Expectations for the New Season

Expectation:
Top 3, we're three seasons in, no doubt a significant amount of cash spent this Summer. There are no feckin excuses. We have to improve our quality of play, be more consistent and show far more match craft. No excuses.

Reality:
Honestly, even with player recruitment coming in, the expectation that our form is suddenly going to be fixed is just not realistic. Our pre season is going to be interrupted by the Euros as well. We'll still end up being inconsistent next season although the one advantage we will have is that our contenders for Top 4 will also struggle.
 
Expectation:
Top 4 this year
Challenge next year
Win it the following

This is a realistic timescale, anything else is bollix
 
Neil_Buchanan said:
Our aims for the season should be to qualify for the cl and win a cup but it’s unfair to set them as expectations before we’ve even signed anyone. Slow summer?
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I dont think we are going to buy game changing players anymore. It will be hit n hope kinda purchases. Therefore irrespective of who goes out, the incomings will not be setting the stage on fire from the get go.
 
I'll be optimistic and say we finish 6th with about 65 points in the league. Don't really expect much(if any) improvement. Low transfer budget, ETH staying(sigh).

I see City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle(no European football/distraction) finishing ahead of us, and maybe Villa and Tottenham as well.

Ten Hag is decent in cup competitions, so I expect a deep Europa League run, maybe even winning it.
 
philippexyz said:
I'll be optimistic and say we finish 6th with about 65 points in the league. Don't really expect much(if any) improvement. Low transfer budget, ETH staying(sigh).

I see City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle(no European football/distraction) finishing ahead of us, and maybe Villa and Tottenham as well.

Ten Hag is decent in cup competitions, so I expect a deep Europa League run, maybe even winning it.
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Agree with this. More of the same with ETH. New signings performing badly, a poor start to the season, the odd hammering by a shit team, etc etc
 
Let's see what comes in.. out we know realy.. Sancho Greenwood will be sold.. I'm hoping for at least £60 million for those 2.

Sancho hardest to get rid , but if he wants to play he's got to go or fall in line?

CB maybe 2 a CM and a Striker or 2 .. left back as well.. AWB won't be sold unless others are brought in.

Priority CB and left back .. Malacia we don't know ? Shaw is injury prone.. and a Striker.. Casimero sees out his deal imo unless he gets a offer from elsewhere?.

And a proper pre season not a fecking mess like last year's was .. game here there and everywhere..

Hit the ground running not start like last season.
 
I think INEOS likely see this as a season to get their house in order, get their structure firmly in place on the footballing side, and begin making progress on some of the huge big picture issues (stadium, etc) facing the club.

My guess is that they will spend just enough in the market this summer to keep supporters from rioting but they will not be enthusiastic about really pushing a lot of chips into the middle. The CEO and sporting director aren't even in place, they clearly don't have a lot of faith in ETH, and they'll be taking a long term view in which this year is mainly about getting fundamentals right and not making big commitments that could hamper a 4-5 year plan.

They'll let ETH see what he can do and if he really turns things around and works well with the new structure, great. But it also sets up nicely for Ashworth/Brailsford/Ratcliffe to bring in the man they really want (whoever that might be) next summer and back him with a much more concerted effort in the market, with time for the sporting director, technical director, and recruitment team to figure out which kinds of players fit the game model and footballing style that they want to define the club.

I think somewhere between 4th and 6th is probably realistic, which gives a good chance of a return to CL football.
 
A functioning midfield.
Wingers that provide

To stay part of the conversation for the league for as long as possible an eventual top 4 finish And the Europa league.
Please
 
Most of you guys are putting what the minimum you'd accept rather than what you expect to happen, which was the question.
Transfer window will dictate a lot of it but as of now I'd expect a similar finish league wise.
 
My expectations;

- 2 defenders, one of which must be a LCB
- 2 cms in
- 1 ST
- 1 RW (this one is a wish)

Considering we have a decent window, there should be no excuses at all for not hitting his targets. One target must be achieving top 4. Not finishing negative goal difference. Scoring 20+ more goals than this season. No more than 10 defeats in the season.
he must be accountable for results next season. This is his second chance.
 
Expecting the worst start to a season since records began, with too many of the players put out by the club sticking with EtH.

New manager will come in, we'll pick up to the level the players are capable of (form of a team that could finish top 4 but a million miles off challenging for the title) but that'll whimper out before the season is finished. I'd expect a 6th - 8th place finish.
 
Pre-signings: Relegation scrap, but we'll stay up.
 
troylocker said:
I know you're sarcastic here.
It could happen, but I wouldn't bet on it. :(

The last ten league games we played this season we managed to produce a positive expected goals goaldifference twice (against Burnley and Sheffield United).

This is the xG for and against for the other 8 games:

Brentford (A) 3,16 xG vs. our 0,99 xG (result 1-1 - lucky)
Chelsea (A) 3,48 xG vs. our 1,57 xG (result 4-3 loss)
Liverpool (H) 4,43 xG vs. our 0,81 xG (result 2-2 - lucky)
Bournemouth (A) 2,39 xG vs. our 1,52 xG (result 2-2 - lucky)
Palace (A) 2,07 xG vs. our 0,34 xG (result 4-0 loss - Should have been ETH's last match as manager and was rock bottom)
Arsenal (H) 1,73 xG vs. our 0,55 xG (result 1-0 loss)
Newcastle (H) 2,28 xG vs. our 1,50 xG (Result 3-2 win - lucky)
Brighton (A) 1,97 xG vs. our 1,00 xG (result 2-0 win - lucky)

xG for and against total, including the games against SHU and Burnley:

24,62 expected goals conceded (21,51 from the 8 games above)
vs.
14,85 expected goals scored (8,28 from the 8 games above).

That's a negative expected goal difference from the last ten games of this season of 10 goals, including games against the weakest teams in the league. Over the whole season we had an expected goal difference of -14,45 (15th in the league)
We conceded exactly 200 shots in the last ten league games of the season (20th in the league - SHU conceded 174 shots in 19th).

Expected points the last 10 seasons:
14/15 - 1,66 xPts/90 (4th in the league for xPTs)
15/16 - 1,49 xPts/90 (8th in the league for xPts) (LVG fired two days after winning the FA cup - Imagine that. Can't say that I miss LVG football much)
16/17 - 1,87 xPts/90 (4th in the league for xPTs)
17/18 - 1,64 xPts/90 (6th in the league for xPTs)
18/19 (Mou) - 1,41 xPts/90 (9th in the league for xPTs) (Mou fired mid season)
18/19 (Ole) - 1,81 xPts/90 (3th in the league for xPTs)
19/20 - 1,87 xPts/90 (4th in the league for xPTs)
20/21 - 1,73 xPts/90 (4th in the league for xPTs)
21/22 (Ole) - 1,30 xPts/90 (11th in the league for xPTs) (Ole fired mid season)
21/22 (Rangnick) - 1,50 xPts/90 (6th in the league for xPTs)
22/23 - 1,75 xPts/90 (6th in the league for xPTs)
23/24 - 1,17 xPts/90 (15th in the league for xPTs) over the entire season and ETH gets to start another season in charge.

And this is just some of the numbers. It looks the same in every measurable team parameter. Then comes the eye test, tactical in game management and subs, why so many injuries(?), man management, etc.....

ETH is also the only manager between Mou, LVG, Ole and him, where it's impossible to see on the pitch what he is trying to do with the team.

To expect Manchester United with ETH behind the wheel to suddenly become a top team again next season is, well.....betting on United to finish top 4 should give you good odds, to put it like that.

I guess we'll just have to buckle up and put the mud goggles on.
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Yeah, looks terrible. Good analysis. Will probably end up sacking ten Hag midseason unless he improves tactics massively.
 
golden_blunder said:
My expectations;

- 2 defenders, one of which must be a LCB
- 2 cms in
- 1 ST
- 1 RW (this one is a wish)

Considering we have a decent window, there should be no excuses at all for not hitting his targets. One target must be achieving top 4. Not finishing negative goal difference. Scoring 20+ more goals than this season. No more than 10 defeats in the season.
he must be accountable for results next season. This is his second chance.
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1 CB
1 CM
1 Striker.

Realistically we will only get one player in. Unless we get rid of a number of players for good money.
 
Still in shock they actually decided he was the right fit for us.

I hope we dont get humiliated by midtable teams again at least. Just please find a way to avoid that.
I don`t need for us to challenge for the title, even if it would be nice. Just don`t let us get picked apart by teams that belongs in the bottom half.
 
A much stronger start than what we saw vs wolves in gw1 last season where we were dominated physically. We simply just weren’t ready.

this season we absolutely have to be ready. No excuses. I’ll be fuming if we’re as abject in this forthcoming gw1
 
Gordon S said:
Still in shock they actually decided he was the right fit for us.

I hope we dont get humiliated by midtable teams again at least. Just please find a way to avoid that.
I don`t need for us to challenge for the title, even if it would be nice. Just don`t let us get picked apart by teams that belongs in the bottom half.
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Yeh me too. Shock is the right word. I just can't quite understand how what was delivered could keep him in a job. When you look at the data we were also very lucky and could have been a lot lower in the league.

Like you I'm praying he has seen sense and will give our defenders some midfield support. If not, we will see those same lower half teams having multiple chances against us. Expectations are very low.
 
I would expect a deep run in the europa league and one of the two domestic trophies and a battle for top 4 which should go towards the end of the season.. Not much more realistically. There will be so much going on off pitch with ineos getting their structures in place. Oh yeah and a positive GD would be nice too…..
 
Develop a style of play,develop more young players,add a few good signings to strengthen the core. Concede less shots. Win the EL. Looking at the odds, Real s are nearest to us,we are favourites. Easiest route back to top tier. A must win. Be a good step forward are this nightmare season.
 
Finish in the EL places
Concede fewer shots and goals
Good run in the cups; winning a third cup would be fantastic

These shouldn’t be too unreasonable for the manager and squad we have
 
Gentleman Jim said:
You won't make up 30 points on City and Arsenal who won't stand still.
Liverpool, Tottenham and Villa could be vulnerable to you.
One of EL, CC or FAC is a realistic aim.
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A lot of our fans will be hit by a reality train around Novembar/Decembar. Totally agree with you we are so far from anything.
 
We need to be motivated against the lesser teams. We've lost games we shouldn't have due to what looked like a serious lack of motivation. Like other posters have said, it isn't losing necessarily, but the fashion in which we lose.

I expect a few transfers, and progress football wise. In terms of cups etc, I don't know. The team has been too schizophrenic to make any sort of prediction.
 
The absolute lowest that might be acceptable is top 6 (with a small gap to the top four) with a much improved playstyle that gives us good reason to think that we will improve significantly more with better players being bought in. Even that depends on just how much promise for the future we see. We also need to have a decent showing in the Europa.

A top six with a shit playstyle (which is probably what would have happened this season if not for injuries) will not be enough. One of the main reasons I wanted ETH sacked is because I don't want Mainoo, Garnacho and the other younger players being trained in the absolute shit-show of a tactic that he used this season, arguably wasting the most important years of their development. Playing youngsters (which ETH did with the possible exception of Amad) is very different than developing youngsters for the long-term; it's one of my biggest problems with Ole who showed a lot of faith in younger players but they never developed properly.
 
At least one trophy and a CL place. If we can keep the injuries contained, it's highly possible.
 
Top 4 finish, but at maximum 12 points behind leaders.
IMHO, next year is Arsenal year.

We won't wint EL. Its now strong competition, a lots of our fans still live in la la land.

This is me being optimistic for no reason.
 
I really have no idea but our squad needs massive upgrades and I don't think that EtH should be the man for that job. He's essentially reassembling a squad that he built by spending half of a billion in the last two years. By my estimation, we need six to seven new players in the starting eleven before we're even realistically considering competing in the top third of the table.

I think we'll have another unspectacular start, saved on a few occasions by a late McTominay goal, and then go on another nightmare run of results. The pressure will mount and he'll finally be gone. Southgate to come in on an interim basis for a few months (while still holding onto the England job) who will also do poorly, and then move onto a new manager this time next year while Sir Gareth returns to the national team.
 
Be less shit than this season, which is very hard to not achieve. Probably get into top 4 with Liverpool presumably being shit next season and Chelsea replacing the manager when it seemed to finally click. Ideally, get embarrassed from mid table clubs only once per month instead of once per fortnight. Maybe pass the group stage of Europa League if stars align and we have all players fit. Do the hat-trick of domestic cups, winning the Community Shield.
 
Expectation: Top 4
Reality: Stop following the team mid-season out of sheer frustration and disappointment (mental health).
 
Champions League qualification and a trophy would represent a successful campaign.

Revan said:
Be less shit than this season, which is very hard to not achieve. Probably get into top 4 with Liverpool presumably being shit next season and Chelsea replacing the manager when it seemed to finally click. Ideally, get embarrassed from mid table clubs only once per month instead of once per fortnight. Maybe pass the group stage of Europa League if stars align and we have all players fit. Do the hat-trick of domestic cups, winning the Community Shield.
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Interesting comment. I do think people are underestimating the impact of Klopp leaving on the scousers.
 
Expect a minor improvement in performances which sees us roaming around 6th to 9th, reaching KO stages of EL without impressing, a GD of ~+5, and the sacking of ETH by december/january. Interim manager comes in and we finish 6th, ~30 pts behind 1st place. No cup wins.
 
-Top 3 in the Premier League
-Europa League winners
-Try to win another FA Cup or EFL Cup
 
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