What are your expectations for the season 21/22: The race for any position between 1st and 20th

[ardiles]

United are dreadful. I’m secretly hoping the squad have got a bit of a boost from the Ten Hag appointment today but realistically they don’t have a midfield, their defence are mostly injured and apart from CR7 all their attackers are wildly out of form.

That Chelsea result is massive for Arsenal. The Emirates will be buzzing and if they get an early goal I could honestly see them winning by a few.

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[cockerel downunder]

Are you totally sure Conte will stay if we don't get top 4 now? Every chance all 3 major London clubs bar us could be in it next season. That won't help our pulling power for new signings

Honestly I dont think conte would mind not being in the CL. Europa league would give him more licence to rotate and focus his attention on the league which is what he really cares about.

however, now that he has set the team this challenge I think he will be pretty pissed off if they don’t succeed. Also if not being in CL means we don’t get the players he wants or results in Kane leaving this could affect conte staying.

so I think knock on effects might impact him more than the lack of CL itself if they makes sense

 

[mil1lion]

I think regardless of where we finish Conte will want big improvements in the summer. The fact that we're even fighting to finish 4th will not be good enough for him. He will want to be clear from a top 4 battle next season chasing down Liverpool and City. He said himself that it's strange for him to be contending for 4th when he is so used to contending for 1st. I have no doubt if Conte was here from the start we'd be sitting 3rd and pretty much qualified for CL by now. Even that would not be enough for him and he'll always be looking to find how to close the gap on 1st.

I think Chelsea is the most realistic gap to close this summer. I still expect them to finish a fair bit ahead of us and they've reached 2 cup finals and gone a long way in the CL as well. So there's still a fair gap there just to push clear of this 4th place battle next season. The fact we signed Romero, Kulusevski and Bentancur without any CL football gives me great belief we cab still close that gap in the summer. If we can get a clear top 4 finish and close the gap on the top 2 next season but also compete in cups (ideally win one) then I think Conte will extend for another season. I wonder how long City and Liverpool can realistically keep going at the top or even if their managers stay motivated and happy. It may not be too unrealistic to challenge for the title the season after next.

 

[Delboy75]

Can’t believe how stressed I feel about this. I think it’s cause it’s a fight with them. If it was just United I don’t think I’d be anywhere near as bothered. It’s about as much stopping them is it is us getting it ourselves. Them not getting could really set them back imo and might see the end of Arteta and hopefully make Saka think twice about a new contract.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

 

[spursfan77]

What we need is to get back to winning ways this week and hope arsenal and utd draw.
But I hope we don't go all spursy and allow arsenal back in, would be nice after the shit show of the past couple of seasons to get CL again.

Out of interest, would you call Liverpool “Liverpoolsy” if we beat them and it meant they lost the title? Teams do lose games you know.

 

[shelfboy68]

Out of interest, would you call Liverpool “Liverpoolsy” if we beat them and it meant they lost the title? Teams do lose games you know.

Come on mate a team that has won a trophy already this season and are a whisker away from another three are hardly nearly men.
I know none of us like the term spursy but this will stick with us until or if we start achieving shit like teams of Liverpool's stature.

 

[thebenjamin]

Can’t believe how stressed I feel about this. I think it’s cause it’s a fight with them. If it was just United I don’t think I’d be anywhere near as bothered. It’s about as much stopping them is it is us getting it ourselves. Them not getting could really set them back imo and might see the end of Arteta and hopefully make Saka think twice about a new contract.

Agree I'm very stressed about it too. Because it's Arsenal and feels like a sliding doors moment for the two clubs. And also because to me Kane and Conte's futures are clearly wrapped up in CL qualification this season.

 

[mil1lion]

Can’t believe how stressed I feel about this. I think it’s cause it’s a fight with them. If it was just United I don’t think I’d be anywhere near as bothered. It’s about as much stopping them is it is us getting it ourselves. Them not getting could really set them back imo and might see the end of Arteta and hopefully make Saka think twice about a new contract.

I'm stressed too but not because it's arsenal but just because I really want 4th now. Now that we're close to CL again after 2 years without. The trouble is that we left ourselves too short after too many losses at the start of the year so will take almost title form for the run in to get there. We did great just to get where we are now and claw back lost ground. I still think we're in a better position than Arsenal with a superior manager and have signed better players since Paratici came in. It's easy to forget that Arsenal are in a non European season so they will face a new challenge under Arteta with a lot of midweek games (hopefully Thursday). I think Utd will build a decent team under Ten Hag and wouldn't be surprised if they overtake arsenal next season but I still fancy us to finish above them too. It's funny because a year ago I would say its more likely we have Ten Hag and Utd have Conte and I would have been OK with that but feel it would take a few years to build. Now we have the manager to succeed a lot sooner.

 

[hughy]

Come on mate a team that has won a trophy already this season and are a whisker away from another three are hardly nearly men.
I know none of us like the term spursy but this will stick with us until or if we start achieving shit like teams of Liverpool's stature.

Stop fucking using it then.

 

[ajspurs]

I've tried to not stress myself about it to be honest. I was stressed before the Brighton game but that game again reminded me that just anything can happen. The most important thing is that regardless of the outcome, we still look to improve ourselves to the degree that Conte feels necessary in the summer.

Arsenal had to watch us qualify for CL for a few years on the bounce, if we have to do it and let them have their 1 year in it then so be it but I don't think it will be more than that as far as they're concerned. It will suck for sure but that's football, have to deal with lows too, as we all probably know too well. I just don't like creating a "it has to be CL or we're fucked" picture as I don't think that's the reality.

I don't think Conte's future is dependant on CL qualification and I also think he'll be more than adamant that Kane remains at the club, CL or not.

 

[shelfboy68]

Stop fucking using it then.

I will when they stop being spursy you don't get to tell me though just remember that ?

 

[hughy]

I will when they stop being spursy you don't get to tell me though just remember that ?

Yeah just intentionally wind people up, that will go down well.

 

[Delboy75]

For all the talk what terrible top 4 race this is. 4 wins from last 6 and we have same points as Liverpool last season who came 3rd.

 

[Guernman]

Out of interest, would you call Liverpool “Liverpoolsy” if we beat them and it meant they lost the title? Teams do lose games you know.

going into the CL final again us, Liverpool were perennial losers, I don't know how many finals Klopp had lost at that point, but they couldn't get over the line,

during that game they didn't really turn up either, if we hadn't have conceded the penalty they were there for the taking, even after they scored actually. It was a game featuring two almost have teams and one of us had to stumble across the line. They got lucky that it was them, and winning it completely changed their fortunes and mentality

It is incredibly hard to generate a true winning mentality and it can only really come after you have won something and frankly just get used to it and expect it. You can't conjure that up any other way

We are going to lose plenty of games we should win, so are Arsenal. City have a weak mentality when it comes to the Champions League despite the billions spent to win it. Once they do stumble over the line, they'll probably go on to win it a few times

Conte gives us a big edge in terms of mentality, but we are still going to need to win something before we, as a club, will have anything like his mindset

 

[shelfboy68]

Yeah just intentionally wind people up, that will go down well.

Nobody is winding anyone up most of us know and accept it for what it is you should direct your anger to the team that struggles to lose the title not individual fans.

 

[robbiedee]

I have to say I was pretty confident until Chelsea decided to play their shittier players in the wrong positions and generally not turn up.

I still think we'll do it, but I think it will be tight.

We really need to win 5/6 of our games without relying on Arsenal fucking up, so that's what we've got to focus on; Us. Can't afford anymore burnley/brighton/southampton type performances. Got to be on it every game now.

Hopefully the team know this and deliver.

 

[gertrude stein]

I am just as pessimistic as any of us, and that Arsenal result shocked me from my state of firm belief we had fully realised the Conte plan. However, realistically this race for 4th looked impossible earlier this season and the fact that United have been a catastrophe but are somehow still in it is testament to the fact that anything can happen. Arsenal lost 3 in a row and with one win, are level with us. It was a recency bias to assume we were gonna cruise this now.
Nonetheless, Chelsea look vulnerable, Arsenal still have injuries and are mostly youngsters and United are...United. Moreover, we have Conte so let's keep our head up and also hope Christian kicks one in their net for us

 

[walworthyid]

At least its not boring. I'll take this over those mid table seasons where we were safe from relegation but too far off the European places.

Basically the entire 90s and most of the naughties!

 

[Blake Griffin]

we need top four more than arsenal or utd.