How close are we to challenging City & Liverpool ?

[Spurslove]

We're not realistically challenging for the title next year.
If we pick up the more likely transfers of Spence, Eriksen, Richarlison, McKennie, and Torres we have the bare minimum of a squad which will allow a bit of tactical flexibility and depth.
If this can help us consolidate 3rd/4th and get to the quarter finals of the CL then next seasons budget can go towards a couple of key players who can help us push on but I believe there is too much work necessary in terms of player volume in to buy the necessary quality to challenge this season coming.

I don't think we're that far off.

But to compete next season we need Kane and Son on top form from the beginning of the season and the new players to settle in quickly.

Let's not forget what we achieved last season with Kane hardly breaking a sweat till November when Nuno got sacked, and Conte turned up. With both Kane and Sonny firing on all cylinders for a whole season, being fully supported by a stronger midfield, who knows what we might achieve, and we're some good way yet from completing our transfer activity.

Maybe dreams of the EPL title are still some way off for us, but I do see us as being very much a work in progress, and we're aligning all our ducks for an eventual all-out assault on the ultimate prize.

One thing I do feel confident about however, is a trophy this season.

 

[Locotoro]

Maybe this has already been said but we don't have to be better than Liverpool and Man City to win the league. We just have to be better than, and beat, the rest of our opponents.
We already get good results against Liverpool and City.

On a side note, I'm looking at the squad and wondering how well our second string would fair.

Forster, Sanchez, Tanganga +1, Sessegnon, Emerson/Doherty, Skipp +1 one of the other CMs, Lucas +2 FWs

Does that look like a team that could beat most teams in the league?

 

[dontcallme]

Maybe this has already been said but we don't have to be better than Liverpool and Man City to win the league. We just have to be better than, and beat, the rest of our opponents.
We already get good results against Liverpool and City.

On a side note, I'm looking at the squad and wondering how well our second string would fair.

Forster, Sanchez, Tanganga +1, Sessegnon, Emerson/Doherty, Skipp +1 one of the other CMs, Lucas +2 FWs

Does that look like a team that could beat most teams in the league?

We'll never have to play our second string though.

If Perisic is out then I'm confident Sessegnon can do a good job. Skipp is performing to a good level and our win ratio with him playing is very good. Doherty also played extremely well at the end of last season.

So yes, if we played our second string we'd struggle, just like every other team in the league. But playing a few of the individuals and we'd be fine.

 

[Japhet]

We've shown that we're good enough to compete with them head to head with 8 points from 12 and no losses last year. Where we came unstuck was poor performances against lower teams and we need top competition within the squad to stamp out that sort of complacency. Lack of squad depth hurt us too when Skipp was injured but we've more than addressed that with Bissouma. Sorting out incomings early on and giving Conte the full pre season to get us prepared will be a huge bonus too. I think we can close the gap significantly, and as much as anything, I'd love to hand Chelsea their arses on a plate.

 

[Dirtysanchez6]

A top rwb lcb and another good attacking option away imo

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Someone to unlock those deep lying teams a la Eriksen will be key to not dropping points.

 

[Scot-Spur]

We'll never have to play our second string though.

If Perisic is out then I'm confident Sessegnon can do a good job. Skipp is performing to a good level and our win ratio with him playing is very good. Doherty also played extremely well at the end of last season.

So yes, if we played our second strong we'd struggle, just like every other team in the league. But playing a few of the individuals and we'd be fine.

This, you are very rarely going to rotate all 11 players so it’s a mute point!

 

[DogsOfWar]

Let's not forget what we achieved last season with Kane hardly breaking a sweat till November when Nuno got sacked, and Conte turned up. With both Kane and Sonny firing on all cylinders for a whole season, being fully supported by a stronger midfield, who knows what we might achieve, and we're some good way yet from completing our transfer activity.

Maybe dreams of the EPL title are still some way off for us, but I do see us as being very much a work in progress, and we're aligning all our ducks for an eventual all-out assault on the ultimate prize.

One thing I do feel confident about however, is a trophy this season.

I think we'll give it a good go, but City and Liverpool just have the edge in terms of getting over the line. Getting 90 odd points is some achievement and I can't see us matching that.

I'm happy enough with a much stronger squad as the key for me is to be able to challenge in all four competitions.
And if we can get a result in the the league/fa cup we can start that mentality here and properly push on next year.

 

[Japhet]

Someone to unlock those deep lying teams a la Eriksen will be key to not dropping points.

This is often said, but with no disrespect to Eriksen, we frequently struggled and often failed to break down 'bus parkers' with Eriksen in the team during Poch's time. Where he excelled, imo, was with pin point passes on the counter attack.

 

[ardiles]

If we look at just the points garnered by the top two clubs and us, after Conte’s arrival, the gap is much closer than what the actual end of the season table looked like.

With a proper pre season under Conte, as well as improvements to our full squad (starting & bench), I think that there will be more than just this two clubs vying for the title.

Anyway, it’s a little too early to gauge yet, until the TW has closed and we know which clubs have strengthened their squads and by how much.

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Our highest ever points total is 86 which is great but unfortunately that won’t win you a league title with City & Liverpool pushing each other on to greater and greater achievements & consistency

When you look at there strength in depth too it’s absolutely ridiculous when you look at their benches most of the time

To even think we can compete week in week out with those 2 atm shows the optimism around the manager & transfer business

Let’s see where we are at the end of the window before we get carried away but it would be great if our squad has been strengthened by 3or4 extra quality bodies after all the incomings & outgoings are completed!

 

[Spurslove]

I hope we can give another chance to Bryan Gil. Let's face it, Perisic is the absolutely perfect guy to learn from. I'm afraid I'm not convinced Sessignon is going to be good enough.

 

[cookiemonster]

Maybe this has already been said but we don't have to be better than Liverpool and Man City to win the league. We just have to be better than, and beat, the rest of our opponents.
We already get good results against Liverpool and City.

On a side note, I'm looking at the squad and wondering how well our second string would fair.

Forster, Sanchez, Tanganga +1, Sessegnon, Emerson/Doherty, Skipp +1 one of the other CMs, Lucas +2 FWs

Does that look like a team that could beat most teams in the league?

Er ...no

 

[cookiemonster]

Buy one of Bastoni/Bremmer/Gvardiol

Ericksen/Ruiz/Pellegrini

Osimhen/Richarlison/Lautoro

We will go close

Hincape Ndicka Bereton Diaz Anthony - no chance

 

[arunspurs]

Our forward buy will say a lot about our ambition.

If we go buy a Richarlison for 40-50m and he expects to be in bench - then thats the indication that Levy is changing. I am really looking forward as to who & how we buy the forward.

 

[WiganSpur]

This is often said, but with no disrespect to Eriksen, we frequently struggled and often failed to break down 'bus parkers' with Eriksen in the team during Poch's time. Where he excelled, imo, was with pin point passes on the counter attack.

Whilst I agree that an Eriksen type is often very useful, I almost think in these kinds of games being effective from set pieces and having players who are capable of shooting from distance is often more important.

 

[mr ashley]

We are certainly going to be much closer next season.
we’ve got the players and game plan to take points off city and Liverpool, and we are adding real squad depth (so much so that it would be hard to call our strongest eleven)

We’ve also started to sign the best player of teams beneath us, which hopefully will help us pick up more points too
Potentially signing Bissouma, spence, Eriksen and richarlison weakens 4 teams below us, as well as strengthen ourselves. Hopefully that can help us.

Also add in Liverpool hopefully misfiring due to the sale of mane (and let’s hope an unsettled salah), and pep focussing on CL glory can leave us an opportunity to step forward.
Confident of top 3, hopeful for even better (including a cup)

 

[Haddock]

I think we’ll close the gap a bit this season but let’s be honest. Both City and Liverpool are playing in a league of their own.

Yes, we did brilliantly the last half of the season but that was without CL and without major injuries to key players.

If we gap is closed this season it will be because one or both of City and Liverpool are playing under par. Which as a matter of fact I can see happening. And by playing under par I mean dropping a few more points than usual.

 

[WiganSpur]

I think we’ll close the gap a bit this season but let’s be honest. Both City and Liverpool are playing in a league of their own.

Yes, we did brilliantly the last half of the season but that was without CL and without major injuries to key players.

If we gap is closed this season it will be because one or both of City and Liverpool are playing under par. Which as a matter of fact I can see happening. And by playing under par I mean dropping a few more points than usual.

If City get Cucurella it's very hard to see them being any worse than last season. Whereas i'm not sure Liverpool have sufficiently strengthened their squad thus far.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

We had lots of major injuries and other absences to key players
Romero missed a large chunk of the season, Skipp was out for months, likewise Doherty and Sessegnon. Kane was effectively out for a couple of months also. We lost Lo Celso and NDombele, two of our marquee signings.
Probably others missing, but we did so well to get top 4 with all the problems we had.
Re Gil and Sess, have way more faith that Sess will make it, of course hope both do.