If you're not worried already, you should be

Originally Posted by My Name is Keith

Yep 👍

I wasn’t particularly looking forward to this season but I feel a bit better about it all now. Sparky’s doom is just a way of him dealing with his own anxieties concerning united. Avoid or prepare for disappointment by projecting negatively on everything. I do it a bit (only on united) but his is really next level shit.

Feels wrong that we all have to suffer it tbh

I think the only way you could 'worry' about this season is if you're expecting or think we need a title push.

It depends what you want from this season. I want to see a shift in how we play, the attitude of the players and the profile of player we recruit and value.

That will give is something to build on.

I feel more positive about this season than last season, but I don't have any greater expectation re league position.

This time last year, Jose was in full-on meltdown mode. Lowering expectations, telling us he had learned nothing about his players from a tour that included a 4-1 loss to liverpool.... meanwhile, were we failing with all our transfer targets because the club hated him. And we were trying to sell Martial on the cheap.

Come the Chelsea game, I think the squad will be full of confidence and positivity and hopefully one or two more new players.

Originally Posted by browser

Oh change the record you miserable @#%&!. Or at least wait till we actually get beat to play it.

even browser has had enough

Originally Posted by Lazlo Panaflex

Would be wonderful to use this season to bed in a bunch of youth. If we could get rid of lukaku too.

No manager that would ever be available to us will have us anywhere near league challenging imo so I hope Ole uses it to breed the young lads.

.

This is a real opportunity to change how we've done things over the last few years.

The low expectations allow for that and if we can start well and confidently, we can surprise a few.

This league is shite. Go at it with confidence and a plan and you can blitz it. Look at Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool in recent years. All come from nowhere to win the league or come damn close with a bit of momentum and confidence.

We wont win it because we simply aren't good enough, but hit the ground running and we can get the wind in our sails.

And other such cliches.

I'd take anywhere in the top 6 if we play attractive football and win games in style. Top 4 would be a bonus but I just want to enjoy watching us play again.

Blah blah blah.

I remember the same pie in the sky rubbish last season before our form fell into a chasm. What exactly are you expecting to be different? Seriously?

It’s the same group of players , Its the same owners, it’s the same manager.

Low expectations allow for nothing except low performances, remind me exactly what club this is again?

Come autumn you will be exactly on the same page as me, as you always are. I’m just ahead of the curve

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I’m just ahead of the curve

curve into the £#%&!ing bin you doom laden #@&%!

Originally Posted by Clownbones

.

This is a real opportunity to change how we've done things over the last few years.

The low expectations allow for that and if we can start well and confidently, we can surprise a few.

This league is shite. Go at it with confidence and a plan and you can blitz it. Look at Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool in recent years. All come from nowhere to win the league or come damn close with a bit of momentum and confidence.

We wont win it because we simply aren't good enough, but hit the ground running and we can get the wind in our sails.

And other such cliches.

I can still see a big ugly collapse at some point in the season. I expect it. Ole lost control of the wheel big time when the shit winds started blowing. In terms of Ole himself I see him in a role to clear the decks for the next 2 years before he gets sacked. But it's a neccessary job.

Originally Posted by waynes ear's

curve into the £#%&!ing bin you doom laden #@&%!

Originally Posted by Sparky***

What exactly are you expecting to be different? Seriously?

There are four or five absolutely glaring deficiencies with this group. If they can be addressed -and they’re not that complicated tbh- we will immediately be 50% better than we have been the last few years. We desperately needed a proper right back; it’s scandalous that a club of our size have been playing stop gaps there for years. We need a solid CB who has the personality to marshal a defence. So it looks like those will be directly addressed.

We need energy, and players willing to put in a proper shift, every week, every game not just when they feel like it. Drafting the young players in and signing James and A.N Other will go some way to improving that too; and we need to rid ourselves of the high priced narcissists who think they’re doing us a favour by pulling on the shirt. Lukaku is pretty much gone, hopefully Pogba, Martial and Sanchez follow him, but even if they don’t they’re all on the cusp so step up or step out. I’m confident Solskjaer and his staff won’t let a few mard arses drag the whole project down.

But above all of this is simple fitness. What happened last year was £#%&!ing shocking. 200k a week footballers blowing out of their arses after half an hour. Whatever else you think of Mourinho there are now two clear examples of him deliberately sabotaging his team to spite the owners after being told no. He did it with his Chelsea team who were champions because RA sold Cech to Arsenal -who JM despises- against his wishes, and us from pre-season because he didn’t get Maguire and Perisic, and was pretty much told to actually coach the players he has. Mourinho melted down nqat, and I’m surprised there hasn’t been more conjecture about what happened with Faria that he would rather be unemployed than continue working with JM. The man is mad.

If we get nothing more than calm stability, a consistent message and fit players we’ll be significantly better than last year already. Let’s not forget that Klopp won a CL with players like Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Robertson, Matip and Origi just by getting every ounce of effort, every game.

Originally Posted by utd99

There are four or five absolutely glaring deficiencies with this group. If they can be addressed -and they’re not that complicated tbh- we will immediately be 50% better than we have been the last few years. We desperately needed a proper right back; it’s scandalous that a club of our size have been playing stop gaps there for years. We need a solid CB who has the personality to marshal a defence. So it looks like those will be directly addressed.

We need energy, and players willing to put in a proper shift, every week, every game not just when they feel like it. Drafting the young players in and signing James and A.N Other will go some way to improving that too; and we need to rid ourselves of the high priced narcissists who think they’re doing us a favour by pulling on the shirt. Lukaku is pretty much gone, hopefully Pogba, Martial and Sanchez follow him, but even if they don’t they’re all on the cusp so step up or step out. I’m confident Solskjaer and his staff won’t let a few mard arses drag the whole project down.

But above all of this is simple fitness. What happened last year was £#%&!ing shocking. 200k a week footballers blowing out of their arses after half an hour. Whatever else you think of Mourinho there are now two clear examples of him deliberately sabotaging his team to spite the owners after being told no. He did it with his Chelsea team who were champions because RA sold Cech to Arsenal -who JM despises- against his wishes, and us from pre-season because he didn’t get Maguire and Perisic, and was pretty much told to actually coach the players he has. Mourinho melted down nqat, and I’m surprised there hasn’t been more conjecture about what happened with Faria that he would rather be unemployed than continue working with JM. The man is mad.

If we get nothing more than calm stability, a consistent message and fit players we’ll be significantly better than last year already. Let’s not forget that Klopp won a CL with players like Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Robertson, Matip and Origi just by getting every ounce of effort, every game.

They won the champions league because they spent world record amounts on a centre back and goalkeeper. £#%&! all to do with “effort”.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

They won the champions league because they spent world record amounts on a centre back and goalkeeper. £#%&! all to do with “effort”.

They've spent well though, that's the key difference. They still have players throughout that team we'd have dismissed as average not long ago.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

They won the champions league because they spent world record amounts on a centre back and goalkeeper. £#%&! all to do with “effort”.

Absolute nonsense.

Yes they plugged glaring gaps in the team, but if United had signed half of the players they had you'd be the first on here moaning. Can only imagine your reaction if we'd signed Hull's left back - much the same as it's been after signing swansea's winger


Don't change though pal. It's thoroughly disconcerting when you're playing the optimist, that's when I know shit's £#%&!ed up.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

They won the champions league because they spent world record amounts on a centre back and goalkeeper. £#%&! all to do with “effort”.

Mate, that’s simply not true. You literally only have to watch Liverpool twice to know where their success is coming from. A smattering of top quality added to a massive amount of energy and commitment. It was our formula for years too. For every Scholes we had a Park. For every Ronaldo we had a Fletcher etc.

Originally Posted by Whip Hubley

Absolute nonsense.

Yes they plugged glaring gaps in the team, but if United had signed half of the players they had you'd be the first on here moaning. Can only imagine your reaction if we'd signed Hull's left back - much the same as it's been after signing swansea's winger

Quite right.

Sparky isn't completely wrong, because lets be completely honest, Liverpool would nowhere near be the same team without Van Dijk and Alison. If they still have Karius/Mignolet and Lovren starting in their defense, they'd be a completely different team.

But Klopp also got the best out of the players that we're willing to bust guts for him, and has turned cheap players with potential into integral parts of a Champions League winning team.

Without the effort being put in by the whole squad, they wouldn't be where they are, nor would they without the signings of Van Dijk and Alison.

It's a little from column A, and a little from column B.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

They won the champions league because they spent world record amounts on a centre back and goalkeeper. £#%&! all to do with “effort”.

i think effort is 70 percent of liverpools team

Originally Posted by puressence

i think effort is 70 percent of liverpools team

Of course it is. Something you’re unlikely to get stuck in traffic listening to five live.

its good to hear the players mentioning the new sessions saying its as hard as they experienced this should be just normal ole and phelan both said they couldnt get donw stairs in the pre seasons they did they were worked so hard surely fitness is the first thing someone mentioned about his fall out jose and similar at chelsea its absolutely identical players came back middle of july the season after chelsea won the league players overweight unfit players like hazard mentioned this because the @#%&! had took his ball in over cech going to arsenal ... he did exactly the same would have been 12 months ago he was hammering everyone about the tour being pointless constant non event links to 30 year plus players ... just so glad hes gone ole needs time hes getting his staff spot on younger players who will hopefully adopt the same attitude as city and lpools players to there managers

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Blah blah blah.

I remember the same pie in the sky rubbish last season before our form fell into a chasm. What exactly are you expecting to be different? Seriously?

It’s the same group of players , Its the same owners, it’s the same manager.

Low expectations allow for nothing except low performances, remind me exactly what club this is again?

Come autumn you will be exactly on the same page as me, as you always are. I’m just ahead of the curve

What part is pie in the sky?

Nobody is predicting any lofty finishes.

You mention pie in the sky in one sentence, then criticise low expectations the next....


Which is it? Which should we have? Are we Manchester United and should expect more, or is expecting more Just naive?

You're all over the dial, buddy.

Where exactly will we be joining you by come Autumn?

A place of 'worry'? Arent you about 37 years old, worrying about a football season in July?

Go outside and pet a cat, dude.

Nobody is expressing anything more than a hope to see a shift in attitude because of a new manager. Hardly a lofty idea.

The 'reality check' of the last few years has lowered expectations to the point where nobody will be surprised or disappointed at a league finish resembling that of recent seasons.

Yet you're ahead of the curve

What you really are is all over the dial and projecting. Attacking predictions that nobody has made.

Liverpool made a champions league final before they had that keeper and had vvd just a few months. He was still settling in.

How did they manage that then?

Where was the queue to sign Salah, Firmino or Andy Robertson before they did?

Liverpool were only able to sign vvd and alison because they'd steadily improved, having shown faith to their manager.... who wasnt tearing up trees, but was allowed to quietly go about his job with low expectations.

I'd like us to show similar faith in Ole.

I like Ole and have no serious expectations about this season. That's why I'm not worried. If you simply want people to join you in your worry and criticise those that don't, then you're on your own.

Right.

1. Don't get personal. You're better than that.

2. We're £#%&!ed. Ole will be gone by christmas.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Right.

1. Don't get personal. You're better than that.

2. We're £#%&!ed. Ole will be gone by christmas.

1. I didn't. I really think everyone should pet cats

2. Not the topic of discussion at all.

You're off the mark on this one. And you know it.

I think we'll finish 5th. Should I still be worried?