Officially our best league season post-Ferguson

Originally Posted by dunk

Loving this assumption that we're winning the FA Cup btw It's North Korea-esque

Big Kim is a Red tbf

Originally Posted by marlo

why would we not be hopeful.

we've beat Chelsea, Liverpool and city in the last month. why can't we be hopeful to beat spurs and then Chelsea again.

its not an unrealistic expectation.

or maybe we should be cool like you and slag off all things united while offering up little or no viable and distinctly better alternative

Originally Posted by saffers

Yes. I think second place and 80+ pts is highly likely secured anyway.

We've got Bournemouth away 3 days before the cup semi. Play a shadow side against the cherries. We should be able to beat them anyway.

If we end up losing to spurs but end up on 89 pts and second place trophyless it is disappointing. Trophies matter. We need to keep the momentum going. Win the FA Cup and it's 4 trophies in 2 seasons, back to back CL football.

A performance like the league game and a lot of the good feeling and rising optimism will dissipate, fair or not some will look on games like City and the Liverpool match as rather meaningless.(not fair for the Liverpool game because the teams were still fighting for position at that point, though the gap will open now with Liverpool focusing on the CL.)

Mou, despite your desire for it to be otherwise is still a very divisive figure among the fans, not just on here. Good finish to the season and a progression in the style could start building some trust.

I certainly think we should have a real go at winning the FA Cup. A title challenge next year is a must. Maybe then saffers will stop taking every smart comment about our scintillating football as a personal insult, but I doubt it.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

A performance like the league game and a lot of the good feeling and rising optimism will dissipate, fair or not some will look on games like City and the Liverpool match as rather meaningless.(not fair for the Liverpool game because the teams were still fighting for position at that point, though the gap will open now with Liverpool focusing on the CL.)

Mou, despite your desire for it to be otherwise is still a very divisive figure among the fans, not just on here. Good finish to the season and a progression in the style could start building some trust.

Beating Pochettino is not new to him though, the recent league game was a bit freakish. We could have scored 2 or 3 before the jones own goal. We've also come on a lot since then.

FA Cup is important exactly for those reasons you outline, getting more guys onside, building on last seasons trophies. Obviously he wouldn't and shouldnt get sacked if we dont win but we need to play well again like we did at home to spurs back in the autumn.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

A performance like the league game and a lot of the good feeling and rising optimism will dissipate, fair or not some will look on games like City and the Liverpool match as rather meaningless.(not fair for the Liverpool game because the teams were still fighting for position at that point, though the gap will open now with Liverpool focusing on the CL.)

Mou, despite your desire for it to be otherwise is still a very divisive figure among the fans, not just on here. Good finish to the season and a progression in the style could start building some trust.

Honestly do not know a single United fan in real life that likes him or the football. This place is like some alternate reality in that respect.

The Liverpool first half was refreshing due to effort and closing and early goals etc. but when you actually watch it back, there was little actual football and both goals came from long balls and flick ons. The second half was embarrassing. That is the benchmark? It won't be popular, but we could and should've been 5 down at HT on Saturday, and 6 down before we scored. How is that a good performance? Great to see some grit and determination and City capitulate, but how much was just pride from the players as opposed to anything to do with the manager? The first half was the manager's blueprint, as were the Seville games..

Originally Posted by dunk

Honestly do not know a single United fan in real life that likes him or the football. This place is like some alternate reality in that respect.

The Liverpool first half was refreshing due to effort and closing and early goals etc. but when you actually watch it back, there was little actual football and both goals came from long balls and flick ons. The second half was embarrassing. That is the benchmark? It won't be popular, but we could and should've been 5 down at HT on Saturday, and 6 down before we scored. How is that a good performance? Great to see some grit and determination and City capitulate, but how much was just pride from the players as opposed to anything to do with the manager? The first half was the manager's blueprint, as were the Seville games..

I would agree with you, but at the same time we can't really pick and choose what the manager deserves credit for. He does have an influence on the comebacks against Palace, Chelsea and City. I wish he would take from it that a more positive and forceful attitude could pay off but he is what he is.

Changed it around, got Pogba higher up the pitch, adjusted Sanchez's position, Bailly and Smalling stopped playing like headless chickens, could easily have made a change at the back.

Marlo absolutely nailing it

Originally Posted by marlo

why would we not be hopeful.

we've beat Chelsea, Liverpool and city in the last month. why can't we be hopeful to beat spurs and then Chelsea again.

its not an unrealistic expectation.

or maybe we should be cool like you and slag off all things united while offering up little or no viable and distinctly better alternative

There's a difference between being hopeful and assuming, which is what you and you're kin are doing.

We got @#%&!ted at Spurs on our last 3 or 4 visits, hence the lack of assumption over here.

I have plenty of preferences once Mou is gone, but I'm not going over it again, I'll just keep pointing out how shit it is and what a @#%&! he is until it changes or he £#%&!s off, thanks.

As it is, I'm resigned to having to not enjoy watching United for anything other than fleeting moments for another year, consoled by the confused and bemused incredulity from the likes of you when it turns out that Saturday's second half still wasn't the penny dropping, watershed moment that sees Mourinho completely change his character, style and footballing beliefs and sees him usher in the football and become the manager you all believed he would be as soon as he stepped into his dream job in the hallowed halls of OT.

Originally Posted by dunk

Honestly do not know a single United fan in real life that likes him or the football. This place is like some alternate reality in that respect.

The Liverpool first half was refreshing due to effort and closing and early goals etc. but when you actually watch it back, there was little actual football and both goals came from long balls and flick ons. The second half was embarrassing. That is the benchmark? It won't be popular, but we could and should've been 5 down at HT on Saturday, and 6 down before we scored. How is that a good performance? Great to see some grit and determination and City capitulate, but how much was just pride from the players as opposed to anything to do with the manager? The first half was the manager's blueprint, as were the Seville games..

Because you have to be careful not to get caught up in confirmation bias. We could have been 5-0 down if city had converted all their chances of course, but we weren’t and won the game. You can either focus on the former or the latter. How often does any team convert all their chances?

Originally Posted by utd99

Because you have to be careful not to get caught up in confirmation bias. We could have been 5-0 down if city had converted all their chances of course, but we weren’t and won the game. You can either focus on the former or the latter. How often does any team convert all their chances?

If they'd converted all their chances it could've been 7 or 8 by the time we scored tbf.

If it's shit, it's shit. Win or lose. How many times are shit performances forgiven/forgotten because we won?

Different kinds of progress innit.

There's progress in terms of playing style and actually taking joy from watching us and there's progress in terms of tangible success and now relevant we are.

The highest we've been since Fergie is 4th. That's shit. We had no trophy for two years. 2 out of 3 seasons without CL. We need to win things , we need to remain relevant, we need to be CL every year. Jose has raised the level in that sense. And it's what he was brought here to do. He certainly wasn't brought here for a style befitting what we're supposedly all about.

The next step is a genuine title push that doesn't de-erect around November.

On a game to game basis, it isn't pretty, but we're competing. More points. More goals. More wins. Going deeper in to competitions.

It's just a bit shit to watch and I don't think many will want to watch it for years to come.

The progress is basically that we are the second most expensively assembled side in the league, and our position reflects it tbh. We are no more than the sum of our parts, probably a bit less if anything.

Hopefully Mourinho has convinced himself we are more capable than how he projected. The second half we played with spirit and endeavour. I don't want to hear about City complacency because they've had it all their own way for 95% of matches. Mourinho too played into their hands with negativity at OT and his interviews and conferences have been of a man with an inferiority complex. Second is not an achievement and certainly not over-achievement. But it is improvement. I'm not overly convinced with the manner we have got there (stifling, playing within ourselves) but we are there. Spurs will fancy their chances in the cup but so should we. Anything can happen in a one off eliminator.

Next season I expect Mourinho to add four players to the line-up. I believe we have to play more front-foot attacking play not only because it is what fans desire, but when you attack freely and create chances, there is less pressure on Lukaku to score, less pressure on our defence and less depending on De Gea. Once De Gea becomes an after-thought that is when we are back to the standard of a truly top team.

People will talk about new signings needing time to bed in but that is the same with every club. What we have is a fairly big squad in terms of player age, experience and internationals. Our 4th and 5th CBs would start for most teams. Our back up LB is potentially a star in waiting. Martial is an elite prospect. Mata is an excellent squad player. Pogba set himself a standard in the second half to meet. Not the goals - his work rate, influence and application.

The depth is very good and the first eleven is not too short. We should be ready to go next season.

Originally Posted by marlo

things haven't been perfect, but in two seasons we've gone from being the top 4 hopefuls to the 2nd best team in the league, we don't lose much at home which is a Mourinho sides signature. (2 in the last 2 years).

this is the progress needed.... we are now in a strong position going into the next season while most likely wining the fa cup.

so thats fa cup, europa league and league cup in two seasons and we are the only team in the league to beat every single side in the league this season.

Post.

Originally Posted by dunk

The progress is basically that we are the second most expensively assembled side in the league, and our position reflects it tbh. We are no more than the sum of our parts, probably a bit less if anything.

Listen, I don’t disagree that there’s still plenty to be less than satisfied with, but if all you ever are is the glass half empty type then you will never enjoy days like Saturday, and if that’s the case why bother with any of it?

Sometimes when i’m watching bits and bobs from old seasons -season where we went on to win the title oftentimes- I realise i’d forgotten how shit we were in that particular game, or that particular stretch. We weren’t always pretty and we weren’t always effective, but that gets lost in the fog of time.

I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday £#%&!ing loved beating Liverpool too.

Loved it when we we came back from 3-0 to draw 3-3 at Anfield with Strachan getting the equaliser in the '88, doesn't mean I couldn't see that we weren't very good..

Originally Posted by dunk

I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday £#%&!ing loved beating Liverpool too.

Loved it when we we came back from 3-0 to draw 3-3 at Anfield with Strachan getting the equaliser in the '88, doesn't mean I couldn't see that we weren't very good..

Saturday when you said you wasn’t watching it?

Originally Posted by believe

Saturday when you said you wasn’t watching it?

Originally Posted by dunk

I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday f***ing loved beating Liverpool too.

Loved it when we we came back from 3-0 to draw 3-3 at Anfield with Strachan getting the equaliser in the '88, doesn't mean I couldn't see that we weren't very good..

So you can't enjoy today because you're worrying about tomorrow? Life's all just moments, live a little.