I'm actually shocked by the number of people who genuinely think that team could get us into the top 4. Going to be a lot of disappointed and angry fans at the end of the season
Good enough for top 4 next season?
- Thread starter Zlatattack
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No, get to buy a top dcm before i will consider them for top 4. Buy a top dcm like Kante or Fernandinho. Or MCTom or Fosu Mensah can hit those guys level. Yeah maybe. Because Matic legs arent get any younger. United biggest problem. Couldnt beat Huddersfield and Cardiff in the last matches of last season. How could they be goood enough for top 4?
And even Chelsea get transfer ban. But Lampard who can coach playing good football. Chelsea do has a really good team already. They still have Kante. So i think Chelsea will get more points than last season.
And even Chelsea get transfer ban. But Lampard who can coach playing good football. Chelsea do has a really good team already. They still have Kante. So i think Chelsea will get more points than last season.
If we are going to be stuck with Sanchez then I would like to see him play on the right wing. Nevermind playing him on the left. His biggest problem there is that he is always looking to score. He gets the chance to take his man wide and 99.99999% of the time he has to stop and cut back into his right foot. Play him on the right and have him take his man wide and become a provider. Mind you, he can still get his goals when our left winger has the ball. Look at Sterling at City. He scored a ton of goals this past year playing as a right footed right winger. And that was all because of his work without the ball. Bring back the basics.
----------------------De Gea-----------------
AWB--------Maguire------Lindeloff-----Shaw
-------------------McTominay----------------
-------Fernandes-----------Pogba*----------
Sanchez---------Rashford-----------Martial**
* I really wish we would sell Pogba. I don't want players who don't want to be here
** I really wish we would buy a left footed left winger. Or at least someone who is right footed but can cross with their left. Perhaps James can be that guy
----------------------De Gea-----------------
AWB--------Maguire------Lindeloff-----Shaw
-------------------McTominay----------------
-------Fernandes-----------Pogba*----------
Sanchez---------Rashford-----------Martial**
* I really wish we would sell Pogba. I don't want players who don't want to be here
** I really wish we would buy a left footed left winger. Or at least someone who is right footed but can cross with their left. Perhaps James can be that guy
Why? Spurs Liverpool and City, fair enough are better than us. Chelsea and Arsenal are arguably more fecked than we are. One can't buy any players and their manager can go either way, and the other has a worse squad + are too daft to buy defenders.
The loss of Hazard will really hurt them, but I think Lampard will get them playing good football.
The defence is a good upgrade on last season, but I don't think Lindelof is as good as was being said last season, I think he only looked good in comparison to the crap around him. I'm not convinced we'll get Maguire though. Don't think we will. Of course he's better than what we have, but is that saying much? No. The fees ridiculous for a decent PL CB.
I'd be delighted to get Fernandes though, he looks awesome but will he click and adapt to a new league right away? I can't see it. Longstaff is another signing (like James) who is for the future. I can see Ole starting Maticor McTominay getting more time than Longstaff.
Pogba I would like to go, but don't think he will, so he will stay and have a completely inconsistent season.
That front 3 wouldn't strike any fear into me. Is Lingard or Martial really a winger? Not even a top winger just a proper winger? I don't think so. I think Martials probably as good or better as a 9 than Rashford. I can't see Rashford getting a good goal haul of say 16-20 goals in the league can you?
So to answer the question....would that team be good enough for top 4? It really depends how bad the teams around us are. It very well could be, but it's not good enough for Manchester United that's for sure.
(that front 3 really bothers me, just nowhere near good enough, any of them but i know we can't replace a full starting 11 and have more pressing concerns...please sign a RW at least though!!!!!).
Totallt agree on Lindelof and I think him and Maguire are very similar though Maguire is a lot better, especially in the air, wouldnt be a very good partnership for me at all
you seem to have forgotten they finished above us last year? Hazard is a big loss that Pulisic wont replace adequately but lets not forget they also had a manager who really didnt understand the club or the premiership and still got them to a final and top four
From where we are today, with just AWB added as a likely starter, I think it’s too close to call. Much will depend on what Ole can get out of this bunch, and the prospect of loosing Pogba and Lukaku is still looming. Disappointed with our lack of activity in the market so far, considering Ole wanted things sorted by now. A few weeks left in the window but it’s not satisfactory imo, with the team due to leave on Sunday.
It was the second biggest need after rb in my mind.
All I can say is have people forgotten how utterly abysmal we were the last three months of the season and not just that how poor the attitude was from the players who as of yet are all still there. Herrera as average and over rated as he was had the right attitude at least and Valencia was barely playing.
We also have our best player doesnt seem happy in DeGea, our most talented player doesnt seem happy in Pogba, nor does his shower of shite mate (ok this one is a good thing) in Lukaku and we also have contracts handed out to the likes of JOnes, Martial and Young, none of which deserve them and lets not forget we had a collection of mainly poor defenders, an over rated one and a decent over weighted one.
In my opinion, to win the league this year we needed about 12 players out, 5 top signings and 3/4 promising ones.
As of yet we have 2 players out, 1 top signing in Bissaka, 1 promising one (though I am not sure).....I think there was too much to do in one window to win the league, even though it could be possible. Adding Fernandes, Maguire and Longstaff give us a chance of the top four which like last season is 50/50 to me....which really isnt good enough. But lets not forget they may have lost Hazard and he is for me not in the same league but still a decent signing all the same in Pulisic, CIty who are way ahead of us have just signed Rodri, SPurs who are ahead of us have just made in my opinion a superb signing in NDOmbele.
I do think we have individually made one of the best signings we have made in a few years in Bissaka for what has been a problem area especially the last 18months, but without shipping out some of the toxic attitudes, the really average players and making three of four other top signings, we are pretty reliant on Greenwood and Gomes stepping up big time.
Anybody who think we can be really confident of the top four as things stand must have amnesia, be blinkered or loyal to the point of naivety I feel. Its painful to say, but at the moment we are a side that will probably finish anywhere between 3rd and 7/8th
We also have our best player doesnt seem happy in DeGea, our most talented player doesnt seem happy in Pogba, nor does his shower of shite mate (ok this one is a good thing) in Lukaku and we also have contracts handed out to the likes of JOnes, Martial and Young, none of which deserve them and lets not forget we had a collection of mainly poor defenders, an over rated one and a decent over weighted one.
In my opinion, to win the league this year we needed about 12 players out, 5 top signings and 3/4 promising ones.
As of yet we have 2 players out, 1 top signing in Bissaka, 1 promising one (though I am not sure).....I think there was too much to do in one window to win the league, even though it could be possible. Adding Fernandes, Maguire and Longstaff give us a chance of the top four which like last season is 50/50 to me....which really isnt good enough. But lets not forget they may have lost Hazard and he is for me not in the same league but still a decent signing all the same in Pulisic, CIty who are way ahead of us have just signed Rodri, SPurs who are ahead of us have just made in my opinion a superb signing in NDOmbele.
I do think we have individually made one of the best signings we have made in a few years in Bissaka for what has been a problem area especially the last 18months, but without shipping out some of the toxic attitudes, the really average players and making three of four other top signings, we are pretty reliant on Greenwood and Gomes stepping up big time.
Anybody who think we can be really confident of the top four as things stand must have amnesia, be blinkered or loyal to the point of naivety I feel. Its painful to say, but at the moment we are a side that will probably finish anywhere between 3rd and 7/8th
What???
It’s a tough one to call at the moment as there is uncertainty around us and Chelsea with it being the first full campaign with both new managers, Arsenal too with the lack of spending but they have had a season with Emery to settle in so in theory they should be stronger however they are both there for the taking still in my opionion. Got to factor in B-Rod getting the best out of Leicester too and to see if Wolves can kick on.
Jesus Christ, what are you lot smoking? I want to have some of that.
The trio of Lingard Rashford and Martial is a good enough attack to get us top 4? You guys do realize that these three scored 12 goals COMBINED in 21 PL matches last season under Ole?
The trio of Lingard Rashford and Martial is a good enough attack to get us top 4? You guys do realize that these three scored 12 goals COMBINED in 21 PL matches last season under Ole?
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I’m genuinely concerned that the likes of Wolves and Everton could catch us.
I am hoping that we will invest more than we have otherwise our best XI is
De Gea
Bissaka Smalling Lindelof Shaw
Matic
Fred Pogba
Lingard Rashford Martial
I couldn’t even tell you who is best in that midfield 3 as Pereira, Fred and McTominay don’t seem perfect for the set up. I have slightly more hope that Fred with a season under him may improve but it’s concerning that midfield and attack still looks very short of City, Liverpool and Spurs.
However bring in Fernandes/Maguire and I think we’ll have enough to do it.
I am hoping that we will invest more than we have otherwise our best XI is
De Gea
Bissaka Smalling Lindelof Shaw
Matic
Fred Pogba
Lingard Rashford Martial
I couldn’t even tell you who is best in that midfield 3 as Pereira, Fred and McTominay don’t seem perfect for the set up. I have slightly more hope that Fred with a season under him may improve but it’s concerning that midfield and attack still looks very short of City, Liverpool and Spurs.
However bring in Fernandes/Maguire and I think we’ll have enough to do it.
If we spend 80 odd million on Maguire we deserve to finish in the bottom 4 and Ole would deserve the sack by Sept
True, but weirdly that was top four form - it was the start of the season that left us with the catching up to do.
Definitely,this is a strong line up and option to play James, mata or dalot on right depending on form. Still will take another summer to complete a rebuild with likes of Sancho there balancing that team really well. It’s all about the system. If solskjaer and his team can implement one and having us play with confidence like when he joined the yes. Top 4 certainly
We also conceded 50 something goals. We scored the 5 th highest in league. If we had a half decent defence we’d easily have been 10points better off
Maybe Ole's gonna go with a 442 diamond? Since there isint any RW which we wouldnt have to break the bank for it.
De gea
AWB, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw
McTominay, Fred/Longstaff/Pereira, Pogba, Fernandes
Rashford, Martial
De gea
AWB, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw
McTominay, Fred/Longstaff/Pereira, Pogba, Fernandes
Rashford, Martial
Possible but unlikely. Pool and City are far ahead of us. Spurs will be too good to beat too. 4th place is possible. I would say 40-60 no, at least with this squad. Our starting 11 doesn't look much or even any better than last season. We need at least 2-3 players more before transfer window closes. If not, we will be clear underdogs.
Thus far I don't think we've done nearly enough to the squad for me to be confident of top 4, along with the huge question marks over the management.
Not to mention de Gea’s dip at the end..
At this moment we are a mid-table team particularly with the chuckle brothers in our defence and without a significant upgrade in 4 key positions
Central defence
Defensive midfielder
Attacking midfielder
Right winger
If none of those positions are filled with quality players then don't be surprised when Leicester, Everton and Wolves overtake us next season.
Central defence
Defensive midfielder
Attacking midfielder
Right winger
If none of those positions are filled with quality players then don't be surprised when Leicester, Everton and Wolves overtake us next season.
We missed top 4 narrowly after barely winning a game in the last two months and having a dreadful first half of the season.
Top 4 isn't any sort of pipe dream!
Not yet we aren't with the signings made so far. I dont think Awb is going to be the player everyone expects and will strughle to step up. We also need a few more positions strengthening before we stand a chance of top 4.
Some people's underrating of our squad is just incredible. We had a disastrous campaign last season, absolutely disastrous, and yet we finished nine points ahead of Wolves, twelve ahead of Everton and fourteen ahead of Leicester. Let's not forget this was a season that saw us go on our worst run of form in 57 years, with a manager that had completely lost the dressing room and a squad that had effectively downed tools. We are going to spend big this summer, with a good chance we are taking a star play from one of our rivals. There's no little sense to this. The two teams ahead of us are in a far worse situation than we are.
Have you been paying attention to Chelsea?
Most of their goals and assists came from Hazard, as in he was only one to hit double figures in either category. He has gone. Higuain was their best striker, he has gone.
That leaves them Giroud and some 18 year old kid!
With that lack of firepower they'll be lucky not to end up in 9th!
And they have an unproven manager with one season managing a team to achieve the same that team achieved the year before and flopped in the biggest games in the playoff.
Chelsea and Arsenal have more settled teams. And better players. And I would argue better managers.
We are not settled, have a load of average players (for example, how is Ashley Young still a United starting player??? Think about that..) And I question the quality and ability of our manager who it seems to be more like a 'fan' than a manager of one of the biggest sports institutions on the planet. He seems like a kid, a rabbit caught in headlights.
feck sake, mate, we’ve just spent £50m on Wan Bissaka, the best right-back in the league, and you’re using Ashley Young to justify your argument!
Talk sense.
Take your time and thank about that.
I'm surprised at the lack of optimism here. Sure, we finished below Chelsea and Arsenal last season, but we really fell off the wagon at the end, I think we should've done it considering the run we went on when Ole took over. We were incredibly poor defensively early on in the season. With the arrival of Wan-Bissaka and hopefully a CB, I expect us to concede at least 10 less goals in all competitions almost by default - if de Gea's contract is sorted out I'd also expect we don't see half as many mistakes from him either. The attack is leaving a bit to be desired but I think Rashford and Martial should improve and if we get Fernandes I can see him being a success here.
I don't see Chelsea or Arsenal being any stronger next term, so all we have to do is improve slightly which might come naturally, or it might not. From the activity I've seen so far though, I'd be leaning on the side of I'd more expect us to finish 4th than not right now. This could change come the start of August depending on everyone's transfer business and how fit we look after pre-season. But yeah, I'm actually quietly confident we can get top four right now, more-so because I think there are 16 teams worse than us in the League.
You'd think something drastic had changed for us from the posts on here, but currently the only player we've 'lost' is Ander Herrera who despite how much I liked him, isn't going to be the difference between finishing top four or not when you look at the other sides around us. Chelsea have lost Hazard, Arsenal have lost Ramsey, yet they're apparently way better than us. It'll take them years to properly replace those players and probably still with inferior ones.
I don't see Chelsea or Arsenal being any stronger next term, so all we have to do is improve slightly which might come naturally, or it might not. From the activity I've seen so far though, I'd be leaning on the side of I'd more expect us to finish 4th than not right now. This could change come the start of August depending on everyone's transfer business and how fit we look after pre-season. But yeah, I'm actually quietly confident we can get top four right now, more-so because I think there are 16 teams worse than us in the League.
You'd think something drastic had changed for us from the posts on here, but currently the only player we've 'lost' is Ander Herrera who despite how much I liked him, isn't going to be the difference between finishing top four or not when you look at the other sides around us. Chelsea have lost Hazard, Arsenal have lost Ramsey, yet they're apparently way better than us. It'll take them years to properly replace those players and probably still with inferior ones.
Further to the post above, and based on the team in the OP, we’d be replacing a squad player in Herrera with Fernandes who’s surely good for at least a dozen league goals.
Simply put, No. This team won't make it to top 4.
The defense is decent, however this is the worst possible midfield combination, Pogba and Bruno can't play in the same midfield unless we're planning to play a high possession game, which we clearly can not do as a squad, and our manager didn't implement this style at all. This is a weak midfield and it will be run over all day long, Longstaff and McTominay are both very green to play as solo DM and both Pogba and Bruno (if we manage to get him) lack the necessary discipline to play as B2B.
The attack on the other hand is again not good enough for a top four. Martial is not consistent and Lingard is not reliable as a first team player as he has shown many times before.
Now this post might sound a bit panicking to you, but if you're not panicking already then I'm sorry, you haven't been paying attention. Pogba aside, we have the worst midfield in the top 10 teams in the EPL. If we manage to get Bruno and Longstaff (and this is a big if) that will be a step in the right direction. Yet that is still not enough for a top 4 this season.
I find it really strange that we didn't bring more players to the team already. I think if we didn't make top 4 this season, our finance will take a big hit, our status as a team will decline even further, and so will our ability to attract good players(not great, that's already gone).
We only have 33 days left for the end of the transfer window. I still have high hopes despite the bad experiences over the last transfer windows.
We can trick ourselves like every transfer window and say (yes, that's enough for a top 4). But realistically, I didn't see anything that show our intentions yet, we sacked Mourinho ages ago now. No DOF yet, we didn't replace Fellaini and Herrara yet, we have Matic and Mata who should be considered only for squad rotation now. McTominay is a good young player. I don't rate Fred and neither should you.
If we want to setup a counter attacking team (which I think is what Ole wants) then Bruno is actually a Pogba replacement, and we still need 2 more midfielders (1 hard working B2B and a DM), Maguire and a Lukako replacement before we can say with confidence: this team can get us into top 4.
Otherwise, no. We are not a top 4 team, only by pure luck and opponents poor form can we achieve that. We'll loose a lot of points to teams like Leicester, Bournemouth and Wolves. And I don't see us doing well against Arsenal and Chelsea either.
On a side note, I see a lot of us here making high hopes that Lampard will not do well at Chelsea. Why's is that? Lampard have many leaders in his team, class players who form a strong backbone to the team in Kepa, David Luiz, Azbi, Kante. So he has a better squad already. To top that off, Ole isn't really a magician compared to Lampard, both are new to coaching at this level, so why are we anticipating good results for us and poor form for Chelsea? Or is it just us as always trying to build a season on hopes without doing the hard work?
The defense is decent, however this is the worst possible midfield combination, Pogba and Bruno can't play in the same midfield unless we're planning to play a high possession game, which we clearly can not do as a squad, and our manager didn't implement this style at all. This is a weak midfield and it will be run over all day long, Longstaff and McTominay are both very green to play as solo DM and both Pogba and Bruno (if we manage to get him) lack the necessary discipline to play as B2B.
The attack on the other hand is again not good enough for a top four. Martial is not consistent and Lingard is not reliable as a first team player as he has shown many times before.
Now this post might sound a bit panicking to you, but if you're not panicking already then I'm sorry, you haven't been paying attention. Pogba aside, we have the worst midfield in the top 10 teams in the EPL. If we manage to get Bruno and Longstaff (and this is a big if) that will be a step in the right direction. Yet that is still not enough for a top 4 this season.
I find it really strange that we didn't bring more players to the team already. I think if we didn't make top 4 this season, our finance will take a big hit, our status as a team will decline even further, and so will our ability to attract good players(not great, that's already gone).
We only have 33 days left for the end of the transfer window. I still have high hopes despite the bad experiences over the last transfer windows.
We can trick ourselves like every transfer window and say (yes, that's enough for a top 4). But realistically, I didn't see anything that show our intentions yet, we sacked Mourinho ages ago now. No DOF yet, we didn't replace Fellaini and Herrara yet, we have Matic and Mata who should be considered only for squad rotation now. McTominay is a good young player. I don't rate Fred and neither should you.
If we want to setup a counter attacking team (which I think is what Ole wants) then Bruno is actually a Pogba replacement, and we still need 2 more midfielders (1 hard working B2B and a DM), Maguire and a Lukako replacement before we can say with confidence: this team can get us into top 4.
Otherwise, no. We are not a top 4 team, only by pure luck and opponents poor form can we achieve that. We'll loose a lot of points to teams like Leicester, Bournemouth and Wolves. And I don't see us doing well against Arsenal and Chelsea either.
On a side note, I see a lot of us here making high hopes that Lampard will not do well at Chelsea. Why's is that? Lampard have many leaders in his team, class players who form a strong backbone to the team in Kepa, David Luiz, Azbi, Kante. So he has a better squad already. To top that off, Ole isn't really a magician compared to Lampard, both are new to coaching at this level, so why are we anticipating good results for us and poor form for Chelsea? Or is it just us as always trying to build a season on hopes without doing the hard work?
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Our midfield players are currently Fred, Matic, Andreas, Mctominay and Pogba.
Only 2 of those are good enough (Pogba and Mctominay), 2 of those are just about squad players (Fred and Andreas) and one is nowhere near good enough (Matic)
We need to have better players than our rivals which is wont be easy with the quality that Pool, City and spurs have so if we don't buy 2 or 3 top players for the midfield we could be in for another season of watching a slow and ponderous team with Pogba carrying the burden of creating everything. We need a number 6. A box to box and a number 10/attacking midfielder.
Only 2 of those are good enough (Pogba and Mctominay), 2 of those are just about squad players (Fred and Andreas) and one is nowhere near good enough (Matic)
We need to have better players than our rivals which is wont be easy with the quality that Pool, City and spurs have so if we don't buy 2 or 3 top players for the midfield we could be in for another season of watching a slow and ponderous team with Pogba carrying the burden of creating everything. We need a number 6. A box to box and a number 10/attacking midfielder.
But we'd be playing him in a deeper role than the one he's accustomed to, further away from goal and with many more defensive responsibilities.
Plus you'd expect a massive drop off in his performance level anyway, simply by virtue of the fact he'd be playing against substantially better opposition.
I'm not convinced that he'd be any kind of upgrade on Herrera in a #8 role.
Interesting team, but shows how much the you have listened to Ole when he said he wants his teams to play fast. Rashford will play no 9, Pogba left wing? Jones CB? what are you thinking?
Manchester United fans asking will we get into top 4. Shows how far we are dropping further back each season. This would be unheard of 7 years ago.
WINNING is our aim, and the Glazers need to understand this.
WINNING is our aim, and the Glazers need to understand this.
Strong line up??. Longstaff, Lingard. That front 3 is no where near good enough. RW and a new striker is needed.
Well said...we picked up 15 points out of 36 from our last 12 PL games, if that form continues we will be nowhere near top 4. Given that we have much the same personnel (Herrera out and WAN Bissaka and James in) I'd imagine we'll see similar outcomes. In Ole's first 9 games we picked up 25 out of 27 points, after that we were garbage. Prior to that run we were also garbage picking up 26 out of 51 points. Excluding the new manager bounce run over 9 games, which seems to be an aberration, we picked up 41 points in 29 games (more than three quarters of a season). That's mid table form at best!
That’s why it’s only a dozen goals as opposed to 36.
He’s got a fair bit of bite on him.