We are going for the title....

[Orc]

Any year previous and I'd say yes but Chelsea look extremely comfortable against the smaller sides. Their injury record is almost impeccable in comparison to the teams around them and if they do get injuries they've got good replacements in every position. And they've already been to Goodison, Old Trafford, the Etihad and Anfield.

This is the best answer I've seen so far.

They've already played all of their biggest rivals/threats away and have come out unbeaten. No one really beats Mourinho at Stamford Bridge so you fancy Chelsea in all of the home games against the big boys.

Looks like they've solved the problems they had against the fodder of the league by bringing in Costa and Fabregas who are simply too much for most mid to bottom table sides to handle.

I do think 2nd place is entirely reasonable to hope for, though.

 

[daniel9988]

Well, nope. Not a chance.

 

[Crackers]

It's so far fetched that @ItsEssexRob could bet on it. He'd be betting knowing he'd be wrong, therefore breaking the cycle.
That or he'd win a ton of money.

 

[saivet]

At a push we might be able to snatch 2nd however Chelsea are simply too good for us to catch.

 

[Jammydodger7]

Very very slim but if you take Chelsea out of it we would be right in it!...who knows Chelsea could easily go on a bad slump of form!

 

[Steven Seagull]

Absolutely no chance.

 

[SirAF]

No chance, but I expect nothing less than us going for it as long as it is possible.

 

[Zen86]

I'd rather hear them saying this than "no chance, we're not winning the title this year"

 

[Trizy]

He has to say that though doesn't he? If you don't have belief there's no point in trying to be the best.

Even if we were as good as we can be and injury free we'd probably still be behind Chelsea but 3-4 points which would be enough to put pressure on them but not pip them for the title. Chelsea are just having probably their best season ever and have an incredibly balanced squad, world class talent and the best manager in the world.

However 2nd is very, very achievable, even with the luck we've had on the pitch and off it would be a massive sign of content when we finish 2nd, strengthen and challenge for everything next year.

 

[ItsEssexRob]

Christ one win at the Emirates and its started!

Top four is likely for you guys, second unlikely. First, absolutely no chance, not even my betting jinx would work on that one.

Even right now we would have to lose 5 games or draw 7 or a roundabout combination (3 losses and 3 draws, 2 losses and 4 draws). United win all 5- 7 of those games and then go on a better run than us after that.

Thats aside from the fact we have played significantly harder games than United.

Theres a reason its around 47/1 for United to win the title Mr Young.

 

[Brightonian]

It's not an achievable target, but there's nothing wrong with trying for it anyway. Strategy is not complicated for a top-four club: you try and win every game. It doesn't really matter what position the players think they're aiming for while they're doing that.

 

[sullydnl]

No, we have next to no chance of winning the title. As in basically zero.

I think we'll get fourth, though even that isn't guaranteed given that our actual performances haven't exactly been stellar thus far.

Third would be excellent.

 

[ItsEssexRob]

Third is a realistic target this season, like it was for Jose and us last season. Arsenal and Liverpool are decrepit and Southampton an unknown quantity for the whole season.

 

[Shark]

There's no shame in admitting that the title is out of reach and the top four is the target for this season, after the shambles of last season. The fans aren't stupid. (at least most of us.)

I'm not even expecting a title challenge next season tbh. I think it's going to take a whole lot longer than people think to get back to where we belong.

 

[Ixion]

The title might as well be given to Chelsea already. When he won the title with Chelsea before Mourinho's sides built up a big lead and were relentless, they won't let it slip. They would need to lose at least a couple before the New Year and we win practically every game to have a chance.

I think we'll get third.

 

[Sir A1ex]

I can see us getting second quite easily.

Cue defeat to Hull tomorrow.

 

[SirAF]

Third is a realistic target this season, like it was for Jose and us last season. Arsenal and Liverpool are decrepit and Southampton an unknown quantity for the whole season.

I agree with that, United should be able to get third.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I'd be happy with 4th for the time being. I think we have what it takes to get there, and anything less would be a failure.

3rd would be utterly excellent given our injuries and the state of the CB position. 2nd? Looks impossible. but City look like a bag of nerves right now, so who knows?

Next season though, I think we need to have a squad worthy of at least putting in a challenge.

 

[Shark]

not unless Chelsea have a big collapse. But I can see us getting second quite easily.

Easily? I doubt if we're to achieve a 4th place finish that it'll be easy, never mind 2nd. Beating Arsenal and our performances vs the other big teams is very positive, but we need to start picking up maximum points from the teams we should be beating now. Starting with Hull tomorrow.

 

[Adebesi]

Third is a realistic target this season, like it was for Jose and us last season. Arsenal and Liverpool are decrepit and Southampton an unknown quantity for the whole season.

First was a realistic target for you last season.

 

[Adebesi]

The scary thing is Chelsea's team have a few years left in them, apart from the need to replace EBJT, which wont be easy of course. But they are going to be a pretty formidable obstacle to our title aspirations next season as well I reckon.

 

[Flying_Heckfish]

Absolutely no chance. If Southampton do drop away then 2nd/3rd is possible.

We need to aim for that and hope we finish top-4, rather than aiming for top-4 and finishing 5th, though!

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Christ one win at the Emirates and its started!

Not really though. Most posters on here have been very realistic and reasonable about expectations, no one really believes 1st is a possibility. Young and other players of course are going to say that, which is pretty understandable.

First was a realistic target for you last season.

It was, and they messed it up.

 

[Rado_N]

Christ one win at the Emirates and its started!

Top four is likely for you guys, second unlikely. First, absolutely no chance, not even my betting jinx would work on that one.

Even right now we would have to lose 5 games or draw 7 or a roundabout combination (3 losses and 3 draws, 2 losses and 4 draws). United win all 5- 7 of those games and then go on a better run than us after that.

Thats aside from the fact we have played significantly harder games than United.

Theres a reason its around 47/1 for United to win the title Mr Young.

What do you expect him to say?

 

[Red Dreams]

Easily? We just robbed our way to our first away win of the season going into December.

Other than beating QPR at home we've not done anything easily this season. Top 4 would be quite an achievement all things considered.

robbed our way?

Arsenal were clueless you mean.

We deserved the win.

 

[Señor]

Even if Chelsea slipped up that badly which on its own is highly unlikely, we ain't winning the PL. The highest we'll place is third imo because I can't see City finishing below us. They have a match winner in Aguero. We don't really have a player as good as him and as consistent as him.

 

[Sarni]

Even if Chelsea slipped up that badly which on its own is highly unlikely, we ain't winning the PL. The highest we'll place is third imo because I can't see City finishing below us. They have a match winner in Aguero. We don't really have a player as good as him and as consistent as him.

We're 5 points behind them and yet to play a home game versus them. We can finish above City.

 

[Adebesi]

I dont know.... second isnt that far fetched, City look very fallible. They have to be favourites to pip us to second place but it isnt completely out of the question, which I think first pretty much is.

I still reckon third is completely within our grasp though, Ill actually be a little disappointed if we come 4th at this stage - though only a little, as being back in the CL is the main thing.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

After Carrick a week ago it's certainly nice to hear another United player expressing his belief in the manager and the work being done. To me that's the most important thing about interviews such as this one.

As for our chances to win the PL it's obvious that this season they are very slim. Mourinho has assessed his squad, he has brought in the players he desires and right now he is a bit closer to Real Madrid's and Bayern Munich's level than to the rest of the PL. I can't remember any of his teams collapsing during a season either, so i believe that only if Costa and Fabregas suffer serious injuries he may lose the title to City. Pellegrini also has a ready made team, full of quality and with plenty of choices. Of course it is a team built around Silva and they miss him now but once he comes back from injury they'll look better.

Since Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham are struggling to find some form we have a good chance to finish third or fourth. Once LvG gets the players to play exactly as he wants them to and the confidence is back we will know that we are heading towards the right direction we will be able to challenge for the title again. How soon? It will probably depend on making the right choices in the next 2 or 3 transfer windows.

 

[Empire]

It would be nice to mount a challenge, Louis van Gaal has things he needs to sort out such as the injuries but also finding his best team and formation, if he can do that soon then we can get a lot of points in my opinion moving forward but we will see, he still needs to show what he can do when playing the teams that park the bus, we lack the creative genius to break them down especially since Mata is not playing and I do not think Fellaini's physical approach will do it.

If he can show the ability to beat those parked buses that Jose did not do well enough last season without Fabregas then I'm sure we can accumulate plenty of points, then it's a matter of whether Chelsea get complacent, being so far ahead surly at some point they will begin to take it easy, once some of the Chelsea players think on a subconscious level the league is theirs that will reduce the effort they exert in a game and getting 3 wins and a draw out of 6 games is 7 points dropped, if that happens a few times, a bit of inconsistency here and there then that 13 point gap could reduce to 6 or 7, that puts us in a race at least.

Also when the defenders are fit Louis van Gaal can revert back to his ultra attacking approach and he has both firepower up top but also goals from the midfield to support, a Louis van Gaal team with momentum can be ruthless in their victories, I wouldn't want them chasing me, City or Arsenal I would not mind so much, I don't know if we can hit that level of momentum this season though.

 

[SteveW]

1st should always be the target. It always was under SAF regardless of how good or bad the team was. Its heartening to see that at least the players don't see top 4 as the required standard. A couple of seasons thinking that way and you turn into Arsenal

 

[Red Dreams]

Even if Chelsea slipped up that badly which on its own is highly unlikely, we ain't winning the PL. The highest we'll place is third imo because I can't see City finishing below us. They have a match winner in Aguero. We don't really have a player as good as him and as consistent as him.

City look dodgy. We were good for at least a draw until Smalling....

Aguero will not be injury free all season.

 

[Empire]

The scary thing is Chelsea's team have a few years left in them, apart from the need to replace EBJT, which wont be easy of course. But they are going to be a pretty formidable obstacle to our title aspirations next season as well I reckon.

Mourinho was excellent in his transfer business too so I expect the same this summer.

And we have a lot to do in the market, first Louis van Gaal needs to pick a primary formation then he needs to sign a back up to Rafael who can play first team to cover Rafael's inevitable injury next season, back up to Luke Shaw, second choice left footed centre back and then I also think a right footed centre back with a good injury record, he can sell one of Jones, Smalling and Evans, that's four players right there and that's just the defence.

 

[Empire]

Third is a realistic target this season, like it was for Jose and us last season. Arsenal and Liverpool are decrepit and Southampton an unknown quantity for the whole season.

Jose wanted the league and he should have won it, he was just taking the pressure off the players.

 

[Varun]

Not with Ashley Young in the side.

Epic 1st reply to the thread, poor Young.

On the thread itself, Naah, not this year. Chelsea will win it by a huge margin.

 

[DanNistelrooy]

I'm not even confident about us making the top 4 after our last few performances. I was a lot more happy with our play about a month and half ago. The good thing is, we have managed to keep 4th whilst getting a load of tough matches out of the way. We now have quite a kind set of fixtures that takes us pretty much up to March. I would bite your hand off for 4th at this stage

 

[UweBein]

I think that Man Utd are still contending for the title. LvG won't give up that easily. And quite rightly so.
Costa breaks his leg and we will find it much harder to find the back of the net. That's not very likely, but there should me something like a 20-30%-chance of some injury like that actually happening.

And besides, not even Wenger has given up the title as of now.

 

[Sarni]

I think that Man Utd are still contending for the title. LvG won't give up that easily. And quite rightly so.
Costa breaks his leg and we will find it much harder to find the back of the net. That's not very likely, but there should me something like a 20-30%-chance of that actually happening.

And besides, not even Wenger has given up the title as of now.

20% chance of Costa breaking leg? More like 1%. Besides even without Costa you will walk it from here.

 

[Sarni]

I'm not even confident about us making the top 4 after our last few performances. I was a lot more happy with our play about a month and half ago. The good thing is, we have managed to keep 4th whilst getting a load of tough matches out of the way. We now have quite a kind set of fixtures that takes us pretty much up to March. I would bite your hand off for 4th at this stage

We will make top 4, the usual top 4 contenders are terrible this season.

 

[Crackers]

I think that Man Utd are still contending for the title. LvG won't give up that easily. And quite rightly so.
Costa breaks his leg and we will find it much harder to find the back of the net. That's not very likely, but there should me something like a 20-30%-chance of that actually happening.

And besides, not even Wenger has given up the title as of now.

I think it's fair to say Wenger doesn't even aim that high anymore. I don't think we've got the strength to catch ye, even if you're without Costa and all our strikers hit form. We'd need to win 13 games and you lose them I think?