75pts: Around about the maximum points haul you’d expect from this squad?

[Pronewbie]

We started poorly and had to deal with Eriksen's injury and Casemiro's suspensions at the same time. We also had games every 3-4 days for most of the season with a squad not known for its quality in depth.

Add to that the lack of a good-enough striker and I'd say it's a good points tally.

We need a really good summer with 200M net spend if we want to be thereabouts next season.

 

[Teja]

I'm really happy but this is the time to spend and not pullback. I swear everytime we had a decent finish we cut back on spending.

Kane + CM at a bare minimum.

 

[Woodzy]

Can’t be arsed to look it up but would it be nonsense to say we had the biggest injury crisis of the top clubs? Even the Casemiro bans were bollocks.

In contrast did City even have an injury?

 

[UnitedSofa]

75 from 36 is not bad.

We need to aim for 90 from 38 next season which is still a long way to go.

90 would have won the league this season by a point. You think we're good enough to win the league next season?

 

[Mmxxii]

If you average our league positions over the preceding 5 seasons - 2nd, 6th, 3rd, 2nd, 6th - it comes to about 3rd (3.4 to be precise).

So finishing 3rd this season isn't some astonishing achievement. There's an element of recency bias that led to people putting too much weight on how Utd performed last (especially the final weeks) which led to an excess of pessimism about the team's prospects. I think we did well in the league but I'm not surprised about where we finished.

What's impressed me the more is that we put in decent cup runs, having a real chance of 2 trophies, whilst performing in the league. We've done that despite a few injuries and the Ronaldo debacle which deprived us of a striker all season (Weghorst doesn't count).

 

[SinNombre]

90 would have won the league this season by a point. You think we're good enough to win the league next season?

Well realistically City would have gotten more points in their last 2 games if they needed to so 90 wouldn’t have won you the league.

That said, 90 should be the aim for United and ETH assuming he is supporter and we get players of the level of Kane and Caicedo.

 

[whitbyviking]

I think given our trouble scoring goals reaching 75 points has been a very good achievement. Aside from 4-5 buggerings we’ve been surprisingly solid at the back.

If we’d had a proper forward to turn some draws into wins we’d have been a challenger. So all things it hasn’t been the worst season.

We’ve also seen our potential in games like the Barcelona ones, in which we were easily the better team. The floor of the current squad is pretty dire though, as evidence in some of our painful defeats.

 

[mshnsh]

At one point this season we were just 5 points of the leaders in the league Casemiro's suspension twice, injuries to Varane and Martinez (to a lesser extent Garnacho) meant we lost alot of ground. This was despite a very poor start to the season. With some good fortune we could have been in the race to the end.

Some of our players need to go (McFred, Maguire, Dalot, Wout, Martial, Sancho) and some of our starters should be squad players (Eriksen, Bisaka, Antony [I'd give him just one more season]). I hope we sign a competent left winger, striker, RB, and midfield partner for Casemiro.

 

[Ace of Spades]

I think we could have got a few more points if we had Martial for the whole season and Casemiro did not have those stupid Red card suspesions.

It also did not help that we left our transfers late. There was the whole Ronaldo mess at the start, so yeah I guess we did okay all things considered.

 

[always_hoping]

75 points and 3rd in the table exceeds my expectations before this season started and as it played out Ten Hag had to deal with a lot of issues included a weary squad, bad timing with injuries, unfortunated Casemiro suspension and Ronaldo playing the man child making Uniteds finish in the league all the more impressive

 

[the hea]

Considering where we where 12 months ago and the fact we played the whole season without a proper CF I'd say we have done exeptionelly well to get to 75pts and that it is very close to the maximum anyone could expect from this squad.

 

[Redfrog]

Another way to look at it is - is this squad only 4 points better than Newcastle United?

If so, why? Considering the amount of money we spent last summer and the relative starting points of the two clubs.

Hope, for your mental state that you don’t look at everything like that.

 

[glasgow 21]

I think we could have got a few more points if we had Martial for the whole season and Casemiro did not have those stupid Red card suspesions.

It also did not help that we left our transfers late. There was the whole Ronaldo mess at the start, so yeah I guess we did okay all things considered.

Really? I think this has been a fantastic first season for Ten Hag irrespective of next week. For me the whole team get a free pass/hit for the Fa Cup. I know I'm asking for a perfect storm but the injuries to DVB, Ericksen, Martinez, Varane, Rashford, Garnacho came at the wrong time. I am not mentioning Martial he is done in my eyes and has been for years. You add to that the ridiculous targeting of Casemiro and if "Ronaldo the arse" had just shut up and went It " it's my Swan song and I'm going to enjoy it" we could have gained probably an extra 10 points easily. So I'm a happy fan for the team and happy the way Ten Hag as operated. Looking forward to the next step and who we buy and sell. Ten Hag needs 100% backing he has earned the respect to get it.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Casemiro suspensions, Eriksen injury, Licha injury, and no striker = finishing 3rd on whatever points is a good result. Even nabbed a wee trophy.

 

[Ace of Spades]

Also, I hope we get all our transfers sorted before the season starts hopefully, and don't have a mess like last season.

 

[Chicharo]

Before the season I wanted at least one cup trophy and a top 4 spot. So, it is what I expected and hoped for.
But it's not over yet... Winning the FA cup and ruining the Berties chances of winning the Treble would be the icing on the cake

 

[bosnian_red]

75 points despite not having a competent striker and our fixture congestion is pretty wild. But yeah, the max high variance in terms of our league performances this season. We've done very well at grinding out results to the point where our horrible finishing didn't cost us. Wouldn't be upset at a roughly similar league finish and similar cup record next season, but with a higher general performance levels.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

Another way to look at it is our wage bill and transfer outlay is about sixty times higher than Southamptons and yet we’re only 16 positions higher than them. I’d expect genuinely to be sixty times higher based on our transfer spend.

We were within 41 points of being relegated. Ten Hag's a lucky man

Quality all around.

To finish 3rd after the start of the season, is a really good achievement. Credit to Ten Hag and the players. Lots more to improve on but you can see Ten Hag’s work coming together

 

[scottser]

It's been a mad season; at best we looked unstoppable, at worst amateur. 3rd is fantastic but we also have the chance to stop city winning the treble. That, to me, will be ultimately how this season will be judged.

 

[JPRouve]

Ten Hag has done what I expected in terms of results. But not really what I expected in terms of game identity, I hoped that we would be more coherent at this point but there has been so much turmoil this season that I get it, he also probably needed to undertand his team and opposition better.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

Considering some of the squad members we have, 75 points is probably close to the maximum EtH could be expected to get with them this season. I don't think many managers would have come close in their first season with this lot.

 

[delerium]

Massive respect to Ten Hag. It is no easy feat to achieve, just remembering how fecked up we were last season. We can still improve, but at the start of the season I would have been very happy at this result, getting top 3 and one cup (at least).

 

[Dominos]

You couldn't have asked for anything more in terms of results, at the start of the season I had no faith on top 4, by the end of the transfer window I thought maybe we're 50/50. Would have snapped your hand off for 75 points.

Overall performances and identity in terms of style of play is another issue, I thought we'd be able to pass the ball better than we do, but clearly that's going to take more time.

 

[Dan_F]

I think different standards are applied to match day threads, else modding it would be like trying to cut the lawn with scissors.

I was only joking, but it would definitely improve match day threads!

 

[Andycoleno9]

Who cares for number of points? We finished in top 4 which was prime goal for this season. Job done.

 

[eire-red]

We had a few unfortunate late ones go against us (Crystal Palace and Arsenal come to mind). Leeds at home, Rashford's missed header vs Newcastle, Southampton at home and then you have West Ham and Brighton recently with a couple silly individual mistakes.

However, I feel we had some very close moments on many of those wins we closed out by the single goal, so I think probably fair enough where we ended up. Probably could have just reached 80 if we had gotten our recruitment done earlier and maybe less injuries.

 

[cyril C]

I think we could have got a few more points if we had Martial for the whole season and Casemiro did not have those stupid Red card suspesions.

It also did not help that we left our transfers late. There was the whole Ronaldo mess at the start, so yeah I guess we did okay all things considered.

Will Martial be EVER available for the whole season, is a million dollar question. Casemiro is just a forced rotation, unless you think he is capable of playing 50 games a season.

So the real question should be:
- If we had acquired a genuine striker last summer, young and enthusiastic striker, instead of a bitching nearly 40 years old
- Why can't Fred & McTom take over from Casemiro, even for 10 games a season

To the original question - 38x2 = 76. So yes, 2 points per game is what I would expect from a Top 4 team, not good enough to be winner, but close enough.

 

[Longlivekeano]

Next season to do list

1. Ownership: settle uncertainty over ownership / get glazers out

2. transfers: buy world class centre-forward, centre-midfield, ballplaying goalkeeper.

3. targets:
- EPL: challenge for title (top 2)
- Champions League: top 8
- Domestic Cups: win 1 out of 2.

 

[Tarrou]

Very happy with 75

this is typically where the Glazers would tighten the purse strings so hopefully they feck off and let us kick on for once

 

[Marcus]

Very happy with 75

this is typically where the Glazers would tighten the purse strings so hopefully they feck off and let us kick on for once

This. I hope they get lost and sell up. We need new owners with greater ambition. Otherwise we will probably lose EtH as well. He had been quite clear about the need to invest in new players.

 

[Red Shorts]

It's actually a bit of a "feck you" to those below us to achieve 3rd like we did.

We had such little squad depth, considering how far we challenged on all cups, and so it's a fantastic achievement in my eyes

 

[Teja]

This. I hope they get lost and sell up. We need new owners with greater ambition. Otherwise we will probably lose EtH as well. He had been quite clear about the need to invest in new players.

One advantage is that whoever the new guys are will want to spend to start on a good note with the fans.

 

[SmashedHombre]

Casemiro for all games and a striker and we'd easily be adding another 10-12 points to that tally. I think 75 pts is a good total, considering.

 

[syrian_scholes]

Understat had us 6th on their 'expected points' with 66 so we over achieved in comparison to that.

https://understat.com/league/EPL/2022

How do they even calculate that?

 

[Tarrou]

How do they even calculate that?

I think they just award points based on the xG for the game

so like
United (xG 0.78) 1-0 Brighton (xG 1.12) would be 3 points to Brighton instead of United

It's interesting but ultimately meaningless

 

[syrian_scholes]

I think they just award points based on the xG for the game

so like
United (xG 0.78) 1-0 Brighton (xG 1.12) would be 3 points to Brighton instead of United

It's interesting but ultimately meaningless

I think it's not as usefull as xG because ultimately it doesn't really take into acount subs and tactical changes that might turn games around, I believe EtH had some great in-game management moments that helped us get these points.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Probably. We overachieved according to xPts.

There's still room for lots of improvement and Ten Hag furthering his imprint on the team + some signings.

 

[CG1010]

It's fine for now but the team has a long way to go so nothing to celebrate yet.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

75 from 36 is not bad.

We need to aim for 90 from 38 next season which is still a long way to go.

We can aim all we want but that’s highly unlikely.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

I never expect us to finish top 4 before we signed Antony and Casemiro, it was terrible summer transfer window before we signed those two.

However, when we signed Antony and Casemiro, I knew we could finish top 4 but never expect it to be 75 points plus winning EFL Cup and reached final of FA Cup. I probably expected to be 68-69 points max and no trophy. On top of that we were competing in both Cups, which people have to understand that we don't have the quality of squad depth to compete for 2 Cups and top 4 in the league, but we did. I think it's a good achievement from ten Hag because he actually exceeded the expectation and if we beat City in FA Cup, it will be from good season to great achievement for his first season. All of these he achieved them with the current level squad he has and two signings that wasn't signed before the season started.