Each year Rant predicts the season ahead. Manchester United’s performance, the winners, the losers and the individual stars of the campaign. There have been mixed results over the years – check out 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14 and last season.
It is, if anything, far more difficult this season than over the past five. After all, United’s miserable campaign under David Moyes last year readjusted expectations for the 12 months ahead. Yet, Louis van Gaal has only gone and increased supporters confidence over the summer, albeit from the rock bottom position Moyes had left the club.
As ever the predictions are made ‘as is’ – just ahead of the new Premier League season and two full weeks before the transfer window closes. Should United sign Arturo Vidal, Juan Cuadrado and Daley Blind in the next few days a cheeky edit may be in order!
Last season Rant predicted five correct answers – Manchester City as Premier League champions, Arsenal winners of the FA Cup, Eden Hazard as PFA Young Player of the Year, and Chris Hughton/Paolo di Canio to be sacked. Optimistically, as it now turns our, Rant predicted that United would finish the season third in the Premier League, although – sadly – we correctly forecast a trophyless campaign.
Add your predictions in the comments section below and we’ll revisit this post at the end of May 2015 to find out how we all did. No cash prizes – just glory to the winners, and likely humiliation for Rant.
United’s Season
- Premier League: third
- Carling Cup: semi-final
- FA Cup: quarter-final
- Player of the Year: Robin van Persie
- Under-21 Player of the Year: James Wilson
- Academy Player of the Year: Marcus Rashford
Premier League Top Ten
- Chelsea
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Arsenal
- Liverpool
- Everton
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Newcastle United
- Stoke City
- Hull City
Relegated
- Burnley
- Leicester City
- West Bromwich Albion
Champions League
- Winners: Real Madrid
- Runners-up: Chelsea
Europa League
- Fiorentina
FA Cup
- Manchester City
Carling Cup
- Liverpool
Player of the Season
- Sergio Aguero, Manchester City
Young Player of the Season
- Ross Barkley, Everton
Sack Race
- Harry Redknapp, Queens Park Rangers
- Ronaldo Koeman, Southampton
- Sean Dyche, Burnley
United to be leading premiership after 8 games, overall outcome 1. Man United. ( pending 2 big money signings in January transfer window if not then drop to second ) 2. Arsenal. 3. Chelsea. 4. Man City. 5th 6th an 7th place battle between Spurs, Liverpool and Everton in that order.
“United to be leading premiership after 8 games”
This is a very under-acknowledged point. UTD start the season with 8/10 relatively easy fixtures – before the end of October the only serious opponents they face are Everton and CSKALondon in October.
This incredibly-easy start to the season is a real god-send for LvG. He should have plenty of time to sort out the wheat/chaff and get TheLads playing the way he demands.
Of course, injuries are the big unknown but assuming that the core squad can be relatively healthy then a strong start to the season might go a long way towards changing the doom-and-gloom surrounding UTD. It might also give TheLads a strong injection of confidence, which is never a bad thing.
United’s Season
Premier League: third
Carling Cup: final
FA Cup: semi final
Player of the Year: Ander Herrera
Under-21 Player of the Year: Tyler Blackett
Academy Player of the Year: Marcus Rashford
Premier League Top Ten
Chelsea
Manchester City
Manchester United
Arsenal
Tottenham
Everton
Liverpool
Hull City
Stoke City
Crxstal Palace
Relegated
West Ham
QPR
West Bromwich Albion
Champions League
Winners: Barcelona
Runners-up: Bayern Munich
Europa League
FC Sevilla
FA Cup
Manchester City
Carling Cup
Chelsea
Player of the Season
Alexis Sanchez
Young Player of the Season
Adnan Januzaj
Sack Race
Harry Redknapp, Queens Park Rangers
Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool
Sean Dyche, Burnley
A link would be great. Lol.
Uniteds season
4th in prem
Capital one winners
Fa cup semi final
Player of the season: wayne rooney
Young player of the season: James Wilson
Prem top 10
Chelsea
Man city
Arsenal
Man utd
Liverpool
Everton
Spurs
Newcastle
Stoke
Swansea
Prem player of season : rooney
Young player: sterling
Relegated
Burnley
Sunderland
Aston villa
Champions league winners: bayern Munich
Runners up: Chelsea ( who will knock out r Madrid by parking the bus)
C ronaldo will outdo messi again
Alan Irvine and Sam allerdyce to get the sack
Man city to win fa cup
If we do not bring in anymore players before the deadline, be prepared to accept a 8th place finish. Right now this team is a hell of a lot weaker than last season. The surprise team will be Newcastle, they’ve got real quality this season, if they are consistant, they could finish in the top 6. But if we do get these central defenders, and one of either Vidal or Di Maria, we can look for a top 4 finish.
I listened to Paul Scholes this morning, he said the same thing that the team was just too far behind in quality to make the top 4.
He also said van Gaal was a mad man and a bit crazy, but I don’t know what he meant by those comments.
Watch clips of him on youtube especially the one where bayern won the bundersliga the mans crazy, plus the balls story and his massive ego add to his notoriety, and as for his genius- the World Cup is a good place to start, taking an ordinary Dutch side to 3rd place is no mean feat, how many people had heard of martins indi de vrij wjinburn etc before the World Cup
Just talking to one of my United friends and he is telling me that Hull City have put in a bid of 14 million for Wellbeck. I don’t think Wellbeck is for sale but I keep seeing that we are interested in Cavani, Falco and Reus. van Gaal could be looking for another sriker because Hernandez is on his way to Juventus. The MFC website says there are bids in for Blind, Benata, Rojo, Carvalho, Vidal, Di Maria and Cuadrado. So if we can get 4 out of these 7 players, no doubt we can finish top 2.
We’ve got 6 players out for the game tomorrow.
Shaw, Valencia, Evans, Wellbeck, Rafael and Carrick. We have no cover for these players. The teams above us have 2 world class players for every position, thats why we will not finish in the top 4 unless we spend some big money in the next 2 weeks.
agree
United’s Season
• Premier League: Champions
• Carling Cup: Runner Up
• FA Cup: Champions
• Player of the Year: Danny Welbek
• Under-21 Player of the Year: James Wilson
Premier League Top Ten
1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Arsenal
4. Chelsea
5. Everton
6. Tottenham Hotspur
7. Liverpool
8. Newcastle United
9. Stoke City
10. Hull City
Relegated
• Crystal Palace
• Burnley
• West Bromwich Albion
Champions League
• Winners: Chelsea
• Runners-up: Bayern Munich
Europa League
• Arsenal
FA Cup
1. Manchester United
Carling Cup
• Everton
Player of the Season
• Danny Welbek, United
Young Player of the Season
• James Wilson, Manchester United
Sack Race
• Sam Allardyce, West Ham
• Maurico Pochetino, Totenham
• Sean Dyche, Burnley
• TBA, Crystal Palace
Burnley won’t sack Dyche… he’s the only reason they’re in the premier league
Man Utd 4th Premier League
carling cup – winners
FA Cup – Quarter Final
Player of the Year – Robin Van Persie
Top 10:
1 Chelsea
2 City
3 Arsenal
4 Utd
5 Liverpool
6 Spurs
7 Everton
8 Swansea
9 Newcastle
10 Southampton
Relegated
WBA, Burnley, Hull
Champions Lge:
Winner Barcalona
Runner Up Bayern Munich
Europa League – Athletic Bilbao or Roma
FA Cup – Chelsea
Carling Cup – Man Utd
Player of Season – Cesc Fabregas
Young Player – Raheem Sterling
First Manager sacked – Sam Allardyce / Paul Lambert
We are $)&@?! If we don’t buy in the next few days and buy big, but I just can’t see anyone leaving. Another disaster of a transfer window, which unfortunately I predicted. I just never saw us landing anyone other than the two signings. Top four may be beyond us.
United’s Season
Premier League: fourth
Carling Cup: final
FA Cup: quarter-final
Player of the Year: Herrera
Under-21 Player of the Year: James Wilson
Academy Player of the Year:
Premier League Top Ten
Chelsea
City
Arsenal
Manchester United
Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur
Everton
Hull City
Sunderland
Relegated
West Ham
Cystal Palace
Burnley
Champions League
Winners: Real Madrid
Runners-up: Bayern
Europa League
Arsenal (will drop out of CL to win it)
FA Cup
Chelsea
Carling Cup
Man City
Player of the Season
Diego Costa
Young Player of the Season
Danny Welbeck (purely sentimental)
Sack Race
Pulis, Palace (cheating a bit)
Next three:
Lambert, Villa
Keane, Villa, after a week of replacing Lambert
Sean Dyche, Burnley