fastwalker
Full Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2019
- Messages
- 408
All things considered, the end of last season was a genuine success for United. From New Year onwards, the team played some excellent football, we went on a terrific unbeaten run, we conceded fewer goals, Bruno has been a revelation and we qualified for the Champions League. It may yet get even better if we win the Europa League!
Yet in a few weeks a new campaign will be upon us again and with new signings to come (Jadon Sancho and maybe Jack Grealish); surely we can start thinking about closing the gap on Liverpool and City and (hopefully) being in the conversation for the title again can't we? Or is that overly optimistic?
As optimistic as I am about what we might achieve next season I am also realistic enough to know that winning the title may still be out of United's reach for a while to come. Whilst I can definitely see us improving on the 66 points from the past two seasons, the fact is that the evidence of the last three seasons is that City and Liverpool have set a completely new benchmark for title winners. Even with the massive improvement from the pre-Lockdown to the end of last season, I cannot see United achieving a 33+ point swing in one season, which is what it would take to overhaul the gap to Liverpool (if Liverpool achieved a similar level of performance next season).
Realistically, I think next season, the best we can hope for is a gap narrowing campaign which is absolutely achievable (eg: 80+ points). Competing for a possible title shot, will in my view require Liverpool and or City to get significantly worse. City showed this season that it can happen, but even a comparatively poor City still managed to achieve 81 points, which would have been good enough to win the title in six of the previous 28 Premier League seasons. I cannot see City performing worse next season. It is just not going to happen. As for Liverpool I can only see a collapse if they lose Van Dijk and other key players to injury for extended periods. All things being equal City and Liverpool will achieve 90+ points next season.
But what do you think? Is a punt for the title next season realistic or not?
Yet in a few weeks a new campaign will be upon us again and with new signings to come (Jadon Sancho and maybe Jack Grealish); surely we can start thinking about closing the gap on Liverpool and City and (hopefully) being in the conversation for the title again can't we? Or is that overly optimistic?
As optimistic as I am about what we might achieve next season I am also realistic enough to know that winning the title may still be out of United's reach for a while to come. Whilst I can definitely see us improving on the 66 points from the past two seasons, the fact is that the evidence of the last three seasons is that City and Liverpool have set a completely new benchmark for title winners. Even with the massive improvement from the pre-Lockdown to the end of last season, I cannot see United achieving a 33+ point swing in one season, which is what it would take to overhaul the gap to Liverpool (if Liverpool achieved a similar level of performance next season).
Realistically, I think next season, the best we can hope for is a gap narrowing campaign which is absolutely achievable (eg: 80+ points). Competing for a possible title shot, will in my view require Liverpool and or City to get significantly worse. City showed this season that it can happen, but even a comparatively poor City still managed to achieve 81 points, which would have been good enough to win the title in six of the previous 28 Premier League seasons. I cannot see City performing worse next season. It is just not going to happen. As for Liverpool I can only see a collapse if they lose Van Dijk and other key players to injury for extended periods. All things being equal City and Liverpool will achieve 90+ points next season.
But what do you think? Is a punt for the title next season realistic or not?