Allegdly there is a stat saying that teams led by Mourinho finish season in the same postion as they had after 12 games.
Top 4 race 2016/17
- Thread starter Yorkeontop
- Start date
All that tells me is it's more that doable still.
Usually the case, yes.
Jose's track record is Fergie-esque. Quite amazing.
What's bad is that he has never been so low in the league, after 12 games (except for last season, when he got sacked).
Usually the case, yes.
Well thank feck we're not in relegation position.
Our goal difference is +3.
Madness.
Madness.
Usually the case, yes.
Suppose this largely makes sense: Mourinho teams at their best were often known for their consistency, excellent defensive records and for generally being very, very hard to beat.
Due to that they almost never went on bad runs as such: successive defeats were a massive anomaly because he never lost at home, and didn't generally concede enough goals to lose successive games. His sides never really fluctuated from poor starts to sizzling form later in the season, and the same vice versa: he never really started incredibly but faded away shockingly towards the end.
Nevertheless we're dealing with a very different Mourinho post-Chelsea now. Concern would be that the top fours at the highest standard it's been in years, and barring a massive, massive improvement from us we're probably relying on Arsenal/Spurs dropping off along with us improving significantly.
Top4 is gone. The current top4 are way better and 8+ points ahead.
Usually the case, yes.
All this tells me is that Mourinho has had an amazing career.
Yep. Very consistent until last couple of seasons. Not that many current managers with records that impressive.
Everton and Spurs next. NEEED to absolutely get 6 points from those games and go on a winning run until the New Year, or we can write off achieving anything in the league this season.
What a shambles.
What a shambles.
Yeah...those are some tough, tough games. I'm confident against Spurs at home since we usually always beat them at home (jinxing it I know...), but Everton away will be very tricky. Even Palace and West Brom away after that are potentially very difficult.
I'm just trying to not look further ahead then the next two games. It's hard to predict our results because we're not a consistent team, and even then e're throwing away the few good performances we've had this season with some awful finishing.
Top 4 is going to be very tricky. I simply cannot see United beat Man City, Chelsea, or Liverpool. These teams are already 10-11 points ahead anyway. Chelsea and Liverpool have no European football, and have managers who have implemented a system that clearly works for them.
Arsenal are 8 points ahead too, and they are the masters of just finishing in the top 4 season after season.
Arsenal are 8 points ahead too, and they are the masters of just finishing in the top 4 season after season.
I was only joking.
Certainly not out of the realm of possibility we could get 4th. It's just much less likely than it is likely at this stage.
There may be an explosion due at some stage. Only question is whether we're still anywhere near the mixer by then!
I seem to recall a spell where Suarez couldn't finish anything, then suddenly couldn't stop. Things can turn, often when unexpected.
I still think back to the Van Gaal spell, where he'd been stubbornly trying to fit Rooney and Van Persie, and often Falcao in, then the latter 2 were injured, and we went on an incredible hot spell with Fellaini and Young playing out of their skins!
I thought the Rooney omission might trigger it, but it hasn't really.
Yes, but we keep saying this, and keep losing chances. We should have beaten Arsenal, and drawn them to within 3 points. Instead, over 2 games, we've let them get 8 ahead! We can't win 2 league games in a row, so it's impossible to envisage suddenly putting a run in.
Might be back on now.
City are without Aguero, and haven't looked all too convincing recently anyway. Goal should be to knock the gap down to 3-4 points before new years, then we're within punching distance.
City are without Aguero, and haven't looked all too convincing recently anyway. Goal should be to knock the gap down to 3-4 points before new years, then we're within punching distance.
Let's beat Everton first!
Having looked at our fixtures this month, apart from possibly Spurs, we should be expecting to win every game. If we can do that, I think come January, we will be very close to Arsenal and City, who I expect to drop points, especially City now that they could be missing Aguero for quite a while.
I genuinely thought Chelsea would be one of the sides battling and struggling to make top 4 but it's not looking that way now. I still think they will get found at at some point and if any one of Hazard, Costa or Kante get injured they will be in trouble. If they all stay fit they are going to be difficult to stop.
To me it's now Chelsea, City and Liverpool nailed on for top 3 so we have only one spot to fight for. I do think we can do it though as Arsenal and Tottenham will drop lots of points.
To me it's now Chelsea, City and Liverpool nailed on for top 3 so we have only one spot to fight for. I do think we can do it though as Arsenal and Tottenham will drop lots of points.
Win on sunday and only 7 points behind a woeful City side who has to face hectic christmas fixture without Aguero and Fernandinho. Otamendi suspended for the next match too.
Perfect time to get our acts together and catch up.
Perfect time to get our acts together and catch up.
It's been the 'perfect time' for the last 5 games though and all we've done is fall further behind. We won't even beat Everton.
There's no reason we couldn't get 4th or even third the way we have been playing lately, we are creating the same amount of chances as the top teams. We just have to start converting them.
I myself feel we are about to gain some points on our top 4 rivals, with most of our key players fit, getting into their grooves and not too overworked, we have a real chance of going on a good run.
And the troubles of our rivals are added bonus too.
Keep faith man.
I don't see us being consistent enough to get top 4. We just got overtaken by WBA bloody hell 
Don't even see us winning tomorrow.
Don't even see us winning tomorrow.To get 4th, we pretty much need to put title winning form in from now to the end.
I'll be delighted if we're as close as 8 points off 4th after our next 2 fixtures!
I'll be delighted if we're as close as 8 points off 4th after our next 2 fixtures!
On the balance of probabilities, Utd finishing top 4 is unlikely. Sixth spot seems most likely.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and City look certain top 4.
It pains me to say it, but we should probably go all out in the EL now.
Bournemouth are the highest placed side we beat. Leicester, West Ham, Hull and Swansea are the others, relegation fodder basically.
I felt that last weekends game was where it had to happen for us. We needed the three points there but we fluffed it. We're relying on another big team having a bit of a catastrophic period now which i just can't see.
Who looks the most vulnerable currently to you guys out of the current top 4? With the suspensions now to Aguero, Fernandinho, and Otamendi serving his 1 match ban whilst Kompany is injured, I'd have to say City looking at some of their fixtures coming up. Their defense is so poor and Pep chops and changes the team each game.
Guess we have to see how much Liverpool miss Coutinho.
Guess we have to see how much Liverpool miss Coutinho.
10 fecking points.
If we are going to catch any two, it will be one of City, Spurs and Arsenal. It's possible to finish ahead of one of them. But i can't see two of those teams collapsing at the same time.
Thread should be move until further notice imo.
We're behind West Brom in the table. That upsets me a lot.
Oh god that image is depressing.