If we are still playing like this next year (style/performance wise)...

[Raees]

And presuming we have spent another £150+m and we achieve the following hypothetical results:

• Scrape Top 4 (but not close at all to title challenge throughout the season)
• Knocked out in group stage of CL* (*if we win Europa League)
• Retain League Cup
• Fail to win FA Cup

And we do the following:

• Unable to go toe to toe with rivals
• Still struggling to break down teams at home (but obviously better than this season)
• Likes of Lingard/Fellaini still prominent starters

Would you still be happy with giving Mourinho a third season? Would you expect him to just continue to try and secure CL football in his third season.. or do you think by the third season, we would definitely need a title challenge and the quality of football would have to be better?

Personally I think as long as I see progress in our quality of football i.e. just a stronger outfit with a proper cohesive brand of football even if it is more defensive (but much more accomplished counter-attacking outfit) and we give our rivals proper games, I wouldn't mind if we get top 4 only.. all depends on the signings this summer and whether Jose starts to put his foot on the gas.

Your thoughts? whats your minimum expectations next year?

 

[dwd]

Minimum expectation next year is a title challenge for me, especially if we fork out the same kind of money as last year again.

 

[villain]

This sure is a whole lot of hypothetical situations.

Next season we'll still be in transition, so this is what I expect.
Top 4
Improvement on squad harmony & playing style (not necessarily finished)
At least one semi-final

I don't expect us to be the finished article next season, but I do expect an improvement to the next stage.

 

[SirAF]

This sure is a whole lot of hypothetical situations.

Next season we'll still be in transition, so this is what I expect.
Top 4
Improvement on squad harmony & playing style (not necessarily finished)
At least one semi-final

I don't expect us to be the finished article next season, but I do expect an improvement to the next stage.

This.

 

[snk123]

Depends on what we spend though. If we go on and spend 200m more then the expectations should really be the title (or top 2 minimum) and CL semis with either an FA/League Cup win

 

[K2K]

This place is gloomy sometimes.

All this negative threads can go into one thread.

 

[RedEM10]

The one thing I want to see next season is us going for the jugular. Killing teams off, attacking with purpose.

 

[Raees]

This place is gloomy sometimes.

All this negative threads can go into one thread.

Its not a negative thread? just curious as to what peoples expectations are next year. Mourinho is usually brilliant in his second season, so I am hoping that he really puts his marker on the team next year and regains his mojo a little in terms of tactical nous once he has more better toys to play with.

 

[Blind]

If we're about 10 points off 1st and still struggling to break teams down at Christmas then serious questions need to be asked.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

• Scrape Top 4 (but not close at all to title challenge throughout the season)

Would you still be happy with giving Mourinho a third season? Would you expect him to just continue to try and secure CL football in his third season.. or do you think by the third season, we would definitely need a title challenge and the quality of football would have to be better?

Underachievement. But still improvement and progress. Minimum top 4 next season, and then have another go winning EPL Jose. Third season is a big must seriously contending for EPL championship. Two Summer Business should be enough for Mourinho's calibre.

Assuming we would struggle next season of course . But seriously thinking about it again, we're quite bad overall this season considering our high standard, but still CShield and a cup won, and then Europa League finale ~ still impressive. 2/5 competitions won and potentially add another to be 3/5. Interesting enough.

 

[Smores]

Find it wierd you singled out players starting being an issue. If Fellaini and Lingard up their performances them starting games shouldn't be an issue.

I'm not expecting title challenge but id like us competing and not comfortably 4th thats about it.

 

[GM K]

We will not be like this next year. It's clear we are making progress and if the reports are to be believed, players like Griezmann are coming in. You don't buy those kind of players and have a crappy team even if the manager is rubbish.

 

[Mihai]

I fear for @Witchking health

 

[#07]

We are playing fine. We are finishing badly. Lingard could've finished the Celta tie in Spain last week if he'd have converted his chances.

I expect us to go out this summer and sign some deadly players. If we play the same way, with really good finishers, we will not draw nine at home next season.

If we continue to play like we have played this season, and have one of the best conversion rates in the Premier League rather than one of the worst, I wouldn't be shocked if we win the league next year.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

It's certainly not a positive thread @Raees.

Our season isn't done yet and it could yet end up being a highly successful one.

I reckon if things don't change and we still win two trophies next year, well we will have done more than most clubs ever will do/have done in a season.

 

[AXVnee7]

For me minimum expectation next year is a title challenge AND attacking football. I can understand taking the defensive approach against the top 4/5 teams away, but not at Old Trafford. There's no excuse against any other team unless there's a good circumstantial reason to do so.

 

[AN17]

If we spend another 150m plus and end up with the following scenario, Mourinho should be classified as a failure and the board should consider replacing him by the end of the season.

 

[cyberman]

For me minimum expectation next year is a title challenge AND attacking football. I can understand taking the defensive approach against the top 4/5 teams away, but not at Old Trafford. There's no excuse against any other team unless there's a good circumstantial reason to do so.

Who do we defend at home against? Every side we face parks the bus against us

 

[Stack]

Its funny but when the debate about whether or not Jose should be hired there was a small percentage of us who werent excited about the style of football his teams play and that small percentage of us got rubbished and dismissed because everyone was saying all that matters is the result and nobody cared about the style of play. Whats happening now is there is a quickly growing number of people complaining about the style of football......

 

[Rockets Redglare]

I'd say until recently we've been playing the best attacking football we've played since Fergie was at the helm.
Unfortunately we've had a serious amount of fixtures, horrendous injuries and some terrible finishing, otherwise we'd be comfortably within in the top four.

As for not going toe to toe with rivals, I admit our form against the top teams hasn't been great but we have recently outclassed Chelsea with a weakened side (most on here thought we'd get battered) and we're on the brink of our second major trophy of the season.

I genuinely believe we'll challenge for the title next season, and fingers crossed we get a chance to have a decent run in the Champions League also.

 

[AXVnee7]

Who do we defend at home against? Every side we face parks the bus against us

Pretty sure that's what we did against Arsenal at home to cite one example.

Then then you have yesterdays game for a second example.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

"Unable to go toe to toe with rivals" yet will have beaten every one of the top three in the league (plus undefeated by Liverpool) by the end of the season. Go figure.

 

[MadMike]

Pretty sure that's what we did against Arsenal at home to cite one example.

Then then you have yesterdays game for a second example.

We had to do plenty of defending against Swansea too

 

[FlawlessThaw]

Pretty sure that's what we did against Arsenal at home to cite one example.

Then then you have yesterdays game for a second example.

We definitely didn't just defend against Arsenal, we were the better side that gamke. We had more shots and shots on target. Our issue that game was that we failed to convert our chances, that's been our major issue this year.

The 2nd one like yesterday was when we have just a slender lead, we just drop back and are always clinging on.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Pretty sure that's what we did against Arsenal at home to cite one example.

Then then you have yesterdays game for a second example.

Nope. That didn't happen. We were all over them for most of the game then reverted to panic mode in the last 15 minutes. Which has been a massive mental weakness of ours since Fergie left. It's been ever so slightly less prevalent this season, so hopefully Mou is on his way to growing us a backbone again.

 

[AXVnee7]

Well we had more shots and shots on target against Arsenal. Our issue that game was that we failed to convert our chances, that's been our major issue this year.

The 2nd one like yesterday was when we have just a slender lead, we just drop back and are always clinging on.

I remember that game very well and we sank deeper and deeper following our goal. That's the issue. Stats don't tell the full story.

It's not that we don't play on the front foot, it's that we sacrifice it to protect a slender lead as you say.

 

[Maradona10]

So much thinking and hypothesis. Why not enjoy the final and then look forward to a muppet worthy transfer season. Think about next season in august?

 

[AXVnee7]

Nope. That didn't happen. We were all over them for most of the game then reverted to panic mode in the last 15 minutes. Which has been a massive mental weakness of ours since Fergie left. It's been ever so slightly less prevalent this season, so hopefully Mou is on his way to growing us a backbone again.

See above post.

 

[bosnian_red]

You're basically saying if we regress a bit next year then? Seeing as we might win a european competition after already winning the league cup this season. Who knows, depends on a lot of factors. My guess is that we'll get to around the quarters in the CL, challenge for the title (maybe win, maybe not but around there), and be a pretty classic Mourinho team. For a fair bit of this season, the football was good and we just fecked up chance after chance sespite dominating games. The last month and a bit is where the football kinda went downhill as we've been more grinding out results after so many injuries.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

See above post.

Well I disagree with that post. I also remember the game very well fwiw.

 

[royboy16]

And presuming we have spent another £150+m and we achieve the following hypothetical results:

• Scrape Top 4 (but not close at all to title challenge throughout the season)
• Knocked out in group stage of CL* (*if we win Europa League)
• Retain League Cup
• Fail to win FA Cup

And we do the following:

• Unable to go toe to toe with rivals
• Still struggling to break down teams at home (but obviously better than this season)
• Likes of Lingard/Fellaini still prominent starters

Would you still be happy with giving Mourinho a third season? Would you expect him to just continue to try and secure CL football in his third season.. or do you think by the third season, we would definitely need a title challenge and the quality of football would have to be better?

Personally I think as long as I see progress in our quality of football i.e. just a stronger outfit with a proper cohesive brand of football even if it is more defensive (but much more accomplished counter-attacking outfit) and we give our rivals proper games, I wouldn't mind if we get top 4 only.. all depends on the signings this summer and whether Jose starts to put his foot on the gas.

Your thoughts? whats your minimum expectations next year?

I've been saying it a while now but I think it will take him minimum of 3 years to mould his team and have us put in a title challenge.Even then its hard to say if we can win a title in year 3 as Chelsea and Spurs will also have improved.

Some of the stuff we are currently playing is not pretty and a bit concerning but I'm hopeful he will address some of those flaws this summer.He seems to have sorted us leaking goals which is a good building block and starting point.

Maybe we might win the super cup and fa cup next season which would be acceptable to me as long as the style of football improves also while winning trophies.

 

[AXVnee7]

Well I disagree with that post.

That's fine, everyone is going interpret a game differently. I say what I saw and it was a very similar pattern to a lot of games where we take the 1-0 lead but then go on the defensive to protect it rather than adding to it. I don't really mind a counter-attacking approach but we only hold that for so long before going all out bus parking mode.

 

[red_devil83]

If we're playing that kind of shit, at home against mid-table teams then I'd fire him. It's the same stick we beat van Gaal with.

 

[shield]

Next year will be our year

 

[Adebesi]

I'd quite like him to stop criticising his players next season. He knows his squad now, if he doesn't like anyone, get rid this summer. Anyone who stays, let's keep public shaming to a minimum, it's unseemly.

Also obviously an improvement in performances. Don't expect us to win the league or CL.

 

[Raees]

Nope. That didn't happen. We were all over them for most of the game then reverted to panic mode in the last 15 minutes. Which has been a massive mental weakness of ours since Fergie left. It's been ever so slightly less prevalent this season, so hopefully Mou is on his way to growing us a backbone again.

Do you not think Jose has been to blame for reverting to panic modes at times? tactically he has not been at the races by his own standards this year and the league table doesn't lie.

Next year I hope with a better squad, he can work on the way the team is set up and we can hold the ball up better under pressure.

For me his style of play necessitates a mobile complete number 9 with great hold up play and counter-attacking threat.. for me neither Zlatan or Rashford are good enough to make a Mourinho style system work and we also need one proper out and out world class wideman who can be a constant counter-attacking threat and doesn't lose the ball when embarking on a slaloming run time and time again. Our passing in the final third, constantly breaks down.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

That's fine, everyone is going interpret a game differently. I say what I saw and it was a very similar pattern to a lot of games where we take the 1-0 lead but then go on the defensive to protect it rather than adding to it. I don't really mind a counter-attacking approach but we only hold that for so long before going all out bus parking mode.

I think you have been completely miswatching our games, it's not that we choose to take a 1-0 lead and immediately go defensive. It's rather we manage score just 1 out of the 10 good chances we create and then we go into panic mode once the opposition take the game to us. That has been a common theme throughout the season.

Your initial post seem to indicate there was a special approach to the Arsenal game where we went defensive by complete choice, despite largely outplaying them. Wenger even said after the game that his side showed more steel than style that game.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

I'd quite like him to stop criticising his players next season. He knows his squad now, if he doesn't like anyone, get rid this summer. Anyone who stays, let's keep public shaming to a minimum, it's unseemly.

My concern about him criticising players in public is whether or not it has a major relationship to the fact that our players can't convert most of their chances. Bit concerned his public criticism is having an impact on the players confidence. Take someone like Mkhitaryan, was one of the best players in the Bundesliga and now is has been average for a large part of the season.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Do you not think Jose has been to blame for reverting to panic modes at times? tactically he has not been at the races by his own standards this year and the league table doesn't lie.

Next year I hope with a better squad, he can work on the way the team is set up and we can hold the ball up better under pressure.

For me his style of play necessitates a mobile complete number 9 with great hold up play and counter-attacking threat.. for me neither Zlatan or Rashford are good enough to make a Mourinho style system work and we also need one proper out and out world class wideman who can be a constant counter-attacking threat and doesn't lose the ball when embarking on a slaloming run time and time again. Our passing in the final third, constantly breaks down.

Every manager is ultimately responsible for every element of his team's play. The way we often shit ourselves when defending a narrow league is a frailty that was established long before Mourinho took over, though. As I said, if anything, it's slightly less endemic this season. Still a big problem and still his responsibility to fix it, of course.

 

[Cling Bak]

Minimum expectation next year is a title challenge for me, especially if we fork out the same kind of money as last year again.

This. Mourinho will expect he has to do nothing else. He's not daft and has high standards.

The first season, picking up the pieces from LVG and winning League Cup as well as potentially Europa League, I am happy with. Trophies are important. Next year it has to be about the league. A Champions League run would also be desirable.