Yes I agree, Ole knew we weren't good enough to win the title but to say it was embarrassing.A sustained title challenge. Not expecting to win, but a decent attempt would be nice.
If we're top of the table in January, I don't want to hear any of this "we're not in a title race, we're not challengers" bollocks that we heard from Ole last season.
I agree, but you can't expect meaningful improvement if we shit the bed in our transfer dealings while other teams improve.Whatever we do or don't do in the transfer window, it has to be about progression.
Winning more matches, scoring more, more points and hopefully actually winning a competition.
That means every single person at the club has to improve.
Football is a results business. Unless you are moving forward, you are going backward.
Of course. But nobody can say that none of the players cannot be improved and that the team as a whole cannot improve by a reasonable margin.I agree, but you can't expect meaningful improvement if we shit the bed in our transfer dealings while other teams improve.
I'd rather not win that 3 handled micky mouse cup it would be embarrassing for a club of our size, stature and expenditure, no thanks.I think that the Carabou Cup is a realistic objective for us. I don’t think City, Chelsea or Liverpool will take it that seriously next season. Of the rest Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester will only fire up if they reach the latter rounds. Getting back into winning trophies is crucial for the club, so let’s concentrate on one that we could feasibly win.
I think that's a pointless parameter for success. Nice, but essentially beside the point. The target we should be totally focused on is getting back to winning the PL. If we're closer to that next season than we've been up to now, that's far far more important than any cup.I think that the Carabou Cup is a realistic objective for us. I don’t think City, Chelsea or Liverpool will take it that seriously next season. Of the rest Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester will only fire up if they reach the latter rounds. Getting back into winning trophies is crucial for the club, so let’s concentrate on one that we could feasibly win.
Aim and expectation aren't the same.Title of course. We should always aim for that. That's why you play football.
Yeah sure, and I always aim to win the lottery. That's why you buy a ticket.Title of course. We should always aim for that. That's why you play football.
True but we should have the highest expectations as well. Just like Fergie had. We are Man United.Aim and expectation aren't the same.
So what? What does that even actually mean? "Being Man United" isn't worth a single point in the standings, and there will be no angels descending from the sky to gift us advantages. We were the best club under Fergie because we were better run than everyone else. That hasn't been the case for a good while, although things are now improving. We're going to have to earn our success the hard way, just like everyone else and just like under Fergie in fact.True but we should have the highest expectations as well. Just like Fergie had. We are Man United.
Absolutely spot on. Careful though, some in this thread will come after you for not living in a dream world.So what? What does that even actually mean? "Being Man United" isn't worth a single point in the standings, and there will be no angels descending from the sky to gift us advantages. We were the best club under Fergie because we were better run than everyone else. That hasn't been the case for a good while, although things are now improving. We're going to have to earn our success the hard way, just like everyone else and just like under Fergie in fact.
If you're serious about winning, you also need to be serious about acknowledging what that actually takes, and about where we are relative to that. We have serious catching up to do before we can claim to be a top quality club in every department and compared to anyone. We're not entitled to high expectations simply because we're Man United.
By the way, we have really good chance of winning the league if the above happens in my opinion...Depends largely on recruitment and also Ole being honest with himself about how he is going to get there, as he is going to have to make some really tough decisions.
I expect DDG to depart this summer, you can't have a GK on nearly £300k per week and not play him, and I think Henderson is the way the club will go long term. Expect Tom Heaton to come in and Henderson promoted to No.1.
In defence, you have got to say AWB is a great tackler but is positionally suspect at times, and doesn't produce enough in final third, although he has improved in 2nd half of the season, he is still not Utd quality in some fundamental ways.
Bailly being given a new contract is bizarre, clearly Ole doesn't trust him, as he persists with Lindelof, despite Bailly being a more quicker/aggressive defender. Lindelof has not one redeeming quality, he is not quick, relatively average in the air for a centre half, he is not aggressive, and he does nowhere near enough with the ball at his feet either. Maguire getting injured at the end of the season shows how reliant we are on him. At left back we look strong, Luke Shaw just had his best season for us and Alex Telles is more than an able deputy. We need a RB and CB this summer - if speculation is true then would be happy with Trippier & Varane, this would give us arguably the best defence in the league.
Midfield is functional at the moment, is the word I would use to describe it. McFred partnership work well together, positionally McT still lacks some top quality and he doesn't sense danger like a Robson or a Keane would but I am comparing him to two of our greatest midfielders but that is the level we need to aspire to be at. Fred's work rate is insane and this makes up for deficiency in games, but his lack of awareness puts him in trouble at times. Expect Matic to depart this summer, if reports are true that Roma want him. Garner has just had a good 2nd half of the season on loan at Forest, so would be keen to know whether we intend to bring him back into the fold, as the transfer budget will only stretch so far, but longer term would like to see us for move for Bellingham, next summer.
In attacking midfield, I would have thought Mata would leave this summer but it seems they are still talking to him about a new contract, which again is bizarre, as he hardly ever plays and must be on a decent whack. We really need to pin Pogba down for a decision on his future, is he signs a contract extension then it answers a number of shorter term concerns regarding creativity in the team, if he doesn't commit then we need to move him on this summer and pay what it takes to get Grealish in the door, as you cannot rely solely on Bruno for creativity as good as he is. If Sancho comes in, then a loan for James may be good option, as would rather Amad get game time from the bench at this stage.
In attack, this is slightly controversial but I would move on either Rashford or Martial this summer or both, if it meant getting Haaland or Kane. Cavani signing is great but he aint going to play more than 30 games next season at his age, so we really need a top quality striker to play upfront longer terms with Greenwood.
IN SUMMARY AN IDEAL SUMMER WOULD BE :-
OUT - DDG, Williams (Loan), Lindelof, Axel (Loan), Mata, Matic, James (Loan), Pogba(If no contract extension), Martial OR Rashford
IN - Heaton, Trippier, Varane, Sancho, Grealish(if Pogba leaves), Kane OR Haaland
On returning loan players, would be happy to give chance to Laird, Mengi, Garner, Chong all a squad chance.
Heaton, Trippier, Varane, Sancho, Kane OR HaalandBy the way, we have really good chance of winning the league if the above happens in my opinion...
I know what you mean but there's no "like Fergie" in any sense, he's a one off.True but we should have the highest expectations as well. Just like Fergie had. We are Man United.
Do I expect us to sign all these players - 100% NO. The main reason for thinking this is that we aren't good at selling players that we need to move on, we could get sizeable fees for DDG, Pogba, Martial, Lingard & Rashford, then potentially you would have the funds to make this happen but he wont make wholesale changes,Heaton, Trippier, Varane, Sancho, Kane OR Haaland
Surely you don't really believe a club can buy all of the listed players, or was the hyperbole the point? That's a transfer list straight out of a videogame
Come againI think that the Carabou Cup is a realistic objective for us. I don’t think City, Chelsea or Liverpool will take it that seriously next season. Of the rest Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester will only fire up if they reach the latter rounds. Getting back into winning trophies is crucial for the club, so let’s concentrate on one that we could feasibly win.
Our immediate rivals will also be spending at least £200 million, which would mean we are merely keeping status quo with - not surpassing - our rivals. If our signings are markedly better than City's signings, then we narrow the gap. The real way to look at it is, we need to spend £100 million more than City if we hope to catch them, and even then it would require all our signings to be immediate hits.If we spend around £200 million this summer as is being touted, then we have to win the league. We just have to.
Carabou Cup is a joke. When we are in it we should be playing the kids anyway. If winning the Carabou Cup is suddenly considered a big deal for United, that's shocking.I think that the Carabou Cup is a realistic objective for us. I don’t think City, Chelsea or Liverpool will take it that seriously next season. Of the rest Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester will only fire up if they reach the latter rounds. Getting back into winning trophies is crucial for the club, so let’s concentrate on one that we could feasibly win.
We haven't won a single trophy for 4 years!! We are in no position to be picky about which cups/competitions we should take seriously.Carabou Cup is a joke. When we are in it we should be playing the kids anyway. If winning the Carabou Cup is suddenly considered a big deal for United, that's shocking.