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.
Happiness YNWA
This would likely mean that cheating would be even more rampant than it is today and that Everton got discriminated insanely badly
That’s the beautiful part of the EPL. It’s not reliant on one team’s success.
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.
Same thing that happened to Liverpool. They were the laughing stock
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.
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.