Top 4? where do you think we will finish and why.

[Molbystwin]

I was just reading the Lawrenson thread and it gave me a bit of pause as according to the miserable bugger we wont get in the top three, I'm not so sure. Looking at the other teams above us;

United.
pros

Experience and engrained winning habit.
Awesome defence replete with good new signing.
Ginsoak.
Valencia coming back after being out all last season.
That little mexican fucker and Shrek..... berbatov as a reserve!

Cons
No Scholes, giggs nearly dead overall decrease in creativity.
not the greatest midfield.
Ferdinands dodgy back.
new goaly???

generally not a vintage United team but they were good enough last season and will definitely finish top 3.

Chelsea

more intriguing.... but whatever they have they can always buy again.

pros
experienced well disciplined side who know how to win.
some excellent new players and many excellent older ones.
new manager

cons
Drogba unsettled/sulking?
Torres hamstrings
Lampards birth certificate
Older even than last year when they basically blew up mid season.
new manager AGAIN!

Man city

pros
ridiculous squad depth the strongest in the league by a mile and the confidence that the mountain of cash will always win through eventually.
They have been gaining momentum and are now in the CL and also now know they can win silverware.
great players.

cons
mercenary rag taggle bunch of cunts who haven't had time to make an actual team.
various dodgy player personalities.
no fucking soul whatsoever ( but then that never stopped Chelsea 10 years back)

Arsenal

pros
lovely football
team has been together for a while and are always in the CL.
some great players, Gervinho is a good addition
have kept hold of key players
Wilshere is only 18 or so!

cons
have blown it so often its daft
unsettled star players, commitment to the cause?
Van perverts knees
question marks about defence and goal keeper.

Liverpool

pros

New owners and total change of mood
Suarez is a monster.
Dalglish/Clarke
youngsters coming through
No Hodgson.
much much more optimistic.

cons
Two superstars, one aging and crocked.
Suarez will be tired.
Thin strikeforce.
Thin(ish) defence.
pressure having spent big yet other teams still have much better squads...


So there you go.... What do you think? I think we have a reasonable chance of getting into the top 4 but do not see us finishing above the two manc clubs. I doubt Arsenal will drop out but they might and I think Chelsea have not freshened up enough and may well drop out if they have to rely on Torres being fit and Lampard scoring goals....

After spending so much cash I would have wanted to be more bullish and optimistic than I am but we have definitely improved and if Kennys smile is as infectious as it looks then maybe the players will have a stormer and do really really well... It's still a coin toss where we finish though.

My inner optimist says;

1.Man City
2.Man U
3.Liverpool
4.Arsenal
(N.B. i realise tha Man U are above us in here but it's almost lunacy to say they wont!)

My inner realist says;

1.Man U or Man C
2.Man U or Man C
3.Chelsea
4.Arsenal
5.doesnt really fucking matter after fourth....

My inner pessimist says Man U win it, we dont gel and our lack of quality becomes a self fulfilling prophecy Carroll is revealed to be closer to his original 1/2 million pound valuation on Newcastle accounts last year and Gerrards groin pings out again and finally Suarez does a Torres next summer in order to find a winning team.... I have a well developed inner pessimist...


What do you lot reckon? You can include Spurs if you must.... fuck em i say....

 

[OLD_Lewy]

i think man u will have a tough time unless they either sign a good playmaker in midfield or drop rooney deep enough into the scholes role, where i could see him creating shit tonnes of goals and scoring the regular screamer unfortunately , i think they might finish 3rd, chelsea are just on thin ice really, they could swing either way, think man city will win it this year, they're starting to gel and they've got lots of good players, hopefully they get far enough in the champions league (without actually winning it) to fuck up their season

 

[Hansern]

Utd
Chelsea
Liverpool
City
Arsenal

Chelsea and Utd will go head to head regarding the title. Optimistcly I think we can challenge, but really need a great start. Not having Lucas, Suarez and Gerrard fit is a worry though. But we got the squad depth now, and with a left back in aswell I think we can be up there.
Thats my guess.

City will focus on the Champions League, and even though they have a BIG squad. I think they'll drop a lot of silly points, and can be pipped for 3rd.

Arsenal will be the team to catch regarding 4th, and this season will be Wengers last imho. If they dont suddenly spend big and get some quality in.

 

[Fabio]

we'll finish top because we have big andy.

he'll take all the opposition out on the lash and drink them under the table

 

[Molbystwin]

[quote author=Lewy link=topic=46172.msg1367724#msg1367724 date=1311175364]
i think man u will have a tough time unless they either sign a good playmaker in midfield or drop rooney deep enough into the scholes role, where i could see him creating shit tonnes of goals and scoring the regular screamer unfortunately , i think they might finish 3rd, chelsea are just on thin ice really, they could swing either way, think man city will win it this year, they're starting to gel and they've got lots of good players, hopefully they get far enough in the champions league (without actually winning it) to fuck up their season
[/quote]

I'm not so sure about United needing to buy a playmaker, they did alright withough one last season. I think you are right about Chelsea mind you, i just suspect that Abramovich has been tinkering WAY too much and too much is resting on Torres. The weaker ones for me are Arsenal and Chelsea, not because they don't have great players but they just don't seem right somehow.

 

[The Slugmonster]

If thin defence and strikeforce are cons.....surely you have to say having 6 million midfielders is a pro, no? 8)

 

[Glock21]

4th i would say. Reason simply because we don't have good enough squad.

 

[OLD_Lewy]

[quote author=Glock link=topic=46172.msg1367743#msg1367743 date=1311177671]
4th i would say. Reason simply because we don't have good enough squad.
[/quote]

id say 4th is being quite positive myself, when you take into consideration the teams we'll be competing against for that spot

 

[23carragold]

1ST.

 

[localny]

2nd or third. Why? because that's where we finished under Kenny in the second half of the season with a lesser squad.

We cannot, CANNOT, buy into the paper argument, that these clubs have so much depth on paper, they are better.

They can't buy every fecking talented player around...

If Rafa can get us up there year after year, Kenny can. One game at a time, if we don't read the papers that tell us how amazing the citeh team we beat 3-1 are.

 

[Modo]

3rd - We haven't got the quality yet, we'll see in August. It just stinks that we're getting rid of Aquilani.
No marquee signing (Aguero, Mata). No preseason for Suarez. I just don't see us winning it with this squad.

Somewhere between Good and average, that's my judgement of the squad as a whole.

But like every other prediction I've made it's preliminary. I don't know how the squad will look come late August.

 

[Frogfish]

At this moment in time I'd say we could finish anywhere in the Top 3, we've had by far the best of the transfer season so far since we have strengthened in areas we were weak. However there is still a long way to go in this window and I really want to see who else United / Chelsea / City / Arsenal / Us sell/buy before making any judgement.


Aguero ? Snyjder (sp.) ? Mata ? Fabregas ? Nasri ? Modric ? Citeh still have to let a bus load of players go ?


It's still way too early in the transfer season to say how any of these teams are going to line up and without that knowledge you'd be guessing based on last season and the transfer season so far (and if that is so then how come so many people are marking us down given our 2nd half of the season last year and our strengthening) ?

 

[Molbystwin]

[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=46172.msg1367760#msg1367760 date=1311180675]
At this moment in time I'd say we could finish anywhere in the Top 3, we've had by far the best of the transfer season so far since we have strengthened in areas we were weak. However there is still a long way to go in this window and I really want to see who else United / Chelsea / City / Arsenal / Us sell/buy before making any judgement.


Aguero ? Snyjder (sp.) ? Mata ? Fabregas ? Nasri ? Modric ? Citeh still have to let a bus load of players go ?


It's still way too early in the transfer season to say how any of these teams are going to line up and without that knowledge you'd be guessing based on last season and the transfer season so far (and if that is so then how come so many people are marking us down given our 2nd half of the season last year and our strengthening) ?
[/quote]

I'm not at all optimistic due to our signings, I think we've over spent on under quality and it pissed me right off but we have clearly followed a plan and everybody seems on board with it.... i just wish we'd bought in a great player or two instead of ...ah fuck it.....

However more importantly I do think that the way we were playing at the end of last season and Kenny being such a god will give us such morale that we can rightfully compete with those listed, all of whom apart from Arsenal have much better teams/squads, it's a shame that Uruguay are playing so well because I think the key for us will be Suarez.

I fancy Man City to win it this year....

 

[Jürgen4PM]

As things stand i'm not convinced we'll finish in the CL places next season.

 

[Molbystwin]

[quote author=Kenny4PM link=topic=46172.msg1367766#msg1367766 date=1311181505]
As things stand i'm not convinced we'll finish in the CL places next season.
[/quote]

I have a healthy chunk of that horrible feeling also, mainly due to the business we've done which left me more than a little bit M'eh

BUT

We do play good footy
We (please god) will have Stevie back
We aren't sulking anymore due to crap managers and owners

I reckon we will get in the CL again.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

we're finishing 1st. i could give a fuck who's after us.

 

[Wizardry]

We'll win the title;

Caveats:
1) Ming needs to stay or we need a very good, running, goal scoring midfielder who'll pop up anywhere on the field to come in as a replacement.
2) A commanding, monsterous CB would make it all but certain. Downing isn't all that and I can think of other wingers who'd make me more confident. However, he'll be a great outlet and, to some extent, that's what we needed.


Manu remain the team to beat and if they do the business with Inter then they've got everything they need.
Arsenal without Nasri will lose ground but if they actually manage to bring Fwank Wibery in then they'll be there or thereabouts. Nasri moving (if it happens) could be the thing that makes Ramsey. He's got amazing potential and Wenger is the sort who can help him fulfill it.
Citeh - I'm still not convinced and I think they'll find Tevez is a huge hole to fill. Mancini hasn't convinced me he knows how to win in the EPL but their sheer depth is staggering.
Chelsea are even older than they were; surprised at how sudden Essien's fall has been but they have an absolutely outstanding manager. Might take him a bit to learn about this league but he could be one of their great assets in coming years.

 

[cobrastatus]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=46172.msg1367822#msg1367822 date=1311193206]
we're finishing 1st. i could give a fuck who's after us.
[/quote]

YEAH!

And I can realistically see us pipping Arsenal to 4th very easily. They are falling apart at the seams, it would seem.

 

[Whaddapie]

We're going to win the league.

 

[LarryHagman]

5th or 6th.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

4th or 5th. Largely dependent on whether Arsenal weaken themselves by selling key players without replacing them effectively. I'm assuming Spurs don't improve - looks like they're going to lose Modric or have a very unhappy camper and they haven't pulled off any market moves yet.

Anything higher is a bonus; I fear that Suarez might underachieve as Adam + our centrebacks over-indulge in a game of "Where in Anfield is Andy Carroll?"

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=localny link=topic=46172.msg1367751#msg1367751 date=1311179211]
2nd or third. Why? because that's where we finished under Kenny in the second half of the season with a lesser squad.

We cannot, CANNOT, buy into the paper argument, that these clubs have so much depth on paper, they are better.

They can't buy every fecking talented player around...

If Rafa can get us up there year after year, Kenny can. One game at a time, if we don't read the papers that tell us how amazing the citeh team we beat 3-1 are.
[/quote]

This.

 

[Pesam]

If we have a relatively injury-free campaign then we can win the league. I think City will win it and obviously United will go close but Chelsea and Arsenal don't worry me at present. Chelsea have too may pivotal players in their 30's and so far this transfer window haven't redressed this, and Arsenal will find it hard to replace Fabragas & Nasri and are still dodgy at the back.

Heart;

Liverpool
City
United
Chelsea



Head;

City
United
Liverpool
Chelsea

 

[the_khl]

No. 1

Because.

 

[Oncy]

Liverpool will win the league.

Its manifest destiny.

We've got options and talent all over the park.

We CANNOT lose.

 

[Molbystwin]

[quote author=KHL link=topic=46172.msg1367940#msg1367940 date=1311238129]
No. 1

Because.
[/quote]

For us to win the league everything will have to go like a dream, I think over the last few years our key players have shown plenty of desire in the big games and we are definitely hungry enough to do so but.... Is our defence really good enough? and will we have enough unstoppable force going forward to get the goals? It's a really really long shot... possible but.... Kenny would have to be painted gold afterwards and be given a retinue of flower petal throwers to mark his path for when he isn't being carried aloft on the shoulders of the faithful.

I was of the opinion that spending 100M should really in an ideal world guarantee you a shot but then the Mancs have spent 50M Chelsea 75M at Christmas and City ... well they aint even counting what theyve spent... it's a complete coin toss.

It is gonna be exciting watching it!

 

[Oncy]

ELVIS - I Just Can't Help Believing (Remastered audio)

 

[Oncy]

 

[Oncy]

 

[Oncy]