26 May 2023 20:17:40
Is anyone genuinely fearful of being kept out of the top 4 for a few years? Interested to know.

We've had some poor transfer windows and half of the Prem will again spend more than us. City are nailed on. Do we think Arse, Newcastle will drop off next year? Chelsea will also be better.

Going to get more and more difficult to get back in especially with our owners.

1.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 20:41:31
We’ll be back in the top 4 next season I have no doubts. I’m not sure if anyone will touch City though for the title.

I’m just waiting on odds from the bookies for Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle all going out at the CL group stages as I think it could very well happen as none will be in the top pots and didn’t exactly set the Europa alight.

2.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 20:50:31
I love how you didn't mention United, because this is just another false dawn right?

City are streets ahead of everyone, Arsenal put up a good fight but faded and let's be honest, none of us saw them being so strong. I th8nk they will continue next year and if they buy well may get even stronger.

Newcastle will undoubtedly spend and if they continue their current trajectory will be up there. However, they have ECL as well so will need a deeper squad.

Like it or not, United progressed hugely this year. A cup, top 4, and a cup final to come, but also 3 horrible defeats so work still to do. It all comes down to the quality of recruitment and the ability to shift a lot players out. If we sign a top top CF (easier said than done), then we will be very very tasty. We were flying until lack of squad depth caught up with us, but the right recruitment should address that.

Chelse qre awful, Poch will help, but it will take time to sort that mess out, same for Spurs, and Brighton will lose players so will likely go backwards.

As for Liverpool, what an odd season, I don't pretend to understand it. I think recruitment will be key, get the right players in and you will be right back up there, get it wrong and you will struggle. You have a great Manager, one of the best so that's a big plus, but trying to understand what happened this year is beyond me, and id I was you, that would worry me.

3.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 20:52:32
Chelsea were meant to be better this year. no one this year has been outstanding, even city. As long as we go back to our best, we will be fine.

4.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 21:03:10
FSG have two options. Spend money and lots of it, or do very little and spend the next few years outside the top four.

5.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 21:05:30
Not overly so. Think there's a strong chance of a rebound season next year.

We need a few additions though.

6.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 21:26:10
Not at all. I think Man United and Arsenal will stagnate due to their over rated managers. I think Newcastle will regress in the league due to Howe being new to European football. Chelsea and Spurs are in an absolute state that might take years to fix.

My predictions are a City and Liverpool title race. Man United and Arsenal probably top 4. Newcastle, Chelsea and Villa in the other European places. I think Spurs are just a mid table team now.

7.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 21:33:19
AJH - To be fair, you are a good poster mate but Ten Hag was given £250m, plus all the add ons to spend on the squad ….

8.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 21:48:19
Serious question MK, what exactly are you basing it on that you think we will suddenly now be in a title race with city?

Surely any argument you can make could be easily argued for any other team above is this year? Even Chelsea.

9.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 21:59:54
I’m of the view that either FSG find a badly needed overhaul or sell to someone who has more ambition. If we want to compete at the top level we need owners with deeper pockets.

10.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 22:06:41
Talking sense, people didn’t give us a chance last season after the 20-21 season where we had a similar drop off to this season but scraped 3rd with a good run at the end of the season. We came back fighting and came closer than any team in English history (including the great Man City) to winning the quad.

Next season will be no different. We’ve finished this season strongly and will start next season even stronger. We shown once again that there’s only one team in this league that’s capable of going on a run capable of challenging City.

We’ll be back up there I have no doubts in my mind whatsoever.

11.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 22:11:58
I think Liverpools season will be defined in the Transfer Window.
We’ll know in the first 5 games where we’re heading.

12.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 22:56:28
If and it’s a big if.

If City win the treble this year does that mean they were closer to winning the Quadruple than us or is losing a CL final and finishing 2nd in the league regarded as closer or better because we played in every game over winning 3 of the 4.

13.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 22:59:28
AJH, our issues this season range from poor squad management over the past 4 years which came to a head this season some questionable stuff going on in the scouting/ recruitment department, moving to a new system that did NOT suit the players and Klopp's mistakes on and off the pitch. I think I've just about covered everything.

Now have Utd improved? Of course. You guys were SO crap last season, the only way to go was up, IMO. Now is your improvement huge? Nah, bro. Not really. You went from 6th to 4th with a Carabao Cup after spending 250m in the summer alone that could have risen to 400M had you gotten Darwing, Gakpo De Jong. And judging by how disgracefully you got sent packing in the EL by Seville who have been relegation fodder half this season in La Liga, I wouldn't call that a ""huge improvement.

The fact that seqpite all our issues, we will finish a measly 3 to 6 points behind you so again, "huge" improvement? Again, I don't see it. If both teams have the window they want, things could get really spicy next season. Exciting times.

14.) 26 May 2023
26 May 2023 22:59:28
AJH, our issues this season range from poor squad management over the past 4 years which came to a head this season some questionable stuff going on in the scouting/ recruitment department, moving to a new system that did NOT suit the players and Klopp's mistakes on and off the pitch. I think I've just about covered everything.

Now have Utd improved? Of course. You guys were SO crap last season, the only way to go was up, IMO. Now is your improvement huge? Nah, bro. Not really. You went from 6th to 4th with a Carabao Cup after spending 250m in the summer alone that could have risen to 400M had you gotten Darwing, Gakpo De Jong. And judging by how disgracefully you got sent packing in the EL by Seville who have been relegation fodder half this season in La Liga, I wouldn't call that a ""huge improvement.

The fact that seqpite all our issues, we will finish a measly 3 to 6 points behind you so again, "huge" improvement? Again, I don't see it. If both teams have the window they want, things could get really spicy next season. Exciting times.

15.) 27 May 2023
26 May 2023 23:50:41
Fair play to AJH for a reasoned comment but the only player who improved that United side this season, for all the money spent, was 30 year old Casemiro, they were awful when he didn't play. I saw recently that Ten Hag's win ratio was actually worse than Solskjaer.

16.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 00:55:45
Why did we have to have a bad season, bad enough every Man U fan in work us waffling away outa them now all of a sudden they're on the L'pool page? Funny how they didn't want to chat with us scousers the last few summer windows, now were all best pals??.

17.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 04:03:00
Liverpool will make an immediate return to the top 4 and (probably) the title race as long as Klopp starts managing like he should and not like the gaslighter-in-chief caricature he has become. He himself needs to start doing things properly again, and not like the run-of-the-mill whiny toad he is currently looking like. Klopp is the difference in us being contenders or mid-table, and he needs to remember that.

18.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 04:46:32
Interesting that no one is suggesting that ManCity will have a bad year next year, or that perhaps they have even peaked and are at the end of a cycle.

I mean, it just takes Gundogan and Silva to go, and Pep to react badly to any UEFA charges that might actually stick.

19.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 06:12:41
Manchester City ll replace Gundagaon and Silva with better players. We are thinking to bring in kids to replace our ongoing players!

20.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 06:55:14
Hmm, sine great points here, and some not so great ones.

Liverpool will be at least 25 points worse than last year, United will likely be 18 points better than last season. You finished 37 points ahead of us last year, this year you have less points, but United haven't made progress?

One of our biggest problems was attitude and signing players like Cas and Eriksen helps address that, as does shipping out Ronaldo who should never have been brought back. However, the best signing we made is Martinez who is a 5ft 9in beast.

As a few have said, signing the right people is key. Antony for us hasn't delivered, but I'm not convinced by Nunez or Gakpo either. The teams that recruit well will improve, as United have shown in recent years, recruit poorly and things go from bad to worse.

Here's a thought. As I said above, I think Klopp is a great Manager, but there is a view that after a period of time his methods no longer work and he needs to move on. Perhaps that time is now.

21.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 08:20:02
I think Klopp will have us back in the 90 odd point bracket next year, if he does that we know it either brings the title or losing by a point to this annoyingly good team from Manchester. When he manages that it'll be up to the other teams to keep pace, if they manage that fair dues. AJH in fairness you would have been happy to be twenty odd points behind us again this season as long as yis got top 4,as it happens its gone even better than that. A thing of wildest dreams i would say but things like the 7-0 and the last coupla months are more like our real level. As the two teams stand at this point in the window i just assume to be back ahead next year. Whether we can challenge City is another thing of course because they're a different level but with Lfc's act together i just can't see Utd been able to keep up. I see yis fighting it out with Chelsea for fourth.

22.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 09:07:17
AJH. United have been average all season. Only got top 4 cos everyone else was so poor. You'll be back to your usual position next season. Your squad is poor. Martinez a beast?! Right o! Hows 90 million Anthony doing? I love the way united finish above us and immediately come over to this page! Makes me laugh. City will smash you in the FA cup, different league.

23.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 09:10:18
Talking sense, i don't really need to reply now. Just read Becker Peckers comment. They nailed exactly why i believe we'll bounce back into a title race next season.

24.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 09:23:22
Marty, Marty, Marty, you ready for big school next year?

I've been posting for 12 years and periodically post on all other teams pages. I have a good laugh with raver on the Spurs page, Malaga on the Arsenal page, and a few on the Chelsea page.

I thought I was polite and constructive but here you are, stamping your feet.

Martinez has been awesome, as I said above, Antony hasn't.

Bang average? I've hated watching United for years, the football has been awful. This year has been completely different. Clearly we have run out of gas as the squad depth isn't there but you keep kidding yourself Marty.

Thanks for your constructive comments.

25.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 09:29:06
I think Liverpools performances over the last few months give us hope for optimism for next season. Given that we are bound to add at least a couple of new players then I think we will be in a good place.

Sure City are miles ahead and it nearly seems impossible to keep up but who knows? New season, new approach, new players to freshen the squad up, New Optimism ?.

26.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 09:47:04
AJH always welcome here mate.

Irish here here mate. Once Southampton is out of the way it’s a brand new chapter with a blank page.

27.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 10:03:47
I don’t know how you can say you have no doubts whatsoever about Liverpool and a title challenge BP. There must be some doubts and a large part of us challenging will be about recruitment. Let’s say for Example we added Mcallister, Mount and a left cb for £50m. That squad doesn’t challenge Man City unfortunately. There are just too many unanswered questions about the squad, the coaches, manager, directors of football, physio etc.

Everything we do until the start of the season will have to be near perfect to challenge for the title.

28.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 10:20:02
Saw a comment saying ten hag is an overrated manager. Have to disagree. He inherited an absolute mess of a club. A club on its knees.

Money helps- but he only got that money after the drubbing at Brentford and it came from a credit line from the bank. Not the signs of a well run club.

I posted here a long time ago, and right now still maintain Klopp will get you back to the top challenging no problem. You’ve finished the season strong and need a few players to freshen things up, but I’ve no doubt you will do that. Next season could be a corker, if we recruit properly and get a number 9 I can see us picking up another 10-15 points across the season.

Remember lads, for all the top clubs. You’re only one or two players away from being able to challenge. If things are right off the pitch, then the work their way out on it.

Cheers for a good race to top 4. I have no doubt you will be better next year, and I hope we can continue improving.

29.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 10:30:20
No….

30.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 10:30:50
AJH, ignore some of the childish replies. I don't often post but read loads and have seen you before so know you're not here to gloat etc but to start a discussion and talk football. This page has become more and more closed book over recent years. It's either I'm right and you're wrong 100% or it turns into schoolyard stuff. So please don't be deterred from future discussions.

It's interesting to hear your take on the season and next year predictions. I think United may have an improved few years with players like Casamero, Varane and Eriksson but also need to invest for the future as they are getting older, a problem Liverpool find themselves in now. Replacing good players is not easy and the current good older players will only deteriorate/ have to sit out more games to recover.

I agree though, United's finishing has been so poor. One good goalscorer who also does the hard yards and you'd win a lot more games.

I think Liverpool's issue has been identity. I don't know their style anymore or what a Liverpool goal looks like. It used to be heavy metal, speed and counter and high press. Then we tried to control the game more with Thiago like signings. Then it didn't work so tried this new inverted fullback nonesense that everyone is trying. All while buying players for different systems and playing styles. It feels to me like square pegs, round holes. If we get a go back to simple football and overpowering teams then I think we'll be better off but we need to make decisions in the transfer market and stick to them. If we have another poor transfer market then I can see us struggling again.

31.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 10:50:59
Great post 1jj.

Is that an official quote from FSG when Klopp asks for money to spend.

32.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 10:56:22
I don’t know much about footy but for me city are not the beast everyone making them out to be. Yeh they probably win league next season but they will be fighting for it. it’s not beyond the realms for Chelsea to be up there wouldn’t overlook them I reckon they will be back, Newcastle won’t even finish in the top6 I think us Chelsea and probably spurs will see to that. Utd is tricky they have improved plus they have a possible new owner looking to splash the cash will it improve or upset them. Arsenal played some great football but I hate all the time wasting crap maybe a few signings they can be up there again. As for us I seen a stat last week that said since the World Cup same amount of games played as arsenal we are 1 point off them yet they are brilliant and we are crap. I think ( hope) we be back up there. klopp will work his magic again . Happy bank holiday folks.

33.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 10:59:05
More than likely 5 places as well if we are talking from point of getting champions league? That will be in effect this season right? I know it is based on European performance but odds are it will go to premier league?

I am still in the positive boat with others that we are more likely to be second than outside the top 4 or 5.

34.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 11:19:35
Some good, well reasoned points Tony. Think one of the main differences in Utd this season and last is you were simply too easy yo beat last season

Credit where its due, ETH has made you a lot harder to beat. Big job was to get Maguire away from the starting 11 - Martinez and Maguire have been very good, as has Casemiro and Erikkson. Like you said, attitude was a big factor and sorting out the Ronaldo issue helped with that - it showed he wasn't going to shy away from the big issues or egos, something Ole was guilty of

There have been good points definitely in this season for Utd, I mean possibly 2 cups and a 3rd place finish is an obvious improvement- however, Rashfords form in the 1st half of the season, and De Gea's too, had Utd flying. De Gea got s bit erratic and Rashford went off the boil and you let Liverpool get a lot closer thsn they had any right too

Think a solid number 9, Rashford to the left and you will look a lot better

As for us, who knows what went wrong. Transfers in the summer were wrong. We had a midfield, big in numbers but high in injury prone players and form of a lot of players went out the window - last 10 games were more like the Liverpool we've seen the last few seasons though

Can't see Chelsea being great next season, not a big Pochettino fan tbh, Spurs will do a Spurs and can Newcastle sustain good form with European football in play?

35.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 12:14:35
I’m concerned about our future as a top4 club, Newcastle and Utd will spend big this transfer window and city are streets ahead of us, Arsenal too look to improve again with a big money signing.
If we add 3 first team players this summer we will improve but not to the standard of others around.
We got what we deserved this season others invested and improved we were weaker.
It’s a big window for us and could decide JK future at the club.

36.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 12:16:43
Despite not signing a midfielder when we needed one, despite not bothering to start playing football until March, despite half our players apparently being dead wood, and despite how bad F$G, Klopp, Ljinders, the tea ladies, the groundsman and every employee of the club allegedly are, we were still 5th.

So, no. I'm not worried about being out of the top 4 long term.

37.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 12:28:36
Caolan_2, i stand by ETH being over rated mate. He's good and he was a huge upgrade on Ragnick. However I don't see anything from his teams so far that Van Gaal, Arteta or Sarri did at United, Chelsea and Arsenal. You've won the 4th choice trophy and fumbled your way into the top 4; taking some absolute battering's along the way from City, Liverpool, Sevilla, Brighton, Brentford etc.

He's a good manager and I suspect he'll maintain your top 4 status as OGS did. But i don't see you kicking on and progressing to a title challenging team consistently. His signings have been all over the place. Martinez did OK. Casemeiro was a great short term signing but he's 31 next season. Eriksen did OK and is also in his 30's. Anthony was a horrendous waste of money. Malacia is bang average. Weghorst was bang average. Sabitzer did OK but will not be staying. ETH showed no signs of sustaining his team at Ajax when key players moved on or aged. So why do you think he'll fair any better when Varane, De Gea, Eriksen and Casemeiro are past it?

I'm not buying into the hype. He's done nothing so far that Van Gaal didn't achieve and look how that ended. United are so desperate to return to the glory days that I think your fans cling to any sign that you might be back and look for convoluted ways to compare your new managers to Fergie.

38.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 12:40:21
I'm not worried at all. We'll be challenging for the title next year IF, and it is a big if, we are smart and strategic in our recruiting. I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that this is the most important summers in a long time for the club.

39.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 13:06:29
Cant EVER remember u on here AJH but im sure you just suddenly felt the need for a chat with your Lfc cousins! Me personally i couldn't be arsed going on the utd page over the last few years on the wind up, in me 40's so a bit childish and to be honest i didn't really mind what utd were doing good or bad i was too busy worrying about City and Pep.

40.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 13:10:29
Not worried about top 4 at all.

I think there's a much greater chance of United, Chelsea, Newcastle and Spurs all changing managers mid-season than us missing out on top 4 :)

41.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 19:50:36
I think we don't get a champions league place in 5+ years if we do it will be because of our competition being banned or a points deduction in the Premier league.

42.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 20:14:47
JK you’re right, the same old whining on here gets boring - where’s the positivity.

43.) 27 May 2023
27 May 2023 22:45:11
MK- we don’t compare him to fergie. It isn’t possible to achieve that success or even perform to that level. That might be your view from the outside.

On ETH. Look at what he has had on his plate, if we remove our bias, we would admit the job has been a damn good one. Are we near where we want to be as a club? No. I won’t come on here and tell you the league cup and 3rd or 4th is where we should be. But after the Brentford game of, if you included how we finished the previous season we were relegation form. He’s responsible for the turnaround.

Martinez- superb. Casemiro- superb. Malacia- as cover has done well and pushes shaw to another level. Antony- over priced, but due to incompetence we paid nearly double what we could have had him for weeks previous.
In terms of the January loans- we had no money due to the incompetence of how our club is run. Yes we spend money, but a lot of that is on the credit card.

Ten hag has to our fans believing again and that’s all that matters. You guys were at the bottom when Klopp came in and he got you believing again. Whether ten hag can achieve league titles or European cups remains to be seen. But from the little evidence we have of his time in charge, he’s a damn good manager with a big project on his hands.

44.) 28 May 2023
27 May 2023 23:28:23
Viktor Vaughn is spot on. As for Newcastle, we said the same about Chelsea and City years ago. They will be in the mix. Chelsea have the resources to bounce back, it will happen.