This ‘strange season’...

Lee565

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Yeah it's such a strange season with the same old teams at the top in man city and liverpool, with Leicester are around the top 4 like last season, spurs are around the top 4 because they actually have a good side and was why potchettino was sacked last season because he had them performing well below par.

People could argue about Everton being so high up in the league but they have genuine world class manager in charge and got the signings he wanted in the summer.

The only really strange part of the season was the first 2 or 3 weeks in terms of results because the lack pre season but looking at how the table is planning out it looks like normal service to me.

The real reason this being labelled a strange season is because heaven forbid liverpool haven't been able to keep the type of form they had the previous 2 seasons. They can't call it strange because man city aren't flying because they weren't even that good last season either.
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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If you look at the whole Premier League era, it’s actually last season that was the really strange one
 

tomaldinho1

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First few game weeks were mental, otherwise it's been a pretty normal season.

Corona didn't just appear this season, Liverpool won the first official "PL trophy*" remember.

*title won during covid-19 pandemic and therefore void
 

tjb

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Thing is, I want us to sneak this title and build from there. The end of last season, the signs were there that we were actually not far off City and Liverpool, but had a few things that needed to be sorted out before we could really catch up. We took care of one of those things by adding depth, which has allowed us to stay consistent. We have clearly improved,, but you can't act like we are as decisive as both City and Pool are in their games. They dominate games in a way in which we still don't and our defence ( which is looking sturdy now) wasn't looking as sturdy to start the season as we expected. The media hasn't yet come to terms with the fact that neither City or Liverpool are as good as they were two years ago. City even proved that point last season and have done so again this season. Liverpool are doing it now. What we do in the next transfer window is very important. We are a solid midfield partnership away from being a top class team and we have the tools to make that happen.
 

tjb

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Imagine if we had actually had a preseason prior to the start of this season. I think we would have continued where we finished last season, Van De Beek would have been integrated by now and Greenwood and Martial would have had the fitness to have played better. I honestly believe that we would have won our initial games and at least not lost 6-1 to Spurs. We would most likely have gotten better results against both Chelsea and Arsenal as our formations would have been set earlier, and we may still have been top of the table. We were the form side of 2020 despite that dip in form early in the season, statistics suggests that we would have continued where we left off.
 
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I don’t get it too. They claim the epl is the most competitive in the world, anyone can beat anyone, anyone can win it. When we finally have a season that justifies the claim they act bewildered.
 

Rozay

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Thing is, I want us to sneak this title and build from there. The end of last season, the signs were there that we were actually not far off City and Liverpool, but had a few things that needed to be sorted out before we could really catch up. We took care of one of those things by adding depth, which has allowed us to stay consistent. We have clearly improved,, but you can't act like we are as decisive as both City and Pool are in their games. They dominate games in a way in which we still don't and our defence ( which is looking sturdy now) wasn't looking as sturdy to start the season as we expected. The media hasn't yet come to terms with the fact that neither City or Liverpool are as good as they were two years ago. City even proved that point last season and have done so again this season. Liverpool are doing it now. What we do in the next transfer window is very important. We are a solid midfield partnership away from being a top class team and we have the tools to make that happen.
Tbh, I think our biggest weakness is in the frontline, contrary to the praise it gets. Last season they took a step forward and this year they have taken one or two back, for me. They are way too frivolous for me. A lot of the games we are winning closely should have been more comfortable. We should have gotten the breakthrough earlier etc. It isn’t always about missing a shot either, but just immaturity in the final third. Particularly with Marcus Rashford I find. Goals change games, and we should definitely get more I feel from watching us.
 

Redlyn

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If we win it it absolutely doesn't matter. We won it fair and square. The end.
 

DWelbz19

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Tbh, I think our biggest weakness is in the frontline, contrary to the praise it gets. Last season they took a step forward and this year they have taken one or two back, for me. They are way too frivolous for me. A lot of the games we are winning closely should have been more comfortable. We should have gotten the breakthrough earlier etc. It isn’t always about missing a shot either, but just immaturity in the final third. Particularly with Marcus Rashford I find. Goals change games, and we should definitely get more I feel from watching us.
Only one team have scored more goals than us this season — the current champions. Our biggest weakness is a massive stretch. Our best players are our attackers, they’re just mostly out of form.
 

Smores

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It's one thing to get excited another to start talking about our potential title ffs. It's all far too close and a long way to go, calm it down.
 

pascell

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Would it still be a strange season if one of the favourites won it? I doubt in years to come it'll be remembered as being a strange one, maybe just because there hasn't been fans in stadiums.

League titles are won by the most consistent team and they deserve it, if its Liverpool or even us somehow, that team has deserved it as they've been the most consistent. Maybe the past two seasons have been freak seasons with teams gaining more than 90 points two seasons on the trot and now we're seeing the norm?
 

Rozay

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Only one team have scored more goals than us this season — the current champions. Our biggest weakness is a massive stretch. Our best players are our attackers, they’re just mostly out of form.
I’m not speaking of other teams. When I watch us, I don’t see a team that is clinical enough. If other teams choose not to be clinical too, that is on them. I suspect not all of them have designs on winning the league title.

I think a mature forward in his prime would help the team a lot. To answer your point more directly, Rashford, for example, has good numbers - but screws up so many situations and makes stupid decisions. He’ll often score a tougher one though. But I just fear when I watch us that we will pay later in the season if we don’t take the chances we are ‘supposed to’ more often.
 

DWelbz19

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I’m not speaking of other teams. When I watch us, I don’t see a team that is clinical enough. If other teams choose not to be clinical too, that is on them. I suspect not all of them have designs on winning the league title.

I think a mature forward in his prime would help the team a lot. To answer your point more directly, Rashford, for example, has good numbers - but screws up so many situations and makes stupid decisions. He’ll often score a tougher one though. But I just fear when I watch us that we will pay later in the season if we don’t take the chances we are ‘supposed to’ more often.
But other teams won’t? This is some strange logic. We’re in a bad run of form offensively. It’s nothing more than that. Rashford and Martial are patchy players but they’ll even out by the end of the season. It won’t be a lack of goals that will cost us the title (should we still be in the title race). I’m almost certain of that.
 

SER19

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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.
I see what you're saying and mostly agree. Its pretty competitive. But honestly, if we won, none of us, nor history would give a shit
 

Rozay

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But other teams won’t? This is some strange logic. We’re in a bad run of form offensively. It’s nothing more than that. Rashford and Martial are patchy players but they’ll even out by the end of the season. It won’t be a lack of goals that will cost us the title (should we still be in the title race). I’m almost certain of that.
Well the team that wins it likely won’t. If we want that to be us, then Rashford and Martial being ‘patchy players’, as you described them, is a risk.

You have conceded that these players are patchy. It is this patchiness I speak of. Mané, Salah and Aguero have not typically described as patchy - and they are recent league winners.
 

Hernandez - BFA

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There's two ways to look at it. Some of my friends have said that this is the "weakest PL season" in recent memory. I'm of the opposite view. I think this is one of the strongest PL seasons in recent memory in terms of how strong the teams are.

There's no team who you can confidently say "Team A are going to dick them today". So many of the big dogs have dropped points to the lower teams, and I think it's due to excellent tactics by lower manager.

People on this forum were looking to the Liverpool match before we even faced Burnley, as if it's a foregone conclusion. Some thought City would trounce Brighton today, and yet I thought Brighton played really well. Fulham really went at Spurs in the second half and outplayed them.

Apart from Sheffield United, I don't think any team has regressed this season. Wolves aren't the same Wolves granted, but I think losing Jimenez and not having a trustworthy replacement was always going to be troublesome. Look at Villa, Southampton, Everton, West Ham. Teams who are typically mid-table/lower end are really impressing.
 

SirScholes

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Tbh, I think our biggest weakness is in the frontline, contrary to the praise it gets. Last season they took a step forward and this year they have taken one or two back, for me. They are way too frivolous for me. A lot of the games we are winning closely should have been more comfortable. We should have gotten the breakthrough earlier etc. It isn’t always about missing a shot either, but just immaturity in the final third. Particularly with Marcus Rashford I find. Goals change games, and we should definitely get more I feel from watching us.
Agree with this, Greenwood is going to blow hot and cold, I think rashford has stepped up, always trying to make things happen.
The attacking strategy looks better, we get the ball to the right players in the right areas now
But the finishing, I’m just never confident whether it’s a one on one or simple tap in.

martial is going to cost us this season if he doesn’t pull his head out his arse soon
 

0le

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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.
The consistency stretches further back than that as well. We did not lose a league game last season after Bruno arrived (post Burnley) P14 W9 D5:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019–20_Manchester_United_F.C._season#Matches
 

DWelbz19

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Well the team that wins it likely won’t. If we want that to be us, then Rashford and Martial being ‘patchy players’, as you described them, is a risk.

You have conceded that these players are patchy. It is this patchiness I speak of. Mané, Salah and Aguero have not typically described as patchy - and they are recent league winners.
Rashford finished a goal behind Mane last season and is currently outscoring him this season. Grass is greener stuff. Salah is probably the best forward in the league, and Aguero basically was for most of his peak years; so fair enough on them. I think Bruno is just as inevitable for G/A's as Salah and Aguero, though -- and the one who compensates for our lack of a striking talisman like Salah or Aguero.
---
Still, don't get me wrong, I completely agree that another top level forward is needed to elevate this side. Not 100% convinced it's a number 9, though. Jadon Sancho is still the one for me. Ball magnet dribbler and insanely quick thinker in the final third. A bagsman would be welcomed, but I still think Sancho is the profile we're missing right now.
 

The_Midfielder

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One thing we need to understand is, this season the deepest bench and the team that doesn't get impacted by covid will win the league
I’m not speaking of other teams. When I watch us, I don’t see a team that is clinical enough. If other teams choose not to be clinical too, that is on them. I suspect not all of them have designs on winning the league title.

I think a mature forward in his prime would help the team a lot. To answer your point more directly, Rashford, for example, has good numbers - but screws up so many situations and makes stupid decisions. He’ll often score a tougher one though. But I just fear when I watch us that we will pay later in the season if we don’t take the chances we are ‘supposed to’ more often.
Don't worry.. Martial and Greenwood will.be back in form by then :)
 

cyril C

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Answer is simple, only 2 teams have managed a ratio of 2 points per game (Manchester x2). When you are <2, you are Europa standard. Historically speaking, 2 points per game will probably get you 3rd or comfortable 4th, but not good enough to challenge for the top spot.

Every team has a slum in form, MU included (remember the 1st month!), It is down to how soon can they bound back.
 

Longshanks

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There is nothing overly strange about this season, seen plenty of seasons like this before, liverpool have been worked out a little by the smallest clubs they have good plans against them and they struggling to find a way past.

City had similar issues but Pep has altered his system a little city are now less of threat attacking wise but much better defensively but still control possession very well, there gonna win alot of games 1-0 2-0. They have taken a little time to get going with it but they have shown good consistency recently.

The covid related issue, no crowds etc is the same for everyone the only unfair advantages have been teams that were allowed small crowds and the pre seasons issue both of which have gone against us and city but its the team and fans down the east lancs that are complaining, that have had all the unfair advantages so far.

Oh and dont let anyone start talking about injuries, if your gonna go in to one of the most congested seasons ever with only 3 senior centre backs 2 of which are injury prone anyway, then who is to blame really?

It's the standard scouse/London media taking any angle they can to make out it's a farce, it may be somewhat strange but it's strange for everyone and whoever ends up top of the pile it's still the beat team and still champions.
 

Volumiza

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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.
Strange season or no strange season, whoever wins will have won more points than the rest, the same as every other season.

If, and it’s a big if, it’s us, then so what? It would be amazing!
 

TheNewEra

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If United win against Liverpool I think it could cement a title run.

Look at the Leicester season, they won it on momentum alone.

United have better players than Leicester did.
 

Jev

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I think objectively it is a slightly more unfair season than usual, and I can see why some would feel that would lessen a title win, for any club, a little. Personally I wouldn't care at all.