Whilst most were confident of challenging for the league I wasn't even confident of finishing inside the top 4 at the start of the season, and Im still yet to see anything change my mind. Our attacks progressed which is the least you'd expect, but things aren't looking good for the most part.
2016/2017 Title race
- Thread starter Adisa
- Start date
Frustrating as a win today could've put us right back into contention heading into the break. Now we have two massive games coming up, and we realistically need to come out with at least 4 points to maintain any sort of challenge imo.
We scared anyone yet with this stuff?
Wow West Brom have a tough October.
Yeah, rough Christmas week too. Face United on the 17th and away to Arsenal on boxing day.
Suddenly Jermaine and Dean look like Einstein and Mystic Meg while geniuses who predicted Utd to win the league don't.
Laurel and Hardy, you mean.
We're not convincing anyone yet, I agree....But Top 4 is nailed on even if not Champions this year....
Top 4 isn't nailed on for anybody (except perhaps City and Arsenal), but probably least of all for United compared to Liverpool and Spurs.
You're right, it's tough to hear, but for now, we should be ranked as outsiders for top 4. Spurs and City wlil slug it out for the title.
I think it's way too early for predictions, it will be interesting to see where people are after the Xmas games and then we'll have a good idea.
Way too early to say who will win the title or even be in the hunt. Injuries will likely loom large and whichever club manages to keep their core players reasonably healthy will have a big advantage.
Interesting note: City have played two top tier clubs in Spurs and United but their other five opponents are currently sitting 13th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th in the table. It will be interesting to see if they can secure the points in the next two matches against Everton and Southampton, both pretty tricky high-mid-table opponents and sandwiched around a big CL match against Barca.
Interesting note: City have played two top tier clubs in Spurs and United but their other five opponents are currently sitting 13th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th in the table. It will be interesting to see if they can secure the points in the next two matches against Everton and Southampton, both pretty tricky high-mid-table opponents and sandwiched around a big CL match against Barca.
We're going to win it and anyone that replies to this saying we aren't is a pussy.
If our October turns to a disaster, our focus from there on should be Top 4. We're not going to win it, we are not there yet.
United are now three points down under Mourinho compared to where they were at this stage under LvG last season. And if Liverpool beat you in your next match you'll be six points down ... which would mean that even a top 4 ambition would start to look a real struggle.
Not as much as you'll struggle to win a league title in your life time, even if you are still a teenager.
you never know mate, just look at what happened last season
Spurs didn't win the league again?
Interesting though if we fail to make top 4 again, would Mourinho be sacked? Moyes and Van Gaal got the boot after they failed to get us top 4 and despite Van Gaal's terrible tenure, he still got us top 4 during his first season. God knows what will happen to us and Mourinho if we fail to get top 4 again...
I mean there was an unexpected winner
Leaving aside the possibility of off-the-field issues (which wouldn't surprise me with Mourinho) I'd be surprised if he got the boot for not making top four this season. It'd certainly be the wrong thing to do, IMO, if only because you need to send a message to other managers and players that you value stability and giving managers a chance. And where do you go after Mourinho?
We're miles away from a title challenge and, at this point, even the top 4 looks beyond us this season
When we win the title next May a lot of the posts in this thread will look silly.
It's a good thing the internet wasn't as big 20 years ago. There would have been nuclear meltdowns after some of our more embarrassing defeats.
People forget we once lost 5-0 at Chelsea...
...still won the title that season.
It's a good thing the internet wasn't as big 20 years ago. There would have been nuclear meltdowns after some of our more embarrassing defeats.
People forget we once lost 5-0 at Chelsea...
...still won the title that season.
Ferguson
We're miles away from a title challenge and, at this point, even the top 4 looks beyond us this season
Yeah, we'll need a sharp improvement quickly if we're want to be competing for a top four spot this season. I've seen very little to suggest that we're going to be performing better than Arsenal, City, Spurs, Liverpool or Chelsea from here on out.
I love your optimism, but we won't be anywhere close to the league title come May. Feel free to quote me when May rolls around.
6 points off top at this stage of the season is nothing, but our recent form is not great and yesterday's performance was a bit depressing. Really need to turn things around.
Last six games United have 5/18 points. That's the downward trajectory that is the issue rather than being 6 points off the top. Performances for United aren't improving, the side isn't settling, new players aren't particularly finding their feet, games aren't being won. Jose's win rate since the start of last season is pretty low. The best thing in their favour right now is that other sides don't look perfect so points aren't coming easy for a lot if teams.
Yep, I agree with all you say. But it's not unheard of to be able to turn things round drastically, and some better performances from our key players (Pogba and Ibra mainly), a return to form for Martial and a bit more collective stability, and we should be able to get back to winning ways.
Isn't there a lot more depth to the league these days rather than just having to overcome a brittle Newcastle?
The 1996/97 title race was exceptionally tight and in April anyone of ourselves, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle could've gone on to win it.
In the end we got our noses out in front but Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool all finished on equal points, second to fourth being separated by goal difference.
That was a very tough season. We had a bad period in October. Cantona went an unusually long period without scoring, until that game against Sunderland, and the team had to develop an altered way of playing without being able to rely on Eric.
To say all we needed to do was get around a brittle Newcastle massively downplays the task and the achievement.
You're right.
It was even easier without the backpass rule and with the old format EC when you guys accumulated your trophy haul..
Yep dead easy, which is why only one team dominated. Was nobody else allowed to do a back pass or play in the old EC format?
haha - that old chestnut again eh, it never goes away.
What will you say in 10 years time if people perceive the league to be much harder to win than when Fergie won all his titles - will you play down his achievements?
When we won our league titles and European cups strangely enough the rules were the same for everyone - if it was so easy back then, how come Utd didn't manage it?
Fair enough. But I still think United's task is trickier this season given the strength amongst about 5 other teams.
Liverpool were second going into the final day of 1996/97.
People always want to make out that the Premier League has never been so tight. Its not true. We've seen it all before.
Its doubtful that by next April there will be as many times fighting it out for the title as there were in April 1997.
The Premier League is also much weaker than it was a decade ago. None of our teams do anything in European competition, whereas we used to dominate the last 8 and last 4 of the Champions League.
Any team that puts together a good 9 or 10 game winning streak will be able to pull away.
It makes as much sense as trying to downplay United winning the PL in 1996 as there was only a 'dogged Newcastle' to beat.
I agree it's weaker but it's also more equal. Cheap wins are less easy to find. Bottom half teams can cause problems and seem to take more points off the bigger teams. This has meant going on good runs is trickier.
I'm happy to move on from the history lessons and just focus on "the now".
Perhaps think before you type such utter nonsense in future.