What Season(s) Post Sir Alex Did You Think We Could Win The League? And For How Long?

[Charlie Foley]

It goes without saying that we don’t challenge for the title like we used to under the great man. This year felt like a title challenge was brewing, but our season fizzled out right as City kicked on.
With that said, what seasons since 2012/13 have you gone into, or felt at some point, that we could win the league?

2013/14 was the dark Moyes era. Didn’t have any hope going into this one, thought we should do enough for top 4. I remember however after we beat Arsenal 1-0 at home in November, we were 5 points behind them. I thought for about a week after that we could do something and then we went and drew 2-2 at Cardiff and all hope was lost.

2014/15 once we went 2-0 up at Leicester I thought with no europe or league cup we might just run through most teams. Then a bad referee screwed us, we saw good Vardy before good Vardy, di Maria stopped fancying it and we became boring. I did check the table before we went to Chelsea on a great winning streak but injuries had caught up with us by then and we lost. In hindsight, a win would still have had us 5 points back and they with a game in hand, but you never know. Well, we did know, we finished 4th.

2015/16 wasn’t a spectacular start to this season but I remember in particular wins against WBA and Watford in November that has us close to the top of the table and with so many teams dropping points, I thought we had a good shot. We then drew 1-1 at first place Leicester which was frustrating but not a bad result. Then drew at home to West Ham, and lost at Bournemouth, home to Norwich, and away to Stoke and any delusions I had were gone.

2016/17 expected city to win the league this year but thought we would be in the top 2. After we lost 4-0 at Chelsea I didn’t think we were good enough.

2017/18 good start to the season and city drawing at home to Everton felt like a door was opened. Their run of winning games 2-1 in the last minute seemed like a weekly occurrence but probably only happened twice, but I remember being invested enough to be really frustrated by it. Once they beat us 2-1 at home and how we played there was zero doubt in my mind, but I’m not sure there wasn’t before.

2018/19 at no point did I have any sort of title aspirations. We ended the previous season terribly.

2019/20 the time between our third goal against Chelsea and missing the penalty at Wolves in our second match was good. Then shite until Bruno

 

[Offside]

Think after we spanked Swansea 4-1 in Moyes’s first game and RVP was immense I thought there’s a chance we’re just a winning machine and it doesn’t matter that Fergie’s gone.

Apart from that I haven’t felt it for a second at any time.

 

[Pexbo]

I genuinely don’t think I have.

 

[macheda14]

Think after we spanked Swansea 4-1 in Moyes’s first game and RVP was immense I thought there’s a chance we’re just a winning machine and it doesn’t matter that Fergie’s gone.

Apart from that I haven’t felt it for a second at any time.

For a seeeeecond a very very slight second I didn’t think we were gonna win this year, but part of me started having the like ‘oooooh imagine, imagine if we did’. Which I haven’t had since Fergie. Tbh I never had it with him I just believed we would pretty much every year since 2007.

 

[Withnail]

Absolutely none of them.

I was optimistic things could work out with Moyes because obviously Fergie was seeing something I couldn't and the squad had just won the league.

Once it all went tits up that season I can't recall ever believing it was realistically possible.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

The brief "4-0 FC" period under Jose

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

When we went top early in the season under Jose (for about a month) and when we went top under Ole (for about a week)

 

[bosnian_red]

Before Mourinhos first season I had hope. Ibra, Pogba, Mkhtaryan and Bailly came in (great window at the time on paper). Was always going to be hard against Pep but I expected #1 and #2 and an actual title challenge. Still was a good season with the trophies, but we were too inconsistent.

At not other point though. This season I might actually have hope of a challenge if we sign Sancho, Varane AND a defensive midfielder, but we won't.

 

[Giggsyking]

I had the feeling in LVG end of the first season, until the Chelsea game.

 

[King Azaz the Unabridged]

2017/18 was the only time. Didn't happen because City had a ridiculous season, but that was a good team, no matter what the Toxic One and his cult will tell you about how hard he had to work to get 81 points with it.

Lukaku, Pogba, Matic and even Mkhitaryan started that season on fire, with Martial and Rashford rotating very effectively (not a coincidence they all limped to the finish line as the toxicity reached its peak following the Sevilla debacle), and De Gea had his best season for the club. The fullbacks were garbage, which was the only real weakness.

 

[2 man midfield]

The Moyes season was more a case of having hope, then seeing it slowly dissipate over the season. I haven’t really thought we’ve been title contenders since. We might have been top of the league for a fleeting weekend or two but there was never any serious threat we’d stay there.

 

[OleBoiii]

None.

To be fair: apart from Moyes' team(in theory), I don't think that we've ever been close in team quality relative to our rivals. Van Gaal did a terrible job with the rebuild and because of that we never really stood a chance even though the PL was in a dark period. By the time Mourinho had scraped together a half-decent team City was too far ahead and Liverpool was rapidly getting better. Ole took over mid-season and since then he hasn't been backed enough(if the goal is a PL trophy).

A good transfer window for us and a bad one for City should make us serious contenders next season, but that's wishful thinking.

 

[redshaw]

I expected a minimum of a 10 year wait such was the chasm left by Fergie retiring. Got two more years left of that and we could easily go another 10 years.

I'll always remember RVP speaking after the opening Moyes game how he couldn't understand how the bookies had United not even making top 4 but for me and the bookies it was clear.

After Fergie and Gill left it's been a cavalcade of poor recruitment in players and management started by Fergie no less. We had a chance to right the wrong but instead hired a due to retire manager in LVG. We seem to be out of sync since with top managers that are available and reluctant to make bold decisions or attempt to hire someone in their prime and do the ground work.

 

[siw2007]

Only time I thought we would win it was the start of the 2017/2018 season when we looked far too powerful for our early opponents and steamrolled them with Lukaku, Pogba, Rashford, Martial and Matic all playing extremely well. Then City clicked into gear and it was very apparent threat we’re on another level. Our title challenge quickly fizzled out with injuries, loss of form and maybe other teams catching up to us in terms of fitness.

 

[AgentSmith]

I hated everything about our summer in 2017 (Lukaku, Matic, Lindelof) and didn’t like the way Jose was setting us up to play in general.

But after that 4-0 on the opening day against West Ham where Lukaku scored twice and we looked wonderfully functional I allowed myself to believe Jose might shithouse his way to a title with us. How naive I was.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Towards the end of the 14/15 season, I thought that next season LvG was going to get it right.

But it was like he pressed reset on anything good that came out of the 14/15 season, and the 15/16 season was, in my opinion, the worst football we've played post-Fergie. Switched from a 4-3-3 that was starting to work, to a 4-2-3-1, with a huge gap between the 2 sitters and the front 4. Martial was the only bright spot that season. We had strings of games with barely a shot on goal to speak of.

 

[Irwin99]

None sadly. I don't recall being that confident that Moyes would win us the league with the squad we had (even though we were champions) and the lack of signings but I thought top 4 was assured (how wrong I was). Maybe Jose's second year up until the game against City and the Lukaku debacle.

Pretty much every manager since Moyes has focused on a rebuild since they joined and we've turned into a club that always says 'we need a another summer in the transfer market' to get it right.

 

[gerdm07]

None. We never had a good enough squad especially compared with City and Liv. We still don't but we are getting closer. 2 or 3 great signings....

 

[Trequarista10]

Towards the end of LVG's first season I thought we had a chance the following season as we finished fairly well and I bought into the idea that LVG would be able to fully implement his 'philosophy'.

 

[Jpar]

When we beat Swansea in Moyes first game I thought "oh there's nothing to worry about, we're fine" and then never again until this season from when we came from 2-0 to win 3-2 at Southampton and went on a title charge getting to top of the league... Until we lost to Sheffield at home.

 

[clarkydaz]

i dont even remember being top under jose, thats how false it must have felt

 

[charlenefan]

Mourinho's first two seasons were probably the only ones due in part to the CV of the man in charge, I remember not knowing what to expect under Moyes, LVG was charged with a rebuild a rebuild that's still going to this day which is one of the reasons why I've never felt we could win the title under Ole either (the other being the same as Mourinho but in reverse, his CV)

 

[Robertd0803]

2017/18 was the only time. Didn't happen because City had a ridiculous season, but that was a good team, no matter what the Toxic One and his cult will tell you about how hard he had to work to get 81 points with it.

Lukaku, Pogba, Matic and even Mkhitaryan started that season on fire, with Martial and Rashford rotating very effectively (not a coincidence they all limped to the finish line as the toxicity reached its peak following the Sevilla debacle), and De Gea had his best season for the club. The fullbacks were garbage, which was the only real weakness.

The FA Cup final vs Chelsea summed it up, everytime Young and Valencia got the ball in great positions they fecked up the crosses every time. Every.Time.

 

[T00lsh3d]

I hated everything about our summer in 2017 (Lukaku, Matic, Lindelof) and didn’t like the way Jose was setting us up to play in general.

But after that 4-0 on the opening day against West Ham where Lukaku scored twice and we looked wonderfully functional I allowed myself to believe Jose might shithouse his way to a title with us. How naive I was.

Ah yes, that delicious feeling that we might do it all the wrong way after doing it the right way for so long. Sadly it didn’t last

 

[Leftback99]

None, the squad has never been good enough compared to our rivals.

 

[mu4c_20le]

This one, during that few weeks when we were top and city were like fourth with a couple games in hand. Liverpool were gash and City had that terrible start. Don't think we were ever close in the other years.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I genuinely don’t think I have.

Agreed. This season there wasn't any kind of race, we treated 1st place like a hot potato and bailed as soon as possible. Last proper race was 18/19 with City/Pool. Maybe the Leicester title win where Spurs imploded.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

Before seasons I thought we had a chance in all of them apart from first season under Ole and last Mourinho season.

I did not hold us as favorites under Moyes, but thought we could win it with the players we got. Fellaini in I did not like, but still had some faith up to the big defeat to City. Thought LVG could improve us when he took over. Second season I thought the league was so weak so we could nick it when Leicester did even with our shit football. Had hopes Depay would be good and Martial too.
Mourinho with Pogba and Zlatan I thought could go all the way. Same with Lukaku and Matic in. Then we had a horrible window with just Fred and I thought City was too strong after they got 90+ points.
Ole first season I was not happy with our window either and feared Liverpool would win it. After Bruno in I got more faith we could maybe do it.

 

[jlecesne]

I got my hopes up last season. Then we lost to Sheffield United at home.

 

[Siorac]

When have I really, genuinely thought we might win? I don't think that I ever have.

Before the Moyes season, I had a vague thought that after winning the previous season's title by 11 points, we'll still be thereabouts, if dour and shite to watch. Though that was before the disastrous transfer window.

And maybe I had some slight hope/delusion after the end of 2014/15 and then signing the Schmidfield.

 

[Antisocial]

None - Moyes I expected top four at the very worst but no real title challenge, and then the scars of that season shattered all confidence I've had since then.

The closest I got was probably the first season under LVG when we absolutely dominated pre-season, actually made some signings, LVG personally was on a high after his run with the Dutch national team, and we seemed to have fully embraced his formation and were getting great results with it - I was ready to accept the previous season was a blip.

Then the season started at home against Swansea...

 

[el3mel]

None. At best we looked like a title challenger for no more than one month in each of these seasons, before everything going to shit quickly.

 

[Oranges038]

I never realistically expected to win the league.

 

[cyril C]

I had no illusion on our team post-fermi, as we need to replace half of our ageing squad. I just didn't know it took so long with so many flip flop.

We were never in the right gear, 2017-18 was the most optimistic season although I know we have no chance in catching City that season, perhaps the following. It fell apart after the recruitment of Sanchez, almost like a poison pill, that the team went into the wrong direction.

It always take 2 may be 3 seasons to build a winning team, we just never had that continuity and momentum, manager and players wise.

 

[DRJosh]

For the briefest of moments when we occupied pole position last season, I thought Ole would just maybe spring a surprise and push City down to the wire.

 

[wolvored]

Think after we spanked Swansea 4-1 in Moyes’s first game and RVP was immense I thought there’s a chance we’re just a winning machine and it doesn’t matter that Fergie’s gone.

Apart from that I haven’t felt it for a second at any time.

This. I thought the same. How wrong were we? I dont think we will win it again as long as the Glazers are here.
This fiasco with Sancho or example. Its being reported we are 10 mill away and then we havent even made a bid. If we dont get a good window with at least 3 top decent age players coming in, and I dont call Trippier a top player, or Ronaldo/Ramos a decent age, then the bluster Glazer came out with the other day will all be bullshit.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I honestly never have.

 

[Baneofthegame]

The early days of Mourinho, other than that, none.

 

[Green Arrow]

Never have and I don't expect to see us win the league again for a very long time.

 

[Zen86]

I was never a fan of bringing in Mourinho, but I remember us starting strongly in his second season which gave me a small glimmer of hope. That was all over and done with after a few weeks, mind.