Big jobs We could easily take the current squad into the CL next year and qualify from the group simply by doing what we failed to do this year... Play our strongest team, secure qualification and then fart about with rotation and resting players. Rather than, rotate players, drop points, continue to rotate players, drop more points, go into the last game (away from home) with an injury decimated team - needing to win just to scrape through. The Bilboa games were a formality. You could see that winning meant the world to their players and they deserved to go through. No-one at United will lose any sleep over it or exiting the competition.
A fair question I would say Arsenal and Liverpool have got worse, city and spurs have improved. Chelsea IMO are having an off season we will know for sure if they are as poor next season. For us our team doesnt have as many Hollywood names like Ronaldo or Tevez in it but does still continue to win games. I would say it's a little bit worse but next season I think all the top 5 and liverpool will get stronger making a real fight for the champions league places.
I think the PL has got weaker - that's reflected in the poor (non-)appearences of English clubs in both the CL and the Europa League. To suggest the Fergie didn't the Europa League seriously is nonsense - the team he played is pretty much our first team! A previous poster made a great point that the current side just isn't as previous ManU Championship winning sides, and I agree - the team of 5 years ago would play the current lot off the pitch. When you consider that we're STILL top of the league, the only conclusion is that the PL has deteriorated. I think we're in a transition period, same as we were between 2002-06. Chelsea know they need to rebuild, and are running on old legs. Man City are still a work in progress - you can spend all the money you like and still end up with nothing. Look at Toon and Leeds over the years It takes time to build a title winning team (unless your name is Mourinho... there is always an exception ) Arsenal remain as frustratingly inconsistent as ever. Lovely football though. Shame about the silverware! 'Pool are rebuilding, but I suspect will come good next season - top 4 at least. If Spurs can keep fat Harry then they will also be in the mix, assuming they can keep their players. None of them (including us) are good enough to complete at Europe's top table at the mo. Consider your full strength side - can you REALLY see us beating Real, Barca or Bayern at the mo? We need a couple of seasons for the youngsters to settle in, and to replace the old and infirm. Then - business as usual
i think we need a RB, CM and, if berbatov goes (which he will) then a new striker, as owen and macheda need to be moved on as well.
