[quote author=Wizardry link=topic=44833.msg1310975#msg1310975 date=1302057174]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=44833.msg1310958#msg1310958 date=1302052644]
[quote author=Wizardry link=topic=44833.msg1310952#msg1310952 date=1302051419]
[quote author=peterhague link=topic=44833.msg1310947#msg1310947 date=1302050571]
short answer 'no with a but', long answer 'yes with an if'.
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Ha!
You got anything in between?
I think it will depend on who is managing City and what Spurs do in the window.
Let's be honest, we're 10 points off 3rd just now I think and 3 games away from Spurs despite having to deal with relegation talk in the first 3 months.
If Spurs don't sort out a defensive midfielder in the summer and if City stay with their current manager then I don't think either will improve that much. The issue is that our loss to West Brom basically confirmed that at least one of those two teams will be in the CL next season. If its Spurs then I see them getting better. If its City then I reckon they might bring in a couple of players but improvement will be marginal if any cause Mancini will keep his job.
We get in a couple of good wide men and a dominant CB and we'll catch City comfortably IMO. Spurs will be a different story if they finish top 4 this season.
That said the reality of our situation just now is that we're battling to be competitive for the top 4 - the title looks a step too far during the reign of our current captain. That's an injustice of immense proportions and I almost wish he could go to Spain and win the league. Almost!
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If City get into the CL this year, which is looking likely, they'll pump another 400 gatribillion into that squad to ensure they do well in it, which'll make them even harder to catch.
I know we'll be adding utter quality like Charlie Adam and Jose Enrique but even with that it'll be a stretch.
Oh, and still convinced Arsenal are gonna win the league mate? 😉 Told you they'd no balls.
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Chelsea are the key to the title IMO. Don't think they can win it themselves but they'll decide who does. If the mancs beat Chelsea then they'll get number 19 otherwise I still think Arsenal can nick it.
As for City - I don't care if they bring in the Spanish national team, Mancini doesn't know how to win the league yet and "400 gatribillion" (cool number) won't improve them that much. They've got absolute quality players in that team right now and all the oil in Arabia will only improve the quality a little. What they need is the mentality and tactical nous and they're well short of both IMO.
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Hmmmm, slowly - very very very slowly - I'm appreciating Mancini more.
He's the typical Italian coach - dour as fuck, but he looks to have sorted the defense out and they really don't leak a lot of goals.
A few months back they had enough quality in Tevez, Silva, etc to eek out 1-0 wins as they tried to get the defensive set-up right. Now they're starting to hump teams and still not concede many at the other end.
He's no mug Mancini. They need a world class central midfielder in there I think. Barry's done, and De Jong's too defensive. If they can get that, they'll be right up there next year.
Oh, and your naivety delusion persistence with Arsenal is admirable mate.