I've said over and over that I think we are not a good side and that we have been lucky in our recent run of form. For me, a top 4 finish is not even close to a certainty, but others immediately attack me for this stance and throw all sorts of names about. Regardless of this we have yet another match where we looked deficient in essentially every aspect of the game. I think we can lose to pretty much anyone and I think that as the season gets closer to the end, and we haven't yet secured a top 4 spot, that the expectations and psychological damage done from last season will cause our already rash and daft players to perform even worse and could well see us go on a losing slide. I see no reasons to be that hopeful at all, other than the fact that so many of our closest competitors are also capable of dropping points.
[Season 14/15] The race for fourth
- Thread starter The Azzurri
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
Ofcourse we're not a great side. We finished 7th last year. We were never going to win the league this season, our goal has always been top 4 and then kick on for next year. To be 3rd and have a 10 game unbeaten run is amazing and has far exceeded my expectations. Some member really need a reality check and their expectations curbed.
I'd like to ask the people who have really believed we could have competed for the title just until the last few days and weeks, what kinda herb have they been smoking ? Even the during the 6 wins run, you could see how we were hanging on by a thread. Never mind the 3rd place, finishing 4th will be a great achievement for me considering our dysfunctional squad.
A lot of your fans really couldn't or didn't want to see that. Just check the other forum out. Southampton Stoke Arsenal and Liverpool games were shocking at best. Lucky wins are ok but only in dispatches.
I think a lot of fans see the pbs but still wanna be optimistic and positive. Problem is that the line between optimism and delusion is so thin. To win a trophy, champagne football isn't needed but a fit squad and a strong mentality to get difficult wins. We have neither at the moment, once the going gets tough, we disappear.
At least Southampton or Arsenal will drop points today, and probably Spurs.
Point gained on Arsenal and lost no points on Liverpool or West Ham. Spurs probably dropping points later aswell. Not a bad day really.
Who wants it? It's like watching a bunch of bald men fighting over a comb.
Liverpool on 29.
Liverpool on 29.
Would just like a bit more breathing space for us, Southampton is a must win.
We have Southampton,Spurs and Arsenal all at OT in the second half of the season. Makes us favs for third.
And Spurs and Arsenal both have European football to manage and Spurs have a two-legged League Cup Semi-Final and possible Final as well.
We do but we won't finish lower than 3rd
Fourth at worst, nailed on. Third, Velcro at worst.
Id say you need a new crystal ball Charles.
I think that really is the reason to be hopeful. Chelsea and City are in a battle of their own, and United have been the most consistent out of all the 3rd and 4th place challengers. I think the patchy form of all those challengers will continue until the end of the season. United, Arsenal, Liverpool etc are all flawed, so I can't see anyone really clicking and going on a run like City and Chelsea have.
Out of us, Arsenal, Liverpool (and even Spurs, Southampton and West Ham if they are to be seen as genuine top 4 challengers) I do believe we are the most capable of remaining hard to beat. Especially as we've probably not even seen anything like a full strength United XI, with the unfathomable amount of injuries.
The potential of a full strength United side is genuine reason to be hopeful, if we can find any sort of balance with it.
Another positive is we've played away at City, Arsenal, Southampton and Spurs. Only Chelsea in the top 6 we have played at Old Trafford.
Not that much in it again. We have to pick up our form quickly unless we want it to be really tight for a top 4 finish.
We've got some tricky away games out the way (Spurs and Stoke will be tough for any side) and a nice run coming up until March. With no other distractions bar the FA Cup, I still expect us to finish top 3.
Win vs the Saints is a must, a big, huge one.
So far United are doing no better than last season in terms of points gained from the same/equivalent fixtures. Your claim that 4th place is "nailed on" is bizarre.
This will be one hell of a race, Arsenal are experts and Wenger will likely hit top form at some point to mount a serious challenge for his special invisible trophy, Spurs are challenging and have a goal scorer on form, we all know what Pochettino can do but it's a matter of Spurs grasping his ideas, Koeman has surprised everybody and who knows about Southampton.
Four teams, two positions, we have some tough fixtures come March so it's necessary we hit another winning run.
Four teams, two positions, we have some tough fixtures come March so it's necessary we hit another winning run.
In terms of points maybe, in terms of improvement we are miles better, all this despite injuries that would cripple any team. It's funny how our injuries are mainly brushed to the side as a simple 'it happens to all teams' when in truth it doesn't.
United are in a much better position this year because:
We have taken points off key rivals.
Secondly key rivals have a lot less points than this time last season
Last season at this stage united were
11 behind Arsenal
5 behind Liverpool
3 behind Spurs
5 Ahead of Southampton
This season
4 up on Arsenal
3 up on Spurs
8 ahead of Liverpool
1 ahead of Southampton
Its clear as day we are miles better off that last season. Its all relative to what our rivals do.
Not so easy any more, is it? Gonna be a close race. I still fear that some of our competition will find more energy as the final days approach whereas our players will bear the burden of psychological scars from last season. Just not sure this squad has it in them to make top 4.
Looking pretty doubtful to me. Most people underestimate the tough fixtures we have to come in March/ April. If we don't turn it round immediately and start piling on the points before those fixtures, our goose will be cooked.
With 55% of the league season now gone, you have 2 less points than you did last season following the same/equivalent fixtures.
I've said before that the same/equivalent fixtures is as good a predictive guide as any alternative predictive measure. You'll have to step it up by a fair margin if you want to entertain serious hopes of top 4. And to be fair, so will Spurs, who, by the same yardstick, are doing exactly the same (no better) as last season .
I've said before that the same/equivalent fixtures is as good a predictive guide as any alternative predictive measure. You'll have to step it up by a fair margin if you want to entertain serious hopes of top 4. And to be fair, so will Spurs, who, by the same yardstick, are doing exactly the same (no better) as last season .
That March-April period will be horrible. I fear for the worst.
The Spurs game was a bit of a breaking point for me, we really should've won it with our first half performance and would've been quite clear of the chasing pack by now. All ifs and buts, Glaston is right on this one, if we don't improve significantly we're not getting top 4.
Because those key rivals are worse this season.
The decline in form in recent weeks, coupled with an improvement from Arsenal, Southampton and Tottenham really has made it less comfortable now. We desperately need to try and make the most of our relatively easy (huh!) fixture list before that really tricky couple of months.
8 ahead of Liverpool?
You'd better sit down dear.You got your wish. We're in the race now alright.
We have gone from nailed on 3rd/eyeing up the top 2 to considerable doubt whether we will make the top 4 within weeks. I think we will do it but we need to improve and ditch that fecking horseshit formation.
I think we will make top 4 as the challengers are not in the best of shape either. We need to go on a winning run (not an unbeaten run) a winning run.
Liverpool, much as I can't stand them, are looking dangerous too. They're pulling off that look rubbish defensively on paper but keep conceding a goal a game or better thing United started doing a couple of months ago. Could really start piling points on in the coming months.
We needed to win today and create that gap.
Our run from middle/end of March is tough and we need to go on a run from now until then.
Our run from middle/end of March is tough and we need to go on a run from now until then.
Actually, think we have the same points as this stage last season.
Arsenal and Liverpool very good this weekend.....we need to improve immediately as we've rode our luck in plenty of games
You do, but that's not what Glaston said. He said from the equivalent fixtures (ie. you have three points from Southampton home and away this year, you had x amount last year).