2023/24 - The Race For..................
- Thread starter Archibald&Crooks
- Start date
TheChosenOne
A dislike or neg rep = fat fingers
- Dec 13, 2005
- 48,178
- 50,226
Fascinating season where every one of the top 8 have issues of some kind.
Never known a season so open and unpredictable…
City - lost Gundogan & Mahrez (may yet lose Walker)
Arsenal - Hugely over performed first 3/4 of last season, will they revert to the norm and slip back
Utd - Very fragile squad, can’t see what others rate about them
Liv - Struggled last season replacing front three, will they fire this year or will they suffer losing the heart of their midfield this year
Che - Christ knows, genuinely can’t name their starting 11 off the top of my head. Know they’ve spent a lot but I have no idea how they’ll play
Newc - Riding a wave last season but unsure they have the quality to repeat that level again. Think they’ll drift back to mid table (very tough start will be rude awakening)
Tot - so many unknowns, will new defenders settle quickly, will new attacking intent work (everyone has a plan till they get smacked in the face), will lane be here, who will replace him
The season could genuinely go in any direction this year and after growing up in the era of Utd dominance I love to see that it’s all to play for even if City are still massive favourites.
And David Silva (retired)
fishhhandaricecake
Well-Known Member
- Nov 15, 2018
- 19,540
- 48,811
I like your thinking so what you're saying is if Kane stays the title is ours...Fascinating season where every one of the top 8 have issues of some kind.
Never known a season so open and unpredictable…
City - lost Gundogan & Mahrez (may yet lose Walker)
Arsenal - Hugely over performed first 3/4 of last season, will they revert to the norm and slip back
Utd - Very fragile squad, can’t see what others rate about them
Liv - Struggled last season replacing front three, will they fire this year or will they suffer losing the heart of their midfield this year
Che - Christ knows, genuinely can’t name their starting 11 off the top of my head. Know they’ve spent a lot but I have no idea how they’ll play
Newc - Riding a wave last season but unsure they have the quality to repeat that level again. Think they’ll drift back to mid table (very tough start will be rude awakening)
Tot - so many unknowns, will new defenders settle quickly, will new attacking intent work (everyone has a plan till they get smacked in the face), will lane be here, who will replace him
The season could genuinely go in any direction this year and after growing up in the era of Utd dominance I love to see that it’s all to play for even if City are still massive favourites.
Bluto Blutarsky
Well-Known Member
- Mar 4, 2021
- 15,289
- 71,143
There are 18 dots in the title - we’re getting relegated aren’t we?
Snarfalicious
Well-Known Member
- Jul 15, 2012
- 15,744
- 72,233
Top 6 for me. I think we will score a ton of goals but will have a soft underbelly in defense which will lead to some ugly losses/dropped points. All part of growing pains but I have not been this excited to just watch us play in what feels like 4ish years.
DogsOfWar
Well-Known Member
- Jan 12, 2005
- 2,303
- 3,645
I agree with the comments that we are the biggest unknowns.
Most of our starters and first choice subs have been bought in within the last couple of seasons and are relatively young.
Throw in a new manager and system and I think we can come anywhere between 2nd and 6th.
But as we're coming to the end of the re-build I'd take 6th but playing entertaining football and moving in the right direction.
Most of our starters and first choice subs have been bought in within the last couple of seasons and are relatively young.
Throw in a new manager and system and I think we can come anywhere between 2nd and 6th.
But as we're coming to the end of the re-build I'd take 6th but playing entertaining football and moving in the right direction.
Yantino
Well-Known Member
- Apr 28, 2012
- 690
- 3,144
There is undoubted quality throughout our squad. With (hopefully) the additions of a couple of central defenders and the sale of a few fringe players we are well set up to have a good season. This group of players were being talked about as title challengers a year ago.
My personal take is that our football will be exciting and attacking but we are going to have to be patient. We are going to be on the end of a few thumpings. As long as those thumpings are not back-to-back and we keep our momentum I don’t see any reason why this group of players can’t achieve a top 4 finish. We have no European distractions so I would also expect us to have a really good go at the cup comps.
My personal take is that our football will be exciting and attacking but we are going to have to be patient. We are going to be on the end of a few thumpings. As long as those thumpings are not back-to-back and we keep our momentum I don’t see any reason why this group of players can’t achieve a top 4 finish. We have no European distractions so I would also expect us to have a really good go at the cup comps.
Tottenham_God
Well-Known Member
- Nov 6, 2011
- 2,940
- 5,619
We will finish 5th and win the FA cup
arunspurs
Well-Known Member
- Aug 31, 2012
- 8,901
- 35,837
In a shite season , playing under 3 managers last season,
i) Son avg season. Kulu, Richarlison, Bissouma' out of form whole season
ii) We lost games against teams we should not have lost. We conceded like there were no CBs
iii) Our Keeper was in terrible form, saving only 65% one of the lowest in league
iv) Team morale was down from Jan, confirmed by Romero
v) We played with no plan A or B.
Yet, in the end, we outscored United (by 12 goals) and Newcastle. We won 18, while Newcastle won 19 games.
Kane ofcourse was in God mode....
Difference already is that,
i) We are already playing to a plan
ii) If that plan executes, we wont lose games or be difficult to be beaten by sides lower than us
iii) Vicario doesnt need to do much to have a better season than Lloris
iv) Team morale is already up - which can be seen
v) Maddison, Udogie, Solomon - all new signings seems to be clicking already
Just on these points, we should have a good season comparatively.
If VandeVen & the new CB click, then all these points by itself should see us in top8.
Wild card is Kane.
If Kane leaves, we bring in Orban - jury will be out on where we finish
If Kane stays and CBs click even on avg terms, top4 should be on. Afterall, our attack should still be one of , if not the best in the league.
i) Son avg season. Kulu, Richarlison, Bissouma' out of form whole season
ii) We lost games against teams we should not have lost. We conceded like there were no CBs
iii) Our Keeper was in terrible form, saving only 65% one of the lowest in league
iv) Team morale was down from Jan, confirmed by Romero
v) We played with no plan A or B.
Yet, in the end, we outscored United (by 12 goals) and Newcastle. We won 18, while Newcastle won 19 games.
Kane ofcourse was in God mode....
Difference already is that,
i) We are already playing to a plan
ii) If that plan executes, we wont lose games or be difficult to be beaten by sides lower than us
iii) Vicario doesnt need to do much to have a better season than Lloris
iv) Team morale is already up - which can be seen
v) Maddison, Udogie, Solomon - all new signings seems to be clicking already
Just on these points, we should have a good season comparatively.
If VandeVen & the new CB click, then all these points by itself should see us in top8.
Wild card is Kane.
If Kane leaves, we bring in Orban - jury will be out on where we finish
If Kane stays and CBs click even on avg terms, top4 should be on. Afterall, our attack should still be one of , if not the best in the league.
homer hotspur
Well-Known Member
- Dec 7, 2014
- 2,944
- 4,728
40 points?
sorry that was one I prepared earlier, when it looked like Kane was going!
Huddlebone
Well-Known Member
- Aug 10, 2012
- 1,393
- 2,306
There are many unknowns for us, but if we get Laporte, Kane stays and we are able to move all the players out that we want so Ange can work with a small group and really focus on the leagues and cups this year like Poch had i set up I'm optimistic in that We will fight with United for the 4th this year. Liverpool, Arsenal, and City will be ahead this year.
Saoirse
Well-Known Member
- Aug 20, 2013
- 6,165
- 15,644
As much as people are joking I think there's definitely a world where, if not challenging for the title, we're at least comfortably in the Top 4 without much stress. We always get too fixated on the last season - everyone though we'd finish at least 4th last year, and now everyone thinks it's a very long shot, when really things are far less consistent and predictable than that
