What is the absolute minimum that United should achieve next season?

Top 4 with improved style of football, one that shows improvement and we can all see what we're building towards.
 
Entertainment.
If we're gonna be shit then at least make us fun to watch. Give Jones a bonus for every time he dives towards someone's feet/the ball with his head first, and pay Jesse to come up with a new dance every time he touches the ball.
 
Bare minimum is top 4. But in 6 years the club has fallen apart.
 
Infra-red said:
The absolute minimum we should achieve, given the financial resources at our disposal, is top 3.

Based on what I've seen from Solskjaer and the reports regarding our transfer strategy this summer, top 6 is probably a more realistic expectation.

I also expect the gap between 4th and 7th to narrow significantly (14 points last season), as Leicester/Everton/Wolves try to break into the top 6.
Click to expand...

I agree. The tragedy is that the expectations of many United fans are so low. I don't know whether that is because we want to insulate ourselves from the prospect of disappointment or whether it's because we want to be pleasantly surprised if we turn out to be successful. Pretty sad state of affairs to be honest.
 
4th is achievable

City and Liverpool are miles better than anything we can imagine

Probably in our history
 
Unless we don't make a few decent signings very very soon, then I honestly don't think I'd blame Ole if we finished 6th and played awful football.

We're that bad.
 
dannyrhinos89 said:
It's funny because it's true. Honestly cant see us getting top 6 next season. I think we will finish between 6-10th
Click to expand...

Exactly my answer was very serious. Pains me to say it. Even if we keep Pogba and Lukaku, they don’t want to be here. We were so poor last season for final 3 months and I can’t see us starting well with the first two fixtures. I may not be a barrel of fun and positivity but personally I’m at my lowest ebb in 30 plus years supporting. I think 6th will be the best we achieve unless some miraculous signings over the next 7 weeks.
 
Top 4 has to be the minimum really. Especially with Arsenal's financial constraints coupled with Chelsea's loss of Hazard...

Also think Spurs will struggle more next season with the possible loss of Eriksen and improvement of Leicester, Wolves, West Ham etc.
 
Option 2 or 4 for me. I want to enjoy watching United again.

The signing of James and potential signings of other young talent suggests Ole wants to buy players who will buy in and adapt to his philosophy. Therefore, I expect to see a certain way of playing, which, if im honest, couldn't always see at the back end of last season.

It may take a couple of seasons to see results follow our improved performances, but we need to take baby steps.

If you look at Klopp and Liverpool, whilst Klopp stamped down his philosophy, results didn't always follow, and its only the season just gone that we saw more consistency from Liverpool in the league.
 
Somewhere between 7th and 10th, no more, unless there is a massive, serious clear out and some decent signings
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Top 4 should be achievable considering Chelsea have a transfer ban and have lost Hazard, and Arsenal aren't much better and are yet to strengthen. Likewise we could be 5/6/7th.

If we can improve the starting 11 with more signings then I'd be more optimistic of Top 4.
 
Having seen how the squad overhaul has gone so far, bit of a cup run, aim for the top 6 and plucky performances against the top 4.
 
81 points or better, that's what 'Satan' Mourinho was able to achieve with the current squad of players minus last year and this year signings.

Who am I kidding though, probably gonna yoyo between 7th and 10th with Ole at the wheel.

DomesticTadpole said:
Try to get Ole past Christmas.
Click to expand...

That'll do us more harm than good, if he's out of depth by Christmas (which I expect he will be) then get rid. I see us having a Chelsea esque 2015/16 season anyways.
 
Last edited:
Gambit said:
The Title!
Click to expand...

I assume this is a joke, as it is extremely unrealistic.
The minimum I expect is top 10. Any worse than that and Ole should absolutely be fired. Woodward should also be fired (but that should be the case, regardless).
 
If, by December, we're not demoting Ole to caretaker manager in the desperate hope of recreating 'the bounce', while being linked with Pochettino and at least 5 technical directors/ DoFs, then that would surpass my expectations.
 
fastwalker said:
I totally accept the idea that Manchester United is now a 'project' and undergoing a major rebuild and that the rebuild could take years. However, anyone who has ever managed a project before will tell you that projects have objectives, timelines, milestones and outcomes measures. A 'project' is not some vague, meaningless concept that is wide open to interpretation.

To be honest I get why people are reluctant to set expectations, because they are unwilling to put too much pressure on Ole, but are we seriously saying that we are willing to see United invest upwards of £150m in the transfer market in this window without a reasonable expectation of return? Really?

So here's the rub, set out below are a series of possible outcome options for the end of the forthcoming season. The question is: of these options (or any others that you can think of) what would you say is the absolute minimum that you would accept? What are your absolute bottom line?

Option 1: Champions League qualification
For this option, no matter how we get there, we must be in a Champions League spot at the end of the season. Performances and points tally are far less important than final placing. Even if we finish with a record low total for fourth spot, as long as we finish fourth that is all that matters.

Option 2: Champions League qualification and significantly improved performances
For this option, we need to finish in a Champions League spot and deliver genuinely improved performance on the pitch. We cannot just scrape through, because other teams around us are underperforming.

Option 3: Better performances and reduce the gap to eventual Premier League winners to no more than 20 points
For this option, our improved overall performances narrow the gap to the eventual Premier League winners to no more than 20 points. A 20 point gap would represent a 10 point improvement compared to last season.

Option 4: Significantly improved performances and a pot if we don't make Champions League
For this option we accept that we might not make Champions League, but performances will be much better (even if results don't always match them) and we will bag a pot either domestically or in Europe.

Option 5: A 'free swing' for Ole (same position and the same points)
For this option, we basically accept that this is going to be a season of experimentation, testing culture change and re-establishing the United philosophy. As such, there are no expectations whatsoever for Ole to deliver anything.​
Click to expand...




2 and three are almost the exact same here any type of improvement will be about 8-10 points 6 point improvement i would hardly call improved through out a whole season and option 5 is completely not acceptable no such thing as a free swing i don't care if your Jesus himself
champions league qualification, better performances and the favouritism of players stopping i.e Rashford can have 14 poor games in a row and start the next game that certainly needs to stop with ole otherwise i am ole out .


For myself i would like an option 6- complete restructure of the club and its wage structure stopping the rewarding of mediocrity at this club i.e Young Jones Rashford Lingard all on wages over 100 k other premier leauge teams they would be on half that or less than. Better performances and an actual philosophy that we can genuinely see with this i expect a Europa league position whole re structuring on our scouting and transfer policy we dont seem to be making those nemanja vidic type signings from red start Belgrade or a risky hidden gem type of player we unearth and turn into either a real good squad player or a genuine star.
 
Top 4 is achievable. The players we had last season went on an awesome run - achievable if Ole gets some team spirit etc.

But... top 4 as the bare minimum as really optimistic. If we finished 5th/6th but showed signs we were improving as the season went on that would be the bare minimum for me.
 
Battle for 6th place with Leicester is our reality. Everything above that would be a miracle.
We should aim for cups
 
Top four. Chelsea’s spot is more than up for grabs.

From there, we need to go huge next season. Hopefully sold to new owners by then.
 
Get a new structure off the field. I would not go into football goals right now.
 
Patrick08 said:
Get a new structure off the field. I would not go into football goals right now.
Click to expand...
Why not?, DdG hasn't said he has signed his contract yet has he? There may be a position available there if you're good enough!!
 
Expectations are ridiculously low right now but top 4 is very achievable and 5th will be a failure. It was only a year ago we finished 2nd and the manager was seen as underachieving.
Spurs Chelsea and Arsenal also finished the season in awful form and of those, Chelsea have lost by far their best player and matchwinner and cant buy anyone. Arsenal have a smaller rebuild budget than us and are in at least as big a mess. Top 4 is really not the impossible challenge people are making out......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.