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Premier League Thread 2016/17 v151: Goodbye BrotherBae Edition.

Will Maureen Be A Success at United?

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Here's a good interview with Federico Macheda. It's sad seeing kids with the talent to make it big fall short because of work ethic or behavior. Injuries played a big part in Macheda's case, but he straight up admits that he did the bare minimum at United. I hope this doesn't end up being the case with Luke Shaw (though he's already accomplished more than Macheda and likely won't fade in the same manner).

http://www.espnfc.us/blog/espn-fc-u...ls-his-story-from-manchester-united-to-novara
 
Zlatan Interview

"I think Mourinho is doing maximum with the team he has,” said Ibrahimovic. “Absolutely. He is getting 200 per cent out of the team he has."

“This is part of the game. If we were good enough to be No 1, we would be No 1 in the table now. So we have to be realistic – and I think this season has been great.”


Seems Zlatan thinks the same as most of the fans--despite throwing hundreds of millions around the last few windows, United still has an above average squad.
 
Dr J said:
Zlatan Interview

"I think Mourinho is doing maximum with the team he has,” said Ibrahimovic. “Absolutely. He is getting 200 per cent out of the team he has."

“This is part of the game. If we were good enough to be No 1, we would be No 1 in the table now. So we have to be realistic – and I think this season has been great.”


Seems Zlatan thinks the same as most of the fans--despite throwing hundreds of millions around the last few windows, United still has an above average squad.
Click to expand...


Must be joking.

So many in that squad have had average or poor seasons. It should easily be a top 4 squad and probably a title challenging squad.
 
LEWIS540 said:
Must be joking.

So many in that squad have had average or poor seasons. It should easily be a top 4 squad and probably a title challenging squad.
Click to expand...
I expected top 4 at the beginning of the season, not a title. I also wasn't counting on Liverpool making that big of an impact, nor did I see Chelsea running away with the league.

Say what you will, but United does lack depth. Jose is part to blame for that--shipping Morgan and Basti while sticking with Fellaini--though on paper they still don't make United look like a top squad. Just look at the lineup with Pogba, Zlatan, and Herrera out. We're banking on guys like Martial and Rashford to carry the weight of a top club. Despite showing promise last season, neither are elite players yet. No doubt, United will need to bring in a proven goal scorer (or 2 if Zlatan goes) along with a few CM/CDMs minimum if they're going to compete next year.
 
Dr J said:
I expected top 4 at the beginning of the season, not a title. I also wasn't counting on Liverpool making that big of an impact, nor did I see Chelsea running away with the league.

Say what you will, but United does lack depth. Jose is part to blame for that--shipping Morgan and Basti while sticking with Fellaini--though on paper they still don't make United look like a top squad. Just look at the lineup with Pogba, Zlatan, and Herrera out. We're banking on guys like Martial and Rashford to carry the weight of a top club. Despite showing promise last season, neither are elite players yet. No doubt, United will need to bring in a proven goal scorer (or 2 if Zlatan goes) along with a few CM/CDMs minimum if they're going to compete next year.
Click to expand...


United's squad on September 1st 2016 was easily a top 4 squad in the league. Save for 4-5 players, the rest of the squad has massively under achieved......the majority of which I blame on Jose.
 
LEWIS540 said:
United's squad on September 1st 2016 was easily a top 4 squad in the league. Save for 4-5 players, the rest of the squad has massively under achieved......the majority of which I blame on Jose.
Click to expand...
I would have had their starting 11 at 4th or 5th. I figured Mourinho would be able to elevate that in the level of play, but he hasn't.

The other issues is that some of the bigger names all play similar positions. Pogba was bought for his potential, yet people seemed to expect a worldie because of the massively inflated fee. Still, he's a locked on starter because of the investment. He operates best when he can get forward, yet two of the other big names in Mata and Mkhi operate best in an attacking mid position. Mata is a tidy player but not quick enough to operate that efficiently on the wings. Memphis came off a crap first season, and CMs in Basti, Fellaini, and Morgan weren't what fans were hoping for at CM.

Martial had a great first season, but I'm always hesitant to expect great things from a young player who's had a breakthrough first season. He had a pretty bad brief showing at the Euros as well. He's great to have in the team, but relying on him as one of your stars is a risk. Same thing happened with Rashford.

I don't think the team is far off where they belong, though I do think the heavy schedule they're about to hit could see the team drop several points and miss the top 4 in embarrassing fashion. Zlatan's right that the priority has to be Europa.
 
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