The Race for the Title, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or even 6th Thread.

[pagevee]

Anyone really thinks we'll finish above Leicester or Everton this season? I didn't think so.

I am still shocked by this post, I honestly never considered we would finish below Leicester AND Everton. Behind Leicester, maybe but behind Everton? I don't care if they won the first game, I never thought they had improved enough as a squad to finish top 4. I could be wrong, but your viewpoint seems to be more negative than I ever considered.

So to answer your sarcastic question... yes, I have always thought we would finish above either Leicester or Everton this season. As we have finished above one of the two clubs since Leicester were promoted, I would have taken that bet even before we resigned Bale.

 

[wishkah]

Bloody annoyed we lost points to everton for not showing up and Newcastle for stupid rules. Feel like those points could cost us. Especially as this feels like the season to push on up

 

[HildoSpur]

We should be aiming for minimum 3rd in the league with this squad.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Bloody annoyed we lost points to everton for not showing up and Newcastle for stupid rules. Feel like those points could cost us. Especially as this feels like the season to push on up

Very frustrating as we probably deserved a point vs Everton but was poor performance and then definitely were robbed vs Newcastle. 6pts from 9 wouldve been a solid start but it’s so competitive this season that 4 from 9 means we are playing catch up already especially if we lose to man.u and eve win we could be 8 points behind them after 4 matches!!!! But let’s hope we can make up for it by beating man.u and then the season really would open up on all fronts. Draw isn’t end of the world either but as Jose has famously said before “We might not win,... but WE CAN NOT LOSE”

COYS huge game Sunday now. Our rivals will drop points over the season as the league is so competitive but we ideally need minimum a draw on Sunday now given our marginal loss to Everton and 2points dropped to Newcastle.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

We should be aiming for minimum 3rd in the league with this squad.

I would agree but we are already playing catch up by losing to Everton and the injustice against Newcastle. Win at man.u gets us back on track.

 

[Montalbano]

Bloody annoyed we lost points to everton for not showing up and Newcastle for stupid rules. Feel like those points could cost us. Especially as this feels like the season to push on up

Still early days. Theoretically Everton is the only club we couldn’t catch without them dropping points.

I have the feeling we’re going to put together a very strong run of wins going after the international break. Our squad is starting to look seriously deadly.

 

[hellava_tough]

Bloody annoyed we lost points to everton for not showing up and Newcastle for stupid rules. Feel like those points could cost us. Especially as this feels like the season to push on up

It might cost us a PL title, but it probably won't cost us a CL place.

Still plenty to play for.

Also, i think this season will have all sorts if strange results.

 

[Tucker]

**CLICHE KLAXON**

There’s a long way to go yet, it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

I think the title will be more open, I know Liverpool look strong again, but their defence isn’t playing as well as it was and they will concede more this season I reckon. I think home advantage really helped them last season too and sometimes gave them the edge. There isn’t the same effect with home games now (though that applies to everyone.)

There will be loads of odd results this year, look at Leicester beating City last week, or Palace beating United. I also think the league is stronger this year, the shitter teams look a lot better with only Fulham looking really poor.

Top four is definitely achievable for our side, but the likes of Everton, Leicester, Arsenal, United, Chelsea, and Wolves will be thinking the same. City and Liverpool will expect to be in the top two but that’s not a given. Either way that’s 8 clubs that could feasibly finish in the top four places.

Hopefully it’s going to be an exciting season and we challenge.

 

[Saoirse]

Looking like an 8 point gap.... if so tomorrow is a must win just to begin making up for our start

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Looking like an 8 point gap.... if so tomorrow is a must win just to begin making up for our start

Must win after 4 games ?

Marathon not a sprint my friend. Even a point tomorrow leaves us two points better off than the same fixtures last season.

 

[Marty]

**CLICHE KLAXON**

There’s a long way to go yet, it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

I think the title will be more open, I know Liverpool look strong again, but their defence isn’t playing as well as it was and they will concede more this season I reckon. I think home advantage really helped them last season too and sometimes gave them the edge. There isn’t the same effect with home games now (though that applies to everyone.)

There will be loads of odd results this year, look at Leicester beating City last week, or Palace beating United. I also think the league is stronger this year, the shitter teams look a lot better with only Fulham looking really poor.

Top four is definitely achievable for our side, but the likes of Everton, Leicester, Arsenal, United, Chelsea, and Wolves will be thinking the same. City and Liverpool will expect to be in the top two but that’s not a given. Either way that’s 8 clubs that could feasibly finish in the top four places.

Hopefully it’s going to be an exciting season and we challenge.

Good post. I think I hold Liverpool in slightly higher regard than you do and I'll be very surprised if they don't win this season too. But behind them it really feels like it's seven or eight clubs in a rat race for the other three CL spots.

After our business and the way we've responded since Everton we will be in the race right to the end, but tomorrow feels even more important after last week's robbery.

 

[Saoirse]

Must win after 4 games ?

Marathon not a sprint my friend. Even a point tomorrow leaves us two points better off than the same fixtures last season.

Last season, our worst in over a decade! It may be a marathon, but its very rare to make up a 6 point gap. Assuming the title winners get about 2.5 points per game again we'd have to win 12 in a row (more than we've ever managed in the PL!) just to get back to par. Our only real hope would be a Leicester season where nobody does well. You can't win a marathon after a tenth of the distance, but you can certainly lose one.

 

[Colonel Dax]

I'm hoping Everton's lack of squad depth will undo them in a few months but have to admit at the moment their form is very annoying.

 

[easley91]

We made up 12 points when José came in and had we beaten Chelsea at home in December we would have been 4th. 8 points right now is nothing.

 

[Shadydan]

Ahh didn't take long for the must win cliche to appear

 

[Trotter]

We should be aiming for minimum 3rd in the league with this squad.

I just feel we are way too weak in the centre of the park and central defence still.
We may score a few more, but will need to, as we will concede regularly.

Odds still have us as about a 50% chance of Top 6, and feel that is about right.

We are actually down to 8th favourites (behind both Leicester and Everton) now, from 6th favourites at start of season.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Leicester had a very strong start last year and then the second half of their season was more like midtable form.

Everton have started strongly but may have squad depth issues.

We on the other hand are negotiating a ridiculous schedule, with some players who had no preseason.

Wait for things to settle down, wait to see if we bring in Skriniar and a CF.

Wait to see what we look like with Bale and Reguilon in the team.

Wait til Ndombele and Lo Celso are fully up to speed and can handle 90 mins back to back.

If we live up to the promise we have, and with a coach like Jose in charge, there's absolutely no reason why this team cannot put a solid run of wins together, especially later in the season, when Everton and Leicester's squads will start to feel the heat.

City are very beatable.
Liverpool are beatable - defence not as sound.

I said before the start that this season will be very surprising, but we look like we are putting together a very strong squad, and that makes a difference when the going gets tough.

You put far too much time and common sense into replying to what was, lets face it, a fucking stupid post.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Ahh didn't take long for the must win cliche to appear

TBF someone says it before pretty much every game

 

[Bulletspur]

Must win after 4 games ?

Marathon not a sprint my friend. Even a point tomorrow leaves us two points better off than the same fixtures last season.

We made up 12 points when José came in and had we beaten Chelsea at home in December we would have been 4th. 8 points right now is nothing.

Exactly! We were 14th when Jose took over and playing without Kane for weeks pre lockdown, we still managed a credible 6th place, where Jose didnt have the squad and players of his choice. He has a full season and the players now so I cannot understand the negativity.

 

[JW72]

I'm hoping Everton's lack of squad depth will undo them in a few months...

...is what we all thought/hoped about Leicester. A few early wins, confidence and a forward line on form shouldn't be underestimated. I wouldn't be surprised if this season finished: Pool, Everton, Leicester then one from us, City, Chelsea, United. I don't think that WILL happen but it's not impossible.