Seen plenty of words recently to the effect of "If we want to challenge for the title next year we must......."
Are these comments just based on the size of the club alone? The truth is we've not been in a single title race since Fergie retired. We've not got remotely close. Even last year when we came second it was never a race from November onwards. We were very distant runners up.
I honestly don't think we will challenge again next season. I expect us to improve, play better football and compete for the top 4 much sooner than we did this season but as for the title I simply don't see it at all. We've got some good players but we've got too many issues to solve before the title is realistic.
I feel our fans being inpatient and unrealistic could become a problem for Ole if we're not careful. People seem to want the instant fix every time we change managers. Look at Klopp. No trophies yet and this is his 4th season in charge and this is the first time they've looked remotely good enough for the title.
If we play good eye catching football next season, ala the United of old, and we're competing and finishing top 4 then for me that's enough. I actually don't think some of our fans realise the size of task Ole has on his hands. He's capable of making us a contender again I reckon but it will take time. Time most of our fans won't give him most likely.
Are our fans being unrealistic?
posted on 4/4/19
comment by #LiquidGenius (U20571)
posted 5 seconds ago
I’d say you’re being unrealistic.
With the exception of a decade or so under SAF, United have never been a consistent threat at the top.
This spell since 2013, with big names, decent football but few titles is more typical of United traditionally.
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A decade?
Try two decades under SAF
posted on 4/4/19
comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 2 minutes ago
We are debating semantics here really. I think our expectations are top four every year, and that isn’t unreasonable. If Woodward’s expectations are to be challenging for the title with our squad then he’s even more of a twaaaaat than I already thought.
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It's not semantics though Dazza, because our fans (and other football fans, true) don't see the context.
They can happily ignore the injury crises, failures in individual player form, poor refereeing decisions, the form of other sides, the fixture list, poor pitches, tantrums and fall-outs, where international breaks fall, player behaviour, cup runs and fixture congestion, morale and momentum, the weather, fitness and fatigue, sheer tactical fortune/misfortune, performance in training sessions versus matchday, the myriad issues that might be going on behind the scenes at the club, hell, sheer bloody luck or lack thereof, and see only their black and white judgements on the quality of our squad versus the others in the league and cry, in declarative fashion, "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"
Well no, your analysis isn't good enough. It's blinkered.
posted on 4/4/19
comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 5 minutes ago
Blackburn outscored us that season.
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I am misremembering then. But I'm sure we had a far superior goal difference.
posted on 4/4/19
In case I haven't been clear enough, the OP is bang on, and I'm not on the same page as SE85 so often.
"I feel our fans being inpatient and unrealistic could become a problem for Ole if we're not careful."
A very large proportion of our fans are impatient and unrealistic all the facking time.
posted on 4/4/19
Yeah but I don’t really consider people like that when talking about realistic expectations.
Just looked and our gd was 49 (gf 77 ga 28) and theirs was 41 (gf 80 and ga 39).
posted on 4/4/19
We wuz robbed, Dazza, good and proper.
Watch that West Ham game again sometime if you can. It should never have come down to that fixture, but Miklosko made the likes of Friedel, Grant and Heaton's performances at OT look like, well, average Friedel, Grant and Heaton performances.
posted on 4/4/19
West Ham fans still sing his name.
posted on 4/4/19
I don’t think there’s any chance united challenge for the title next season myself, unless the rest of the league is having a poor year.
So much work needed on the squad, all over. And Ole is gonna have his own ideas on how he wants to play and it could mean certain fan favourites (like Herrera) make way. They then need replacing too on top of the already glaring weaknesses in the squad.
I said it yesterday on robbs article about waiting to appoint Ole till the end of the season, but Ole has done a brilliant job with what’s a pretty ordinary united squad imo. To have you guys even competing for the top 4 at this stage, from where you were when he took over with the squad you have is unbelievable.
posted on 4/4/19
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 4/4/19
But...but...you've got Sir OGS in charge now....what with all his experience you are certs surely