News: The 2017/18 Season Preview, Discussion & Review Thread [R]

United have got Brighton next in the FA Cup.

 

Due to @EmiratesFACup results, the following #PL matches will now be moved from Matchweek 31 (Mar 17-18):
Burnley v Chelsea
Leicester v Arsenal
Man City v Brighton
Swansea v Southampton
West Ham v Man Utd

Updated fixture list: https://t.co/7A7iin6z9a pic.twitter.com/oZ8NvtlYmy

— Premier League (@premierleague) February 19, 2018

 

Normally we create a Run-in thread this time of year but I guess we can use this instead. The purpose is to show the remaining schedule for us and our competitors in the Prem and the track the changes based on results and schedule changes. The race we are in is for top-4 CL spot. Realistically the Prem is done and dusted so I've excluded Man City. I was going to exclude Arse but let's see if they can beat Man City next week.

Current standings:

Code:

Pos           Pts   GD
 2 Man Utd     56   32
 3 Liverpool   54   30
 4 Chelsea     53   26
 5 Tottenham   52   28
 6 Arsenal     45   15

Schedules:

Code:

          Man Utd       Liverpool     Chelsea        Spurs            Arsenal
Feb 24-25 Chelsea H     WestHam H     ManUtd A       CPalace A        Man City CC
Feb 28-M1                                            Rochdale H FA    Man City H
Mar 3-5   CPalace A     Newcastle H   ManCity A      Huddersfield H   Brighton A
Mar 6-8                 Porto H CL                   Juventus H CL    R16 EL
Mar 10-11 Liverpool H   ManUtd A      CPalace H      Bournemouth A    Watford H
Mar 13-15 Sevilla H CL                Barcelona A CL                  R16 EL
Mar 17-18 Brighton H FA Watford H     Leicester A FA Newcastle H
Mar 31-A1 Swansea H     CPalace A     Spurs H        Chelsea A        Stoke H
Apr 3-5   QF CL         QF CL         QF CL          QF CL            QF EL
Apr 7-8   ManCity A     Everton A     WestHam H      Stoke A          Southampton H
Apr 10-12 QF CL         QF CL         QF CL          QF CL            QF EL
Apr 14-15 WBA H         Bournemouth H Southampton A  ManCity H        Newcastle A
Apr 21-22 SF FA         SF FA         SF FA          SF FA
Apr 21-22 Bournemouth A WBA A         Huddersfield H Brighton A       West Ham H
Apr 24-25 SF CL         SF CL         SF CL          SF CL            SF EL
Apr 28-29 Arsenal H     Stoke H       Swansea A      Watford H        Man Utd A
May 1-2   SF CL         SF CL         SF CL          SF CL            SF EL
May 5-6   Brighton A    Chelsea A     Liverpool H    WBA A            Burnley H
May 13    Watford H     Brighton H    Newcastle A    Leicester H      Huddersfield A
May 16                                                                EL Final
May 19    FA Final
May 26    CL Final
tbd       West Ham A                  Burnley A                       Leicester A

 

It's still only February and it would normally be premature to chisel in silver who's in the top four, but a United win over Chelsea on Sunday pretty much guarantees United a top four finish.

As it stands right now:

United 56 points on 27 games played.
Chelsea 53 points on 27 games played.​

A United win puts us 6 points clear of Chelsea with 10 matches remaining. A draw keeps us 3 points ahead of Chelsea, but only 2 points ahead of Spurs after their presumed win over Palace.

A draw is a decent result for both United and Chelsea and it's not hard to imagine both Mourinho and Conte settling for a bore draw. But as United supporters we want to see manhood (no, not that kind of manhood, benni) on the pitch.

But the evil force our there is Spurs, who are in white hot form these days and it seems likely that they'll be in the reckoning for one of the top four spots. Point being, we actually need a win more over Chelsea than Mourinho may currently realize.

After the chavs we still have Liverpool, City and Arsenal and it can't be assumed we'll take 9 points from those 3 matches. The other 7 matches are very manageable opponents and I wouldn't rule out the possibility of picking up 19 of those 21 points. Say we take 2 points from Liverpool/City/Arsenal that takes us back to 21 from those 10 games. Should we lose to Chelsea and then take those 21 points our season-end total would be 77 points and I doubt that would be enough to scrape out fourth place. Maybe, but maybe not.

Liverpool were fourth on 76 points last season.
City were fourth on 66 points the prior season.
United were fourth on 70 points the prior season.
Arsenal were fourth on 79 points the prior season.
Arsenal were fourth on 73 points the prior season.

I suppose if you're Mourinho you'll take the draw and do whatever it takes not to lose the game, keeping the distance from Chelsea and let them worry about Spurs, assuming the job can -- because it will have to -- get done against the bottom feeders we'll close the season out with. But the more I think about it, the more it seems to me we need the win over Chelsea. First, because we actually need the win and the win virtually guarantees a top four spot; and second, because it would fantastic to stuff Chelsea into fifth place and be done with them.

 

I couldn't find the right thread but what do you guys think about Carrick being extended a player to coach style map. I just see him as a great role model and mentor to kid like McT and someone that could become a really good coach or important in young player development.

 

Jose already announced a while back that Carrick will join his coaching staff in the summer, as he's stepping down from playing...

 

United have the most difficult run in of the top 6. That's not great, but it does mean that we've got chances to hurt or direct rivals for CL places. It perhaps also reduces the likelihood of us mailing in the run in. We should know we have to be at oou best.

 

Our remaining schedule is not that easy but I certainly don't think it's the hardest of the teams in the top 6. We've got one away game left vs a top 6 team in City and the rest of our away games are relatively manageable as well.
We'll have to stay sharp for sure, but if we take care of business at home for starters, our chances for a strong finish are pretty good. Pool (with a bunch of difficult away games left) or Chelsea, arguably have it harder than we do IMO.

 

Six goals is a club record?

.@RomeluLukaku9 and @AnthonyMartial have combined for six @PremierLeague goals this season, equalling a club record! What a partnership! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/c9GyVRJ32l

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 28, 2018

 

Thanks for that. I think that is a brilliant plan and if there is any player I can see becoming a solid manager in 15 years its Carrick.

 

I guess it means in terms of Assist and goal. So are they saying 6 times on has set up the other or Rome has set-up Tony or vice versa?

 

I understood that, but thought in the past when we had a lot of lethal combinations, we would have had more.

 

Somebody call 911 pic.twitter.com/NzojF2BqCV

— Roy 🇰🇪 (@royisred20) February 28, 2018

 

Well yeah, you would have thought Kanchelskis to Cantona would have happened more than 6 times in a season or Giggs to Ruud, but guess not.

 

What about Andy Cole to Dwight?

 

That's the tandem that immediately comes to mind.

 

More than any other partnership in recent memory, Cole and Yorke (in 98-99 particularly) would, on the face of it, look to be the most prolific and effective one we've had (and there has been some decent ones since).

 

Pretty sure we didn't track assists till a couple seasons ago.

 

Becks to Ruud?

 

Gary Neville on the race for 2nd and the top 4.

www.skysports.com/football/news/29326/11268095/gary-nevilles-verdict-on-the-race-for-second-behind-premier-league-leaders-manchester-city

 

"From a point of view of second, I would say just United. I think United are stronger than the others and that they will finish second."​

 

Thought they were referencing strike Partnerships

 

Important month coming up with some big games on deck:
- 5th March, CP (A) Prem
- 10th March, Pool (H) Prem
- 13th March, Sevilla (H) CL
- 17th March, Brighton and Hove Albion (H) FA Cup
- 31st March, Swansea (H) Prem

Expect nothing less than 7pts minimum for the 3 league games (with the hope we can be perfect and get all 9). Securing passage to the next rounds of the CL and FA Cup are a must as well.

 

Sad thing about the Liverpool game is, a draw is something Jose can and probably will be happy with since Liverpool will not pass us.

 

Given he would have taken a draw with Chelsea last week, I'm positive that's an absolute fact.