What is the absolute minimum that United should achieve next season?

[Steerpike]

I think took 4 or if 5th or 6th obvious signs that we are improving on our goals

I'm inclined to agree. We're presently some way off the top 2, but similar in standard to Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs. We have a very dysfunctional squad with too many players who either don't want to be here, or shouldn't be here, and we need to take steps to get that sorted (which, in my view, means getting rid of all the players who fall into either of those categories).

If Ole can somehow manage to maintain our position in that second group of teams, address the squad issues, and improve the football from a watchability standpoint, he will have done a very decent job. It will be a tall order, but I trust him to pull it off just as much as I'd trust any 'star' manager (I suspect the latter would look for instant results, paying big money for players who may well not perform anyway, and leave us having precisely the same conversations about wasted money and the need for rebuilding 2 years down the line).

 

[thejtrain]

Finish 5-8, but play entertaining football.

 

[xtal191]

Top 4 and a massive improvement in playing is the absolute minimum we should expect.

Unfortunately I fear next season is going to be even worse than last and wouldn't be surprised if we finished anywhere between 6th and 10th.

 

[redshaw]

Top 4 minimum if we have a good transfer window. We have to see a good spirit in the team and one that takes chances.

I love Ole but have some serious doubts. If he can't get some new blood in and get rid of some I don't think he'll get much response and find it difficult. I fear a 6th or 10th with counter attack which the players and fans won't enjoy and goes against what Ole said when he first came here.

 

[ForestRGoinUp]

Just avoid the call to Big Sam

 

[Tiber]

Keeping Ashley Young in the stands

 

[The Nani]

Top six. I just want to see something different from the team next season. Less stars and more of a team. Players that work hard all game to help the team. Some synergy would be nice to see.

So much this. Top four is a bit much to expect although I feel we may make it with a few decent signings.

But my main hope is to see a system and team begin to form.

A DoF would also be lovely.

 

[Andy_Cole]

It really depends on how long Ole lasts.

If we start terribly and he’s sacked by Xmas then it’s starting again.

We really should be doing top 4 and improving the performances though.

I’ve always stated that we will win if we play well. Yes sometimes it doesn’t work out but in my eyes it’s the teams that play well that achieve their target. Obviously there’s the relegation fighters who may play ugly to grind out points. But their target is very different, making just 40 points.

 

[Needham]

Everyone should cool down at this point and remember the last time the club was at a low ebb in the mid 70s, learn from history a bit. Bring back long grebby hair and an uncontrollable army of away fans terrorising the country's market towns.

 

[Dargonk]

What we should be aiming for and trying to get third, with a top four finish the minimum expectation. I can't see us getting anywhere near Liverpool and City, but the rest of the top four wasn't that much better than us this season.

The problem with this, is that I don't currently feel like the club is set up and run well enough to bring in players who will give us that, and then a platform to push further up in the next few season. So what should be our aim is going to be far more difficult to achieve, with us just as likely to end up sitting in the exact same spot as this year. More so if we let our best players leave.

 

[reddevilz007]

New owners
Woodward as head of marketing only
A DoF

 

[Bastian]

New owners
Woodward as head of marketing only
A DoF

If we had new ownership I'd say Woodward staying on would be as likely as winning the lottery three weeks in a row.

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

Absolutely nothing. We are not set up correctly to achieve a thing. We have a squad bloated with mediocre players,our only truly good players want to leave and probably will leave,our manager seems out of his depth,no CL football and the board overseeing this shambles is negligent. We'll finish where our squad deserves to finish, around 8th.

 

[ForestRGoinUp]

Absolutely nothing. We are not set up correctly to achieve a thing. We have a squad bloated with mediocre players,our only truly good players want to leave and probably will leave,our manager seems out of his depth,no CL football and the board overseeing this shambles is negligent. We'll finish where our squad deserves to finish, around 8th.

We might have the 6th to 8th best squad, but I think that only implies a 6-8th finish (or higher) if they’re playing for the club and manager.

If they give up, we’ve already seen we are capable of relegation form over a couple of months.

 

[nameischarles]

4th is a minimum. We can't afford to slip out to 6th again but even 4th is a tall task if there's no major improvement.

 

[Danish Wizard]

Should be fighting for the title

Reality is somewhere 6-10

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Top 4 and signs of progression.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

That's just not going to happen

Building a successful team for a period of time takes...time.

Go and tell Real Madrid that after the Summer investment they have made.

How far we have fallen, you're laughing at the thought of us achieving top 4! Yet still defending the board.

 

[Trophy Room]

Avoid relegation.

 

[DickDastardly]

Just be there until Christmas, you know, out and around, within a 5 point gap from the top.

Just want some cracking games with the top 5, win or lose, just be there, emotionally, take them on, take swings....

And then build on that...

 

[Robertd0803]

3rd place after a decent transfer window.

4th without a decent window.

Anything below that doesnt bear thinking about.

 

[kouroux]

6th of course

 

[PeteManic]

I'd like to see players go past other players. A bit of energy and inventiveness wouldn't go amiss.

 

[Massive Spanner]

The minimum expectation at this club should always be a title challenge.

At this stage, though, I'd be happy with top four.

And I realistically expect us to finish somewhere between 5th and 10th.

 

[K2K]

5th and a domestic cup would be a great season.

I don't expect either.

 

[padzilla]

The minimum expectation for us at any given time is that the players give 100 per cent and leave the fans something to shout about. If we do that, results will follow.

 

[AJ10]

Option 2, Easily.

 

[Tom Cato]

Option 5!

Enough with the knee jerk expetance that every game must be won or the manager must be fired. Give the man a seaon of transfer windows, bring in talented youth and let them get comfortable. Judge the manager after season 2 in charge.

 

[SprayingErmine6]

At the moment it looks like I would settle for Option 4.

That sounds bad at first but I want this club to properly rebuild. We could still challenge for a CL spot but that seems unlikely.

Get players like AWB, Daniel James, Diop and Declan Rice to build a young core. Hopefully Fred can step up and show us something.

If we actually manage to qualify for CL I would be very surprised seeing how the transfer window has been going so far.

 

[Devils11]

After spending x amount, minimum 4th. The Big 2 are beyond us. Spurs would be disappointed if they finish below 3rd. Chelsea are broken, Arsenal are the only rival for that 4th spot.

At least our last 8 league games are all winnable....on paper

 

[bonothom]

I think if you look at Uniteds rivals then 3rd place should be achievable. Spurs lost a load of games last season and won't spend much, Chelsea have lost their best player, managers gone and can't bring in players and Arsenal haven't much money to spend. So United should be in the best position with the funds they have available.

 

[Wheato]

If we make improvements to central defense and right-back. Add some quality into midfield, then a top 4 finish is achievable with this squad. We finished second in 2018 with the same players. For OGS first 15 games, we saw the real potential and the way he wants to play. Unfortunately, we didn't have the levels of fitness to sustain this tempo and keep the momentum. The fitness coach was sacked. If we'd kept up at that level, we'd have finished 3rd this season just gone. We need to forget about the CL now, and make the best of our new season. City had a parade with their domestic success. The CL isn't the only thing out there. Not that we have a hope of winning it anyway. I would be happy to see the team gel and win games playing decent football. A Europa league and an FA cup would be tops.

 

[balaks]

Improved performance, reached the finals of Europa league and challenge for the title.

We are Manchester United not Spurs, Arsenal, Everton or Leceister. Anything else lower and we will slide deeper into mediocrity.

What does that mean now though? It doesnt mean what it did 10 years ago.

 

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

Stay up, consolidate and maybe push for Europe and a cup final the season after

 

[Ikon]

I don't have any serious belief that the Grand Rebuild will happen, so until I see otherwise, I fully expect us to start matches next season with Young, Jones, Smalling, Matic, Mata and the rest of the cast of bang average players that let us down so badly last season.

Predictions?
5/6th place at best, depending upon Arsenal's form, with Leicester, Wolves & Everton being much, much closer.

I'd be over the moon to win the UEFA cup again though.

 

[Shakesy]

If we sign no one else and sell Lukaku and Pogba we might just sneak fourth.

Our squad had a great run there in the middle of the season, and we might repeat that. Seriously.

And guess what? We will sign players.

So non-believers! Have some faith! Praise Jeebus!

 

[Amadaeus]

What does that mean now though? It doesnt mean what it did 10 years ago.

We are still one of the most valuable clubs and have a long history of glittering trophies and success. Even though, we are have not won any of the big trophies in awhile, the success is still there with the Europa League title, fa cup, Carabao cup and so on.

As such if the club doesn’t slide us further into mediocrity, we have a chance to get one of those big trophies. Unfortunately, we decided to go with Ole instead of Pochettino who would have assured that United get backs on top of Europe with the amazing work he has done. We had the opportunity to eliminate one of our top four challenger, but instead we hired a manager that showed form worse than Cardiff and Huddersfield when he was appointed. If levy give Pochettino what he wants, United fans will have to hope that we keep some of our key players and bring in better talent than the ones Spurs are getting.

 

[youmeletsfly]

Finish top 8 but:
- play good footie
- restructure the club
- get rid of the deadwood

And no, my standards haven't dropped, that's where we are top 4/6/8.

 

[buchansleftleg]

I'd settle for mid table if we made progress as a club and cleared out the dead wood.

If we get in lots of young talent they will be inconsistent and I'll accept that.

However I fear we will not get the players we want...will make some panic purchase and then have a terrible start to the season resulting in another Manager Casualty covering up for the creptitude at Board level.

 

[Infra-red]

The absolute minimum we should achieve, given the financial resources at our disposal, is top 3.

Based on what I've seen from Solskjaer and the reports regarding our transfer strategy this summer, top 6 is probably a more realistic expectation.

I also expect the gap between 4th and 7th to narrow significantly (14 points last season), as Leicester/Everton/Wolves try to break into the top 6.