Season 2 LVG - Objectives and expectations

Where do you expect United to finish in 2016/17

  • All hail champions!

    Votes: 69 35.6%

  • Runner-up

    Votes: 74 38.1%

  • 3th place

    Votes: 29 14.9%

  • 4th place trophy

    Votes: 22 11.3%
  • Total voters
    194
Not sure we will win the league, I think a lot depends on how quickly the new guys adapt, and if Di Maria can settle in better (he was majestic in his first few games, but faded as the season went along). Even in the worst case scenario though, I would expect us to be pushing the leaders all the way, rather than watching from a distance as this year. I think runner up/winner is what we should be aiming for, I'be a bit disappointed with much less.

About time we won the FA Cup again too.
 
I expect us to challenge for the league and improve on 4th. You can't expect a trophy when 4 other teams are also doing the same. Only one can win and it can be won or lost on the smallest of things but I expect us to perform and challenge all the way to the end. Last 8 in the CL I would expect, last 16 at the bare minimum.
 
Nogbadthebad said:
Not sure we will win the league, I think a lot depends on how quickly the new guys adapt, and if Di Maria can settle in better (he was majestic in his first few games, but faded as the season went along). Even in the worst case scenario though, I would expect us to be pushing the leaders all the way, rather than watching from a distance as this year. I think runner up/winner is what we should be aiming for, I'be a bit disappointed with much less.

About time we won the FA Cup again too.
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This is certainly true. And in fact it is quite unrealistic to expect us to look a particularly coherent unit for quite a while, with this many new players arriving. The fact most of them are in place early enough for pre season will certainly help but still. Winning the league would be a tall order this season. I think its possible but I wouldnt bet on it. But I can see it in the next couple of years now, much more easily than I could.
 
Anything less than league champions and SF in CL is a failure for me. LVG has to deliver this season, I would want this if I was investing so much. Moyes didn't survive a single season with poor result, why should LVG be given so much luxury and not deliver results even after 2 years? He gets a pass because he's way cooler and a bigger name.
 
I saw we were 5/1 on Williamhill to win the league yesterday. Bookies have us as 4th favourite last I checked.

It'll be us or Chelsea imo. City won't amount to much under Pellegrini and Wengers Arsenal are a bunch of bottlers.
 
If the signings work out like we all hope we should be in for the title race. I also expect us to reach at least the last 8 of the CL.

It also depends on Rooney to stay fit and our CBs to improve if we do not get anyone in.
 
If we had a better start to last season we would have been very close Chelsea. I expect us to start this season much better now that the players know the LVG tactics.

I hope we keep up our good record against the big teams. That went a long way for us finishing in the top 4.

I think we will be challenging for the title. I don't know who will win it but I think it will be us and Chelsea in the top 2.
 
As for the objectives we have to win the title and the FA Cup, simple as that. A good showing is also needed in the CL but that competition is impossible to predict and we havent even qualified for the group stage yet so we should take it as it goes.

I know thats aiming really high but honestly we cannot stagnate and accept a CL spot every year we dont want to be Arsenal. I fully expect us to sign a CB, striker and if Dave goes a GK that should see us challenging for the title and hopefully win it.
 
Depends on what sort of striker Lvg brings in. However as always, target a league title and SF in CL.
 
We showed signs of a team able to challenge for a title - good performances and results vs big teams, getting wins despite poor performances at times - but were very inconsistent and it took us too long to find a system that worked. With better injury luck and strikers who can finish their chances (as well as all the other signings), we have to finish top 3, go far in CL, and play well. Winning a domestic cup is doable, so...let's do it. Think van Gaal will challenge the players, old and new, to even do even more and that's what we need.
 
With the recent new signings and investment into the team, I've gone from top 4 minimum to top 2 minimum. Disappointed with any less. A good run in the UCL is also expected but that was always the case. Domestic cups don't really matter but it'd be nice to win some silverware after two trophlyess seasons.
 
I think we need to win something this year be it the league or a cup. We do need to challenge in the league, if we are just pipped by Chelsea or City that would be alright as long as it is just pipped.

We also need a good showing in the Champions League, last 4 would be good this year knockout stages a must.
 
A striker is the difference for me in just top 4 and title. We can be brilliant in midfield and attack but as Chelsea showed in 13/14 you are only as good as your strikers. Right now we have Rooney. I'm his huge fan but we need at least one more to share the load with him. Chicharito doesnt want to be a sub and Wilson has an experience of 13 PL games or so. Not enough
 
If we keep strengthening the right positions, adding the fact our fixture list is pretty well balanced, there is not a pile up of games at the start middle and end of run of games where it is incredibly difficult. It is weird we have chelsea at the end, but if we look at our fixture list, and a much stronger squad, luck maybe on our side. I do not think many have noticed how well balanced our fixture list is
 
prath92 said:
A striker is the difference for me in just top 4 and title. We can be brilliant in midfield and attack but as Chelsea showed in 13/14 you are only as good as your strikers. Right now we have Rooney. I'm his huge fan but we need at least one more to share the load with him. Chicharito doesnt want to be a sub and Wilson has an experience of 13 PL games or so. Not enough
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I do not think many factored in our injury's during that game, which was the story of our season, just not enough in certain positions.
 
Minimum criteria for progression seems like it would be +35 GD in the league (10 better than last year, just short of title contention) and not losing in the CL group stage or to a non-contender in the knockouts (until the Semis, at which point we could lose to anyone who's made the Semis and it would still be a decent CL campaign).

Cups only really matter if they are complete disasters or we get to the finals.

Young players progressing shades things too. If say, Januzaj and Shaw have great seasons but we disappoint a bit it will auger better for Van Gaal then if we're carried by older players and disappoint a bit.
 
Well I've chucked a fiver on them (@ 5/1) so they best damn win it. Odds were reduced though as per signings.
 
with the team we got at this very moment (including the 4 signings), i expect us to finish 2nd, probably 3rd at the very least.

add otamendi into the squad i expect a better challenge for the tittle with a big possibility of actually winning it, granted we does not lose any top player.
 
I think the title race is genuinely very exciting this season coming with Sterling going to City, Cech going to us and all the signings you've made. I don't expect there to be many points between the top teams and could genuinely see the top 4 being in any order.
 
Winners or runners up in the league, a Cup or cup final, and advancing to the knockout stages in the CL.

I'm being nice here with so many players to bed in. But seriously, any less than this and I'm sure LvG himself will consider it a failure.
 
Wonder if this will temper some of the enthusiasm and inflated expectations in some...
 
FC Ronaldo said:
Wonder if this will temper some of the enthusiasm and inflated expectations in some...
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I don’t actually mind that number. We’ve desperately need transition for a while now, and fair play to LVG for actually enacting it and bringing about plenty of change.
 
FC Ronaldo said:
Wonder if this will temper some of the enthusiasm and inflated expectations in some...
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true but
--------------------Valdes-------------------
Darmain----Rojo-----------CB-----------Shaw
------Schweinstiger--------Schneiderling---
-Depay-------------Herrera-------------Di Maria
---------------------Striker-------------------------

get a new centreback and a striker and he has actually got a whole new XI of decent players as well plus Blind and players like Mcnair, Wilson and Pereira more involved as well.
 
Being realistic, think 3rd or 2nd place would be a good achievement next season. So many new faces once again and as we saw last season, it takes a while for a new player to fit in. If our signings hit the ground running and we bring in another CB and striker, I can see a title challenge.
 
I'd be very happy if we put legitimate pressure on Chelsea and finish deserved runners-up in the league and make it to the final 8 in Europe.

I'd be content if we comfortably finish top 3 in the league and advance to the final 16 in Europe.

I'd be disappointed if the best we can manage is hanging on to top 4 in the league and crashing out of the group stage in the CL.

Of course this could change dramatically by this time next month. So many things can happen yet this summer. We could bring in a good CB and a reliable striker or we could lose De Gea to Madrid and Di Maria to PSG.

In other words...it's probably too early for this thread.
 
gotta be champions, or a close second with a cup win and a decent champions league run for me. This squads going to be one of the most expensively assembled in history after the acquisition of CB and a striker we all know if coming, maybe even another goalkeeper. we have to be close to the 400m transfer fee mark at that point.

Im not sure top 3 with no silverware would be good enough really. He's got a very difficult Job does Van Gaal but he's being backed more than any other manager ever.
 
Oo0AahCantona said:
gotta be champions, or a close second with a cup win and a decent champions league run for me. This squads going to be one of the most expensively assembled in history after the acquisition of CB and a striker we all know if coming, maybe even another goalkeeper. we have to be close to the 400m transfer fee mark at that point.

Im not sure top 3 with no silverware would be good enough really. He's got a very difficult Job does Van Gaal but he's being backed more than any other manager ever.
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The entire squad doesn't even match the price of barca and reals front 3.
 
Title challenge regardless of where we finish in the Top 4, thats why i didn't pick an option, for me it doesn't really matter where we finish in the Top 4 as long as we gave a good challenge for the title.
 
Forgot where I saw it but when van Gaal first joined us there was this stat which to my recollection was he's got the highest win ratio of any manager in the champions league (must have managed over 50 games). Pretty terrific if true, I'd love a great season in Europe.
 
Im pretty sure he said the plan when he came here was to get back in the CL first year. Win the legaue the second year and take the CL the year after.
 
PL and CL: We should be aiming to compete for the title and get somewhere significant in the CL. I'd consider 2nd place in the league and a quarter final loss to someone better like Bayern, Madrid or Barca a successful season.

FA and League Cups: this season I'd rather see us prioritise giving youngsters genuine chances than trying to win at all costs. We have two big targets to focus on once again so neither success or failure in the domestic cups is going to seriously impact whether our season is seen as a successful one.

Therefore, allowing for loan spells obviously, Wilson, Januzaj, Pereira, McNair and Lingard should all be regulars in the side for both competitions. I'd also like to see game time for Pearson, Rothwell, Harrop and Varela (if he's still with us). Obviously the team for those kinds of games will constantly change, but an example side would look something like this:

2nd Keeper
Varela McNair Rojo Blind
Carrick Pearson
Pereira
Januzaj Wilson Lingard
​
Always take a strong bench, obviously: if at half time disaster looms, throwing on Rooney, Schweinsteiger and Herrera (for example) should be able to win you any game against lower-league opponents.
 
Stated that preseason isn't as important in terms of results and he cited last years tour success then losing our first game of the season. He realized it wasn't good enough, love that about him - as blunt and honest as they come.
 
A trophy for me. Either one of the big two, or an FA Cup with a decent challenge in the other two.
We've spent plenty of money and 3 years without a trophy is too Liverpool/Arsenal for my liking.
 
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