We play Champions League football next season and Van Gaal leaves the club in a slightly better fettle.
What happens if we finish third and win the FA cup?
- Thread starter shamans
- Start date
Dance around the room and then turn my attention to next season under Mourinho
- Automatic qualification to CL group stage
- Play the Community Shield vs Leicester or Spurs
- Receive £22,200,000 for finishing third
- Receive £1,800,000 for winning the FA Cup
It was all a dream, I used to read redcafe mag...
LVG still has to go. I'm even willing to give him credit for establishing a "foundation" but he's never going to take us back to the promised of winning the league trophy and at least a CL semifinal.
We've been through this a million times already.
We've been through this a million times already.
I would be happy with the F.A. Cup and 3rd/4th so long as:-
a. Leicester win the league
b. Man City don't with the Champions League
c. Liverpool don't win the Europa League
d. Mourinho takes over
In that way, I could enjoy Leicester's triumph as a 'once in a lifetime' type event, be satisfied that Chelsea, City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs have all arguably finished the season with less to show for it than us, and be confident that going into next season, among all the elite managers in the League, we have the best one.
a. Leicester win the league
b. Man City don't with the Champions League
c. Liverpool don't win the Europa League
d. Mourinho takes over
In that way, I could enjoy Leicester's triumph as a 'once in a lifetime' type event, be satisfied that Chelsea, City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs have all arguably finished the season with less to show for it than us, and be confident that going into next season, among all the elite managers in the League, we have the best one.
If that somehow happened then LVG would be burned as a witch 
LVG is going to retire a year from now any way, so why stick with him if we know that we will appoint a new manager next summer? Plus, Mourinho will probably be busy next year, Pep is already out and so unless we want Giggs to take over, we rather jump on the option of Mourinho this summer.
In a season where The top clubs have let Leicester/Spurs win the league, every manager at the big clubs should be sacked. Chelsea, City, Pool have done so. Us and Arsenal have to do the same.
I'd celebrate the FA cup like a madman and celebrate being able to watch the CL next season (because it is late mid-week).
If this happened, we would have ended the season very strongly indeed. I'd still want LvG to go, but won't really blame the board if they get persuaded otherwise.
Yeah, agreed that it would be harsh to sack him at that point. Like others have said though, it's never going to happen.
There's nothing that can happen for the rest of the season that would want me to see LvG in charge next season.
Third is not going to happen in my opinion - although I see the thinking as both teams directly above us are on the same points so why not?
… but they still have to play each other so the chances are we might overtake one but both is highly unlikely and we must also play Leicester before they have technically won the league (straight afterwards would have been the one to get).
We should win the FA Cup but I would not want to go through another year like this one (just seeing LvG's smug face in pre and post match pressers and watching him write notes while the team are struggling against the likes of Aston Villa at home irks* me) so my answer would be:
NO! *It's Monday morning and stronger language only kicks in after the second coffee!
… but they still have to play each other so the chances are we might overtake one but both is highly unlikely and we must also play Leicester before they have technically won the league (straight afterwards would have been the one to get).
We should win the FA Cup but I would not want to go through another year like this one (just seeing LvG's smug face in pre and post match pressers and watching him write notes while the team are struggling against the likes of Aston Villa at home irks* me) so my answer would be:
NO! *It's Monday morning and stronger language only kicks in after the second coffee!
Last edited:
LVG still leaves the club.
There's not a single thing he could do before now and the season's end that would convince me he should stay. It's been a tumescent 18 months of football bar maybe a handful of games and he needs to go while Mourinho is available.
There's not a single thing he could do before now and the season's end that would convince me he should stay. It's been a tumescent 18 months of football bar maybe a handful of games and he needs to go while Mourinho is available.
whether or not LVG feels it's harsh doesn't matter. I still want him gone at the end of the season.
we're mostly playing tumescent shit with relatively few exciting games. I would accept tumescent football but only if we're constantly winning those games, which we haven't been doing. at least if he wins the FA cup with us he can end his managerial career on a high (sort of)
If we finish third and win the FA cup... then we'll have higher expectations from Mourinho next year!
What happens if we finish third and win the FA Cup?
Well... We finish third... And win the FA Cup.
Well... We finish third... And win the FA Cup.
Awesome! We will not be sitting out of the champions league next season, and will have a summer of strengthening (as compared to trying to fight losing battles with players preferring clubs with CL football).
Board will feel vindicated *(justifiably or not) that their decision to stick with LVG when we were on a super low in January paid off.
Should be sacked over the summer. 42 goals in 34 games is just not good enough - regardless of where we end up in the league. The team needs to have more purpose, movement and determination.
That's just not true. He isn't the best of the elite anymore - can't claim that. Guardiola is (he has never left a team 15th in the league or been sacked). The fact that he is coming to City quite a coup for them. Hopefully we are up for the challenge he is undoubtedly going to bring.
Personally I think the deal is already done for Jose to take over. I think LVG knows this. I don't think I've ever seen a manager look so depressed as he was in that post semi-final interview. I just can't even begin to believe we will get to 3rd. City are playing well at the moment. 4th is a possibility if Arsenal continue to drop points, but usually they rally just when they need to when the title is lost for them.
My other suspicion is that in the next 12 months Jose will go elsewhere and not do very well.
I've wanted him as much as anyone but I think a lot has been just wanting LvG to leave asap. If I'm honest, I think there are managers better suited to United
Better than a guy who has won everywhere he's been? I cannot understand your viewpoint.
And I can't for a moment understand how people would overlook the horrible time we've had this season, record number of home 0-0 draws, tumescent football, leaving our squad horribly thin at both centre back, and centre forward, just because we'd manage to scramble a bit of form in the last few games.
You cannot be that fickle surely?
Main goal of the season was to engage in title race and all we watched was Tottenham and Leicester building a 10 point gap above.
Third place is still disappointing by that standard. No guarantees of him staying even for one more year.
Third place is still disappointing by that standard. No guarantees of him staying even for one more year.
He stays. Think we'll do good next season if we stick with a 433 and get a couple players in; preferably a right winger and centre midfielder.
What sort of crazy talk is this, we're obviously not finishing 3rd.
We might just scrape 4th, but the only reason that's still possible is that there are two teams so close, doubling the odds that one of them collapses in their last 4 matches. They aren't both going to.
We might just scrape 4th, but the only reason that's still possible is that there are two teams so close, doubling the odds that one of them collapses in their last 4 matches. They aren't both going to.
I want LvG gone. I'm not stupid.
But if we get 3rd (we won't) and win the FA Cup (we will) then I'd be able to put up with it under the guarantee it's absolutely unequivocally his last year because I think
A) the form we would need to show to get 3rd from here would be outstanding and show that maybe there's something to build on there
B) My gut feeling says a better option will arise next Summer. I have no logic for it to explain, it's my gut feeling. Might be wrong, might be right
That said, if I were the CEO and actually had to make the choice, I'd sack LvG tonight.
Well, back In that horrible run, definitely after Norwich at home. That was the game for me, and LVG looked like he knew it too. It wasn't a shock it was just numb.
A real problem with VG, is he seems to stumble across formations/players more by luck than judgement. Like when VP was injured last season, and we had that 5-6game purple patch with Fellaini and Young playing well, and beating big teams in some style. But it quickly fell back to normal.
I'd fear we'd quickly fall back to normal, and then you'd also have the classic issue, that Arsenal fans recognise with Wenger now, in that who is going to come to sign for a manager with 1 year left?
I think it's all set up for a "glorious" last game winning the FA Cup, and then retiring off into the sunset as "successful".
I get the feeling LvG will retire anyway if he wins the FA cup, go out on a high. Seems like he feels he's taken us as far as he can judging by some of his interviews, I'm not sure he'll stick around even if we'd have wanted him to.
take the cup from LVG hand him his walking papers. that was easy
To get third we probably need to:
Delay Leicester City's premiership celebration.
Relegate Norwich.
Ruin West Ham's last-game-at-Upton Park party and stop them getting a European place.
Then beat Bournemouth - which we couldn't do last time.
Then hope that BOTH City and Arsenal feck up big time.
4 wins and 71 points is the only way.
Delay Leicester City's premiership celebration.
Relegate Norwich.
Ruin West Ham's last-game-at-Upton Park party and stop them getting a European place.
Then beat Bournemouth - which we couldn't do last time.
Then hope that BOTH City and Arsenal feck up big time.
4 wins and 71 points is the only way.
Aye. That , and his questionable comments in the media sometimes.
If I felt the club was going in the right direction I could accept finishing 5th or 6th. If these results and this football somehow got us the title in a year where only 65 points would be enough I would still want him gone.
In answer to the original thread title question: you will have to wake yourself up. Finishing third is simply not on the cards. Get real.
If results fell right, we could finish 2nd and Spurs could miss out on the CL. Not holding my breath though.
LvG statue.
If we only get the FA Cup then an LvG statuette.
If we get neither, then some kind of LvG inaction figure. One that has no moveable parts, fixed in a seated position (comes with clipboard)
If we only get the FA Cup then an LvG statuette.
If we get neither, then some kind of LvG inaction figure. One that has no moveable parts, fixed in a seated position (comes with clipboard)
'Only'? I'd happily endure LVG for another year if it meant getting Pochettino instead of Mourinho. I don't think people grasp just how long-term the damage Jose can do to a club's infrastructure, dressing-room and youth production can be once he's had his two/three seasons and pisses off elsewhere. Do Manchester United fans not care about the club's traditions at all any more? Attacking football, taking risks, bringing youngsters through?
Yes, only, as in the only 2 options, neither of whom are likely to leave and when Pochettino does it will most likely be for Real Madrid. Mourinho didn't leave Real, Inter, Porto or Chelsea the first time in a bad way, and if you look at what he did for Inter's youth set up the brush he's been tarred with is unfair, not to mention he tried to bring Morata and Varane through at Real, a club with zero patients. We offer a very different environment to Chelsea and Real, we encourage bringing through youth and we don't sack a manager if he doesn't win the league or CL every season.
I think he's already gone irrespective of the results.