2016/17 : The Most Open Title Chase Ever ?

[Frogfish]

With the managerial roundabout about to go into top speed and the huge cashfall about to descend on every PL team there is little to prevent every club strengthening with good players, whether from within the English leagues or from overseas. So how is that going to transfer itself into performances next season ?

Leicester I fear for as I can't see how they will keep hold of Kante, Mahrez and maybe even Drinkwater too. If they can keep hold of them then I can see a Top 10 finish, if not they may well be back to fighting in the lower half of the PL because those are the 3 (along with Vardy) that have made the difference this season (not forgetting Ranieri who some belittle but he has created a real team with purpose and direction). Top 10.

Chelsea will be Top 4 challengers but need serious surgery (and will suffer the likely lose of Hazard too) to challenge for the PL, I don't see them challenging next season even with Conte at the helm. Top 4 challengers.

United : will be a team in transition and will probably be in a similar situation to that they are in now, not because they won't be stronger but because all around them will be stronger too. The Moyes/LvG eras have set them back though, though so long as they don't appoint Giggs, they should stride forward under Mourinho or whatever other top manager they appoint. Top 4 challengers.

Liverpool will be stronger though not strong enough for a real PL title challenge (unless we miss out on all Euro football) but good enough for a good Top 4 challenge.

City and Spurs will be up there again, good managers, won't lose players and will be able to strengthen. Top 3 challengers.

Arsenal I can see losing ground - whether Wenger leaves or stays they need to make changes within the club. Unless they win the PL this year, which will give them the confidence and attractiveness to top players, to strengthen and challenge again. Top 4 challengers.

West Ham & Southampton : Will see Top 4 chances regress once the traditionally top clubs strengthen. Top 6 challengers.

Everton : nowhere.

With all the money flooding into the PL only Barca, Real and Bayern will be able to outbid the likes of financially average PL teams such as WBA, West Ham or Everton. Therefore the PL strength in depth will only increase and naturally also the likelihood of someone doing another 'Leicester' though probably not to the same extent of challenging for the title.

The thing is for sure, the days of guaranteed Top 4 for any team are now history.

 

[Rosco]

I don't see how it will be more open than this year to be honest.

I've always said we should be looking to be a regular top four side, making sensible additions and being patient with our transfer business rather than taking the swing and miss approach we always take. That would leave us in a position to capitalise when a season like this occurs.

Instead its Spurs, Arsenal and the quite frankly totally unforseen Leicester that are in the fray when the big spenders United, City and Chelsea falter.

I think it will be extremely competitive again, adding money to teams who have consistently managed to outsmart us in transfer business only makes life more difficult

 

[manwithnoname]

It won't be more open at all. It's been the most open in recent history this year, because City and Chelsea have imploded. Next season it will be more competitive and harder than ever, because those two will have new managers, and spend a fucking fortune on new players. And that's not even factoring in United and the possibility of Mourinho.

We'll do well to get anywhere near Top 4

 

[Arn]

I think that we will win the league next season. The reason is that we have Klopp, maybe the best team builder in the world. He will build a TEAM without any big egos. Every player will work their socks off in every game. If they don't then they know that Klopp will sell them. He won't take any prisoners. Work as a team and give 100% or you are out.

 

[Dirkus_Circus]

United will romp to the title after they sign Neymar.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

West Ham just signed Lazini on a permanent deal for 9m. This follows Payet inking a new contract in February, which reportedly pays 125K a week for the next 4 years.

Next season, they move into the Olympic stadium with 54,000 seats (a big 19,000-seat jump) which they're practically gifted. With the club playing better football and doing well this season under Bilic, you'd expect them to pretty significantly improve their gate takings if not fill the stadium, at least for next season.

Unlike Spurs with their new stadium to build, Arsenal with the Emirates, and us with the expansion, they're getting a windfall which gives them a huge edge over the other clubs. Unless the owners take the money out of the club instead of putting it on the squad, I fear that we're seeing (or will soon see) a significant increase in their spending on transfers and wages in an attempt to become the next irritating London mainstay in the competition for CL places.

 

[Frogfish]

West Ham just signed Lazini on a permanent deal for 9m. This follows Payet inking a new contract in February, which reportedly pays 125K a week for the next 4 years.

Next season, they move into the Olympic stadium with 54,000 seats (a big 19,000-seat jump) which they're practically gifted. With the club playing better football and doing well this season under Bilic, you'd expect them to pretty significantly improve their gate takings if not fill the stadium, at least for next season.

Unlike Spurs with their new stadium to build, Arsenal with the Emirates, and us with the expansion, they're getting a windfall which gives them a huge edge over the other clubs. Unless the owners take the money out of the club instead of putting it on the squad, I fear that we're seeing (or will soon see) a significant increase in their spending on transfers and wages in an attempt to become the next irritating London mainstay in the competition for CL places.

Assuming that they can jump to 40,000 per home game and have 25 games at home with cup matches, that is still pretty insignificant compared to prize money from the PL for all clubs. In fact that ca. 15M increase in gate takings will, after tax, just about pay for Lazini and Payet's salaries. I don't see any huge edge there.

That said I think it's very likely that with the increase in PL earnings the Top 6 will regularly see incursions being made by the likes of West Ham or Leicester. As with everything in life when you reach a certain level (of players in this instance) you pay exponentially more for diminishing returns in improvements in quality/standard/performances which can easily be derailed by other factors (managers, formations, tactics, injuries).

 

[tombrown]

Pointless discussion - it is obvious next season's title is ours. I still haven't given up on this season's either

 

[manwithnoname]

West Ham just signed Lazini on a permanent deal for 9m. This follows Payet inking a new contract in February, which reportedly pays 125K a week for the next 4 years.

Next season, they move into the Olympic stadium with 54,000 seats (a big 19,000-seat jump) which they're practically gifted. With the club playing better football and doing well this season under Bilic, you'd expect them to pretty significantly improve their gate takings if not fill the stadium, at least for next season.

Unlike Spurs with their new stadium to build, Arsenal with the Emirates, and us with the expansion, they're getting a windfall which gives them a huge edge over the other clubs. Unless the owners take the money out of the club instead of putting it on the squad, I fear that we're seeing (or will soon see) a significant increase in their spending on transfers and wages in an attempt to become the next irritating London mainstay in the competition for CL places.

They won't fill that and their owners aren't rich enough. They'll be a team at about our level next season, maybe, but I don't think either of us will be in the Top 4

 

[moron]

Seriously Open ? i cannot help bu think Leicester are doing their stuff because they fear no one, are disciplined and have players that perform consistently at a good level. This is something any team could have done in the last 100 years but most chose not to. I have always believed this and i hope these current mid team teams really do come up and challenge because like this season i dont want the rich teams like chelsea and city to have a single easy game.

 

[Frogfish]

Seriously Open ? i cannot help bu think Leicester are doing their stuff because they fear no one, are disciplined and have players that perform consistently at a good level. This is something any team could have done in the last 100 years but most chose not to. I have always believed this and i hope these current mid team teams really do come up and challenge because like this season i dont want the rich teams like chelsea and city to have a single easy game.

It's fair enough to believe they will drop down the league next season when you consider how literally everything has fallen for them this season, a virtual lack of injuries to their most important players who have missed just a handful of matches between them ; Kante (33), Vardy (33), Mahrez (32), Drinkwater (31), Schmeichel (33), Albrighton (35) and Huth (29). Add to that their lack of other games so far this season ; Leicester 36, Liverpool 49, United 48 etc. etc., they could even recently afford to give their players a whole week off mid-season to refresh themselves before another week of light training, that's 2 full weeks off between matches.

Compare that to teams such as Liverpool, Arsenal and United who played 4 games in 11-12 days whilst Leicester were enjoying themselves on the beach or golf course. Of course Leicester are going to be bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and full of energy for every match.

Next season I don't doubt Ranieri will still be there, Vardy too as he's 29 yrs old and in the middle of his 'Career Season', the same can be said for Albrighton, Huth, Morgan and maybe Schmeichel too. But I expect a queue of suitors for Kante, Mahrez and Drinkwater come the end of the season.

Next season you can add at least 6 CL games to their schedule and maybe they'll drop into the EL and get to play another 6-8 games or more. Add that to their small squad and loss of at least a couple of their stars, the strengthening with new managers of the 'Moneyed' clubs and the PL cash for everyone to bring in fresh blood ... and next season all of sudden begins to look daunting.

 

[Rosco]

Yeah, i'm not concerned about Leicester at this stage It looks like they've caught lightning a bottle this season with their squad and also benefitted from the long awaited down cycle for United, City and Chelsea.

We did something similar when we finished second , we just didn't realise it and thought we were better than we were.

 

[Silver Sean]

It won't be more open at all. It's been the most open in recent history this year, because City and Chelsea have imploded. Next season it will be more competitive and harder than ever, because those two will have new managers, and spend a fucking fortune on new players. And that's not even factoring in United and the possibility of Mourinho.

We'll do well to get anywhere near Top 4

I was going to post pretty much exactly this, then I read yours and thought I'd save myself the time. But now I've written all this I haven't saved any time a tall. Stupid internet.

 

[Judge Jules]

It's fair enough to believe they will drop down the league next season when you consider how literally everything has fallen for them this season, a virtual lack of injuries to their most important players who have missed just a handful of matches between them ; Kante (33), Vardy (33), Mahrez (32), Drinkwater (31), Schmeichel (33), Albrighton (35) and Huth (29). Add to that their lack of other games so far this season ; Leicester 36, Liverpool 49, United 48 etc. etc., they could even recently afford to give their players a whole week off mid-season to refresh themselves before another week of light training, that's 2 full weeks off between matches.

Compare that to teams such as Liverpool, Arsenal and United who played 4 games in 11-12 days whilst Leicester were enjoying themselves on the beach or golf course. Of course Leicester are going to be bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and full of energy for every match.

Next season I don't doubt Ranieri will still be there, Vardy too as he's 29 yrs old and in the middle of his 'Career Season', the same can be said for Albrighton, Huth, Morgan and maybe Schmeichel too. But I expect a queue of suitors for Kante, Mahrez and Drinkwater come the end of the season.

Next season you can add at least 6 CL games to their schedule and maybe they'll drop into the EL and get to play another 6-8 games or more. Add that to their small squad and loss of at least a couple of their stars, the strengthening with new managers of the 'Moneyed' clubs and the PL cash for everyone to bring in fresh blood ... and next season all of sudden begins to look daunting.

Good post and I agree to a large extent. I don't see them dropping disastrously far down the league but I don't believe they'll get top four again.