Nah, I just don’t want another wasted season. After the Paris game, when fans taught that we deserve the victory, I saw through that performance and could tell we were lucky to go through. The next leg, we were simple outclassed and looked like boys against men. Similarly to this season, we barely made top four and I notice several deficiencies in our team, especially with our management. If leceister didn’t collapse, Spurs Board supported Pochettino and they weren’t going through a transition, and Chelsea didn’t have that transfer ban, things would have been much harder. The stars aligned to get us into the top four. Next season, Chelsea are already buying quality players, and Spurs and Arsenal seems more stable at the moment. I expect them to be more competitive. The stars will not align as well as it did this season in the next season and if Ole doesn’t improve his managerial acumen, it will be another wasted season that will prevent us from getting back on top.Dearie dearie me
Some of you have taken us making top 4 really badly.
Finishing 3rd, 33 points off PL winners, and no Trophy (yet) is utter rubbish and shouldn't be celebrated...
- Thread starter Rhyme Animal
- Start date
It was what? 6 years ago
Moyes took over the reigning champions. We've gone from 6th to 3rd.
Cheer up mate, you're having a mare.
Yes Jose got more points than we did in our Treble winning season. Was that a better league performance?
I don't think anyone is saying that 3rd place is a special achievement. No one is celebrating 3rd place. People are celebrating the lifting of a dark cloud and rightly so we made PROGRESS, we are celebrating the club taking a big step forward and getting closer to being the United we know, and the fact that were were quite watchable while taking that step. These things should be celebrated, If after watching United since SAF's departure you don't see that progress, and even more if you don't feel that progress was made then its YOU I question. Not the people that are happy.
Top 3 trophy yo!That is a brilliant meme format it must be said.
Listen, don't just burst the bubble out here. We have done a lot since Ole has taken over and I've repeatedly stated that. We have gotten rid of many players who are not United quality and we are on the rise. For the last 6 years, we have been nothing but poor in terms of how we actually treat a game but now at least we have the respect of other teams whether it is at home or on the road. We may not have gained many points but we fought out and won the best place we possibly could. I know we could've done better but 3rd place is the best we could've done. Also if you think we can win the title next year, you are still dreaming. We still have a lot of work to do but I'm seeing huge strides from this team and we must celebrate this position. If we don't celebrate small victories, we will never gel as a team. We must always appreciate what the team does but keep asking more from them. If we keep degrading them, they'll completely lose it and we'll go back to nonchalance gameplay you saw under Moyes, Van Gaal, and Jose. We're much better under Ole, not amazing but much much better than before. We need to work a lot on passing and patterns of play, we need to get the boys together and get them learning about each other and how they position themselves. I vote for Bruno and Pogba to play alongside one another as two #8s. Pogba is not a defensive player, he's a creator and a scorer of goals. He is better than Bruno but he's asked to keep his distance from the front and that's killing his instincts and bringing mistakes out of him. Ole will realize that soon enough as he did by playing Mason on the right which I always said he should do. We must definitely add a few players and push for more points, aim for 85 points at the least, forget the league table. We will eventually get the title in a couple of years. CL will be a huge experience for this young team and I think it will help boost their confidence. So all in all, be happy and be positive. Support the team at all cost.
Dearie dearie me
Some of you have taken us making top 4 really badly.
It means no Pochettino, so @Amadaeus is probably distraught.
We did the double on 3 of the top 6 being City, Chelsea, and Leicester taking 23 of 30 points, two behind the title winners.
Our main problem this season was breaking down lower opposition that parked the bus or conceding a late goal to only take a point. I think that happened about 6-7 times this season.
We found our form after January and managed to take 3rd securing our place in the CL. We finished higher than I would have anticipated after our start. I'll take it and enjoyed the finish to the season.
We win the EL and I will be elated.
We should have won the league. Shite season
You have put things in context. Sometimes facts don't tell you the whole story and you need to see how we are in the middle of rebuild and seeing how bad we started the season and how we clawed back 14 points vs Leicester alone.
Yes it's not perfect and no need to be hyper about it, but it's understandable.
Yes it's not perfect and no need to be hyper about it, but it's understandable.
By far the best league campaign since Ferguson. If you don’t get it - I guess supporting United ain’t for you.
Yes, a remarkable and mighty 2 point more in terms of league standings and goal scored. That is barely impressive
Moyes with the team would have gotten us in the champions league because the path was easier this season than it was back then. People underestimate how good our current team is and most decent managers would have gotten them to top four.
What's impressive is your commitment to barmy posts.
Moyes isn't getting anyone into the CL spots. He took over the champions, was hopelessly out of depth, and lost the dressing room.
He can only get jobs saving teams from relegation ffs
Wasn't there a thread at some point asking if we could get relegated, so finishing 3rd deserves some praise. We might go on and win the EL to put us in the CLseedings. We have come a long way this season and there is now a lot of optimism for the future. The media hates us, what is there not to be happy about?
For people who make these sort of barmy threads, do they genuinely believe we can go from say 5/6th to winning a league?
Why don't they recognise the progress that's been made?
Why don't they recognise the progress that's been made?
Posters sticking up for Moyes because they hate Ole so much! Can you believe it!?
@Rhyme Animal has got a point. We were unwatchable the first half of season, at times couldn't score a goal to save our lives. Remember the terrible run losing to Crystal Palace, West Ham, Newcastle at the beginning? Or losing to Bournemouth, Watford? Could barely score against Astana? Partizan? No shots on goal against AZ Alkmaar?
We ended on a (relative) high, so there's recency bias on top of the unexpected third spot given where we were in January, but to call this overall season memorable is ludicrous in my opinion. Leicester bottled it while we held our nerve, but there's a lot of work needed to get to where we belong.
Yes, a remarkable and mighty 2 point more in terms of league standings and goal scored. That is barely impressive
Moyes with the team would have gotten us in the champions league because the path was easier this season than it was back then. People underestimate how good our current team is and most decent managers would have gotten them to top four.
Moyes took a team that cruised the league to 7th.
SEVENTH.
And you think he'd have succeeded taking this current lot at the start of the season to 4th? Bonkers.
The league wasn't particularly hard in Moyes season here. We finished under everyone we could possibly finish under, and then just for the flourish, under his massively average old Everton gang too!
Posters sticking up for Moyes because they hate Ole so much! Can you believe it!?
You see people on youtube videos denying some of the most historically evidenced happenings in world history.
I think the Moyes supporters are the redcafe equivalent.
Anyone still backing Moyes must be a maniac of quite disturbing levels.
"Oh but he kept West Ham up"
Posters sticking up for Moyes because they hate Ole so much! Can you believe it!?
I wasn't expecting that
Posters sticking up for Moyes because they hate Ole so much! Can you believe it!?
It's even worse than that, it's because he loves an other manager in an almost creepy way. Ole is only a collateral damage.
Why does everyone keep bringing this topic up? We all know that United team was on its last leg and needed changes that did not happen next season. It wasn’t a united team that was could go on and dominate the league for years to come. As a United fan, we should all know this. Moyes made a mistake by not making changes to that team.
It's a huge myth that all of a sudden the team that cruised the league in May was suddenly finished by August.
They may not have competed for the championship without a couple of signings. But that doesn't excuse Moyes taking them to 7th, and not making any key signings, instead making the baffling signings of Fellaini and Mata.
Plot twist: He intentionally aimed to get 3.
Maybe he had a fetish for 3, letting the first two had free passes.
I didn't say it was amazing or anything, or that we weren't sometimes unwatchable. I'm not even bigging it up as much as others are. I specifically responded to him saying it was one of the crappiest seasons in years. It very clearly isn't.
This is just someone who doesn't wanna get laughed at by other fans for celebrating getting 3rd, and is just overcompensating.
You baiting us?
None of the players celebrated against Leicester because we need to be doing better, but to bury your head in the sand and not admit that there's been serious progress made this season maybe for the FIRST TIME since Ferguson is absolutely batshit mental
So many positives - youngest first 11 in the league at times, Greenwood, William starters, shit tons of utter DEADWOOD cleared out, and we're still in the Europa League last I checked.
Like - what Manchester United fan couldn't be happy after the utter SHIT we've seen under van Gaal and Mourinho to see us batter Man City at Old Trafford and get the best player in Bruno we've seen for a very long time. I was at Old Trafford in December and the atmosphere was rank, but now there's finally a bit of optimism and you want to shit all over it. Why?
Posters sticking up for Moyes because they hate Ole so much! Can you believe it!?
That's the point where it's clear people are just angry they can't scream OLE OUT and they're throwing a strop about it.
Like if you want to argue 3rd isn't something to celebrate then whatever, I think when you add the context of this season finishing 3rd was something none of us expected back in January and Ole and the players deserve credit for the run they went on and the great attacking football they played.
But bringing in fecking Moyes in an attempt to belittle Ole and this season is just absurd and cancels out whatever valid points they may have had originally.
The players never respected him as he was completely out of his depth. He was a dead man walking the minute he arrived. No amount of signings would have changed that.
Let's get some perspective here..........
How did we feel when we finished last season.......pretty darn shite as we completely fell away and were shocking at the end and blew qualifying for the CL......so this is a significant improvement on last year - the fact that for 4/5 games after the restart we looked actually really good (although we fell away again alarmingly at the end again) we did manage to get over the line and getting CL was a massive achievement as it enables us to earn much better and hopefully recruit well again.....
we've also got the nucleus of a decent looking team now........we are are a million miles from the great Fergie teams but I think the reason for celebration is that we actually look like we are heading in the right direction and we can be proud again of our team rather than being ridiculed as we have of recent times (Sanchez transfer/Pogba shite/Maureen/Fellani etc etc)
I did celebrate our victory yesterday - I needed the beers after that match.......
How did we feel when we finished last season.......pretty darn shite as we completely fell away and were shocking at the end and blew qualifying for the CL......so this is a significant improvement on last year - the fact that for 4/5 games after the restart we looked actually really good (although we fell away again alarmingly at the end again) we did manage to get over the line and getting CL was a massive achievement as it enables us to earn much better and hopefully recruit well again.....
we've also got the nucleus of a decent looking team now........we are are a million miles from the great Fergie teams but I think the reason for celebration is that we actually look like we are heading in the right direction and we can be proud again of our team rather than being ridiculed as we have of recent times (Sanchez transfer/Pogba shite/Maureen/Fellani etc etc)
I did celebrate our victory yesterday - I needed the beers after that match.......
I don't think anyone is celebrating third place.
For me it's the fact that we managed to claw our way back in what looked impossible around January, we won a must win game to end the EPL season and cement our position, and on top of that we've finally got players who seem to care about and enjoy playing for the club and we played some very nice football at times.
There's a lot to be excited about for the first time in years and getting 3rd should be the catalyst to allow us to progress even more. That's what people are celebrating. Not actually getting 3rd.
For me it's the fact that we managed to claw our way back in what looked impossible around January, we won a must win game to end the EPL season and cement our position, and on top of that we've finally got players who seem to care about and enjoy playing for the club and we played some very nice football at times.
There's a lot to be excited about for the first time in years and getting 3rd should be the catalyst to allow us to progress even more. That's what people are celebrating. Not actually getting 3rd.
On the main idea I agree, all these years of crap have made us lower our expectations to this level. Where a crappy third place is seen as a triumph.
But to get in context, if in January somebody would have offered us to finish third we would have taken it without a flinch.
What I dont agree with is praising Ole as if what he did was something out of this world, and proved that he is class,etc. While I agree its not the time to sack him at this moment, the season was poor/average overall, his achievement was to turn around the shitty we were in the first half of the season. But we were that shitty because of him, so basically he cleaned up his own mess, to end up with an average season instead of a disaster.
But to get in context, if in January somebody would have offered us to finish third we would have taken it without a flinch.
What I dont agree with is praising Ole as if what he did was something out of this world, and proved that he is class,etc. While I agree its not the time to sack him at this moment, the season was poor/average overall, his achievement was to turn around the shitty we were in the first half of the season. But we were that shitty because of him, so basically he cleaned up his own mess, to end up with an average season instead of a disaster.
I popped open a bottle of bubbly yesterday followed by two bottles of good reds and I regret nothing.
Same thing can be said about Arsenal before the fall, Liverpool years in the wild. Infamous next year is our year, la was there for a reason.
It's just relief for me than actually about it's all hopeful about the future. Require much more display of managing skill from the manager than just players' showing promise to really ensure belief into the fanbase.
We got quite a bit of luck with the needed rest to have key players back, while the like of Leicester having an absolute collapse (8 points loss to 3 relegated teams!). There is no telling whether we would be in normal circumstances where we have to deal with injuries, and the way Ole managing the squad rotation, thus we could have ran out of steam sooner thus coming short. Going into the final game in less comfortable position (needed a victory instead) at Leceister's ground with stadium full of fan, is a different story altogether in case we could have managed the shot at CL qualification as we did. Also playing another competition in between can be a tough test. EL and its Thursday schedule is definitely a hinderance. Leicester, and Chelsea (likely to exit CL) would have more rest, better schedule (playing on Saturdays every here and there) compare to us. Look how our fans excuse the bad performance against Chelsea due to 2 day difference rest, and poor squad depth. It only gets worse with EL, where UEFA and FAs trying to complete the season in timely manner so they can start EURO tournament! Some players wouldn't go easy with not given enough game time. Something to think about, too.
We can only win what is in front of us, so we did alright. Can't complain. Just not so excited, hopeful for next year just yet. The new year would come very soon, and there is a lot of work to do. It's not like other teams would stand still.
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Chelsea and Leicester were in poor form before the covid break, they got good time to regroup.
You have went full what if, would have, could have scenarios.
How is it a wasted season.
We have made great strides.
Are you seriously worried about Arsenal and Spurs!
I wonder if people actually watch football.
Of course we have holes in our squad - and clearly we are fixing the squad and getting rid of players that are not good enough such as Lukuku, Sanchez, Fellaini, Darmian, Young, Valencia and Rojo.
Add in Lingard, Jones, Bailly, Smalling, Periera and Mata.
That’s 13 players that have gone, been sent on loan or who are likely out the door within the next 12 months.
Do you expect anyone to be challenging with that level of change required?
You seem the sort of person who sees a £10 note on the floor and gets annoyed it’s not a £20.
So much progress this season.
Pochetino is a great manager. The results he achieved with Espanyol, Southampton and Spurs stands on their own, and you don't need to diminish Ole to highlight Poch's prowess. And to further bring Moyes into the conversation is deluded in my opinion. David Moyes is an utter failure and a knob who would never ever been hired by a major club had he not been Scottish. Do you see the likes of Bayern, Real, Barca, Liverpool, City, Juve, PSG going for him? Fergie really fecked up on that one, and it's a major blemish on his legacy.
I think Poch will have a wonderful career (possibly at Juve next), I just think the timing for managing us has always been off.
I think Poch will have a wonderful career (possibly at Juve next), I just think the timing for managing us has always been off.
That's a fantastic analogy.
The way our club is ran, we seem like only looking/ making contact when we're at the end of the rope with our soon departing managers. I didn't mean we should always promise anyone the job and undermine the current manager. I meant in a way, other clubs always monitor and contact with manager (agents) that fit their clubs' profile. It doesn't always work, but it helps with letting managers know thus not committing to big contract with their current clubs. That way, other clubs can just "buy" the new manager, instead of getting the best of the available ones.
I'm not a fan of Ole, but I can admit he's done a great job in changing the culture and managing to end this PL season positively. I don't think anyone would have thought we'd finish 3rd, so for me the celebration is for finishing above expectations. I just hope next season isn't a repeat of 18/19 or the first half of this year. Regardless, there's excitement going into next season, which is something that I couldn't say going into 19/20. Hopefully we add to the squad and keep the momentum going.