theforceuk said:
I agree JM has underachieved as far as the league is concerned, although I don't really see how anyone thought he would win the league in his first season, with the mess the club got itself into the previous 3 seasons.
But and it's a big but, if Man Utd win the Europa League then it's a good first season. Two trophies and qualifying for the CL will be in no way a bad season. Apart from Chelsea I'm sure every other club in the top 6 would prefer that to the season they have had.
As I said it's all if's at the moment, if Man Utd don't win the Europa league then it's a disastrous season and no matter what happens next season both Manchester clubs have to improve.
I was thinking about Utd's season the other day. I don't know how to describe it. Again, I'm assuming they win the EL.
I guess making the CL and winning two trophies is far from "bad" BUT the League cup is a pathetic excuse for a competition. Yes, it is a trophy but it's not the sort of thing a top European player will look at and think that's a club going places. Also, and this is not Utd's fault, but the EL has been a walk in the park this year. The sides Utd have faced have been the very definition of second tier. Look at last year's competition which had Utd, Pool, Dortmund and Sevilla in it. I know Utd have no control over who else is in the thing, and it does give you a CL spot, but it has been a distinctly underwhelming competition, were it not for the CL spot I suspect Jose would have fielded his under 12's and got knocked out a long time ago.
As fas as Utd's league form goes, I think they have been poor. They haven't really been in the title race at any stage since the very start of the season. This is Man United, a club whose fans call the PL trophy "their" trophy. For Utd to be so far off the pace, and after spending how many hundred million over the summer, I think is massive underachievement.
Yes, it was Jose's first season at Utd, but Jose knows the PL inside and out, he shouldn't need time to settle in. They also signed Pogba and Ibrahimovic, those are two players with a history of winning things. To add two players like that to a squad with a bucket load of PL experience and actually go backwards is damming.
And before the issue of number of games comes up, Real have played just as many and they aint gurning, plus I suspect their opponents in April in particular were a tad harder than Utd's. Also, it was fairly obvious Utd would be playing a lot of games, they are a great side and the EL demands a lot of games. So why did Jose let so many players leave in the summer, AND then chase out Sweinsteigger and Sneiderlin at xmas? That's cutting your nose off to spite your face. Or Jose being Jose (ie a wanker).
I'm not saying Utd had a "bad" season but at the same time I don't really think it can be called a "good" season. CL is CL, but achieved by the back door, and two trophies are obviously better than none, but surely a club like Utd, given the squad they have (everyone agreed LVG underachieved and Jose has done worse), the players they signed and the fact they have a proven PL winning manager, should have done much much better.
Also, they are only marginally better to watch than under LVG. Granted, they were unwatchable under him and Jose's teams are never good to watch but they still aren't a side a neutral would look forward to watching.
And for the record, I'm not saying Liverpool are amazing and had a better, or worse, season. I just think Utd have had a weird one.
Ohh and if Utd don't win the EL, that is a massive backward step of a season.
