Rivals: Saints, Hammers and Swans

[leftpeg]

There's no getting away from how impressively this lot have started, especially Southampton given their summer exodus...but can any of them last the pace and challenge for the top 4?

My own feeling is that Chelsea's will run away with the league and City will stroll to second. Arsenal will pick up third and then Liverpool, the three listed above, Utd, Spurs and Everton will all take points off each other and one of us will squeak into 4th possibly with the lowest points tally ever for that position. There's going to be very little in it between 4th and 10th.

 

[gkmacca]

I doubt anyone but us expect LFC to be in the top four.

 

[leftpeg]

As I say Macca I think we're as likely to finish 4th as 10th and everywhere in between...but the same is true of Utd, Spurs, Southampton etc.

 

[cloggypop]

Might as well have Newcastle in the thread title as well really.

 

[leftpeg]

Might as well have Newcastle in the thread title as well really.

We're nowhere near that level!

 

[cloggypop]

We're nowhere near that level!

We are closer to Newcastle than we are to Southampton!

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

There's going to be very little in it between 4th and 10th.

It almost always opens up at some point and then there's a big gap in the end. In the previous 14 seasons, there's only been one season where the gap has been as low as 10 points (03/04). In a couple of seasons, it was about 16+, and in most of the rest - especially in the recent seasons - at least 20.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

We are closer to Newcastle than we are to Southampton!

But we're also closer to City than Newcastle, which makes us a contender for 3rd place.

 

[cloggypop]

We are as close to Hull as City!

 

[Mystic]

I think we'll get better, which gives me hope, I think West Ham will get found out away from home, and Swansea will drop off, Southampton hopefully will too. I'm not convinced by Arsenal yet either, they're in a similar position to us, they aren't playing well, and are lucking their way through games. It'll be very tight, but I think we have a good chance of being the best of a bad bunch.

 

[Shadey]

We've been shit all season and where only 2 points off WHU & level with Swansea, we'll overtake Southampton we always do.. Next

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

It's hard to stay hot from the start to the end of a season, and I expect West Ham and Southampton to fall away by end December. Take Swansea, for example. After their good start, they actually went on a 5-game winless streak (2 draws, 3 defeats) which finally ended with their win over Leicester.

West Ham is on a solid run now after a jerky start, and Southampton has been pretty hot. Yet, the Hammers have managed to lose to Spurs and Man Utd this season despite these two clubs' shit starts, and Southampton's lofty position is boosted by 3 wins over the bottom 4 clubs. They've lost both their games this season against clubs that finished in the top six last season (us, Spurs).

The table at this stage is really deceptive as all it needs is a weekend or two of results falling in a favourable way for a club to see some drastic changes in position. Personally, I wouldn't be putting any bets on any of these teams finishing in the top six, much less the top four.

 

[Frogfish]

After 9 games who a club has played, home or away has a major bearing on their standing. In that regard West Ham have been the most impressive .. but they won't be there come the end of the season.

Arsenal, Liverpool and United will contest 3rd to 5th as I said at the beginning of the season. Sorry to say but United look to be getting into gear sooner that us, though they have a hard run of matches including the 1-1 draw with Chelsea today, then City, Palace, Arsenal and I think it's away at Southampton to come soon.

 

[cloggypop]

Spurs are only 3 points above the relegation zone.

 

[Hansern]

Very difficult to predict who finishes from 3rd to 6th. West Ham, Soton and Swansea will fade away. Spurs look awful. Everton, ourselves, Utd and Arsenal will fight it out.
Sturridge staying fit, our defence and the January transfer window will be key.

 

[leftpeg]

The game today was Utd's first this season against one of last season's top 4.

 

[Y1]

How is it that Southampton loss the main spine/captain of their last year's team and still do so well?
We acquired 3 of their best and none of the 3 has managed to do well.

Is it the system I wonder. Not the players or the managers.

 

[Hansern]

They've bought well but they've also had a relativly easy fixture list so far, at least the home games.

16/08/2014 15:00 Liverpool v Southampton
23/08/2014 15:00 Southampton v West Bromwich Albion
30/08/2014 15:00 West Ham United v Southampton
13/09/2014 15:00 Southampton v Newcastle United
20/09/2014 15:00 Swansea City v Southampton
27/09/2014 15:00 Southampton v Queens Park Rangers
04/10/2014 15:00 Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton
18/10/2014 15:00 Southampton v Sunderland
25/10/2014 15:00 Southampton v Stoke City

 

[Silver Sean]

There's no getting away from how impressively this lot have started, especially Southampton given their summer exodus...but can any of them last the pace and challenge for the top 4?

My own feeling is that Chelsea's will run away with the league and City will stroll to second. Arsenal will pick up third and then Liverpool, the three listed above, Utd, Spurs and Everton will all take points off each other and one of us will squeak into 4th possibly with the lowest points tally ever for that position. There's going to be very little in it between 4th and 10th.

I read the first paragraph. No. no they can't.

 

[jexykrodic]

With a whole 9 games gone it's all to play for. No-one is in any sort of form yet bar Chelski*.

We'll be right when we get shit weather and the Studge back.

* even they managed to mess up a lead against a very average looking Utd.