21 May 2015 08:57:31
Ed001 since you are around, how does it make you feel seeing United fans celebrate 4th place?
{Ed001's Note - I enjoy it personally, it is nice to see after all the years of laughing at Arsenal fans for the same thing! It is understandable though, after all it is progress after last season, but it is only one step, so I am surprised people are so excited. Let's face it, as a Liverpool fan I just wish it was Liverpool fans that were celebrating it.}
21 May 2015 09:40:51
I haven't seen too many fans celebrate the fact we're fourth as an actual achievement, but more of a step in the right direction after last season. It's more a necessity.
I'm glad we're back in Europe but next season we shouldn't be looking no shorter than coming 1st in the league and having a good run in the UCL.
21 May 2015 09:43:34
JMB,
You are obsessed with people celebrating 4th place, I certainly didn't see any celebrations at the stadium on Sunday, the players certainly weren't celebrating finishing 4th, people have said they are happy finishing 4th, getting into the Champions League is very important to a lot of people, me included, I have missed it so much this season and love the midweek games under the lights at OT, so it is nice to be back in the Champions League, but I haven't seen many celebrating.
It appears you have decided people are celebrating so you can mention it over and over and have stuck with it, but in reality that isn't really what has happened.
21 May 2015 09:51:00
We are taking baby steps when everything was ready for a giant leap. If we keep baby stepping our rivals won't be doing the same. Missed opportunity this year.
We all want us to get our transfers done quickly, but by finishing 4th this could possibly prohibit players being signed that want assurances about CL football until very late in the day. Players like Hummels, Vidal, Bale etc, the ones we really need to make us a threat on all fronts.
We can sugar coat it all we like but 4th wasn't good enough and will in all likelihood mean a slower start and juggling Europe as well as integrating players could mean another difficult year. 3rd was the bare minimum expectation for a reason, I find it amusing how 4th is the same as 3rd now for a lot of people (especially those with a vested interest at the club). Even 3rd is poor, but I suppose it depends how crushed your expectations have been by the Moyes period - mine haven't been hence my constant deflation and call for realism.
LVG will need to earn his crust this summer that's for sure, difficult task - let's hops all the big talk finally starts to turn into action.
{Ed001's Note - to be fair, the early start could mean you get off to a better start in the Prem as the players will be match sharp much sooner. It is the end of the season, when they are moaning about being tired even though they get plenty of rest, when it might affect the team.}
21 May 2015 09:52:56
Well said mate. Your right it is one step. I think Spurs will see CL football before Liverpool if you lot don't get your finger out big time!
{Ed001's Note - I can't see either getting in there if the FFP rules are relaxed too much. At least not before the work on their respective stadiums is sorted and paid for.}
21 May 2015 09:53:29
If you see another team win anything for so long only to see them all of a sudden celebrating finishing 3 spots below that of course you are going to enjoy it, I know I would! However there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a realist and adjusting your expectations when necessary. Champions League was the goal this year as we are in the middle of a rebuild - we achieved it. I can sure as hell tell you I won't be cheering fourth place next year.
We MUFC fans have been spoiled for so long, and we will be spoiled again.
{Ed001's Note - what would you cheer next season out of interest? I am wondering what would be seen as success next season.}
21 May 2015 10:07:06
A good point Ed. I'm not too worried about fitness at the start of the season as LVG will have them well drilled fitness wise (hopefully), I'm more concerned with players being signed late so they don't have a full pre-season having to learn the arduous tactical side to the way LVG wants them to play. Just a couple of player not in synch could mean a poor start.
It was the excuse he and the fans gave for our slow start last season, with us needing 5-6 players to come in now the longer they have will benefit us. If they arrive late because of 4th place not guaranteeing CL football then it makes the job harder. Even GDS2 above is assuming CL football is back (he will know about the playoff of course, but 99% of our fans are just assuming we will be in the CL next season when we will have a tricky match undoubtedly).
In saying all that, we looked shattered 2nd half of most of our games this season, so maybe fitness is a problem with all the extra games, so it could be a very tricky year ahead. The joys.
21 May 2015 10:13:30
Ed001 yes we got fourth our minimum expectation but it's the way we got it. We have got into the CL places through lacklustre performances and down right luck.
As for next year we should be winning the league if not being pipped by a few points.
{Ed001's Note - so a championship challenge then?}
21 May 2015 10:48:38
Challenging for the title Ed. 3 transfer windows and a full season under his belt, new manager won't be an excuse next year. Has to be a title challenge.
21 May 2015 10:50:03
@Ed001, I would personally be happy with a title challenge, a trophy and maybe quarter finals of the CL? I think that would class as a successful season next year. By title challenge I mean a proper one and not an Arsenal type one where they get within a certain amount of points and then will definitely bottle it. I'd love an FA cup win because we haven't won it for a long time now. Basically further progress in the right direction.
Then again it depends who we sign, if for example we got Bale, Vidal, Hummels, Gundogan and Clyne then I'd be expecting a title win because that team would have so much going forward.
21 May 2015 10:53:54
I think everybody, including the manager and the players are expecting a championship challenge next season, success would be winning it, top 2 would be another step in the right direction, anything less would be disappointing.
Let's hope you are wrong Beast and players sign for us regardless of the Champions League playoff and we get off to a nice fast start.
21 May 2015 10:56:12
Beast ,
You start off a post saying fitness is not a problem , by the end you're worrying it will be a problem .
How do you manage to get out of bed and face the world every day ?
21 May 2015 11:07:51
Fitness won't be a problem at the start of the season, but it will be at the end. What is difficult to grasp about that?
We will hopefully have more games next season. Did you not notice the pace and power of our second half performances this season dropping off markedly?
21 May 2015 11:30:11
I just can't believe how fitness is always such an issue, I really don't get it, I think it is a poor excuse, there are much more tougher sports out there that are more physically demanding and you rarely hear coaches talk about how tired their players are.
The money these players are on, with all the conditioning and sports science, there should be no talk of fatigue at all.
21 May 2015 11:30:23
I agree with Beast regarding fitness. It will be interesting how we overcome players becoming exhausted near the end of the season.
I'd imagine the recruitment's this summer and maybe even January will be very helpful.
21 May 2015 11:30:34
@Ed001
Only a very strong title challenge and quarter finals in the UCL will be seen as success next season. By September the 2nd I expect us to have invested up to 300mil+ starting from the period Moyes took over. There will be no excuses next year.
I just hope we spend more wisely than we did last summer. I also suspect that the club has Guardiola in mind as long term manager at the club and next summer could see a change if LVG doesn't win the league.
{Ed001's Note - really quarter finals of the Champions League? I understand the title challenge but wouldn't it be enough to make the group stages?}
21 May 2015 11:52:19
Beast,
I am assuming Champions League football is back because we got top 4 which was the plan, just because you still had to make that into a negative and keep suggesting we will lose the playoff doesn't mean others are quite so pessimistic. I know the playoff will be hard, but if we don't win it we don't deserve to be in the CL anyway, but I do expect us to win it, even the 'horror' teams the papers keep saying we could draw I would expect us to beat, and there is a good chance it would not be one of them anyway.
21 May 2015 12:35:49
all this talk of 4th. I am still hoping we pull one big game out of the bag, and finish 3rd. Arsenal would need to loss at home to west brom (0-1) and we would then need to win (0-6)but what a way to end the season.
21 May 2015 12:39:03
Has anyone really been celebrating? Real celebrating is like after the CL win in 99 when I still have no memory of the days after, that is celebrating. Just looking forward to CL football and what could be next year is a totally different thing.
21 May 2015 12:48:48
We aren't getting 3rd now, so I'd like Hull to get the win they need and Newcastle to get beat and keep Brucey in the PL next season.
21 May 2015 12:53:27
Come on Brendan we have been going mental for the last 2 days I can't wait for the DVD to be out about our triumph of 4th place!
No, no one has been celebrating 4th place mate,it's just a few that have said this and now tricked themselves into actually believing it lol.
21 May 2015 13:49:37
I used to quite like Newcastle and their flamboyant play under Keegan, but that team at the minute would be no loss to the premiership, whatsoever. Even some Toon mates of mine are hoping they go down, just to try and persuade Ashley to leave. They've turned into a travesty of a club.
21 May 2015 14:39:35
Personally I'm celebrating getting into the champs league next season, other than that there is nothing to celebrate.
:-)
21 May 2015 16:26:59
GDS2 - So you are say Hummels or Vidal, do you sign before we have that playoff if you want guaranteed CL football? That is the point, it means very little signing wise this summer because it takes ages for players to grasp the philosophy and if they demand CL football they won't sign before its assured!
21 May 2015 16:55:04
Next season we need to see a title push, either 1st or 2nd realistically and to get out of our group in the CL - quarter finals are a realistic aspiration.