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Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

Where will we finish in the league ?


  • Total voters
    423
  • Poll closed .

am_yisrael_chai

Well-Known Member
Feb 18, 2006
6,409
10,931
I can’t bring myself to title the thread Race for the Title because I’m not feeling that positive. However while I’m mad as hell at our transfer window I still think we have enough to get CL again and I suspect that is all our owners care about now. Liverpool aside I think our main competitors for CL have had pretty poor windows too.

City - must be favourites for the title again and have only added Mahrez. While he is a good player I don’t see him adding much that they didn’t already have. The only negative for them could be a fixation from the owners on the CL.

United - I very much doubt Mourinho lasts the season. His entire demeanour is screaming “get me out of here so I’m not humiliated again by Pep”. Added Fred which might help their midfield but still lots of issues elsewhere in the team they’ve haven’t addressed.

Spurs - no additions. Young players a year more experienced, Poch might extract some more from the group by another change of formation. Last summer’s signings might make more of a contribution this time. Some players returning from injury. Negatives - lots of tired players coming back from WC, Dembele getting older and more injury prone, are the Toby and Rose situations really resolved just because they are still here ?

Liverpool - can’t really argue they have strengthened, have they done enough to overtake City ? I doubt it. Could they overtake us ? Maybe.

Chelsea - a club in turmoil again. Not really managed to address their squad issues in the window. Think they struggle this season.

Goons - their window is reminiscent of a Spurs window of a few years ago, lots but little quality. Prima facie they struggle but the wild card is the Emery effect, not sure how that pans out.

Others - don’t see any other team breaking into the top 6. Everton spending like maniacs again, I expect similar poor results.

Bottom line I think this season is very much status quo with the top 4 unchanged and City champions again.
 
Last edited:

ItsBoris

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2011
7,467
8,604
I can’t bring myself to title the thread Race for the Title because I’m not feeling that positive. However while I’m mad as hell at our transfer window I still think we have enough to get CL again and I suspect that is all our owners care about now. Liverpool aside I think our main competitors for CL have had pretty poor windows too.

City - must be favourites for the title again and have only added Mahrez. While he is a good player I don’t see him adding much that they didn’t already have. The only negative for them could be a fixation from the owners on the CL.

United - I very much doubt Mourinho lasts the season. His entire demeanour is screaming “get me out of here so I’m not humiliated again by Pep”. Added Fred which might help their midfield but still lots of issues elsewhere in the team they’ve haven’t addressed.

Spurs - no additions. Young players a year more experienced, Poch might extract some more from the group by another change of formation. Last summer’s signings might make more of a contribution this time. Some players returning from injury. Negatives - lots of tired players coming back from WC, Dembele getting older and more injury prone, are the Toby and Rose situations really resolved just because they are still here ?

Liverpool - can’t realky argue they have strengthened, have they done enough to overtake City ? I doubt it. Could they overtake us ? Maybe.

Chelsea - a club in turmoil again. Not really managed to address their squad issues in the window. Think they struggle this season.

Goons - their window is reminiscent of a Spurs window of a few years ago, lots but little quality. Prima facie they struggle but the wild card is the Emery effect, not sure how that pans out.

Others - don’t see any other team breaking into the top 6. Everton spending like maniacs again, I expect similar poor results.

Bottom line I think this season is very much status quo with the top 4 unchanged and City champions again.

Have to disagree there. First of all, I don't see evidence of turmoil and I think with adding Kovacic and Jorginho they've strengthened significantly. I wouldn't take their performance in the community shield as any indication of how they will perform this season. I would say top 3 this season will be Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. 4th will depend on whether there's the usual 3rd season Mourinho meltdown. On paper Man Utd probably have a better squad than us but I think we could finish above them. Arsenal is the wildcard, they could be total shit or be excellent.
 

Thewobbler

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2016
3,814
5,701
Still think we will finish 2nd or 3rd. City are to strong. I just hope we can win a trophy this season.
 

djee

Well-Known Member
Nov 24, 2004
624
1,797
1st: City will walk it. Mahrez and a fit-again Mendy is terrifying.

2nd: The pressure will certainly be on Liverpool this year, that is for sure. They have spent an absolute fortune since Klopp arrived and assembled a great squad... but have to prove it on the pitch week in. No excuses for them this year - trophy or it is a failure.

3rd: CFC. Jorghino, Kante, and Kovacic is a great midfield 3 - on paper at least. Fabregas, RLC, and Barkley are not bad options off the bench either. They will take some time to gel but have so much quality upfront with Hazard, Willian and Pedro + think Giroud is such an underrated threat. Will be tough to better them this year.

4th: Splitting hairs between an Arsenal that are an unknown quantity but still have superb quality in their squad, Mourinho's boring but still hugely talented Utd and, ourselves.

I totally get the frustration of the window but as many have pointed out, we have probably 16 top, top players - many of whom are continuing to improve. I don't buy the line we couldn't improve our first 11 - arguments for a better LB and replacement for Dembele are valid, but it is often easy to overlook what we have. I will apologise for using an old football cliche but the return of injured players (Lamela, Winks), a match fit and acclimatised Moura and, a motivated Toby may feel like new signings - or may at least have the same impact. The worry is Wanyama and Dembele - can we really rely on them this season? I sense that if we can somehow navigate ourselves to a decent position by the January window, we may be able to address this issue.
 

southlondonyiddo

My eyes have seen some of the glory..
Nov 8, 2004
12,599
15,011
If we do not finish top 4 will anybody be surprised?

Very dangerous decision by the board not to bring in anybody
 

Saoirse

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
6,143
15,550
If we do not finish top 4 will anybody be surprised?

Very dangerous decision by the board not to bring in anybody
More dangerous than bringing in squad players no better than what we have or our academy? More dangerous than bringing in big-money players that we then can't really afford if we then don't get 4th?
 

THFCSPURS19

The Speaker of the Transfer Rumours Forum
Jan 6, 2013
37,886
130,485
I genuinely thought we could win the league this season with good signings and the new stadium. And I reckon we're going to be in big big trouble if we don't progress this season by winning something. Now this all looks unlikely.
 

southlondonyiddo

My eyes have seen some of the glory..
Nov 8, 2004
12,599
15,011
More dangerous than bringing in squad players no better than what we have or our academy? More dangerous than bringing in big-money players that we then can't really afford if we then don't get 4th?

The problem is none of your scenarios happened and 'not buying even 1 player in the Summer window' did which is extremely dangerous in regards to staying in the top 4 and keeping our best players and manager due to a lack of ambition
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,179
48,764
I genuinely thought we could win the league this season with good signings and the new stadium. And I reckon we're going to be in big big trouble if we don't progress this season by winning something. Now this all looks unlikely.
No signings were going to get us close to City. The only chance they don’t win the league is some ungodly injury crisis or if they really focus everything on the CL.
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,770
99,327
We'll finish second. We're a young side with another year's experience behind us.

We're also a settled side and many people massively underestimate that.

Also think Eriksen will be player of the season for the whole league.
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,179
48,764
We'll finish second. We're a young side with another year's experience behind us.

We're also a settled side and many people massively underestimate that.

Also think Eriksen will be player of the season for the whole league.
I very much doubt it. I look at the next few weeks fixtures and I’m not sure where our first win comes from.

We look massively undercooked at the moment, and if I was Rafa I’d be licking my lips at taking us on now.
 

St José Dominguez

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2014
3,592
11,648
I think City will walk the league again.

Liverpool are being wildly overrated already but they do seem to have momentum there, Chelsea have made a couple of very good signings but I still look at their lineup and see weaknesses, Utd team still doesn't look right and they look on verge of Mourinho implosion at any moment. I think 2nd-5th will be pretty close and I think despite this terrible window we've got every chance.

I don't rate Arsenals business at all and I think they'll finish 6th, comfortably ahead of West Ham and Everton who I'm sure their fans are delusionally thinking they'll be breaking into top 6.
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,770
99,327
I very much doubt it. I look at the next few weeks fixtures and I’m not sure where our first win comes from.

We look massively undercooked at the moment, and if I was Rafa I’d be licking my lips at taking us on now.

On what basis?

Some of our squad are coming back on a complete high given their performances in the world cup...

We're a settled side, and should hit the ground running full of confidence.
 

CowInAComa

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
7,293
18,237
We'll finish second. We're a young side with another year's experience behind us.

We're also a settled side and many people massively underestimate that.

Also think Eriksen will be player of the season for the whole league.

Think City will win it, us and Liverpool as battling it out for 'best of the rest'
 

dirtyh

One Skin, two skin.....
Jun 24, 2011
8,629
25,082
1st: City will walk it. Mahrez and a fit-again Mendy is terrifying.

2nd: The pressure will certainly be on Liverpool this year, that is for sure. They have spent an absolute fortune since Klopp arrived and assembled a great squad... but have to prove it on the pitch week in. No excuses for them this year - trophy or it is a failure.

3rd: CFC. Jorghino, Kante, and Kovacic is a great midfield 3 - on paper at least. Fabregas, RLC, and Barkley are not bad options off the bench either. They will take some time to gel but have so much quality upfront with Hazard, Willian and Pedro + think Giroud is such an underrated threat. Will be tough to better them this year.

4th: Splitting hairs between an Arsenal that are an unknown quantity but still have superb quality in their squad, Mourinho's boring but still hugely talented Utd and, ourselves.

I totally get the frustration of the window but as many have pointed out, we have probably 16 top, top players - many of whom are continuing to improve. I don't buy the line we couldn't improve our first 11 - arguments for a better LB and replacement for Dembele are valid, but it is often easy to overlook what we have. I will apologise for using an old football cliche but the return of injured players (Lamela, Winks), a match fit and acclimatised Moura and, a motivated Toby may feel like new signings - or may at least have the same impact. The worry is Wanyama and Dembele - can we really rely on them this season? I sense that if we can somehow navigate ourselves to a decent position by the January window, we may be able to address this issue.

Absolutely spot on. Chavs strengthened massively as have Liverpool. City will be a blip on the horizon and we need to rely once again on poch to work absolute fkin miracles
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,770
99,327
OK, the only squad, as it stands now with Toby still here, I'd swap ours for is City's.

FFS we've the top scorer in the world cup, and his record in the league over the last few seasons is mesmerising.
 

djee

Well-Known Member
Nov 24, 2004
624
1,797
I would add that the contributions of Lamela and Moura will go a long way to determine where we finish. Both have the ability but need to deliver like Eriksen, Alli, Son, and Kane have in the past 2/3 years over a season.
 

djee

Well-Known Member
Nov 24, 2004
624
1,797
OK, the only squad, as it stands now with Toby still here, I'd swap ours for is City's.

FFS we've the top scorer in the world cup, and his record in the league over the last few seasons is mesmerising.

Maybe CFC but splitting hairs really.
 
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