05 Mar 2017 21:16:18
I think the problem is not just our own current standard, but the standard of the EPL in general compared to the top CL teams.
Leicester winning the league last seasoned summed it up but it got lost in people talking about a fairytale win. never mind that Chelsea, Arsenal, City and ourselves have dropped way off.
Look at this years how EPL teams have performed in the CL the past few seasons. Bayern coasting past Arsenal this year says it all.
Roy Keane summed it up. "who have we beat"
10 draws this season against average opposition is not moving in the right direction.
I've said it before and it's still the same. We are not good enough to win the league, and even if we do the step up to competing against Barca, Real, Bayern and the emerging PSG is vast.
We are better than the past few seasons, but our standards and what is being accepted on here, have dropped alarmingly.
We won a cup but my eyes said we played off the park by Southampton and were very very lucky to win.
So what if we fail to qualify for CL next year. will the penny drop?
I fully support the team, but enough of the we're getting better. maybe if we buy Kroos, Varane and Griezmann. but that's the level of player it will take.
The optimist in me says, Liverpool and Arsenal will miss out. but we're still way short of where we need to be. otherwise we very soon become like Liverpool, maybe next year.
Just one supporters opinion.
05 Mar 2017 22:05:04
Will the penny drop? The thing is nobody on here is saying we're good enough to win the league or compete in Europe. It's plainly obvious we're not good enough to win the league. But progress is being made. Do you think Jose can't see where things need improving in the summer? Do you think he thinks we're ready to win the league or challenge Madrid or Barca?
The problem is here too many failed to realise just how far we fell in 3 years under Moyes and LVG, and how much work is needed to get back to the top! Jose has been with us for 6 months, yet people are complaining that we're not good enough to win the league. 6 months. Seriously a lot of you need to get some perspective and have some patience. We are improving, there no doubt about that.
05 Mar 2017 22:21:31
Thank you stand for that post I agree with it all. This site is toxic at the moment with people with a lack of patience and perspective. Van gaal and moyes destroyed us and set us back about five years in my opinion. Jose has come in and has only had 8 months to work at it. Yes he has spent money but it is more than that. The mentality in the club has been wrong and rotten in my opinion. Jose has tried to fix that and that doesn't happen over night. We could win the Europa league this year and get champions league football and certain people on this site will still criticise. People criticise the players for the lack of loyalty and money grabbing but impatient fans who demand instant success are just as bad as the players. Listening to the comments on this site the past couple of days you would have thought we were in a relegation scrap. Let's assess at the end of the season and go from there.
05 Mar 2017 22:33:33
Il second that stand. Well said.
05 Mar 2017 22:34:48
Stand
Too many do not realise that the fall started under SAF when he didn't buy suitable players, probably as far back as when Ronaldo left. Some on here don't appreciate the damage of appointing Moyes and then bringing in LVG without realising it would change our playing style. The transition plan was shocking given the time the club had to plan it. We witnessed disorganised chaos and a disjointed plan in the transfer market.
The idea that it just needs the flick of a switch to get everything working is naive at best.
05 Mar 2017 22:44:45
Well put guys, remember Rome didn't get build in a day, this is going to take time, patience and loyalty from the fans.
05 Mar 2017 23:45:56
Red man, couldn't agree more. The last few years under Fergie were poor, we won the league purely down the Van Perdue that last season. The squad had been neglected for a good couple of years. As you say, from Ronald I leaving onwards. Jose has to undo 4 or 5 years of dross in all honesty. It's going to take time and I'm happy to give it.
{Ed004's Note - I think the key difference we are seeing this season is blatant improvement. We struggled to get one shot on target a game with Van Gaal at times. Nowadays we are complaining we only scored once after 33 shots (Burnley). One last point how many players that we signed last summer are still in this team? Our transfer record has been appalling the last few seasons and Mourinho has to start from scratch and get a tonne of players off the books who aren't good enough. Atleast his signings have all had impacts (positive imo) this season and will all be key players next season (maybe Ibra less so due to age)}
06 Mar 2017 02:30:51
Great points, gents. It will probably take another three transfer windows to truly get us back to the top as long as there is a plan in place and the club fully back the manager, as he is clearly doing a very good job under the circumstances that have been mentioned, namely the lack of investment when it truly mattered back when we were at the top. We are now playing catch-up, which has been made worse by the previous managers. Now, we have a top manager who clearly has a plan, and is in the process of executing it.
06 Mar 2017 03:18:23
Stand you are right when you say no one expects man utd to win the pl this season, how many people had us finishing outside top 4. I agree with redman and ed004 there is clear improvement to see in our football but what is the end result it still will be outside top 4 finish and no cl unless we win europa, i don't think we should sack mourinho even if we don't get cl, but will it be a great improvement as people suggest it has been if that happens.
06 Mar 2017 07:12:01
Toxic? I think it has been much better lately. People still point out what they see as issues but generally it feels optimistic for the future.
06 Mar 2017 07:55:33
The site has been miles better, the over reaction is nuts we played well saturday . Never won won, should off it happens, move on
. ibra puts a chance or a pen away and we would be great, he never and its all " the rot started under fergy "
06 Mar 2017 08:18:06
Well said stand and redman.
06 Mar 2017 09:18:24
Red Man, although not your first choice, I seem to remember you giving your support to LVG's appointment, mainly because he wasn't Moyes, and lecturing those of us who had our doubts, to get behind him. That was before your road to Damascus conversion, when you woke up one morning and led a rallying cry to get rid of him. Now you're claiming his appointment was damaging. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
06 Mar 2017 13:04:39
Nou
You will remember that after Moyes I campaigned for Klopp. Lvg was not my choice but if you recall I said that appointing him would necessitate a change of playing style which would be a long term option, define a new identity in our playing style. I supported the move forward from Moyes but only changed on lvg when it became obvious it would not work.
06 Mar 2017 16:09:36
RedMan - Things become obvious to people quicker than others.
To me it has become obvious that the speed of improvement is not as quick as required. Despite Jose doing better than LVG it is still not as good as required. Chelsea, City and Spurs are getting stronger. We play well one game then poor the next few. Give any half decent manager 3 windows and £350m to spend and they would have us playing better.
Jose should have this bunch playing better more regularly than they are FACT.
06 Mar 2017 18:19:26
To be fair we are a few players short yet. Martial and Rashford are kids and half the team is in its twilight. We'll look much stronger after the summer and the following summer I expect us to be back up with Bayern and Barcelona et al. Could really do with champs league though.