Predictions for the rest of the season

Nice font switch there, Diego! lol. You left the most critical point to the last.

Looking at how City destroyed Palace today, I think our chances of qualifying for Top 4 is now probably less than 30%.

 

It's between us and Liverpool.

It'll probably be decided by the end of today.

 

Arsenal are not out of it

 

They'd need a fair bit to go their way.

 

Definately less than 30% after Sunday, Currently a 14/1 shot with the bookies:

https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/top-4-finish

It's all about the Europa now.

 

It sure is.

Then again, Liverpool could yet lose at West Ham, giving us one last chance.

Mourinho would then play the youth team, giving tiredness as the reason none of the first team could manage two games in a week, and we'd just go and lose to Spurs.

So yeah, Europa league it is. We'll probably play for penalties v Ajax and **** that up.

 

Mourinho has been extremely annoying this season. The rants, the excuses, the bitchiness... He is a piece of work.

Regardless of where we end this season, it has been a very disappointing one.

 

Mmm.

Chelsea: Premiership title, FA cup?
Arsenal: FA cup?
City, Spurs, RS: CL place.
United: league cup, ?Europa cup and CL place,

If United wins the Europa (and it s a big if, let's not count our chickens just yet) and gets a CL place, how can any objective fan say it is a very disappointing one? In my view with the Europa the season's performance will only have been bettered by Chelsea!

However should he miss the Europa, it will have been a very disappointing one, agreed!

 

you are so full of joy aren't you?

 

Just trying to reverse jinx it!!

The Arsenal game sucked the life out of me mate, it's been a long long time that I saw a United side play a game in which they clearly weren't arsed if they lost. To Arsenal, who we more or less have been whipping for a decade!
And what I said above is true, should Liverpool lose to West Ham, and it's likely in my opinion, then we still won't try in our next game v Spurs.

I get why and I agree with you that if we do win the EL to go with the league cup then all boxes have been ticked, a couple of trophies + CL qualification. Job done.

Personally though, I would have preferred us to continue to compete in the league and to see where we ended up. Wouldn't it be great going into that EL final without the pressure of having to win?

 

I see where JM is coming from though.


The Europa is the best chance United have got to 1) get into CL even without having to qualify and 2) to have another trophy. The 4th spot is a long shot and has been for a very long time. He can see (and most of us) that pursuing the 4th spot is only an insurance policy against failing in the Europa and also for denying the RS that spot. For you and me that last one is worth it

Do United risk tiredness and injury and jeopardise that Europa FInal (IF they go through on Thursday) in order to attempt that objective? JM obviously thinks it is too much of a risk. Too many things have to go United's way.

I think if the RS drop points at Wham he may put out a competitive side. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

 

Treble has finally infected him...

 

Don't agree with that tbh - 4th spot has been wide open since the new year. Arsenal, City and Liverpool have stumbled more times than Andy Carroll playing hopscotch. But we have failed to put together any sort of decent run during that time - six wins and eight draws in the 14 games before we lost to Arsenal, with six of those draws being at home against teams that were mostly dross.

If we could have pulled our fingers out to win just two of those either draws then we'd be level with City and Liverpool would be looking over their shoulder and ****ting themselves for the rest of the season. It was never a long shot, we just turned it into that by being incapable of winning consistently.

 

I think I read somewhere the other day that even if we were to win the EL we might still have to play a quali game for the CL depending on other domestic results in Europe. I will try to find the article

 

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2444525.html

If the CL winners would already qualify for the group stage via their league position, then the EL winners get their group spot, otherwise they are in the playoffs.

99% the EL winners will get an automatic group spot, as Juve, Real and Atletico are all in the group qualifying spots in their respective leagues, Real are guaranteed and it would need a big collapse for Juve or Atletico to drop out.

 

Yeah, as Swarbs said. No way was 3rd or 4th a long shot.

The fact we can still get 4th now proves this to be the case.

Anyway, let's see what tomorrow and then Sunday bring. By Sunday Spurs will know for absolutely 100% they can't get the league so will definitely be beatable.

Whether we'll try is another thing.

 

This is what annoys me.. If we fans are not giving up on league position, why the hell did Jose project losing mentality into the team going into that game? There should never be a conflict between EL and aiming to win a league game. Even if we have CL finals coming up, I would still hate for us to throw league games in name of resting players.

I dunno, guys. Just not used to this new ethos.

 

Hopefully it isn't that and if the end justifies the means then we really should expect an improvement in the performances next season.

If we do win the EL and get champions league next season then I would expect Mourinho to concentrate on the league and CL only and would not expect a great deal in either domestic cup.

Fine, let's get there first. As I was shouted down for a few weeks ago, by any means necessary as long as it works.

 

I hate rambling on.. But it's such a shame that we've had numerous opportunities to wrap up top 4 spot in the last month. Yet we flanked it big-style on assumption we are going to win some cup that we haven't played for yet. If we lose EL final, then Mourinho would have completely fallen on his own sword. I wonder what would happen if we fail to win EL and end the season in 6th place. Can you imagine?

 

Yes