1) Win the Europa League;
2) Qualify for Champions League.
2) Qualify for Champions League.
What are our expectations for next season ?
- Thread starter VidaRed
- Start date
It’s looking increasingly like the signings that were needed aren’t going to be made so I think top four might be a struggle. It’s a shame as this would have been the summer to really back a manager.
Low. I am at least hoping that I can enjoy watching us again. At times last season it was very hard work
To actually look forward to see United play...
I think top four will be beyond us due to lack of scoring ability. Hopefully we should not leak as many goals with better defensive players and tactics. Top half of table will be our best hope but I will be very happy to be proved wrong.
What about Arsenal?
As it stands, I have absolutely zero expectations. Our transfer window has been awful so far and we have a lot to do in the final month.
Right now it seems likely that we won't sign a single central midfielder which is insane - and it also means having any expectations at all is unwise.
Right now it seems likely that we won't sign a single central midfielder which is insane - and it also means having any expectations at all is unwise.
It doesn't seem that we won't sign a midfielder at all. We clearly will it just might not be the top target in FDJ.
CL qualification, but even that could be difficult as we have still not really improved our squad
I'm planning to just take it a game at a time. Progress isn't always linear.
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To be playing as a team and not a group of individuals with a definite pattern of play.
And a significantly higher workrate with the team performing greater than the sum of the parts.
And a significantly higher workrate with the team performing greater than the sum of the parts.
You need to manage your expectations. It took Klopp 2-3 years to get his Liverpool team firing and they started in a better position than us, from when ETH has taken over.
More realistic for me would be below, although there is always the chance that ETH will exceed expectations in his first season and get top 4 with a cup.
22/23 top 6 and a cup run
23/24 top 4 and win a cup
24/25 challenge for PL
25/26 earliest possible PL trophy
Spot on. Would be pleased to see that by the end of the season. Or at least visible improvements and progress towards that.
Results similar to last year but with slightly better football. The squad isn't good enough and has fallen even further behind our rivals.
4th at best, 3rd if the stars align (the other teams suck). I'd be focused on the improvement of football more than the results and rank. In reality, I don't expect anything at all, my passion and interest has been killed last season.
More likely to finish 5th or 6th, highlighted by a good run in the Europa cup as well as reaching the League cup final.
We'll see. I don't know how you can be so confident that we'll 'clearly' sign a midfielder.
Reminds me of the last few Fergie summers - every single year people said 'oh THIS TIME we'll definitely sign a midfielder' and then we never did.
Top 6, semi final in the Europa. Early premiership team exits in the domestic cups, cos we never get kind draws... we're not Chelsea. We have too many defenders, not enough midfielders, and definitely not enough forwards of sufficient quality. Poor window, although I do expect a lot of players to go out, albeit mostly on loan. I'm hoping for better football, and in a perfect world to at least be competitive in games against City and Liverpool, even if we eventually lose.
A voice of reason, which is most welcome.
However, I've gone almost a decade without "expecting" a PL trophy. Even going into last season although I allowed myself a little bit of hope I did not expect PL trophy. But I'm now looking at a manager and a squad that's only three pieces away from being a proper contender. I'll discuss those three pieces a few sentences below, but what I more fully appreciate now than I did under Sir Alex is how important a manager is to a PL winning squad. I was appalled at the appointment at Moyes like almost everyone else and he didn't even meet our low expectations. Van Gaal, Mourinho and Ole...all performed poorly for various reasons and I think most of us had concerns when the appointments were announced. ETH may turn out to be a disappointment but as it stands right now I see a manager who can take us to that level. You say 25/26 at the earliest and that might be right, but I think with a few more shrewd buys we can get there next season.
Okay, what are the three pieces?
CM...Frenkie de Jong. He reminds me of Carrick, a footballer who was criminally underrated outside of Old Trafford. Carrick was more a one touch passer and Frenkie more a ball carrier, but both are excellent readers of the game. He would be an excellent acquisition who would sort us out in midfield.
CF...today we have Ronaldo who can still put in a very decent shift but I can't see him pulling up trees for us next season. I have still have my doubts about Martial. To get from top four contender to PL winner we need a top CF. I do not have any names to submit at this time.
RB...I like Dalot but unless he takes a long stride forward his season we need to shop for a RB next summer. I have no names to submit at this time.
Why only these three pieces? Despite the abuse De Gea takes here, he's actually an outstanding keeper. Not flawless but the list of superior keepers on the planet is quite short. We're sorted at CB and LB and sorted with attacking midfielders. The front line is what worries me right now but Sancho has incredible potential, if Rashford can return to his prior form we're sorted on the left, Garnacho is a fantastic young prospect and then of course we have Ronaldo and Martial but questions about those two are more than reasonable.
Of course, City and Liverpool have also strengthened their squads and perhaps there's no realistic hope of catching them next season. But I believe that with better managing, a few shrewd player acquisitions and a bit of luck we can compete well for the PL trophy next season.
I just can't go on forever hoping for a top four finish.
The ugly truth !
At the moment this is what we'll get.
Hey, I hope you are right, but I fear we have declined too far over the last 9 years for a quick turnaround. Although if ETH gambles on youth and it pays off, anything is possible.
But City and Liverpool are signing players to be the icing on their cake this window. We haven't even finished mixing the cake yet.
I expect a really patchy season. We'll be reliant on our youth players bringing that spark, and think we'll see a good brand of football.
That said, reckon the poor streaks will outweigh the positive, and can see the season petering out from March onwards again - a bit like during Ole's first with us.
Think it'll be the cups that offer the most chance of success, as top 4 right now won't be viable imo.
That said, reckon the poor streaks will outweigh the positive, and can see the season petering out from March onwards again - a bit like during Ole's first with us.
Think it'll be the cups that offer the most chance of success, as top 4 right now won't be viable imo.
United should back ETH fully this season. United need technically sound players to play that intricate passing style game. Players he has at his disposal only ericsen and Sancho capable of doing that. Close control very important for his system to fully functional.
Yes the players he has at United still can play but won't be successful without required pace. Opponents will easily shush them out with slow pace.
United need to get into top 4 to make required players to come so this window United board should do all they can to bring in minimum three technically sound players. Should not worried about price tag.
Yes the players he has at United still can play but won't be successful without required pace. Opponents will easily shush them out with slow pace.
United need to get into top 4 to make required players to come so this window United board should do all they can to bring in minimum three technically sound players. Should not worried about price tag.
CL qualification.
your point about someone who reads the game in midfield is the big one for me. it's vital and we haven't had it for years. Pogba could barely read a book and the others were mainly used as destroyers rather than creators. I hope Frenkie is the guy. if not, I hope ETH can magic someone else from goodness know where
With you 100%. I keep coming back to Michael Carrick, who made it all tick for us. Yes of course we had legends on the back line, Rooney and Ronaldo and gifted midfielders in Scholes and Giggs, but Carrick was so gifted with and without the ball. I don't see in de Jong a midfielder who's as masterful at reading the game as Carrick, but he's not far off. But we need a midfielder who's not a spaz as Fred and McTominay too often are. Those two can do a job for us but they're not at the level we need as regular starters and Frenkie is as good as it will reasonably ever get in the next few years in central midfield.
Top 4 trophy
I know people won't like this but I am willing to give ETH a relatively free pass on results. I am mainly interested in...
1) Seeing a cohesive style of football, after having to watch the most amateur and laughably chaotic set-up for the best part of 12-months now.
2) More 'deadwood' and high-earners cleared out of the club. More players coming in on realistic wages.
3) More young players given a proper opportunity.
4) No more thrashings would be nice! Again, no PL team should be getting cut-apart as we did at times last year. We can't be getting hammered by Brighton and Watford...even League Two sides under competent management wouldn't get hammered by these teams!
I think we all know the squad still has obvious flaws, so I think it's pretty pointless setting targets of top four and/or trophies. Realistically, if Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all play close to the ceiling of their squads, we'll probably be battling for 4th at best.
1) Seeing a cohesive style of football, after having to watch the most amateur and laughably chaotic set-up for the best part of 12-months now.
2) More 'deadwood' and high-earners cleared out of the club. More players coming in on realistic wages.
3) More young players given a proper opportunity.
4) No more thrashings would be nice! Again, no PL team should be getting cut-apart as we did at times last year. We can't be getting hammered by Brighton and Watford...even League Two sides under competent management wouldn't get hammered by these teams!
I think we all know the squad still has obvious flaws, so I think it's pretty pointless setting targets of top four and/or trophies. Realistically, if Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all play close to the ceiling of their squads, we'll probably be battling for 4th at best.
Signed Eriksen. A central midfielder.
He's more of an attacking midfielder - Bruno rather than Fred. I mean it's not out of the question that we plan to use him deeper but that's not where he played for most of his career.
Will be interesting to see exactly how ETH uses him as the season progresses.
It seems far fetched that he'll end up playing a lot deeper, though - and it's very much arguable whether he actually strengthens us in said position.
(To be clear, I like him as a player and I certainly think he strengthens us in general - but he's an attacking midfielder, as you say.)
Looking at this forensically: we signed a guy who might not be a first-choice defender and a guy on a free. So the only deal we've actually done with another club to strengthen the team immediately is martinez. Piss poor work and doesn't bode well. I hope I'm wrong and part of me would settle or just enjoying watching us again but I'm worried and wouldn't be 100% surprised if we repeat it again this time next year, to see ETH walk
Rock bottom. As things stand, we have a worse squad than last year. Haven't replaced Pogba, Cavani or Greenwood.
Looking at this forensically: we signed a guy who might not be a first-choice defender and a guy on a free.
So the only deal we've actually done with another club to strengthen the team immediately is martinez. Piss poor work for a club of our size and so far behind others at the top of the PL. It smacks of a lack of real ambition.
I hope I'm wrong and part of me would settle for just enjoying watching us again but I'm worried and wouldn't be 100% surprised to see ETH quit if we repeat it again this time next year
So the only deal we've actually done with another club to strengthen the team immediately is martinez. Piss poor work for a club of our size and so far behind others at the top of the PL. It smacks of a lack of real ambition.
I hope I'm wrong and part of me would settle for just enjoying watching us again but I'm worried and wouldn't be 100% surprised to see ETH quit if we repeat it again this time next year
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You don’t think we can squeak past Bournemouth even?
I think we’re in that fight for 3rd to 5th.
1) Dominate play both home and away against bottom 14
2) Dominate home games against City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs
3) Put up a fighting show away against City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs
4) Play positive & pro-active football that's entertaining to watch
5) Restrict silly defensive mistakes and coordination errors
6) Score at least at an average of the league rate from set play
7) Have at least 4 youth players break through into first team
I'm not going to put winning & losing or even position in the table here. I'll be happy if I see most of the above points.
2) Dominate home games against City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs
3) Put up a fighting show away against City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs
4) Play positive & pro-active football that's entertaining to watch
5) Restrict silly defensive mistakes and coordination errors
6) Score at least at an average of the league rate from set play
7) Have at least 4 youth players break through into first team
I'm not going to put winning & losing or even position in the table here. I'll be happy if I see most of the above points.
There is some good news which i'd forgotten: Mike Dean, Kevin Friend, Jon Moss and Martin Atkinson have new roles and will not be refereeing Premier League fixtures!
Right now I fully expect 6th spot. I just hope for some good performances that have us all saying 'if we just had better players, we'd be back in business'. I need that hope.
To be honest, I don't have any expectations. I think the summaer has been poor but I do not blame the club. It was always going to be very difficult.
Saying that, I am still the most excired I have been in absolute ages. We are already seeing the blueprints of how this man wants to play football, it is not taking ages or buying a new squad. He has come in and immediately imposed his style in the team.
He needs a lot of patience and goodwill.
Saying that, I am still the most excired I have been in absolute ages. We are already seeing the blueprints of how this man wants to play football, it is not taking ages or buying a new squad. He has come in and immediately imposed his style in the team.
He needs a lot of patience and goodwill.