Whisper it...

if we actually do it () it will have been eight years since our last title.

eight years. i still remember watching that van persie volley against villa very clearly.

also a whole decade since number 19.

Would be amazing just to be in a title race again. Feels like another lifetime when we were properly involved in one.

Personally, I don't think we will be in the race for 3 main reasons:

1. The back-five. All title-winning sides have a solidity in the defensive unit, specifically with the centre-backs. We don't even know who our first-choice goalkeeper is, let alone the best centre-back partnership. There's also question marks on both full-back positions.

2. A lack of consistency in performance and results. Title challengers have the ability to go on long runs of top, top form, racking up points month after month. This United side wavers it's form on a weekly basis, and is just too inconsistent at the moment.

3. An over-reliance on a single player. If Fernandes picks up an injury, or has a dip in form, we're £#%&!ed.

Would love it if we give it a go this year, but 2021/22 has to be the focus. Get the right players in/out over the summer and we're set for a proper charge in 2021/22 IMO, with 75,000 back in Old Trafford, and proper post-Covid football back.

Originally Posted by Neo

Would be amazing just to be in a title race again. Feels like another lifetime when we were properly involved in one.

Personally, I don't think we will be in the race for 3 main reasons:

1. The back-five. All title-winning sides have a solidity in the defensive unit, specifically with the centre-backs. We don't even know who our first-choice goalkeeper is, let alone the best centre-back partnership. There's also question marks on both full-back positions.

2. A lack of consistency in performance and results. Title challengers have the ability to go on long runs of top, top form, racking up points month after month. This United side wavers it's form on a weekly basis, and is just too inconsistent at the moment.

3. An over-reliance on a single player. If Fernandes picks up an injury, or has a dip in form, we're £#%&!ed.

Would love it if we give it a go this year, but 2021/22 has to be the focus. Get the right players in/out over the summer and we're set for a proper charge in 2021/22 IMO, with 75,000 back in Old Trafford, and proper post-Covid football back.

Last 9 league games: Won 7 and drawn 2.

Originally Posted by Neo

Would be amazing just to be in a title race again. Feels like another lifetime when we were properly involved in one.

Personally, I don't think we will be in the race for 3 main reasons:

1. The back-five. All title-winning sides have a solidity in the defensive unit, specifically with the centre-backs. We don't even know who our first-choice goalkeeper is, let alone the best centre-back partnership. There's also question marks on both full-back positions.

2. A lack of consistency in performance and results. Title challengers have the ability to go on long runs of top, top form, racking up points month after month. This United side wavers it's form on a weekly basis, and is just too inconsistent at the moment.

3. An over-reliance on a single player. If Fernandes picks up an injury, or has a dip in form, we're f***ed.

Would love it if we give it a go this year, but 2021/22 has to be the focus. Get the right players in/out over the summer and we're set for a proper charge in 2021/22 IMO, with 75,000 back in Old Trafford, and proper post-Covid football back.

i think we know the best partnership is Bailly and Maguire but we have to keep Bailly healthy and at some point give Maguire a rest. Telles and Shaw are doing a solid job on the left. It's the right side that causes concern. AWB is good 1v1 but his help side ability and positional play are shocking.

Originally Posted by Time For Heroes

Last 9 league games: Won 7 and drawn 2.

Yep gotta love these bold statements and analyses that have no basis in reality once you examine them

Originally Posted by Neo

Would be amazing just to be in a title race again. Feels like another lifetime when we were properly involved in one.

Personally, I don't think we will be in the race for 3 main reasons:

1. The back-five. All title-winning sides have a solidity in the defensive unit, specifically with the centre-backs. We don't even know who our first-choice goalkeeper is, let alone the best centre-back partnership. There's also question marks on both full-back positions.

2. A lack of consistency in performance and results. Title challengers have the ability to go on long runs of top, top form, racking up points month after month. This United side wavers it's form on a weekly basis, and is just too inconsistent at the moment.

3. An over-reliance on a single player. If Fernandes picks up an injury, or has a dip in form, we're £#%&!ed.

Would love it if we give it a go this year, but 2021/22 has to be the focus. Get the right players in/out over the summer and we're set for a proper charge in 2021/22 IMO, with 75,000 back in Old Trafford, and proper post-Covid football back.

Consistency? Lost 3 games since January

Originally Posted by Time For Heroes

Last 9 league games: Won 7 and drawn 2.

Originally Posted by rubbernecker

Yep gotta love these bold statements and analyses that have no basis in reality once you examine them

Originally Posted by puressence

Consistency? Lost 3 games since January

Love the optimism, but it's not accurate to suggest that this United side is showing the form of potential champions IMO.

We go through large spells of too many games not playing well, and like I said, the form is inconsistent.

Great progress under Ole though, and I do think 2021/22 looks very promising if we get 2-3 top signings in.

Originally Posted by MagnificentSeven

if we actually do it () it will have been eight years since our last title.

eight years. i still remember watching that van persie volley against villa very clearly.

also a whole decade since number 19.

Remember it well. Sat in K Stand with my lad, right in line with the flight of the volley. No way was the keeper getting near it. First time my lad saw us clinch the title in the ground. £#%&!ing jinx.

Originally Posted by tatty

Come May I suspect we will be going through our early season home results head in hands.

I think there’d be a 10 point swing in our favour if Liverpool and united had swapped close seasons.

Originally Posted by Neo

Love the optimism, but it's not accurate to suggest that this United side is showing the form of potential champions IMO.

That would be ahead of schedule anyway. Only ole’s second full season, and he’s made more progress so far in sorting out the fundamental issues and rebuilding the club than I think any other manager in the world could have. Given the state of the club when mourinho was sacked, I thought it would take much longer.

A right winger and centre half will be rebuild done. Everything else will then be fine tuning and evolution.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Remember it well. Sat in K Stand with my lad, right in line with the flight of the volley. No way was the keeper getting near it. First time my lad saw us clinch the title in the ground. f***ing jinx.

and it felt so good after the horrific events of the previous year. like justice had been served and order had been restored. iirc mancini got sacked the same night as our parade, and just a couple of days after they lost to wigan in the final, leaving them trophyless.

if only we knew that things were about to get even worse, for years to come.

Originally Posted by Jammy Dodger

A right winger and centre half will be rebuild done. Everything else will then be fine tuning and evolution.

I'm not sure it will be quite 'rebuild done'. We need significant work done with the midfield, with at least one new top-class signing.

Still a question over our long-term striker, too. Martial has scored one league goal all season, and whilst Greenwood looks very promising, he's still unproven.

I'm 'Ole In' more than anyone, and think he's taking us in the right direction, but I do think there is still quite a bit of work to do. The summer of 2021 will be huge, and they need to be identifying players now, and working on getting some of the shite out the door now, too. If Lingard, Jones and Rojo are still here I'll despair.

Originally Posted by Neo

Love the optimism, but it's not accurate to suggest that this United side is showing the form of potential champions IMO.

We go through large spells of too many games not playing well, and like I said, the form is inconsistent.

Great progress under Ole though, and I do think 2021/22 looks very promising if we get 2-3 top signings in.

We have have been consistent over the last 12 months though? Yep, there is no getting away from Bruno's influence during that run and f*** me we cannot afford to lose him for a significant period. Hopefully they manage his game time properly. He cannot not play any of the early Europa league or FA cup games as a starter.

Let's not forget the issues Liverpool and City have. I heard McManaman spouting shite after the Wolves game. Suggesting that all the vermin need do to run away with it is sign a couple of centre halves in January. As if there 5 or 6 Van Dykes out there ready to buy. I can't see them (or anybody else for that matter) spending in this window anyway.

My biggest concern is the home games where sides sit in against us. You would hope an improving, fit Cavani will be key. That and our ability to win crunch games when it really matters. The "under the radar" bonus won't be there come March/April/May (hopefully anyway). Winning the league cup could be huge confidence wise.

As others have said though what a great feeling to be in the mix again; after 8 years of mostly utter garbage.

Originally Posted by MagnificentSeven

and it felt so good after the horrific events of the previous year. like justice had been served and order had been restored. iirc mancini got sacked the same night as our parade, and just a couple of days after they lost to wigan in the final, leaving them trophyless.

if only we knew that things were about to get even worse, for years to come.

Sounds daft but I think Allardyce would have done better than Moyes. He'd be hard-nosed enough to ignore the critics but wise enough to listen to Fergie about keeping staff in place. It was never about putting their own stamp on it, it was about continuing the dynasty that Fergie had set up and perpetuated, as the vermin used to do in the 70s and 80s. Imagine if Mike Phelan had taken over in 2013 like Fagan did over there?

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Sounds daft but I think Allardyce would have done better than Moyes. He'd be hard-nosed enough to ignore the critics but wise enough to listen to Fergie about keeping staff in place. It was never about putting their own stamp on it, it was about continuing the dynasty that Fergie had set up and perpetuated, as the vermin used to do in the 70s and 80s. Imagine if Mike Phelan had taken over in 2013 like Fagan did over there?

Think it's a myth that it needed continuity. Moyes or anyone else coming in and keeping the same staff wouldn't have had much authority nor would they have got very far trying to imitate Fergie. The issue was that the entire club was built around Ferg, his strengths and weaknesses from recruitment to scouting and everything else in-between.

No-one operated like saffy because he was the greatest and no club operated like we did in 2013, at least no successful club. It needed modernising and though most of those attempts failed, largely because of who was doing the modernising, it couldn't have continued along the same road. It was a minor miracle we managed the success that we did from 2009 onwards when you look at who we signed and sold.

Dont think we're good enough to win it in any other year but you never know the way this year is going. Since Leipzig we've seen a bit of character in the team which will be vital.

Originally Posted by Chris Quayd

Think it's a myth that it needed continuity. Moyes or anyone else coming in and keeping the same staff wouldn't have had much authority nor would they have got very far trying to imitate Fergie. The issue was that the entire club was built around Ferg, his strengths and weaknesses from recruitment to scouting and everything else in-between.

No-one operated like saffy because he was the greatest and no club operated like we did in 2013, at least no successful club. It needed modernising and though most of those attempts failed, largely because of who was doing the modernising, it couldn't have continued along the same road. It was a minor miracle we managed the success that we did from 2009 onwards when you look at who we signed and sold.

You could be right. I just felt that continuity was better at the time. Fergie had clearly managed through no value in the market to build up a war chest that he probably knew the new manager would need. He knew how good the coaching staff were.

I presume you think that the ownership is the key problem in the continuity theory (compared to the vermin's ability to do it in their halcyon days) regardless of whoever came in?

War chests and the Glazers

Originally Posted by rubbernecker

War chests and the Glazers

Back when we were winning shit, these were the things we fell out over, not who's the shittest player or has the crappest agent.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

You could be right. I just felt that continuity was better at the time. Fergie had clearly managed through no value in the market to build up a war chest that he probably knew the new manager would need. He knew how good the coaching staff were.

I presume you think that the ownership is the key problem in the continuity theory (compared to the vermin's ability to do it in their halcyon days) regardless of whoever came in?

While I think it stems from ownership I don't think there was any good way to manage the transition from Fergie to the next guy. The football infrastructure needed to be re-built around what a modern manager would expect and it wasn't feasible to just go from Fergie quitting to getting all the staff required to operate a recruitment model that wasn't based around one man.

That I suspect is one of the reasons we were spurned by many top managers and the ones we did get were well past it. In hindsight it was always going to be a bumpy road and even if we had brought in a Mou or whoever at best it would have only delayed the inevitable.

I went into this season hoping for a fight for top 4. Winning wasn't a possibility. Now you can, at least, imagine it happening even if that's being optimistic.