With Ole at the wheel, where do we end up in the final table?

With Ole at the wheel, what'll be our final position?

  • Top 4

    Votes: 15 4.3%
  • Europa League

    Votes: 112 32.3%
  • Mid-table

    Votes: 195 56.2%
  • Relegation battle, still in EPL

    Votes: 21 6.1%
  • Relegated

    Votes: 4 1.2%

  • Total voters
    347

bonothom

Full Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
843
I think for most of this season we"ll be mired in mid-table, probably 7 or 8 points above bottom 3. But relegation will always remain an outside possibility up until the last 5 or 6 games. Our goalscoring woes are not going to go away anytime soon. Come the end of the season Ole will rally the troops and say "we go again" next season!
 

James Ward

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
336
If United don't sign a center midfielder or Striker in January I would say 8th.

If United do sign both I would say 6th.
 

432JuanMata

Full Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Messages
3,094
Location
Dublin
Top 4 is gone, top 6 is obtainable though I do think we will finish 8th. I hope we win the Europa league.
If we finished 8th will Ole he sacked as it be our worst finish in PL history
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
13,966
it's mad, 47% of people don't want him sacked yet 97% of people think we will miss out on top four. The f*ck are that 44% smoking if they think it's OK to keep a manager who has no chance of getting top four?
Simple really, I don't think any manager would get top 4 with this squad.

I didn't think we'd get it last season either even after finishing 2nd, didn't mean I wanted Mourinho sacked.
 

Rood

nostradamus like gloater
Scout
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
21,232
Location
@United_Hour
I like what you did there, Roonster me old chum - you took simple logic and blasted it wider than a Phil Jones penalty...

Oppo WUMs being 'Ole in', does not make all 'Ole in' posters Oppo WUMs! ;)
thank feck for that, I was worried there for a minute !
 

RMD83

Full Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2016
Messages
827
Top 4 is gone, top 6 is obtainable though I do think we will finish 8th. I hope we win the Europa league.
If we finished 8th will Ole he sacked as it be our worst finish in PL history
The Man Utd way!
 

Andycoleno9

matchday malcontent
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
28,576
Location
Croatia
If we assume that he will be manager whole season:
With new proven backup striker and workd class midfielder: 8th at best.
Without signings or with signings "for the future" : 10th-12th probably
 

el3mel

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,735
Location
Egypt
Top 4 is gone, top 6 is obtainable though I do think we will finish 8th. I hope we win the Europa league.
If we finished 8th will Ole he sacked as it be our worst finish in PL history
If we win EL he will stay.

However with such thin squad and the possibilities of teams coming from CL as Inter I can't see how we are going to win it.

Imo we will finish anywhere between 7th - 10th with zero trophies and he will be sacked by the end of the season.

For the majority of the season he will probably keep picking these kind of wins from time to time and his job will saved. Also Woodward wants to prove it at all cost he didn't get it horribly wrong with this appointment, so pulling the trigger will be delayed till the end of the season imo.
 

Member 119614

Guest
This argument falls apart when you realise that the squad Ole inherited finished 2nd the season before under Mourinho. The narrative at the time was that Mourinho's negative tactics were holding us back and that we can challenge City if we improve upon it. Certainly capable of top 4 anyway.

The fact that people now believe we have no chance whatsoever of top 4 after one summer window with Ole spending 150m on new signings shows what a disastrous job he has done here.

The 47% are away with the fairies and wildly deluded. Their reasoning is not objectively based on actual football performances and history, that's for sure.
This is not the same squad as the Mourinho one. Just from the top of my head I'm sure there have been at least 5 teenagers regularly in the squad that weren't around when Mourinho was here. Then the likes of Smalling, Ibrahimovic, Lukaku, Mkhytaryan, Sanchez, Schwensteiger, Rooney are gone while Dalot, Pogba, Bailly and Matic have barely played for whatever reasoning.

This current United is almost entirely different.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rood

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
Simple really, I don't think any manager would get top 4 with this squad.

I didn't think we'd get it last season either even after finishing 2nd, didn't mean I wanted Mourinho sacked.
Plenty of managers would get top four with this squad.
 

Bilbo

TeaBaggins
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
14,208
Transform it into a team that finishes sixth, though, so what's the point?

I'm just curious because you've often said on here that Ole needs time to build a squad and we need to stop chopping and changing and making reactionary decisions, yet buying two players in January is about as reactionary as you can possibly get, especially when there's no tangible benefit to doing so, because really, what does it matter if we finish 6th, 10th, or 14th?
Buying players in January isn't a bad thing to do. Its using one of only two opportunities on the annual calendar to improve the squad, which we absolutely need to do. Come January 1st we are still going to be fighting in 3 cup competitions as well as the league. I really don't understand your viewpoint here at all, and to be honest it reads like you are just looking for the negative in every situation.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
Buying players in January isn't a bad thing to do. Its using one of only two opportunities on the annual calendar to improve the squad, which we absolutely need to do. Come January 1st we are still going to be fighting in 3 cup competitions as well as the league. I really don't understand your viewpoint here at all, and to be honest it reads like you are just looking for the negative in every situation.
I'm not being negative, I genuinely just don't see the point in buying in January unless it will mean we can achieve top four. Janaury purchases are usually more expensive and have a far lower success rate than summer purchases. They usually don't hit the ground running either because obviously they haven't had a pre-season. There are exceptions like VVD and Auba though, to be fair, and I wouldn't complain if we did sign a player of that proven quality.

Ultimately if we are planning to persist with Ole, which I (wrongly) think we are, and if we are not expecting January purchases to result in any significant improvement to the squad, I'd much prefer to wait til the Summer and assess what we require then, do some proper planning and not make any reactionary purchases to our current dire situation in order to go from 10th to 6th or 7th.

Strongly disagree with this
Arsenal and Spurs have both been shite, right now Leicester look the most likely team to get 4th spot and it's ridiculous to think they have a better squad than we do. This isn't a great squad but the standard in the battle for fourth is terrible right now so a really good manager could definitely get us there.
 

Sky1981

Fending off the urge
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
30,002
Location
Under the bright neon lights of sincity
I'm not being negative, I genuinely just don't see the point in buying in January unless it will mean we can achieve top four. Janaury purchases are usually more expensive and have a far lower success rate than summer purchases. They usually don't hit the ground running either because obviously they haven't had a pre-season. There are exceptions like VVD and Auba though, to be fair, and I wouldn't complain if we did sign a player of that proven quality.

Ultimately if we are planning to persist with Ole, which I (wrongly) think we are, and if we are not expecting January purchases to result in any significant improvement to the squad, I'd much prefer to wait til the Summer and assess what we require then, do some proper planning and not make any reactionary purchases to our current dire situation in order to go from 10th to 6th or 7th.


Arsenal and Spurs have both been shite, right now Leicester look the most likely team to get 4th spot and it's ridiculous to think they have a better squad than we do. This isn't a great squad but the standard in the battle for fourth is terrible right now so a really good manager could definitely get us there.
I find it hillarious when people says no manager can get better than ole. Brendan rodger did it with less budget with us.
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
13,966
6th or 7th. Not sure whether that will be enough for the Europa.
Plenty of managers would get top four with this squad.
But yet in the last 6 years we've only finished top 4 twice and most would agree this is our worst squad in that time.

The 'top 6' would all have fans that believe there side should finish top 4, plus there's now Leicester in the mix. They can't all be right.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
6th or 7th. Not sure whether that will be enough for the Europa.

But yet in the last 6 years we've only finished top 4 twice and most would agree this is our worst squad in that time.

The 'top 6' would all have fans that believe there side should finish top 4, plus there's now Leicester in the mix. They can't all be right.
Yeah because our managers did a shite job, just like our current manager is doing a shite job. The two years our managers did a reasonable job, they finished 4th and 2nd, funnily enough.

There's simply no way Leicester have a better squad than us. Much better manager, though.

If we had Rodgers instead of Ole do you not at least think we would be doing better than we currently are?
 

Bilbo

TeaBaggins
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
14,208
I'm not being negative, I genuinely just don't see the point in buying in January unless it will mean we can achieve top four. Janaury purchases are usually more expensive and have a far lower success rate than summer purchases. They usually don't hit the ground running either because obviously they haven't had a pre-season. There are exceptions like VVD and Auba though, to be fair, and I wouldn't complain if we did sign a player of that proven quality.

Ultimately if we are planning to persist with Ole, which I (wrongly) think we are, and if we are not expecting January purchases to result in any significant improvement to the squad, I'd much prefer to wait til the Summer and assess what we require then, do some proper planning and not make any reactionary purchases to our current dire situation in order to go from 10th to 6th or 7th.


Arsenal and Spurs have both been shite, right now Leicester look the most likely team to get 4th spot and it's ridiculous to think they have a better squad than we do. This isn't a great squad but the standard in the battle for fourth is terrible right now so a really good manager could definitely get us there.
I doubt the plan is to bring players in regardless - in fact I'm certain of it. If they don't think that a player is going to have an impact and improve results they won't sign them, and then fans (including yourself probably) will be in uproar that we are not investing. We will see. I'm not 100% certain that we will bring someone in during January, but I'm 100% certain that we will try.

By the way - 10 points off of fourth in November does not mean that we should be giving up on finishing top four. There are 81 points left to play for.

As for your final point the only managers that are exceeding expectation significantly so far are Rodgers and Chris Wilder. Klopp & Pep are both par. Lampard slightly under par. Ole, Poch & Emery are all over par so far, by varying margins. IMO of course. This belief that there are a variety of options out there that would transform is complete bunkum - though I do confess that the thought of seeing Wenger here should it all go tits up does stir some excitement within me.
 

TwoSheds

More sheds (and tiles) than you, probably
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
12,739
8th but reckon we might get League cup or something. That wouldn't bother me at all given what he's been given to work with. Couple of good forwards and a quality CM (plus Pogba replacement if needed) in Jan or the summer and we should have a top 4 squad as long as the young players keep developing.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
I doubt the plan is to bring players in regardless - in fact I'm certain of it. If they don't think that a player is going to have an impact and improve results they won't sign them, and then fans (including yourself probably) will be in uproar that we are not investing. We will see. I'm not 100% certain that we will bring someone in during January, but I'm 100% certain that we will try.
What do you mean including me? I'm fecking arguing against signing players in January, how the hell would that include me? Get off your high horse.

By the way - 10 points off of fourth in November does not mean that we should be giving up on finishing top four. There are 81 points left to play for.
Just to be completely clear here, you are the one who said if we sign two players in January then we will finish sixth, so it sounds like you're the one who's writing off top four. Which is it?

As for your final point the only managers that are exceeding expectation significantly so far are Rodgers and Chris Wilder. Klopp & Pep are both par. Lampard slightly under par. Ole, Poch & Emery are all over par so far, by varying margins. IMO of course. This belief that there are a variety of options out there that would transform is complete bunkum - though I do confess that the thought of seeing Wenger here should it all go tits up does stir some excitement within me.
Umm, don't think you know which way round under and over par are, mate.

Look, what you said is that if we sign two players in January we could get sixth. I think it's completely pointless for us to do that if the best we'll finish is sixth, because generally January purchases have a lower success rate than summer purchases. That's simply true. The only scenario we should buy in January is if it gives us a real, genuine chance at top four, which neither of us believe to be the case.
 

InspiRED

Full Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
1,592
Supports
Outraged snowflakes
With Ole at the wheel we're gonna end up on a road safety ad.
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
13,966
Yeah because our managers did a shite job, just like our current manager is doing a shite job. The two years our managers did a reasonable job, they finished 4th and 2nd, funnily enough.

There's simply no way Leicester have a better squad than us. Much better manager, though.

If we had Rodgers instead of Ole do you not at least think we would be doing better than we currently are?
I didn't say Leicester have a better squad. They have a good first 11 that they have been able to get on the pitch nearly every week, we haven't.

Assuming the same injury problems, I can't say for certain either way.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
I didn't say Leicester have a better squad. They have a good first 11 that they have been able to get on the pitch nearly every week, we haven't.

Assuming the same injury problems, I can't say for certain either way.
You can't say for certain if Rodgers would do a better job than Ole? Are you kidding me?
 

Bilbo

TeaBaggins
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
14,208
What do you mean including me? I'm fecking arguing against signing players in January, how the hell would that include me? Get off your high horse.


Just to be completely clear here, you are the one who said if we sign two players in January then we will finish sixth, so it sounds like you're the one who's writing off top four. Which is it?


Umm, don't think you know which way round under and over par are, mate.

Look, what you said is that if we sign two players in January we could get sixth. I think it's completely pointless for us to do that if the best we'll finish is sixth, because generally January purchases have a lower success rate than summer purchases. That's simply true. The only scenario we should buy in January is if it gives us a real, genuine chance at top four, which neither of us believe to be the case.
I'm predicting sixth - that's not the same as saying that I think top 4 is complete out of the question. Depending on what business we do, if any, in January then we can revisit our predictions of course.

The par thing is fine - not sure how you were reading it. Lampard is slightly under par IM but not enough to suggest that he is killing it in the same way as Rodgers and Wilder are. Chelsea still have a very strong squad of players.

As for January signings if we can bring in players to improve us then we have to do it regardless of whether we think it will tip the balance into top four or not. As I said we still have 3 cup competitions to go after.
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
13,966
You can't say for certain if Rodgers would do a better job than Ole? Are you kidding me?
If only football was as simple as how good the manager is perceived to be. Mourinho would still be here winning trophies instead of finishing 6th and leaving us in 8th. Mancini would never have beat SAF to a title.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
I'm predicting sixth - that's not the same as saying that I think top 4 is complete out of the question. Depending on what business we do, if any, in January then we can revisit our predictions of course.

The par thing is fine - not sure how you were reading it. Lampard is slightly under par IM but not enough to suggest that he is killing it in the same way as Rodgers and Wilder are. Chelsea still have a very strong squad of players.

As for January signings if we can bring in players to improve us then we have to do it regardless of whether we think it will tip the balance into top four or not. As I said we still have 3 cup competitions to go after.
I'm really not sure where you're getting your definition of under par from but the standard definition is not the same as the golf version.

Unless you genuinely think Lampard has been underperforming in his role?

Anyway I simply don't agree with January signings unless they can make a huge difference, which I don't think they will. You seem to think it's worthwhile so I'll agree to disagree on that.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
If only football was as simple as how good the manager is perceived to be. Mourinho would still be here winning trophies instead of finishing 6th and leaving us in 8th. Mancini would never have beat SAF to a title.
Why can't you just answer my question instead of giving me irrelevant examples?

Mourinho won us 2 trophies the year he finished sixth and then got us to second. It was also clear that the Mourinho we got was not the Mourinho of old. He wasn't good enough, just like Ole.
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
13,966
Why can't you just answer my question instead of giving me irrelevant examples?

Mourinho won us 2 trophies the year he finished sixth and then got us to second. It was also clear that the Mourinho we got was not the Mourinho of old. He wasn't good enough, just like Ole.
You asked me if I could be certain that Rodgers would do a better job than Solskjaer. No I can't be certain. There are no certainties in football. As per my irrelevant examples.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
You asked me if I could be certain that Rodgers would do a better job than Solskjaer. No I can't be certain. There are no certainties in football. As per my irrelevant examples.
No I originally asked you if you think Rodgers would you a better job than Ole? You changed it to phrase as certain. Are you not allowed to express an opinion on which manager you think would do better? Does everything have to be in certainties?

I mean it would explain why you so vehemently defend Ole as I guess you can't say with 100% certainty that any manager would improve us, but it's very likely, based on simple common sense, that a better manager than Ole, like Rodgers, would improve us.
 

wolvored

Full Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
9,871
I think there are 4 teams better than us overall. City liverpool Liecester Chelsea. Arsenal have better goalscorers and Spurs are too good not to make top 6. You may get a shock team like Wolves last year to make top 7/8. Sheff Utd? I think best we can get is 7th, but 8th even 9th wouldnt surprise me if we dont buy anyone in January. That could make all the difference of course. A top striker, a proper goalscoring playmaker.
 

JustAGuest

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
742
Somewhere between 5th and 7th. Top 4 looks to have sailed away now that we are 10 points behind. I doubt it will be as bad as midtable (which currently has 57% of all votes).
 

PyroMan

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Messages
120
I thought I was being pessimistic and voting for Europa League but fecking hell, majority of the people have voted for mid-table. :lol:
 

Leftback99

Might have a bedwetting fetish.
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
13,966
No I originally asked you if you think Rodgers would you a better job than Ole? You changed it to phrase as certain. Are you not allowed to express an opinion on which manager you think would do better? Does everything have to be in certainties?

I mean it would explain why you so vehemently defend Ole as I guess you can't say with 100% certainty that any manager would improve us, but it's very likely, based on simple common sense, that a better manager than Ole, like Rodgers, would improve us.
I defend him because there is so much nonsense on here that he's the' worst manager in the PL' and the like, not that I've ever said I think he's a great manager who will deliver titles for us.

I get that Rodgers is the current flavour of the month, earlier in the season names like Farke, Hassenhuttl, Silva and Howe have been hyped up on here as well. Old favourites like Poch seem to have lost some of their appeal on here.

I believe that closer to the truth is that there is a whole load of managers similar in quality with a couple of outliers in Guardiola and Klopp. Some are better fit for their clubs than others but thinking any of them will come and solve all our problems is clutching at straws.
 

Massive Spanner

Give Mason Mount a chance!
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
27,891
Location
Tool shed
I defend him because there is so much nonsense on here that he's the' worst manager in the PL' and the like, not that I've ever said I think he's a great manager who will deliver titles for us.

I get that Rodgers is the current flavour of the month, earlier in the season names like Farke, Hassenhuttl, Silva and Howe have been hyped up on here as well. Old favourites like Poch seem to have lost some of their appeal on here.

I believe that closer to the truth is that there is a whole load of managers similar in quality with a couple of outliers in Guardiola and Klopp. Some are better fit for their clubs than others but thinking any of them will come and solve all our problems is clutching at straws.
And again you won't answer my question!

I don't expect any manager to come along and fix our problems but getting a better manager than the one we currently have would certainly help us go some way towards doing so.

I don't think it's that outlandish to count Ole as among the worst manager's in the league. His managerial record in the PL is pretty indicative of that claim. That said he hasn't managed in the PL nearly as long as some of the other managers which needs to be taken into consideration.