Next seasons Top 4 who will be the weakest link ?

[6TimesaRed]

Next season one can only imagine the Top 4 will be even tougher

Chelsea and Arsenal I think will be dead certs to qualify with City not too far behind..

That leaves UTD.. they will strengthen.. and they will spend silly this summer...

Will they really be the weakest link..?? will it be their place we will have to target ?

 

[Rosco]

Well they had the benefit of being able to focus on the league all season long like we did last season.

They're depth will be tested much more next season, so I do think they will be vulnerable.

But City are as well. That squad is potentially a timebomb

 

[6TimesaRed]

Well they had the benefit of being able to focus on the league all season long like we did last season.

They're depth will be tested much more next season, so I do think they will be vulnerable.

But City are as well. That squad is potentially a timebomb

I thought that about City too.. the summer will be a defining moment for them they need to get the right signings in to replace the players they need to kick out..

 

[RedStar]

United are the weakest of the top 4, no doubt about it. That hoofing it up to Fellaini shite has already been figured out

 

[Silver Sean]

I think we had our chance to kick on this season after being runners up. We fucked it up. We won't get back in for many years and not with this team or manager. Utd were there to be subjected to the humiliation of back to back failures to qualify but we decided to let them off the hook.

 

[Rosco]

Yup.

I think we were stupid to decide Sturridge should be injured all season. We fucked up there

 

[redblack7]

Given his injury history we were certainly stupid not to forsee it as a distinct possibility.We went into this season with no real cover if DS got injured.Now that was stupid.

 

[Frogfish]

United &/or City. Unfortunately both are going to spend a lot of money trying to cover their deficiencies.

 

[Jack D Rips]

In fairness to utd, and I hate being fair to utd, they had a horrific season with injuries and still managed to make the top four, possibly top three.

sadly I can only see them improve on that next season with the spending they are about to embark on.

 

[Glen C]

United &/or City. Unfortunately both are going to spend a lot of money trying to cover their deficiencies.

While we will be signing Milner and Ings. Our chance of top 4 next season is slim at best. Our best chance was this season and we blew it big time with inability in the transfer market.

 

[gkmacca]

I desperately hope it will be Arsenal. They'll have their usual great start, middle or end to the season, but they're a bunch of cowardly selfie addicts and hopefully they'll crumble even more than usual and end up in seventh.

 

[Rosco]

In fairness to utd, and I hate being fair to utd, they had a horrific season with injuries and still managed to make the top four, possibly top three.

sadly I can only see them improve on that next season with the spending they are about to embark on.

Well I've no doubt they'll spend but they've got a number of issues to address. Rooney will be their main striker going into next season, RVP is close to done, Hernandez won't be back and Falcao is going.

And I think they'll struggle with that initial readjustment to European football commitments.

City for me are more vulnerable though - I'm struggling to see what they can do with that squad given their FFP issues. That's a team firmly at the point of being too old to expect any natural improvement from them, if anything I expect them to worsen slightly. None of their recent signings have really been great and they're all virtually unsellable for decent money.

If FFP bites City need a miracle

 

[the count]

Yup.

I think we were stupid to decide Sturridge should be injured all season. We fucked up there

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I believe that if we had signed Remy when we had the chance we would have made it into the top four again this season.

 

[gkmacca]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I believe that if we had signed Remy when we had the chance we would have made it into the top four again this season.

That's still a weird one, that decision. He's probably much less of a medical concern than Studge.

 

[the count]

That's still a weird one, that decision. He's probably much less of a medical concern than Studge.

Was the sacking of Dr Zaf related in any way?

 

[Silver Sean]

Yup.

I think we were stupid to decide Sturridge should be injured all season. We fucked up there

Yeah, that's the only reason. Your searing lack of insight and braying insistence on being the centre of attention is only equalled by your ridiculous sense of self-worth and willful obtuseness.

 

[Hansern]

City have got massive issues with building a new team/squad.
Utd will have European footy to think about and lets be honest they've got CL this season because they've the least shite.
Any of them can drop out.

We fucked up by signing Balotelli/Lambert. Had we replaced Suarez with quality upfront we would have finished 4th regardless of Sturridges injury imho.

Of the 58 games we've played this season 30 have been without either Sturridge or Balotelli.

 

[Rosco]

Yeah, that's the only reason. Your searing lack of insight and braying insistence on being the centre of attention is only equalled by your ridiculous sense of self-worth and willful obtuseness.

Your thesaurus use doesn't change anything.

And that you thought we could kick on from a second place finish that was essentially grounded on unusually favourable conditions that wouldn't exist this year shows who is lacking insight.

 

[Frogfish]

City for me are more vulnerable though - I'm struggling to see what they can do with that squad given their FFP issues. That's a team firmly at the point of being too old to expect any natural improvement from them, if anything I expect them to worsen slightly. None of their recent signings have really been great and they're all virtually unsellable for decent money.

If FFP bites City need a miracle

City will get a new sponsorship deal courtesy of Etihad or an Etihad partner to wipe away any FFP question. A new manager is a certainty and there is no way he'll not be given a huge dowry.

 

[StevieM]

It remains to be seen who the top four will add to their teams to protect their position.

The only way we get to challenge is if we add a player to the team capable of adding somewhere near the goals Suarez did & we get get Sturridge consistently fit.

 

[StevieM]

Yup.

I think we were stupid to decide Sturridge should be injured all season. We fucked up there

Come on Ross - we were stupid to think Sturridge wouldn't be injured & Balloteli could replace Suarez.

50 odd goals from Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge and someone thought we could replicate that with Mario Balloteli & Rickie Lambert.

I reckon the twat with the spreadsheets on the transfer committee probably championed this.

 

[Rosco]

It's more the ' we let United off the hook' nonsense I was taking issue with.

Our transfers were shite as I've said a number of times. That said I think we still had enough to finish in the top four had we gotten even half a season from Sturridge - which isn't unreasonable.

We were a bit unlucky this year. And there's no need to panic over it and overreact to it

 

[bob1992]

Exactly as it is now.

 

[gkmacca]

Was the sacking of Dr Zaf related in any way?

I don't think so. I think that actually was a genuine 'family reasons'. For once!

 

[mr_moo]

I think we had our chance to kick on this season after being runners up. We fucked it up. We won't get back in for many years and not with this team or manager. Utd were there to be subjected to the humiliation of back to back failures to qualify but we decided to let them off the hook.

Unfortunately I think sean is right

 

[StevieM]

I think Sean's partly right - mistakes were made - but let's not go overboard with the doom & gloom.

Each of the 4 teams above us have flaws.

Man City have done serious rebuilding to do.

Arsenal, despite talk of progress are likely to end up with less points than they did last year.

Man Utd also have a lot of rebuilding to do.

Utd, Chelsea & City all have players in key positions that are getting on a bit.

Obviously Chelsea look the strongest, but the demand for them to succeed in Europe might tend them to lose focus domestically- I reckon Mourinho will have to play a more expansive game to succeed in Europe - and that won't suit him.

It's all ifs and buts, we get that Gerrard replacement right and splash cash on a world class striker the there's every reason to believe that we can finish top four.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

I think Sean's partly right - mistakes were made - but let's not go overboard with the doom & gloom.

Party pooper.

 

[localny]

Next season one can only imagine the Top 4 will be even tougher

Chelsea and Arsenal I think will be dead certs to qualify with City not too far behind..

That leaves UTD.. they will strengthen.. and they will spend silly this summer...

Will they really be the weakest link..?? will it be their place we will have to target ?

Chelsea are a cert, and no-one else. We could easily be up there if we had a striker or two. We all know this.

 

[HC]

Does spending money equate to success in football?

I'm not sure it's having the same impact as it did 10 years ago. The thread on last seasons expensive flops proves that.. They aren't exactly thin on the ground.

 

[jexykrodic]

Does spending money equate to success in football?

I'm not sure it's having the same impact as it did 10 years ago. The thread on last seasons expensive flops proves that.. They aren't exactly thin on the ground.

In the last 10 years the League has been shared between Chelsea, United and City, the 3 biggest spenders.