This ‘strange season’...

Rozay

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Of course, there is still a long way to go - but I must say that if we were to lift the league title, it will annoy me how much this narrative will be attached to it. I know it’s something Gary Neville will mention over and over, as he has done already so far.

Apparently everyone is ‘inconsistent’ and ‘everyone is beating everyone’ - but we’ve been very consistent with our results. We’ve won 9 of the last 11 yet the narrative of inconsistency persists.

Of course, we’ll just be happy if we win it, but I can see us not getting the credit we should due to the ‘anomaly’ of the season or whatever.
 

Bubz27

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I honestly couldn't care less if we somehow see this through.
 

Wednesday at Stoke

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If it wasn't an issue last season when Liverpool won, it shouldn't be any issue this season either and its not like United have an unfair advantage when everyone is on a level playing field.
 

OleBoiii

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It's a unique challenge, but it's the same for everyone, more or less.

The title will be as valid as any other title. Some seasons are weaker than other seasons, typically when several top teams are in a period of transition at the same time. However, this season is not particularly weak at all. City and Liverpool both have solid teams, Chelsea have spent a fortune, Mourinho is in his dreaded second season with Tottenham and Solskjær's United has started to click. Leicester are also doing well.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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It does seem like a narrative that is aimed at discrediting us and getting an early excuse in against us should we actually win it. The good news though is if we do actually manage to win it, we still have one of the youngest teams in the league so id back us to be there or there about again.
 

Nickelodeon

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Moaning for a title win being spoilt in the future, for one that we are barely third favorites to win right now.
 
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united_99

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I really couldn’t care less how we win our next league title. After having won so many different league titles under Fergie (when the league was the best in the world, when it was not that good, while playing good football, while playing OK, doubles, treble, blah blah) for all I care the next title can come whatever way it has to. I don’t think we are ready yet but it’s good to be in a position to take advantage if City / Liverpool struggle to win it.
 

bosnian_red

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Who gives a feck on credit or whatever else, the talk of that disappears with time and all that gets remembered is the title win. Look at our title win in 2010/11, 80 points won it and we were like 9 points clear of Chelsea in second! Yet now all that gets mentioned/remembered is that we won it, not how.

It is a low season for points though, though it was always going to be. City and Liverpool of the last 3 years are outliers and definitely not normal years (87-92 is what I would consider the standard aim for a title winning side). We're on pace for 80-81 points right now, and likelihood at the half way point (lose to Liverpool/beat fulham) is a 78 point pace. Thats normally a 3rd place pace, but no higher.

Anyway, its early days, I don't think we'll keep up our recent run of form but I don't think we'll fall too far off of it. End of the season I'd expect around mid 70's for points, but I expect City will find some consistency and finish mid 80's and in the end be top, with us and Liverpool fighting it out for 2nd. I'm not sure if we're capable of actually breaking the 80 point mark that would be needed to challenge this year, but we'll see.
 

Rozay

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I really couldn’t care less how we win our next league title. After having won so many different league titles under Fergie (when the league was the best in the world, when it was not that good, while playing good football, while playing OK, doubles, treble, blah blah) for all I care the next title can come whatever way it has to. I don’t think we are ready yet but it’s good to be in a position to take advantage if City / Liverpool struggle to win it.
Yea, this is very true.

Although a large part of being a fan is bragging rights and rivalry with others, so it will be a little annoying to have this attached, but it’s whatever.
 

thegregster

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Have any of these pundits actually mention that this strange season has been a big handicap to us(plus city and Chelsea) because of no pre-season?

The likes of Liverpool,Spurs,Leicester all got in a few friendly before the season started.

We could easily have another 3-4 points on the board if we had a pre-season.
 

Wumminator

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How can I justify to myself that last season was a write off and should be struck from the record books but this season is the most valid season of all time (as long as we win it)
 

peridigm

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I like to think of it as a strange past 7 years. Things appear to be getting back to normal. :devil:
 

FatherWolff

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It is a strange season. But not in the way of being easy. For clubs competing in several cups it has never been harder. So if anything, it’s an even greater accomplishment.
 

RUCK4444

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Of course, there is still a long way to go - but I must say that if we were to lift the league title, it will annoy me how much this narrative will be attached to it. I know it’s something Gary Neville will mention over and over, as he has done already so far.

Apparently everyone is ‘inconsistent’ and ‘everyone is beating everyone’ - but we’ve been very consistent with our results. We’ve won 9 of the last 11 yet the narrative of inconsistency persists.

Of course, we’ll just be happy if we win it, but I can see us not getting the credit we should due to the ‘anomaly’ of the season or whatever.
Yeah I know what your getting at, but to be honest I wouldn't give two fecks, if we win the league I will be over the feckin moon. It's a nonsense as it's the same for everybody anyway.

Also Gary is a certified feckwit. I've lost a lost of respect for him and his opinion on the game recently tbh.
 

RORY65

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Like others have said, if we win the league who will care what others think? I think the nature of this season has helped us, I've never thought we looked like a brilliantly coached side and we're not a side that presses ferociously but those flaws have been evened up this due to the congested schedule (pressing across the board is way down on previous years and it has also meant that there's less time to work on the training ground).

The key elements this season has shown up is having good team spirit due to the difficulties for everyone and having good players to win you points in scrappy games. Ole deserves credit for both of those because throughout his time here the one thing that has been clear is that the players like him, they've never quit on him, and as we've got results they've become more united around him and with each other and I don't think we've had a group who seem as committed to the team for years. In addition the signing of Bruno Fernandes was a masterstroke, we've wasted a lot of money before so he needs to get a lot of credit for buying an absolute gem at a price that now looks cheap when no other club seemed to be that fussed about him. So honestly I don't think we would be in quite such a strong position if the pandemic hadn't happened but it did happen and the way that the team have dealt with it so far has been excellent and that's all that really matters.
 

Camilo

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Grumble grumble grumble, they're all against us grumble grumble.
 

acnumber9

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It’s being viewed this way because Liverpool have reverted from super human form to something more akin a regular title challenge. Which shouldn’t be viewed as weird given City had the exact same problem maintaining that level of form over three years. A drop off was inevitable. The only teams with a viable excuse for weird form are United, Wolves and City as they were the only ones with next to no break or pre season.
 

meamth

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Nobody thought Liverpool is the strongest team in Europe until they win it.

Suddenly that team is labeled world class.

If we were to be acknowledged as a world class team, this is it, the boys have to do it. A sign of fruition and fulfilled potential.

The reputation will risen if we win something and I couldn't care less if the season is weird.

Win the title, we're the team to beat next season.
 

AltiUn

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There's nothing strange about it, if you ask me, it's just stronger than last year due to some "lesser" teams improving whilst City and Liverpool have come back down to earth after some truly awe-inspiring runs. The start of the season was awful for a few teams who'd had no pre-season but it's pretty much back to how you'd expect now.

Teams like West Ham, Southampton and Villa performing well have got people thinking it's really out of the ordinary but they're just generally good teams, Villa have one of the best players in the league, Southampton have an excellent manager and West Ham have assembled a well balanced team, it's nowhere near as "strange" as people are making it out to be. The usual suspects are all in and around the top of the table with only Arsenal seriously underperforming, but even they're starting to climb now.
 

Lentwood

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If anything we have suffered more than anybody!

We had a ridiculous 10-day pre-season and we dropped 11 of the 15pts we have dropped so far inside the first 6 games

Who thinks we would get beat by Palace now? Or hammered 1-6 by Spurs? Or beaten by Arsenal?

I genuinely think given a decent pre-season we would be at least 5pts better off
 

M Bison

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I really hope we have this problem at the end of the season but we're not even half way through the season yet and we're already finding something to complain about IF (and it sa big if) we win the league, and yet again its another imaginary, made-up stick to beat Neville with. Bizarre.
 

OleBoiii

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If anything we have suffered more than anybody!

We had a ridiculous 10-day pre-season and we dropped 11 of the 15pts we have dropped so far inside the first 6 games

Who thinks we would get beat by Palace now? Or hammered 1-6 by Spurs? Or beaten by Arsenal?

I genuinely think given a decent pre-season we would be at least 5pts better off
Yup. This is also what I'll say to sore losers, should we win.

Another relevant point is that this season is tougher than usual when it comes to the smaller teams. Coming to Old Trafford with no fans in attendance makes a huge difference.
 

roonster09

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Win the league and I couldn't care less about the narrative.
 

el3mel

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Who cares. This is a golden opportunity and I won't be greedy and say we must win it, but push all the way forward and keep a title challenge till the end of the season and I will be happy. I will honestly sacrifice Europe League for this if it will hinder our ability to keep the challenge going on.
 

croadyman

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Who cares. This is a golden opportunity and I won't be greedy and say we must win it, but push all the way forward and keep a title challenge till the end of the season and I will be happy. I will honestly sacrifice Europe League for this if it will hinder our ability to keep the challenge going on.
Yeah so would I and know there will be some who won't agree with doing that
 

Dante

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There's an ongoing pandemic, no fans in stadiums, no preseason, a 10 month schedule squeezed into only 8 months, and a summer transfer window that was dead on arrival.

It's a strange season for a multitude of reasons and they're being borne out in the results. It's been the equivalent of a Formula 1 race being staged in the rain.
 

GlasgowCeltic

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Definitely expecting a “worst champions ever” or “is the Prem in decline” narrative to be pushed were it to happen. I remember in 2011 the previous two years had been spent pushing a “Utd are finished without Ronaldo” narrative, so when the team won the league they seemingly felt they had no choice but to double down.
 

Crashoutcassius

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Have any of these pundits actually mention that this strange season has been a big handicap to us(plus city and Chelsea) because of no pre-season?

The likes of Liverpool,Spurs,Leicester all got in a few friendly before the season started.

We could easily have another 3-4 points on the board if we had a pre-season.
Yeah but the narrative is now that we have a sensational squad haha
 

Siorac

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It's been the equivalent of a Formula 1 race being staged in the rain.
Well, sort of - except much stranger. After all, rain at F1 races happens all the time. Not every race but on a few occasions every season. This, however, is almost unprecedented for many reasons.
 

Berbasbullet

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At the same time could you argue now we’re top we’re downplaying the ‘strange season’? :lol:

I do agree with OP and of the others posters saying we’ve actually had it hardest.
 

ForeverRed1

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I really couldn’t care less the how’s or why’s. It would be number 21, taking it straight from Liverpool.

Would possibly be the greatest title win we have ever had. After the 7 years we have endured as a club and fans, it would just be incredible, before anyone anticipated and with more meaning behind it than any other.
 

Red Star One

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I wouldn’t give a shit, but as lovely as it is to be top of the league, let’s at least wait until we face some of the main contenders before we start considering all this
 

Fully Fledged

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Of course, there is still a long way to go - but I must say that if we were to lift the league title, it will annoy me how much this narrative will be attached to it. I know it’s something Gary Neville will mention over and over, as he has done already so far.

Apparently everyone is ‘inconsistent’ and ‘everyone is beating everyone’ - but we’ve been very consistent with our results. We’ve won 9 of the last 11 yet the narrative of inconsistency persists.

Of course, we’ll just be happy if we win it, but I can see us not getting the credit we should due to the ‘anomaly’ of the season or whatever.
Feck the ABU's the salt of their tears flavours my chips.