So let’s look at Manchester United and compare our aspirations with theirs | OneFootball

As a follow up to my article (‘What got us here won’t get us there’) on Sunday I’d like to add some substance.

When Eddie Howe took over, he inherited a set of players who were totally undercooked in terms of training.

If they were cars, they had only ever gone to 2,500 rpm.

Eddie Howe transformed them and got them to go to the red line and beyond. It must have felt amazing and it certainly looked it.

I remember one game against Burnley away and it was 2-1 to Newcastle and injury time. Burnley were trying to get the ball forward but they couldn’t get out of their own half, as every man was closed down. We had them penned in, with ASM leading the charge. I turned to my son and said “this is amazing.”

The pattern continued the next year and the momentum and belief built up as we charged towards the end of the season BUT if you remember, the lads looked knackered as we got that fourth place.

You can’t red line your car every week and not expect problems, especially if you then do the extra miles (games) the next season.

That is exactly what happened though and the injuries hit us hard.

So compare that Burnley game with our last two.

Who closed the cross down on Saturday at Selhurst Park?

Who closed West Ham down? The last 30 minutes of that game were embarrassing.

The crowd left not because it was 0-2, but because they could see no hope in front of them, no ideas, nothing.

So let’s look at Manchester United and compare our aspirations with theirs. They have won two trophies and yet have got rid of their manager. They aren’t happy with mid-table and openly talk about getting back to the top. They have appointed a young manager with new ideas who is already a winner.

Now let’s look at us. We are mid-table and already talking about having to sell players, even though one of the high spend seasons drops off PSR.

But we are in limbo, as that 14 years and longer for a lot of us of nothing, has lowered our aspirations to constantly say mid-table is ok, to constantly come up with excuses about poor results.

Do you think for one minute that the top teams who win things have the same view?

I think we have a very good squad, better than we have had for a long time and if the manager can’t get a tune out of them, then we need someone who can.

The momentum has gone.