Have your expectations for the season changed after our transfer business?

[BusbyMalone]

It looks like we’re not going to do any more business in this window, and I don’t think many United fans had us spending so much money. So, with that being said, have your expectations now changed? Personally, I had us in 5th, but with the good form shown from Malacia and Martinez (yes, I know, it's early days) and a world-class DM, I’m going to bump us up to 4th. Plus, Chelsea aren’t looking so hot.

Anyway, what's the consensus here?

 

[Baneofthegame]

Top 4.

 

[Newtonius]

Top 4.

Yeah or EL, hes got every player he wanted bar a couple. That's not to say he should be sacked if he didn't that would be stupid you can't do everything in one window but espectations should be that we up there.

 

[GreatDane]

Top 4 and a good showing in Europe.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Top 4.

And where did you have us before we conducted most of our transfer business?

 

[Frank White]

Had us finishing top 6 but anything other than top 4 after the funds spent can't be seen as anything but failure imo.

 

[Noc-Z]

My hopes have changed more than my expectations. I had us as a mid table team at one point. Now I hope we will be pushing for top 4, and might even do it. Very impressed with our signings. I just wish we would get our business done early to give the new signings time to integrate. But here we are. I also thought very early on that our pursuit of De Jong was a pointless waste of time which it has proven to be. I didn't imagine we could sing Casemiro. I'd have took Casemiro over De Jong anyway for what this team needs.

Not sure if it's hope or expectations, but I now hope for top 4, more than I expect it. Whereas before I didn't think it at all possible so yeah I guess my expectations have kind of increased a bit too.

 

[TheReligion]

Early days. If we are able to take 3 points tonight and do similar on Sunday I’ll be quietly hopeful

Still feel it will be too early though to see any real consistency in results. It’s the style of play and ethos though that’s key.

 

[TheReligion]

Anything other than top 4 after the funds spent can't be seen as anything but failure imo.

Disagree here.

 

[Pronewbie]

My expectations have changed after watching some of our rivals, namely Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs. I thought they'd be much stronger than us.

 

[Frank White]

Disagree here.

Why? Top 4 should be bare minimum add in the 200m we've spent then i think that would be more than reasonable especially with how bad some of are competition look (i know how early we are into the season)

 

[Skills]

Top 4 or win the EL.

 

[GBBQ]

I am gonna choose to be optimistic and say we can put on a run and get top 4 this season. I do think It probably hinges on Varane staying injury free and Casemiro and Antony hitting the ground running.

 

[TheReligion]

Why? Top 4 should be bare minimum add in the 200m we've spent then i think that would be more than reasonable especially with how bad some of are competition look (i know how early we are into the season)

Because everyone else around us has done the same?

This is the first stage of a rebuild remember

 

[Remember the geese]

Why? Top 4 should be bare minimum add in the 200m we've spent then i think that would be more than reasonable especially with how bad some of are competition look (i know how early we are into the season)

We have a chance, but no more or less than others. We are still lacking in certain areas.

 

[Skills]

I am gonna choose to be optimistic and say we can put on a run and get top 4 this season. I do think It probably hinges on Varane staying injury free and Casemiro and Antony hitting the ground running.

I mean we paid a massive premium on Antony because the expectation is that he would hit the ground running.

 

[pcaming]

It's still going to be a slug to make top 4.

 

[Skills]

We have a chance, but no more or less than others. We are still lacking in certain areas.

So is everyone else. If we weren't "lacking in areas" I'd want a title challenge.

 

[JTRI]

Getting Casemiro in is huge, one of the world's best DMs in arguably our weakest area of the pitch. I don't see any reason now we shouldn't be making top 4, apart from City no other team is exactly lighting the league up so far.

 

[Todd]

Not really, no. My expectations were 6th at the beginning of the season, then dropped to the hope of being top half after how awful we looked the first couple of matches. Now, they're back to hoping for 6th.

City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea are still clear of us I think. Best case scenario we can compete for 5th.

 

[Utuhu]

As long as Maguire, McFred continue to be on the bench in league games, then a Top 4 is very much achievable.

 

[evil_geko]

This isn't FIFA, if you add a lot of new players, it can take time for them to gel together, so no, I don't expect great season only based on money spent. Next year, yeah, expectations would be much higher.

 

[Pavl3n]

If we show the same tenacity as in the Liverpool game and we continue to get on board with Ten Hag's methods and tactical ideas - I can only see us improving. I wasn't convinced we could get in top 4 considering the state and form of the teams in the big 6. In my opinion Conte's Spurs are a very dangerous team - the man has managed 3 clubs in the last 10 years for a total of 7 seasons and won the league 5 times. Arsenal seem to be improving, despite it being ever so slightly. And Chelsea looked fairly strong. But when you consider the state of Chelsea and the fact Klopp is going in to the end of his managerial cycle, I think we have a very good chance to get in the top 4.

Yes, Erik's been at the helm for only a couple of months and we've brought 6 players, 5 of which are meant to go in the first team, which means it will take time for this group to gel together. However 2 of those players have played under ETH in the last seasons and are well up to speed with his approach. I know there will be hick ups, but we've recruited fairly well, despite new players joining rather late. I'm looking forward to this season.

 

[Frank White]

We have a chance, but no more or less than others. We are still lacking in certain areas.

Like everyone else is, I'm not talking about a title challenge but for the investment + the quality of the signings personally anything other than top 4 would be disappointing.

 

[Remember the geese]

So is everyone else. If we weren't "lacking in areas" I'd want a title challenge.

Which is why we can challenge for 4th. However, others are in the same boat as us.

 

[Remember the geese]

Like everyone else is, I'm not talking about a title challenge but for the investment + the quality of the signings personally anything other than top 4 would be disappointing.

Well it's definitely the aim. It's pretty 50/50 and certainly wouldn't be a massive shock if we missed out.

 

[Eleven-Eighteen]

It wasn't just the transfers but the performance of the new players in the Liverpool and Southampton game that has me more hopeful

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

We need CL, so top 4 or EL + visible progress are my expectations.

Before the Liverpool game I was genuinely concerned we could finish mid/lower table, but the last two games and Casemiro and Antony have made me much more hopeful.

 

[Frank White]

Because everyone else around us has done the same?

This is the first stage of a rebuild remember

And? Not expecting it to be a walk in the park but the minimum for United should be top 4 add that we've signed 3 quality players for big money then to me top 4 should be achievable.

 

[Bilbo]

My expectations have changed after watching some of our rivals, namely Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs. I thought they'd be much stronger than us.

Exactly my thoughts. 2nd to 6th is wide open and wholly unpredictable

 

[Leftback99]

Better than I expected a few weeks ago but there's still 5 teams better than us.

 

[siw2007]

Before the season started I would have said we have no chance of getting into the top 4, and expected us to be 5th at best.

After the recent signings of Casemiero and Anthony, I am much more hopeful of breaking back into the top 4, however, I still think we will miss out because the competition at the top is very strong and we are still developing our team. I think we should be getting to the latter stages of the EL though and get a good chance of winning it.

 

[devilish]

Top 4 and/or winning Ronaldo's favourite cup aka the Europa League

 

[PieCrust]

Although it's been a good couple of weeks on the pitch and getting some transfers, I don't think United can be reasonably expected to make top 4. There is still a lot of over paid dross in the squad that can't play the way ETH wants, Ronaldo, Maguire, Shaw, I could go on. This will still be a transition year so I'm still just looking for progress. It's been a decade since we had any real type of plan. The team has been so poor and underperforming that even if Antony, Malacia and Martinez pan out, it's not enough to compete with the top EPL teams.

I think our best chance to make CL next year is through Europa. Consistently I doubt our ability to make top 4, but anything can happen in a cup competition and we do have the capacity to beat anyone on any given day.

 

[Bastian]

Maybe a few hours too early to tell. But my expectations have changed somewhat after seeing how unimpressive Chelsea are, how non-amazing Spurs are, though Arsenal are yet to be truly tested. I suspect Liverpool will get back into gear but they're clearly not what they were.

Top 4 is most definitely attainable.

 

[Majima]

No. We haven't done enough so far. I still see us best case scenario being in a battle for 4th place. Ronaldo is 37 & heavily struggled playing every few days last season, he's going to be even worse this season (he'll be saving himself for World Cup too), Martial is crocked and won't last playing every few days (already breaking down a couple of weeks in), & the rest of our options are useless up front. We're just too short up front to last a full season, and I expect that will be our downfall this season.

I'm extremely happy with Ten Hag so far, but there's only so much he can do. I can hope, but I don't think it's fair to expect it put it that way.

 

[Van Piorsing]

After Brentford spanking and hard grind vs Soton looks like another season of every game looking nervous cup final to win it barely 1:0 or 2:1 with bit of luck. Football is a simple game, no matter how much you concede, if you score enough goals, you win. We have serious problem with scoring from quite a while.

Top 4 is genuine uncertainty, and it's absolute minimum. Ten Hag will have to fight with all his knowledge to shovel the team out of the defeatist mindset, while there are still some disruptive elements in the dressing room.

 

[BaguetteBoy]

Nope because that exactly what I expected. ETH to work his magic and transform the team bringing players to positions we needed gather a couple more recruits after the world cup( pay a bit more United premium as always) Very hopeful for top 4 even with the horrible start

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Win the Champions League or bust.

 

[Chief123]

I had us 6th. I now have us 5th.