Seven games away from the most promising league season since Fergie

Hal9000

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Leicester have double our goal difference so we'll need them to drop points twice before then. Could well happen because their fixtures are rotten.
We have a really congested fixture list before we play them. 4 games in 9 days. Hopefully, the Palace and West Ham games get pushed back a day each. Wolves also have a very decent run in.
 

dove

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Yet another classic thread from @Wumminator that will surely get bumped for the years to come :angel: He is our TY from AFTV.
 

diarm

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We have a really congested fixture list before we play them. 4 games in 9 days. Hopefully, the Palace and West Ham games get pushed back a day each. Wolves also have a very decent run in.
If we go there needing a win to overtake them I'd really fancy us to do them. Maguire with an accidental header rebounding a clearance from outside the area in the 89th minute!
 

Wumminator

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Yet another classic thread from @Wumminator that will surely get bumped for the years to come :angel: He is our TY from AFTV.
:lol: They absolutely fecking don't. They just have a manager competent at his job while we have inept one.
That's the problem, it looks like Ole is going nowhere which means season is a write off.
Definitely mid table.
I have came into terms Ole is unfortunately going nowhere so let's just hope we can finish in TOP half of the table at least. If Emery or Poch is sacked before Ole, well that would be hilarious.
feck Ole’s wheel, what a waste of time.
If only I had your incredible ability to predict the future.
 

crossy1686

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With our run-in compared to the teams around us, we should make the top 3/4, the only thing I'm worried about is individual errors costing us. We cut those out and we're a very different team.
 

pacifictheme

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Cautiously optimistic. We've got a pretty good run in and are in good form. Hoping we can get top 4, would be fantastic and help with getting sancho.
 

dove

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If only I had your incredible ability to predict the future.
Not that hard to predict considering we are on track to finish with lowest points in PL history. Our current run is decent but let's not get ahead of ourselves as we had 10s of false dawns under all managers. Let's not forget that 90% of this season was shambolic.
 

Wumminator

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Not that hard to predict considering we are on track to finish with lowest points in PL history. Our current run is decent but let's not get ahead of ourselves as we had 10s of false dawns under all managers. Let's not forget that 90% of this season was shambolic.
Which parts of this season have been shambolic?
The injuries? The awful refereeing decisions?

I would agree with that.
 

Rajma

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Get competent LB, rock solid DM, also RF and I think we really would have the team on our hands for the first time in ages.
 

Massive Spanner

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I was staunchly in the Ole out camp until we signed Bruno and our whole style of play seemed to change, He looked done for to me, I'd never seen a manager at a top club turn around such a terrible run of form, let alone some manager from the Norweigan league, but fair play, he actually seems to be doing it. I've gone from being disgusted watching our games to genuinely really excited again.

people can call me a w*nker for being so against Ole, and hey, if he cocks up the rest of the season, I'll probably be right back there again, but I really hope he doesn't because we are great right now and he does so much right off the pitch that our other 3 shithouse managers didn't.

I'm cautiously optimistic right now, I hope we finish the season strong. Top four would be really nice but not essential, consistent performances like yesterday are, though. oh and fecking sign Pogba to a new deal, please.
 

Lj82

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If you are a fan of the club, how can you not feel the joy and excitement that is emitting from the club now? We have an exciting midfield, and exciting front three, youngsters bursting on to the scene who actually looks more than a flash in a pan, and defence that despite all the criticisms barely let in any goals?

It's enjoyable to watch United again. I'm waking up at 3 am EAGERLY to catch games like I was in the nineties when I was still a teen. The last few years had been torturous. Watching games at 2-3 am only to see the team registering 0 shots on target in the first half for consecutive games
 

Lj82

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I was staunchly in the Ole out camp until we signed Bruno and our whole style of play seemed to change, He looked done for to me, I'd never seen a manager at a top club turn around such a terrible run of form, let alone some manager from the Norweigan league, but fair play, he actually seems to be doing it. I've gone from being disgusted watching our games to genuinely really excited again.

people can call me a w*nker for being so against Ole, and hey, if he cocks up the rest of the season, I'll probably be right back there again, but I really hope he doesn't because we are great right now and he does so much right off the pitch that our other 3 shithouse managers didn't.

I'm cautiously optimistic right now, I hope we finish the season strong. Top four would be really nice but not essential, consistent performances like yesterday are, though. oh and fecking sign Pogba to a new deal, please.
Most people will just call you a massive spanner. :angel:
 

Wumminator

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Shambolic refereeing decisions:

Against Palace at OT we literally battered them all game and could have had about three penalties and Cahill sent off. Unfortunately this was the time of the year when the refs weren't giving anything because of VAR and VAR had a massively high threshold for overturning a decision.

Against Arsenal in the league we had a blatant hand ball off a cross missed when VAR was also not being overturned.

Against Everton - DDG got literally battered and the ball smashed in but no foul was given.

Against Sheffield United at their ground - Phil Jones got pushed over in the lead up for the first goal and the third goal hit a hand.

Injuries this year include:

Martial - Our current top scorer
Pogba - Our best player
Rashford - Our best attacking option
Mctominay - A mainstay in our midfield and massively important before Bruno and Pogba.
Shaw - Absent for a long time and an important part of our first team.

We have literally been unlucky this year. If we would have played Palace and Sheff United after the farcial change to the VAR rules where the threshold for overturning was much easier, we'd be comfortably higher up the league. If we had Pogba and Martial fit all season we'd be comfortably up the league. If Ole had got Ighalo and Fernandes at the start they'd have been bedding in for longer. Can't be helped, but you can see the difference they've made.
 

podurban2

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The dark years are still close in memory for me, but the curve is definitely trending in the right decision.

We really need a good defensive midfielder, but I have hope McT will become that player. Matic is still "only" 31, should be able to last another year or two playing the big matches. I actually think it's more important to sign a creative midfielder to replace Lingard/Pereira as someone mentioned above. The burden on Fernandes will be too big otherwise, and I dread the day he becomes injured..

Other than that, a striker and a right winger (Sancho?) should be top priorities. Our defense is looking pretty solid although Lindelöf could need an upgrade in order to be a top team in Europe.

Also looking forward to introduce a couple of new young guns to the team next season (which btw will be a lot sooner than I realised!).
 

Wumminator

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Wowzors you used my own name that I picked myself as an insult you are a genius and i've never seen that before.
I think the issue for me with your posts MS is that you completely seem to overreact to the last run of form.

I remember you calling Ole the worst manager in the league. I can see doubting him, but using hyperbolic statements like that means it seems hollow when you now see him on a good run.
 

Massive Spanner

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I think the issue for me with your posts MS is that you completely seem to overreact to the last run of form.

I remember you calling Ole the worst manager in the league. I can see doubting him, but using hyperbolic statements like that means it seems hollow when you now see him on a good run.
He was the worst manager in the league, though. For me anyway he was the poorest performing of any manager relative to the strength of squad he had at his disposal over that 12 month period.

I'm not sure how I'm overreacting? I said I'm cautiously optimistic. Our last 2 months (run of games) have been miles better than anything we saw under him in the previous year.

I won't yet say my criticisms were premature because it has only been a 2 month spell and we've had many false dawns in the past too but I'm a lot more optimistic than I was under our awful spells prior to getting Bruno. What exactly is wrong with that?
 

Wumminator

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He was the worst manager in the league, though. For me anyway he was the poorest performing of any manager relative to the strength of squad he had at his disposal over that 12 month period.

I'm not sure how I'm overreacting? I said I'm cautiously optimistic. Our last 2 months (run of games) have been miles better than anything we saw under him in the previous year.

I won't yet say my criticisms were premature because it has only been a 2 month spell and we've had many false dawns in the past too but I'm a lot more optimistic than I was under our awful spells prior to getting Bruno. What exactly is wrong with that?
I meant more the hatred and scorn you put on Ole earlier on in the season. I know you wanted him gone but calling him the worst manager in the league and an imbecile etc. was over the top. You were adamantly against him and insulted the “ole in” brigade tirelessly. Now saying “oh I’m optimistic” just sort of rings hollow for me, if you’d have supported us when you could see we were struggling it would just mean so much more.
 

Massive Spanner

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I meant more the hatred and scorn you put on Ole earlier on in the season. I know you wanted him gone but calling him the worst manager in the league and an imbecile etc. was over the top. You were adamantly against him and insulted the “ole in” brigade tirelessly. Now saying “oh I’m optimistic” just sort of rings hollow for me, if you’d have supported us when you could see we were struggling it would just mean so much more.
I think you're confusing me with someone else. I never called him an imbecile or insulted him.

Didn't you make a thread a few months ago saying that you welcome those who were previously "Ole out" and now you seem to be against those who were Ole out but are now optimistic? Which is it?

Apparently people can't change their mind in football and have to stand by their original position, even though my original position wasn't my original position, it was formed based on a consistently terrible run of form. Sue me.
 

redshaw

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Bruno has been a hugely influential, the worry is we're probably back to where we were without him, a largely non-functioning team costing hundreds of millions.

Part of a manager is getting the right players and I was pleading with us to get Bruno in but would other managers get the team minus Bruno playing better?

I've been critical of our squad since the LVG days and think we've amassed a large squad of players that haven't gelled continually. How good can we be if Bruno is out for six months? Can the players and coaches produce the spark of fluidity in play without him for a long period? Bruno has been that good.

Back to getting the right players in, maybe Sancho can be another, if Bruno is out, he can help it continue.
 
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Pretzels81

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Still need Sancho.

Pogba staying and committed.

New CB. New LB.
 

Wumminator

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Bruno has been a hugely influential, the worry is we're probably back to where we were without him, a largely non-functioning team costing hundreds of millions.

Part of a manager is getting the right players and I was pleading with us to get Bruno in but would other managers get the team minus Bruno playing better?

I've been critical of our squad since the LVG days and think we've amassed a large squad of players that haven't gelled continually. How good can we be if Bruno is out for six months? Can the players and coaches produce the spark of fluidity in play without him for a long period? Bruno has been that good.

Back to getting the right players in, maybe Sancho can be another, if Bruno is out, he can help it continue.
If Bruno went out but Pogba and Rashford were fit, we would be fine.
 

Salt Bailly

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Fighting on three fronts whilst playing quality attacking football with a fully fit team of young players, many of whom have come through our own academy, but people are complaining about a hypothetical points tally.

The mind boggles.
 

Betson

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The bar is not very high considering the dross we have outputted most years since Fergie left. Expectations are low these days so we might exceed them.

And it still does not sit well with me that we would celebrate a season where we would finish 30 plus pts off the winners, especially if we do not end up winning anything.

Really need to get top 4 and win at least one of the cup competitions we are still left in to describe it as an adequate season with progress.

Like it or not it is still a results driven game.
 

Lentwood

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Amazing transfers,
The best football,
Young players I actually like.

Take away VAR shenanigans and injuries....

Anyone else starting to believe?
Yep, I agree. I give this season a 9/10 right now and a 10/10 if we get Champions League

Every decision Ole and the staff has made has been spot on
 

Keefy18

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Not that hard to predict considering we are on track to finish with lowest points in PL history. Our current run is decent but let's not get ahead of ourselves as we had 10s of false dawns under all managers. Let's not forget that 90% of this season was shambolic.
What absolute crap!

Makes up imaginary percentage to enforce an opinion.

It's absolute feckin evident at this point what he is trying to achieve and we can see its working on the pitch.

Embarrassing comments from you throughout this thread.
 

lysglimt

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I do fear Wolves though - they have an easier run-in than we do...and they could beat both us and Chelsea
 

lysglimt

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What absolute crap!

Makes up imaginary percentage to enforce an opinion.

It's absolute feckin evident at this point what he is trying to achieve and we can see its working on the pitch.

Embarrassing comments from you throughout this thread.
His posts usually are crap - about 90% of them
 

Berbasbullet

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I do think we need to taper our expectations. I’ve seen some talk about a title challenge next season if we sign Sancho. I do think next season is one too soon and maybe look at the following season.
 

Caesar2290

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We are a couple of good signings away from becoming a real good team. On paper at least. Out starting 11 is strong, but we need more squad depth.

Assuming Ole is going to stick with a diamond, let's look at our current formation.

DM: Matic
RCM: Fred/McTomminay
LCM: Pogba
ACM: Fernandes

Except for the RCM we are really short in other positions. If one of Pogba, Fernandes or Matic gets injured, the whole balance flies out the window.

This is why we need Grealish who can play both Pogba's and Fernandes's positions. Also Ndidi or Partey would be neat to take over from Matic. The old man is good, but he needs to be played only once a week.
 

Gonçalo Motta

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Signining Fernandes was the key to unlock the potential of the team imo. He is a incredible player on his own but the way he affected the players around him was incredible. It was like we played with 2 completely different squads in the first part of the season and second part of the season.
 

SteveTheRed

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I do feel a bit of a fool right now. I was certainly championing "Sack ole, sell pogba" earlier this year - but i'm a fickle football fan! Things change quickly :devil:

I honestly think we should be pressing for 3rd now. Chelsea have tough games (City, Liverpool, Wolves, even West Ham will give them a game) I would say they will drop 6 points?

Leicester have Arsenal, Spurs away, Sheffield and United. Could easily lose 6 points.
 

Bilbo

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Top four would be really nice but not essential, consistent performances like yesterday are, though
This is a key point, and one that needs to be repeated often over the coming weeks. As of this morning we are not favourites to finish top four. Repeat, NOT favourites. We fancy our chances because of recent form and feel rightly confident of getting there, but as a fan base its very dangerous for us to use that as a barometer of whether this is a successful season or not, or whether we should sack our manager.

Not all feel the same way obviously, but for me this is already a successful season. We have turned this ship around and are looking like a football club that know what needs to be done to win things again. Its been a good while since we could say that. Losing out on CL football by a point or by goal difference, should that happen, isn't going to change that. This team is not yet the finished article and it will get better, but we will also lose games and every team needs some good fortune sometimes.
 

fergosaurus

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I was certain Ole wasn't the man to lead us forward but he's proved me wrong as things stand. The feel-good factor is back and this run is even more impressive than the first few months for the fact that we can't say it's down to a new manager bounce. It's a great turnaround and credit to him and the team for getting us into a position to get top four after the situation we found ourselves in a few months ago. We're playing some nice football and getting results, that's all we can ask for.
 

Lynty

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Ole outers should be included in the temporary scouse ban at the end of the season.