that we can afford ourselves the luxury of standing by the club, players and manager through thick and thin.
