We're about to go on a title run, stop with the negativity

[Dante]

Given the openness of the league this season and the inconsistency shown by all the top sides, I would be genuinely shocked if 85 points did not land us the title.

Yep.

If anything, I reckon the ppg at the top is more likely to drop than it is to increase as the season progresses. Every side's going to start picking up injuries in the coming weeks, with City/Liverpool having the added distraction of the CL.

Whereas in the past the Christmas fixture congestion only lasted a couple of weeks of December and January, this season it won't end until May. The winners will be the team that deals with squad fitness best rather than the team that plays the best football.

The large size of United's squad puts us in with a really good shout. 85 points will be more than enough, imo.

 

[DRJosh]

A proper RB? So much disrespect on AWB, who is one of best right backs in the league.

Trent has been a shadow of his last season form. Chelsea are starting James and Spurs Doherty. Everton, Holgate or Coleman. Villa, Cash.

Who Scored have AWB outperforming all of them but Cancelo, who has a smaller sample size. Who is this 'proper RB' you speak of?

The problem isn't AWB, the problem is we don't have a real RW to offer danger on that side, and for some bizarre reason, fans are placing the blame on our RB.

If that's the case then it's on Ole. We've set up to play with attacking right backs. AWB is a fantastic defensive option (one of the best tacklers I've seen in recent months) but he isn't entrepreneurial enough to take on players which would then ease the burden of our attacks having to originate from the left.

 

[Dominos]

Put it this way, if United shook on 84 points right now, I wouldn’t expect us to end up champions. I think that would be more likely good enough for second though

I think we will do well to reach 75 even. We’re over performing quite a bit on expected points still. You only have to look at Chelsea who are conceding fewer chances than us while creating more and whose variance is swinging the other way to get an idea of how thin the margins are. United actually need to improve to have any really hope of contending at the end of the season.

538 have us getting 72 points on average this season. Using Understat to work out out average expected points per game and applying that to the season, we would have less than 65.

I’ve got that nervous excitement again, but we do need to build from here. Tightening that defence again to where it has been in previous seasons would be massive.

84 will likely be 1st, maybe even comfortably.

Liverpool/City are on course for 73 points at their current points per game. Now of course I expect they will improve but to go from projected 73 to 85+ is a big leap.

However I do agree results are flattering us at the moment, performances need to improve for us to hit the 80+ point mark. If you offered me 80 points now I may just take it, it could be touch and go.

 

[TMDaines]

If we don’t put in some sort of challenge, and end up scrapping for fourth again, this season will feel interminable quickly. God, I miss winning things.

 

[el3mel]

We better defeat Burnley and I'll have no problem getting past today's loss. Title challenge will be more important than League Cup, but we better do it.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

I don't think we have any right to expect a title challenge, its a nice to have for me. The season is younger than it feels due to the late start, we have shown promise but that is all. We have a reasonable squad but still far enough before pool and city in quality, and arguably spurs with the worlds best partnership up top (and arguably chelsea on paper, but we can forget that). That makes todays loss a shame since the cups are really our best shot of doing something this year in my view, we are still in the two more important cups I suppose

 

[Garethw]

We aren’t winning the titles with this squad and this manager.

 

[freeurmind]

bump

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Agreed!

 

[Achilles McCool]

Props to @freeurmind for starting this in October!!
I’m still skeptical, but damn this feels good!

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

So happy I never replied to this thread till now.

Was with you all along OP

 

[croadyman]

I know there are many other away games to come before the end of the season but interested to hear what points people think we need to take in the ones against the other members of the so called big six to stay in the race

 

[bond19821982]

@freeurmind take a bow mate.

 

[charlenefan]

After Bruno signed in January 2020 we went on a 14 match unbeaten league run between then and the end of the season - we didn't loose a single league game after he signed both before and after lock down winning 9 and drawing 5

Since the defeat against Arsenal on the 1st of November we're now on a 12 match unbeaten run in the league winning 9 and drawing 3

So in the last calendar year we've only had one dodgy 6 match spell in the league at the start of this season following next to no pre-season where we lost 3, won 2 and drew the other

Overall then (if my maths is right)

P32
W20
D9
L3

If that was a single season we'd be on 69 points with 6 games to go. Which would put us at Leicester's level when they won the league. I think that's a bang on representation of where we are to be honest and it could be a low 80's points total that wins it this year

 

[Ronaldo's Mum Eh?]

No this isn't a wumming thread. Last season this squad showed their mettle through getting top 4. People overreact to a few games. We are about to show everyone who the feck we are.
We are fecking Manchester United and we are going to win the league this year and we will show everyone who we are vs Chelsea later today.
Ole has already shown that true great management spirit by dropping Green wood and Pogba for valid reasons. All you opposing fans get ready to really hate us again and all you "so called" United fans unhappy with management get ready to feel unhappy because we are about to be successful again.

This started as a troll and is now working out love it.

 

[croadyman]

Much as I know it won't happen just wanted us to make a signing that could give us that bit extra to make a real title push in the second half of the season, however even if Ole was keen to do that I am pretty sure that the yankee leeches have put the lock on spending any money now until the summer. I am not expecting a spree but just would have been great to have picked up a shrewd signing in this window in one of our problem positions.

 

[glazed]

This feels like an 'anything can happen' season. My gut is that we depend too much on Bruno to win the title - but hey, it's football.

 

[lysglimt]

This thread must be the best anti-jinx thread ever created

 

[Bilbo]

Much as I know it won't happen just wanted us to make a signing that could give us that bit extra to make a real title push in the second half of the season, however even if Ole was keen to do that I am pretty sure that the yankee leeches have put the lock on spending any money now until the summer. I am not expecting a spree but just would have been great to have picked up a shrewd signing in this window in one of our problem positions.

There have been times when we had valid reasons to complain about spending. This January is not one of them.

 

[ManUArfa]

Are you saying this based on what you've seen or what you've seen and heard elsewhere? Because for the last 11/12 months we've been consistent, we've more points in the league in that period than any other team and that's not bad going at all.

Whilst I do feel it's too early to declare it a title race, we can only look at where we are and where we want to be and the fact is we're a pretty good team. We've been in very good form since January when you consider the year as a whole. Note that this doesn't mean I don't think we're capable of being in the race come April/May. I do. I just don't see how you can call things this early other than exceptional cases. Arsenal are not and have never been in a 'relegation dogfight' this season, but you don't have to try hard to find people who have said they are. The title race simply hasn't started yet, in my opinion.

For years I've told over excited Liverpool and Arsenal fans that they are getting too wet, top quickly. Get to 30 or so games and be in a similar position and that then is a title race.

We're in the best position since SAF left, I'm genuinely loving the direction the team is going in and felt next year is probably when we should be looking at a title challenge. This year I was hoping for progression again and a comfortable top 4 finish. We're well on course for that and what we've seen throughout Ole's time here is steady progression.

This is far and away the most we've looked like a Manchester United team since Fergie left. If you're anything other than at least intrigued as a United fan now then that sucks for you. I've personally really enjoyed our journey this last couple of years. It's been interesting, we've had some great results and we're moving in a much more positive and measured direction.

Our squad is a very good age, 2 or 3 more good signings can really take us up a level and I think we could have a really exciting team in the next year or so.

Great post!