Next season's title winning tally

[Guest]

But you negated your own point by failing to realise that if we beat every team in the leauge then maximum points could not be equalled by anyone else

That was the aim.

[Exiled_red]

Like you say I think the gap between the top and the bottom is widening making it likely that the team that wins the league will probably need a higher points total than has won it in the past while the points required to stay up will be less than than the "traditional" 40 (as has been shown for last couple of years)

[red g]

Like you say I think the gap between the top and the bottom is widening making it likely that the team that wins the league will probably need a higher points total than has won it in the past while the points required to stay up will be less than than the "traditional" 40 (as has been shown for last couple of years)

I am not sure the gap is widening though, go back 7/8 years and you had the likes of derby, ipswich and leicester.

Also a figure of around 35 pts has been enough to avoid relagation most years, dont think figure will drop below that.

[dww]

I'm not sure that Sunderland (post take over and new manager), Stoke, Birmingham or Wolves will really represent a downgrade from Newcastle, Boro or the baggies next year. Hull will likely be worse as they ended the season a far worse team than they started and I can't see them attracting many good players and by all accounts there are problems in the current squad.

We are unlikely to do as well against our title rivals next year. So overall I think we will probably be looking at about the same total United got to win the league. Although If I'm honest this whole speculation thing seems a bit pointless and I now question why I bothered thinking about it let alone posting.

[Craig_H]

I was just making out how pointless Craig's assumptions were.

They're predictions, rather than assumptions. Your missus did mention to me how pedantic you can be. Even from thousands of miles away

[DKdan]

To be honest I think, the more crap teams in the league (and next season there will be crap teams in abundance) the more difficult it could get to gather the points. They will park the bus and hang on for a draw - making it very difficult to break them down.

I'm sad that Newcastle wen't down. Certain 6 easy points, slipping down. I blame Fergie for their relegation!

[dww]

To be honest I think, the more crap teams in the league (and next season there will be crap teams in abundance) the more difficult it could get to gather the points. They will park the bus and hang on for a draw - making it very difficult to break them down.

I'm sad that Newcastle wen't down. Certain 6 easy points, slipping down. I blame Fergie for their relegation!

The thing is that if we are to win the league we will have to overcome this. I think we are starting to have pieces of the jigsaw in the emergence of Benayoun as a top player and the improved goal scoring of Kuyt from midfield. We still need more alternatives, guile and pace though IMO. Replacing Babel with someone useful and a backup/alternative/addition up top and I think we will make the transition.

[The Glove]

87 points will win it next year. Not arsed who we beat or dont as long as we get to that tally.

[Neil Young]

I was just making out how pointless Craig's assumptions were.

To be fair to Craig, it's not just his speculation that's pointless.

They're predictions, rather than assumptions. Your missus did mention to me how pedantic you can be. Even from thousands of miles away

Typo, perhaps? I don't mean to be 'pedantic' but did you not mean to write 'pathetic' instead?

87 points will win it next year. Not arsed who we beat or dont as long as we get to that tally.

Dunno about the number of points. As long as we win it, that's all that matters.

[Assassin]

I was just making out how pointless Craig's assumptions were.

Craig's assumptions are more in line with reality than your statement is.....


I am beginning to understand why the long distance relationship works well for your girlfriend

[ELNINO 9]

we need to start the new season like we ended this season. just wipe teams off the pitch. we have played some great football since early march,and always looked in control of games. we need to attack teams and score early. its key !

[Neil Young]

I very much doubt we will wipe teams off the pitch at the beginning of the season, at least without significantly reinforcing and upgrading the squad.

IMO Rafa does not seem the type to change (or "learn" as the more arrogant pundit would put it) and his idea seems to be to make sure the squad is at its strongest in the last third or so of the season when the pressure is really on and when trophies are won.

Of course that's not necessarily when trophies are lost but fortunately every year he seems to be getting closer to the squad he wants, with the result every year we're getting closer to the top. So I think we can reasonably expect to see an improvement in the first half/two thirds of the season, even allowing for the likely outcome that Rafa hasn't 'learned to let the players off the leash' (or insert any other media cliché of choice).

[dww]

I very much doubt we will wipe teams off the pitch at the beginning of the season, at least without significantly reinforcing and upgrading the squad.

IMO Rafa does not seem the type to change (or "learn" as the more arrogant pundit would put it) and his idea seems to be to make sure the squad is at its strongest in the last third or so of the season when the pressure is really on and when trophies are won.

Of course that's not necessarily when trophies are lost but fortunately every year he seems to be getting closer to the squad he wants, with the result every year we're getting closer to the top. So I think we can reasonably expect to see an improvement in the first half/two thirds of the season, even allowing for the likely outcome that Rafa hasn't 'learned to let the players off the leash' (or insert any other media cliché of choice).

I also think that if you look at last seasons United who were an exceptional team more than this season (if arguable the squad is better this year) it took time for them to get the attacking shape working. It's not as easy as simply going all out earlier in the season more often than not cohesion is built as more games are played.

I thought that at the start of the season Rafa seemed to have adapted his substitution policy to be slightly more aggressive but then at times we rode our luck. It's far from clear to me whether this was a conscious tactical change or merely that he had more faith in the players at his disposal. I think the more attacking players we have that Rafa has faith in the more that this development will occur. Hopefully this summer we will get in one or two more players who can really deliver.

[Neil Young]

I also think that if you look at last seasons United who were an exceptional team more than this season (if arguable the squad is better this year) it took time for them to get the attacking shape working. It's not as easy as simply going all out earlier in the season more often than not cohesion is built as more games are played.

I thought that at the start of the season Rafa seemed to have adapted his substitution policy to be slightly more aggressive but then at times we rode our luck. It's far from clear to me whether this was a conscious tactical change or merely that he had more faith in the players at his disposal. I think the more attacking players we have that Rafa has faith in the more that this development will occur. Hopefully this summer we will get in one or two more players who can really deliver.

I agree entirely although the highlighted part is particularly important. What looks like a change of policy may simply be an effect of a better squad. Or vice versa.

It just shows that we are all prone to interpret the facts according to our own preconceptions of what the issues are.

[The Reverend]

I think we have a better squad but there is also the fact that many players are really starting to grow into their roles in the system we play. Kuyt's probably the best example of this but its taken Aurelio, Bennayoun and one or two others a couple of years to feel comfortable since they've all had to adapt their game slightly to fit into Rafa's system.

I agree that we need more attacking options but its not easy to see who we could get that could really improve the side without changing formation or style in some way.