Before anyone starts downvoting, I come in peace.
The entire English football media today is based around extorting United for clicks and attention. In the last decade of United pretty much dwindling with very little trophy success, I’ve heard Gary Neville go on and on about United. So much so that I’ve heard him(and some other English pundits) say that it would be best for English football for United to return back to trophy success - why exactly?
I’m not English so maybe that’s why I don’t understand it but why is it so hard for the English media to accept that United existing without trophy success is not some atomic bomb to English football?
Eras come and go: Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Everton, Arsenal, Nottingham Forrest. United or any other club should not be exempt from what I perceive to be the natural law of the English game.
Nothing.
It’s mad to say but Man UTD have only been for good for a couple of periods, part of the 50s, a few year of the 60s and then 90s and 2000s… other then that they were generally average to poor.
That’s the beautiful part of the EPL. It’s not reliant on one team’s success.
Same thing that happened to Liverpool. They were the laughing stock
The term midtable is used way too freely these days. Midtable is 7th -14th imo. United haven’t historically finished in these places - even in their poorer current state since 2013. Liverpool and Spurs have all had multiple legitimate midtable finishes in the last twenty years. United, bar the Moyes season, have not.
Mid table is 9-14 IMHO. 8th place is only 1 spot behind European qualification most seasons, and there’s many clubs for whom a top-8 finish is a great achievement. Mid table refers to the clubs who had no real bearing on anything - European spots or relegation. Source: Tottenham fan since the 90’s. We were the definition of mid-table until 2006
9-14th sounds fair. Although when people talk about ‘mid table mediocrity/mid table obscurity’ I feel we can extend to 15th or even 16th if they are far removed from the relegation scrap.
This would likely mean that cheating would be even more rampant than it is today and that Everton got discriminated insanely badly
When did we last finish mid table? 🤔
Manchester United have been ‘in the picture’ for such a long time that thinking about a scene without them there is pretty monumental. The media, and the pundits - would be pretty concerned if people might care less about the trials and tribulations of Manchester United, and ex-players turned pundits can be just as tribal as fans.
As far as the ‘natural law’ goes, Manchester United aren’t exempt, they’ve just managed to maintain their relevancy one way or another throughout the years.
I think a lot of clubs, especially the ones we class as the “big 6” need to start getting used to fluctuation between 1-10th place for the forseeable future.
Many of the clubs that are currently battling for these positions are here to stay and whether you rise or fall can be due to something as simple as luck (e.g. loads of injuries) or the fact you have the world best head coach (e.g. Pep and Klopp). It can also be a formula, where all the pieces are working together perfectly to create an outcome that is hugely greater than the sum of its parts (e.g. Leicester’s title winning season).
The entitlement needs to go in the bin. Clubs cannot keep seeing CL spots as a given for them and need to get used to the fact there are other clubs genuinely here to play. If you miss out on them for a bad season, you can’t be calling out for coaches to be sacked, and the board to be replaced etc…
Pep and Klopp aren’t going to be here forever, and I would say both those sides will have a hangover after their coaches leave. Everything could move around at that point and we have no clue where it will settle.
Man United, a club that came 3rd last year, 6th the year before, and 2nd the year before that… are currently 6th despite having injury and squad issues, and playing somewhat disjointed football. They will grow into the season and continue to battle for European spots, even if it ends up not being CL after 38 games… that should still be ok.
This already happens, 5 of the “big 6” have missed out on a top 4 finish over the last few years. Man City are really the only team that seems impervious to a bad season
Well its a top 4, so there was always at least 2 of the “big” teams missing out on it, but you’re still right in that it has already started. My point here is that it isn’t going to get better/easier for them, or go back to the way it was.
And they have ETH managing. Get a better one and things change
United finished 3rd while winning a cup, second the season prior, have won European honors in the last few years, made several finals. They just set the bar so high w their decades of dominance that these solid finishes are ignored.
With proper structural organization, Manchester United is a couple of bigger name impact players from chasing titles again. They also seem to be giving Ten Hag time, a coach who thrives underneath a solid structure. I’ve no doubt he’ll come good once the front office is sorted. No big deal right?
And if United were to be purchased by the Qataris, forget it. I’m not a fan of theirs personally but I think reality is reality and what is a horrible failure for Man U is a solid season for others.
You currently have downvotes for a very thoughtful and intelligent comment.
This is the kind of partisan social media bullshit that irritates me beyond belief
Tribalism + 14 year olds + people who hate nuance = here we are
I think Sheffield would be very pleased with that.
They spend far too much to ever be mid table. They also finished like 3rd last season, so not sure what you mean?
Manchester reds will end up where they belong (10th or 11th). They have no say in who will win the league as 1. It seems like a cancer is within the structure at the heart of the club And b. Nobody gives a toss about manchester red ie they are now irrelevent to English football as they are shite from top to bottom.
If??
Nothing. They’re just a bloody team. Like everyone else. They are entitled to nothing. The English Football League is a pyramid. Teams go up, teams go down. This idea that certain teams have to be at the top is nonsense. The EPL will exist and do as well as ever with or without Manchester United in the top 6 or even in the league.
Absolutely nothing with these refs