Even if we don't sign another player, next season should be a huge improvement.
comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 2 minutes ago
Even if we don't sign another player, next season should be a huge improvement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. That squad isn't as bad as 15th. It just isn't.
I wonder with fewer games this season will the kids get much of a chance of game time? I'm sure I've read that Amorim wants a smaller squad this season because he won't need to rotate as much (and I guess it means more focused training sessions) so you're probably looking at a 23 man squad most of the time?
Onana, Bayindir, Heaton
de Ligt, Martinez, Yoro, Slabhead, Mazraoui, Heaven
Dorgu, Dalot, Shaw, Amass
Mainoo, Ugarte, Bruno, Casemiro
Cunha, Mbeumo, Amad, Mount
Hojlund, Zirkzee
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much.
A back 3 that has experience and quality alongside lots of potential.
I'd worry about LWB. Jury is out on Dorgu, early days but he's been very average so far. The centre of midfield another worry, don't see much consistency from any of them. Mainoo went backwards last season, time is catching up on Casemiro and Ugarte is another that needs to improve fast.
I rate Zirkzee, think he can play behind as well.
Given you will definitely make signings. If you got Mbuemo, LWB, CM and CF and they were all improvements on what is there then I'd say back in the top 5 hunt.
Also if you get 4 signings on top of Cunha you've probably shifted some deadwood as well. I do think in general the United fans seem to be too impatient at this point in the window.
If we start the season with Onana in nets no amount of pre season unfounded optimism is worth debating.
Yet PSG are European champions with the youngest ever team.
True but the vast majority of their first team were bought, even the young French players like Doue and Barcola. Zaire Emery is their only youth graduate I can think of.
PSG actually produce a lot of talent but seem to prefer selling them such as Ekitike and Simons recently.
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 5 minutes ago
True but the vast majority of their first team were bought, even the young French players like Doue and Barcola. Zaire Emery is their only youth graduate I can think of.
PSG actually produce a lot of talent but seem to prefer selling them such as Ekitike and Simons recently.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Simons was produced through La Masia and was signed by PSG and Ekitike was a signing from Reims.
Ha, ok so they don't have a good youth set up. I knew Simons came from La Masia but was still relatively young when he moved, didn't realise they got Ekitike that late on.
I think Alan Hansen was right in retrospect. We wouldn’t have won anything if we didn’t have Keane, Schmeichel, Cantona, Cole, etc at the time.
As for this season - what was clear last season was the squad quality was average at best, whatever you think of Amorim. If we don’t improve it we’ll see a similar level of shiiiit this season. Just without European football to break up the week. Cunha will definitely be a ray of light in the clouds but if we still have the worst Gk in the league in goal and the worst striker in the league up top we’ll look like chumps again.
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 59 minutes ago
Yet PSG are European champions with the youngest ever team.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
kids these days have hundreds of games at the top levels and its only been going up. Psg teams average age is young but theyve still got 29 31 26 year olds. only really emery who is a teen that regularly starts? Also theyre by far the best paid team in the world.
comment by Robb Cunha (U22716)
posted 40 minutes ago
I think Alan Hansen was right in retrospect. We wouldn’t have won anything if we didn’t have Keane, Schmeichel, Cantona, Cole, etc at the time.
As for this season - what was clear last season was the squad quality was average at best, whatever you think of Amorim. If we don’t improve it we’ll see a similar level of shiiiit this season. Just without European football to break up the week. Cunha will definitely be a ray of light in the clouds but if we still have the worst Gk in the league in goal and the worst striker in the league up top we’ll look like chumps again.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hansen's point was that *that United team* (featuring all those senior players) couldn't win anything because it had too many kids in it. He wasn't making an abstract philosophical point that didn't apply in this case due to the presence of veterans.
OP, the young talent we have coming through hopefully at least means we can focus most of our transfer budget on first choice players this summer rather than squad depth.
comment by Franko Cantona (U22187)
posted 1 hour, 27 minutes ago
If we start the season with Onana in nets no amount of pre season unfounded optimism is worth debating.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This
Not that I think we'll sign a keeper this window
comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much
--
Amad is terrible at RWB. I don't know whether it's a tactical thing or a Amad doesn't understand the role thing but plenty of times last season he was the furthest man back on the pitch, defending as an RB, and getting skinned alive because he's not an RB.
He needs to be further up the field, playing as an attacker.
comment by Ali - 🇪🇦 🏴 (U1192)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much
--
Amad is terrible at RWB. I don't know whether it's a tactical thing or a Amad doesn't understand the role thing but plenty of times last season he was the furthest man back on the pitch, defending as an RB, and getting skinned alive because he's not an RB.
He needs to be further up the field, playing as an attacker.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He had more goal involvements from RWB I believe.
Very optimistic, OP.
I don’t share this optimism
This false positivity nonsense in our fan base needs to stop.
You don't have to be a constant doom-monger either obviously but what we need is a massive dose of realism. Fans need to stop sugar coating things. We aren't a top 6 club anymore and I'd say it's highly unlikely we will finish top 6 again next season. The knock effect of no CL revenue is going to seriously harm us getting back up there too.
I'm expecting us to finish between 8th and 12th this coming season. That's not being pessimistic. It's being a realist. This squad isn't very good nor does it suit the formation we're trying to adopt. You can blame that oN Amorim if you wish to or the people who appointed him knowing that cash was tight. That's up to you.
I always look at things realistically rather than through red tinted glasses. I'm expecting another painful season with more downs than ups. I think we will improve a little and finish higher than 15th but I wouldn't be shocked at all if we don't qualify for Europe for a second season running.
The optimism will end the moment Onana dives up and over the first moderately well hit low shot on target against Arsenal and Rasmus air shots his only two attempted touches.
comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Ali - 🇪🇦 🏴 (U1192)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much
--
Amad is terrible at RWB. I don't know whether it's a tactical thing or a Amad doesn't understand the role thing but plenty of times last season he was the furthest man back on the pitch, defending as an RB, and getting skinned alive because he's not an RB.
He needs to be further up the field, playing as an attacker.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He had more goal involvements from RWB I believe.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Couldn't care less tbh. He shouldn't be anywhere near RB, which is where he was a lot of the time last season because we're so shiiiit at keeping the ball and spend a lot of time in our own half.
It's not really nonsense though to pose a question asking how we'll do if some players improve.
It wouldn't take much of an improvement for us to finish much higher next season IMO.
I'm also fed up with all the negativity on here so trying to provide a balance!
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 JA606 Class Act (U2462)
posted 9 minutes ago
It's not really nonsense though to pose a question asking how we'll do if some players improve.
It wouldn't take much of an improvement for us to finish much higher next season IMO.
I'm also fed up with all the negativity on here so trying to provide a balance!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Respectively i don't think most people are being negative though. We're being realistic.
Finishing 8th to 12th is what I'm predicting. Is that negative in your eyes for a team that just finished 15th? I'd say that's about par for the course for what this group can achieve.
We definitely won't be finishing top 5 that's for sure and that only means falling further and further behind.
The model has failed. The glazer model needs us to be in the CL every season and now the other clubs have caught us up and surpassed us in some cases (Villa, Newcastle etc) it's over for us.
Nothing changes until the debt is removed now. Ineos talk a good game but the job they are trying to do is practically impossible. Everything is set against them for success.
I'm being realistic too. I know it won't be easy but there's no reason at all why we can't 'do a Forest' and be up there. We just need a few things to go for us IMO.
I'm also not going to waste my energy worrying about it now either. I'll worry about it at the time if things go wrong!
Obviously, we still need to get rid of the Glazers though. Ineos can only do so much.
I dont worry about it anymore either. I have accepted what we now are. We've been slowly ripped apart and destroyed by a family I want dead. Every last one of them.
We'll get more points on the board simply through the mid-table teams becoming weaker. Brentford, Wolves and Bournemouth have already lost a host of key players and the likes of Palace and Forest might follow.
As it stands though, I think we're further away from the top 5 than we've ever been.
Sign in if you want to comment
You can't win anything with kids...
Page 1 of 2
posted on 11/7/25
Even if we don't sign another player, next season should be a huge improvement.
posted on 11/7/25
comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 2 minutes ago
Even if we don't sign another player, next season should be a huge improvement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. That squad isn't as bad as 15th. It just isn't.
posted on 11/7/25
I wonder with fewer games this season will the kids get much of a chance of game time? I'm sure I've read that Amorim wants a smaller squad this season because he won't need to rotate as much (and I guess it means more focused training sessions) so you're probably looking at a 23 man squad most of the time?
Onana, Bayindir, Heaton
de Ligt, Martinez, Yoro, Slabhead, Mazraoui, Heaven
Dorgu, Dalot, Shaw, Amass
Mainoo, Ugarte, Bruno, Casemiro
Cunha, Mbeumo, Amad, Mount
Hojlund, Zirkzee
posted on 11/7/25
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much.
A back 3 that has experience and quality alongside lots of potential.
I'd worry about LWB. Jury is out on Dorgu, early days but he's been very average so far. The centre of midfield another worry, don't see much consistency from any of them. Mainoo went backwards last season, time is catching up on Casemiro and Ugarte is another that needs to improve fast.
I rate Zirkzee, think he can play behind as well.
Given you will definitely make signings. If you got Mbuemo, LWB, CM and CF and they were all improvements on what is there then I'd say back in the top 5 hunt.
Also if you get 4 signings on top of Cunha you've probably shifted some deadwood as well. I do think in general the United fans seem to be too impatient at this point in the window.
posted on 11/7/25
If we start the season with Onana in nets no amount of pre season unfounded optimism is worth debating.
posted on 11/7/25
Yet PSG are European champions with the youngest ever team.
posted on 11/7/25
True but the vast majority of their first team were bought, even the young French players like Doue and Barcola. Zaire Emery is their only youth graduate I can think of.
PSG actually produce a lot of talent but seem to prefer selling them such as Ekitike and Simons recently.
posted on 11/7/25
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 5 minutes ago
True but the vast majority of their first team were bought, even the young French players like Doue and Barcola. Zaire Emery is their only youth graduate I can think of.
PSG actually produce a lot of talent but seem to prefer selling them such as Ekitike and Simons recently.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Simons was produced through La Masia and was signed by PSG and Ekitike was a signing from Reims.
posted on 11/7/25
Ha, ok so they don't have a good youth set up. I knew Simons came from La Masia but was still relatively young when he moved, didn't realise they got Ekitike that late on.
posted on 11/7/25
I think Alan Hansen was right in retrospect. We wouldn’t have won anything if we didn’t have Keane, Schmeichel, Cantona, Cole, etc at the time.
As for this season - what was clear last season was the squad quality was average at best, whatever you think of Amorim. If we don’t improve it we’ll see a similar level of shiiiit this season. Just without European football to break up the week. Cunha will definitely be a ray of light in the clouds but if we still have the worst Gk in the league in goal and the worst striker in the league up top we’ll look like chumps again.
posted on 11/7/25
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 59 minutes ago
Yet PSG are European champions with the youngest ever team.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
kids these days have hundreds of games at the top levels and its only been going up. Psg teams average age is young but theyve still got 29 31 26 year olds. only really emery who is a teen that regularly starts? Also theyre by far the best paid team in the world.
posted on 11/7/25
comment by Robb Cunha (U22716)
posted 40 minutes ago
I think Alan Hansen was right in retrospect. We wouldn’t have won anything if we didn’t have Keane, Schmeichel, Cantona, Cole, etc at the time.
As for this season - what was clear last season was the squad quality was average at best, whatever you think of Amorim. If we don’t improve it we’ll see a similar level of shiiiit this season. Just without European football to break up the week. Cunha will definitely be a ray of light in the clouds but if we still have the worst Gk in the league in goal and the worst striker in the league up top we’ll look like chumps again.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hansen's point was that *that United team* (featuring all those senior players) couldn't win anything because it had too many kids in it. He wasn't making an abstract philosophical point that didn't apply in this case due to the presence of veterans.
posted on 11/7/25
OP, the young talent we have coming through hopefully at least means we can focus most of our transfer budget on first choice players this summer rather than squad depth.
posted on 11/7/25
comment by Franko Cantona (U22187)
posted 1 hour, 27 minutes ago
If we start the season with Onana in nets no amount of pre season unfounded optimism is worth debating.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This
Not that I think we'll sign a keeper this window
posted on 11/7/25
comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much
--
Amad is terrible at RWB. I don't know whether it's a tactical thing or a Amad doesn't understand the role thing but plenty of times last season he was the furthest man back on the pitch, defending as an RB, and getting skinned alive because he's not an RB.
He needs to be further up the field, playing as an attacker.
posted on 11/7/25
comment by Ali - 🇪🇦 🏴 (U1192)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much
--
Amad is terrible at RWB. I don't know whether it's a tactical thing or a Amad doesn't understand the role thing but plenty of times last season he was the furthest man back on the pitch, defending as an RB, and getting skinned alive because he's not an RB.
He needs to be further up the field, playing as an attacker.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He had more goal involvements from RWB I believe.
posted on 11/7/25
Very optimistic, OP.
I don’t share this optimism
posted on 11/7/25
This false positivity nonsense in our fan base needs to stop.
You don't have to be a constant doom-monger either obviously but what we need is a massive dose of realism. Fans need to stop sugar coating things. We aren't a top 6 club anymore and I'd say it's highly unlikely we will finish top 6 again next season. The knock effect of no CL revenue is going to seriously harm us getting back up there too.
I'm expecting us to finish between 8th and 12th this coming season. That's not being pessimistic. It's being a realist. This squad isn't very good nor does it suit the formation we're trying to adopt. You can blame that oN Amorim if you wish to or the people who appointed him knowing that cash was tight. That's up to you.
I always look at things realistically rather than through red tinted glasses. I'm expecting another painful season with more downs than ups. I think we will improve a little and finish higher than 15th but I wouldn't be shocked at all if we don't qualify for Europe for a second season running.
posted on 11/7/25
The optimism will end the moment Onana dives up and over the first moderately well hit low shot on target against Arsenal and Rasmus air shots his only two attempted touches.
posted on 11/7/25
comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Ali - 🇪🇦 🏴 (U1192)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
Two top class attacking midfielders. Amad as RWB will offer so much
--
Amad is terrible at RWB. I don't know whether it's a tactical thing or a Amad doesn't understand the role thing but plenty of times last season he was the furthest man back on the pitch, defending as an RB, and getting skinned alive because he's not an RB.
He needs to be further up the field, playing as an attacker.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He had more goal involvements from RWB I believe.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Couldn't care less tbh. He shouldn't be anywhere near RB, which is where he was a lot of the time last season because we're so shiiiit at keeping the ball and spend a lot of time in our own half.
posted on 11/7/25
It's not really nonsense though to pose a question asking how we'll do if some players improve.
It wouldn't take much of an improvement for us to finish much higher next season IMO.
I'm also fed up with all the negativity on here so trying to provide a balance!
posted on 11/7/25
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 JA606 Class Act (U2462)
posted 9 minutes ago
It's not really nonsense though to pose a question asking how we'll do if some players improve.
It wouldn't take much of an improvement for us to finish much higher next season IMO.
I'm also fed up with all the negativity on here so trying to provide a balance!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Respectively i don't think most people are being negative though. We're being realistic.
Finishing 8th to 12th is what I'm predicting. Is that negative in your eyes for a team that just finished 15th? I'd say that's about par for the course for what this group can achieve.
We definitely won't be finishing top 5 that's for sure and that only means falling further and further behind.
The model has failed. The glazer model needs us to be in the CL every season and now the other clubs have caught us up and surpassed us in some cases (Villa, Newcastle etc) it's over for us.
Nothing changes until the debt is removed now. Ineos talk a good game but the job they are trying to do is practically impossible. Everything is set against them for success.
posted on 11/7/25
I'm being realistic too. I know it won't be easy but there's no reason at all why we can't 'do a Forest' and be up there. We just need a few things to go for us IMO.
I'm also not going to waste my energy worrying about it now either. I'll worry about it at the time if things go wrong!
Obviously, we still need to get rid of the Glazers though. Ineos can only do so much.
posted on 11/7/25
I dont worry about it anymore either. I have accepted what we now are. We've been slowly ripped apart and destroyed by a family I want dead. Every last one of them.
posted on 11/7/25
We'll get more points on the board simply through the mid-table teams becoming weaker. Brentford, Wolves and Bournemouth have already lost a host of key players and the likes of Palace and Forest might follow.
As it stands though, I think we're further away from the top 5 than we've ever been.
Page 1 of 2