Depending on who you speak with, the expectations for a successful Manchester United season differ dramatically.
For some, the 20-time English champions need to compete for perennial honours immediately, while for others, the reality of the present-day situation is factored into the equation.
No matter your view, narratives can frustrate, as ex-players and pundits continually change their expectations for Ruben Amorim based on a single result, redefining what success should look like at Old Trafford.
As supporters, we can accept this backwashed opinion from rival fans and anti-United media, but the necessity for our own to fall in line can be rather tedious.
It has always been ‘us against the rest’, but even now, mainstream channels that employ former fan favourites are populated by an entirely one-sided dynamic.
With these competing influences, it is essential to define what we should reasonably expect and how we can stay grounded amid changing narratives ahead of our next outing against Everton on November 24.
What is a reasonable expectation for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United?
Call a spade a spade, United are far from a shadow of the giants of Sir Alex Ferguson and his many masterfully created squads. Two decades of Glazer mismanagement have seen to that.
Nevertheless, despite their conveyor system, which has orchestrated six different permanent managers, two interim bosses, and as many caretakers since his departure, this one-time giant is expected to maintain control.
Amorim’s side is currently unbeaten in five domestic outings and occupies a position just one point outside of the Champions League places—a rather good return after 11 fixtures from a team that finished 15th last season.
Still, the likes of Sky Sports opt to belittle his efforts at every given opportunity and diminish his work.
Don’t get me wrong now, the words of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, a man who has achieved a managerial win percentage of 37.4% from 262 fixtures across five clubs, should be taken to heart.
International windows will always open the door to sensationalist articles and programmes – this is nothing new – but, with respect to another ‘player turned expert’, United have competed against all of the division’s top five sides and six of the top ten, including the reigning champions.
Respectfully, if you can’t factor progress within this body of work, you’re simply operating under the guise of an agenda.
I recently read a comment from a respected journalist who mocked the Old Trafford faithful for showing any satisfaction with their start to the season, while stating that Liverpool were disgusted with their tally.
Call me deluded, but when one side climbs eight places and the champions drop seven, should their respective fanbases not have differing opinions?
Another line I regularly read is ‘how the mighty have fallen’.
Yes, Manchester United have been infected with a foreign cancer that has attempted to suck the life and soul out of M16. Forgive a wounded fanbase for trying to enjoy a semblance of positivity.
It may seem alien to digest such honest information, but I feel compelled to do so in a world where few other journalists will.
Take Gary Neville, for example.
Having publicly ruled out excessive media scrutiny, the former United star has recently stated that this side should aim to qualify for the Champions League this season.
Three weeks ago, he stated that Amorim should be targeting a top-six finish.
Not only is this a deliberate manipulation of his power, but it is shifting the goalposts on the back of a handful of fixtures, inevitably setting expectations based on the past.
The reality is that the vast majority of this squad finished 15th last season, and he has now set the benchmark that the requirement should be an 11-place swing.
Furthermore, after publicly diminishing Benjamin Sesko’s efforts on NBC Sports, the 50-year-old has largely held back from targeting the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Viktor Gyokeres, despite all three being largely underwhelming acquisitions.
In all honesty, where is the logic in any of this?
The dogs in the street know that United will generate attention and traction, but at some point, the world’s media will have to acknowledge that this is not the side of 20 years ago.
It pains me to write that, but anything other would be nonsense!
Amorim is doing a good job, and there is evidence of growth in his team. The league table is congested, but everything from chance creation to shots and attacking metrics highlights a growing momentum in the North West.
Some may point to a lack of standards at the football club, but a positive season, given the trauma of the last one, would be a top-eight finish.
Finishing higher than this would be a welcome return, while ending the campaign in the Champions League places would be amazing. That is the reality of things in Manchester.
Do your best to avoid this sensationalist nonsense doing the rounds, and try not to let it cloud your judgement when analysing the growth at Carrington.
The damage that Fergie caused his rivals is still alive and kicking today, and the prospect of another side rising from the ashes of this Glazer fire petrifies them. That is the reality.
How do you feel about Manchester United this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or across our social channels.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com
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