18 Aug 2020 04:56:28
So I've had a read of quite a lot of posts over the last few days and there appears to be a pretty obvious divide. But I don't know which side of that divide I stand. We finished in the top 4 and we qualified for Champions League football, which is fantastic. However, we only scored 66 points and we failed to win 20 games across the season, which is decidedly average.

But it really was a season of two halves. The first half, we were pretty awful, but Rashford, Martial, and of course Pogba all missed large parts of that first half. And we didn't have Fernandes. So after 19 games, we had 28 points, and we looked dead and buried. Then in the second half, after a further 2 wins and 3 losses, which left us on 34 points from 24, once we signed Fernandes, we were much better. In the next 14 games we won 9 and and drew 5, we were unbeaten and took 32 points, more than any other team in that period I believe. We benefited massively from the break, which allowed Pogba and Rashford to return to full fitness for the rest of the season, but that can't be used as a stick with which to beat the team or the manager.

Perhaps unexpected, the recovery was emphatic, the improvement enormous, albeit partly because we had set the bar so low in the first half of the season. We are a completely different side now with Fernandes and the emergence of Greenwood, not to mention the improvement of Martial. For a little perspective, we took almost 2.3 points per game in that 14 game period, which would total 87 points over a full season. And we played Everton away, Leicester away, Tottenham away, Chelsea away, and Man City and Wolves home in those 14 games.

My doubts however linger over our ability to win the games that really count and our consistency. We reached 2 cup semi finals and a European semi final in one season, which is fantastic. But we lost all 3. And whilst that might be unlucky, certainly we were unlucky against Sevilla, it suggests that we have an issue, possibly tactical, possibly mental, at that stage of competitions. It also suggests that we would have trouble under pressure in the league if we managed to maintain our challenge for the title into the final weeks of the season. Regards our consistency, we had a fantastic run in the league, which we nearly bottled, but the club must question why we were in such a poor position in January in the first place.

Overall, I think this is the time to stick with Ole, but only just. The summer break is almost non existence this year, so it would be incredibly difficult for a new manager to assess the players and the coaches and then try and sign the reinforcements that they believe are required, as well as implement their playing style, their training methods and build their team in time for the start of the season. And if we stick with Ole, we must back him financially. If Ole wants Sancho then I'm not fussed about the transfer fee, though the agent fees are criminal from what Ed002 has suggested. If we back Ole and we sign the players he wants, them we can make a very informed decision next summer. If we finish below the top 4 then we will have to change, unless we win the Champions League, after all the league is always the bread and butter. But if we finish in the top 4 and close the gap significantly then we will stick with Ole once more. We have a young team and with the right signings we will only get better.

{Ed0666's Note - superb post Gilly. Thoroughly good read that.

1.) 18 Aug 2020
18 Aug 2020 08:40:34
Completely agree with everything you’ve said here pal. Nice to read a balanced and nuanced argument, avoiding ‘picking sides’ or a ‘burn the witch’ approach.

2.) 18 Aug 2020
18 Aug 2020 09:55:21
Gilly,

Very similar to my analysis of the season but put a lot more succinctly, very good post.

I agree that we must stick with Ole for now, and we will be doing so there’s not really much point of suggesting otherwise as he did reach the minimum target said and perhaps slightly surpassed it, definitely since the restart hit there are obvious failings that need to be addressed.

The squad isn’t strong enough, there are still too many passengers that are unable to change a game or add anything from the start and as Red Man points out 33 times a day his in game management has to be questioned, he doesn’t seem to quite have the tactical awareness in game to make big decisions, but is that because he turns round and sees players who he knows aren’t good enough? I think it’s possibly a bit of both. He will be looking himself to improve that part of he skill set I’m sure.

Overall I enjoyed the season much more than last, especially since lockdown but even before lockdown we lost a few games but had some great performances, 4-0 against chelsea, beating Chelsea home and away for the first time in the premier league, something even Fergie never achieved, doing the double over city, being the only club for a long time that had taken any points off Liverpool (and only losing that lead after 87 minutes) . I think the D- that some people were giving the season is unfair when you look at these results.

Post more Gilly, enjoyed reading that.

3.) 18 Aug 2020
18 Aug 2020 09:56:38
Great summary, I will say though the one game we really needed to win (Leciester), we did comfortably (although they were poor) .

4.) 18 Aug 2020
18 Aug 2020 10:36:05
Gds2 are we to ignore the 20 league games we didn't win?
Your like Boris you only want to predict grades on the good parts. 😂
I believe you are an accountant?
Tell me the last time you put a balance sheet together without taking into account all the figures😂
There is context to every set of numbers as you well know. There is context to apply to our finishing position. You may choose to ignore that context or see that context differently to some but that doesn't make you right or anybody else wrong.

5.) 18 Aug 2020
18 Aug 2020 21:32:24
Ken,

I certainly didn’t say anybody else was wrong or that I was right, perhaps read my post, it was my opinion on the season and also pretty balanced on Ole.