The Title Race - 2023/24

[Cobwebcat]

Strangely relaxed about not winning the league. Wft is that all about?

Don’t get me wrong, if we somehow get in front then I will be nervous as hell but chasing like this while running out of games and having the disruptive up and down season. I kinda of expect us to not get the job done in a season.

Hate the challengers but what you going to do?

You got to love pep, the player, the hierarchy at the club. None of them give up. We are here yet again trying to win everything. It’s mental, so so proud to be a blue win or lose. #what a club -:)

Same. I think it’s two things. 1.We have won it so many times recently 2.I don’t expect us to win it.

I think we will finish second to Liverpool. Arsenal have the harder remaining games.

Winning the treble and everything that allows you to win, like the SC and CWC….its almost too much. Trophies are everywhere. There’s nothing left to win for the first time.

As fans we might need to lose a cup to want it back.

However I do expect City to go for all three and have a great run. I expect to win the FA Cup. I expect to win the CL IF we get past RM. The draw v Arsenal was the perfect result for Liverpool. I don’t know why Arsenal were happy with it. Having control with only 7 games left is worth a lot and I don’t think Liverpool will falter, though if they do it might be a draw today.

Another brilliant effort from Pep et al. We have a chance.

 

[Franny 1234]

Anybody who thinks Arsenal (this season) are bottle jobs are living in the past. This is a 3 horse race and could finish anyway up. CTID
We will fight till the end you can be sure of that. KEEP THE FAITH

 

[Dannyblue52]

Think we will finish 3rd tbh.
Just my own opinion:
Arsenal for me are the best all round team. Very Good keeper, Rock Solid defence and fast and direct with a impressive press in midfield. And a far better squad than last year and dangerous from set pieces which they have scored lots from this year.

Liverpool are the worst team out of the 3 of us but have goal scorers throughout the team that bails them out. Literally every one of their players chip in with goals. Also again very dangerous from set pieces which again they score plenty from.
Had incredible luck with the chances they have given up and not conceded from BUT have the backing of the media, PGMOL and PL and we have seen some incredible decisions go their way at least a dozen times this season (last game not even a card let alone a clear red for VVD). That and the ability to play a 3rd strength team and still win the 3rd rate competition they are in makes them my favourites.

Us: Incredible we are still in with a shout as we have dropped off alarmingly from last year due to a number of reasons. We looked poor in the last month of last season but got over the line in all 3 but non stop football inc in the summers has us looking worn out. Added to an awful transfer window we are still in with a shout only due to exceptional games at times by Kev, Phil etc bailing us out. We are awful at the back, conceding with virtually every 1st shot, our midfield has the feel of sticking plasters all over it, square pegs in round holes next to Rodri and and our striker is missing chances he could score with his eyes shut last season or we just cannot get him into games.A huge window needed this summer.

But with the treble last season, i'd love us to win it again but as long as we qualify for the CL next season, which looks pretty nailed on, i can live with that this year.
I think the fact we are in the semi finals of the FA Cup, QF if the CL (sadly i cannot see our current team getting past Madrid this time round) and in with a shout of the title is remarkable given the small squad, injuries and poor transfer window we have had.

I think that over 90 points are needed to win it. We can get 91 if we win all our games which will be difficult but can be done. One of the other two will likely get 91 as well though so we have goal difference to contend with. A good season for me will be qualify for C L and beating the scum again in the FA cup final.

 

[AshtonBlueMooner]

Genuine wow at some of the comments on here. Beggars belief.
Lots of points to be won and lost, add in the excitement of two knock out cup competitions and what’s not to like. We won’t win everything every year but we’ll have a damned good go. Think I might stick with trusting Pep and his team selections and then see what’s what. Enjoy the ride blues #CTID

 

[jimharri]

I think that over 90 points are needed to win it. We can get 91 if we win all our games which will be difficult but can be done. One of the other two will likely get 91 as well though so we have goal difference to contend with. A good season for me will be qualify for C L and beating the scum again in the FA cup final.

Same. It's just a shame that the elusive "four in a row" may (repeat, may) be missed out on. The Champions League trophy (in particular) wouldn't be a bad consolation prize, mind.

 

[SWPISHOME]

LIVERPOOL:

Man Utd (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Fulham (A)
Everton (A)
West Ham (A)
Tottenham (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Wolves (H)

ARSENAL:

Aston Villa (H)
Wolves (A)
Chelsea (H)
Tottenham (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Man Utd (A)
Everton (H)

They both have some incredibly tough fixtures, They will both drop points along the way, Brighton (A) and Tottenham (A) look to be our tricky games although we've dropped points to Nottingham Forest (A) last season so teams will drop points unexpectedly also.

 

[Lowtower]

Arsenal did well last night, don't expect the rags to do anything today as they are proper shit.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

I can see the current top four losing every game and if spurs and the rags win all of theirs it will come down to those two

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Anybody who thinks Arsenal (this season) are bottle jobs are living in the past. This is a 3 horse race and could finish anyway up. CTID
We will fight till the end you can be sure of that. KEEP THE FAITH

I can’t see us winning it, and if we don’t I just prey to god Arsenal do.

 

[alexmcity]

I can’t see us winning it

We know that :)

 

[Tb1981]

Anybody who thinks Arsenal (this season) are bottle jobs are living in the past. This is a 3 horse race and could finish anyway up. CTID
We will fight till the end you can be sure of that. KEEP THE FAITH

I don’t think they are bottle jobs but I don’t think they will win it either
I think Liverpool are the main threat
No champions league and decent set of fixtures
I think if we finish on 91 points (which we now have to) then anyone that beats us will be deserving winners

 

[blue_hawk]

Spurs home is the only tricky fixture there for Liverpool, and like us they just don't drop many points at all at home

Disagree. West Ham away and Villa away are tricky games as well, both teams are fighting for european spots. Even the merseyside derby could be tricky as Everton are fighting relegation. Liverpool 23/24 not as good as 18/19, 19/20 and 21/22. They will drop points.

 

[its a Barm]

The team with the best GD nearly always wins the league I'm sorry to say, going to be very close for sure probably last day.

 

[Sir Joe Aguero]

If the Rags do us a favour (not banking on that shower of shit), I think we’ll do it.
As long as we can beat Spurs away.

 

[Stephen230]

People saying that Liverpool only have one tricky game left, can’t have been paying much attention to their recent form.

Their last three games, all at home they’ve drawn with City and struggled to edge past Brighton and Sheff. Utd.

Their last away game they needed a dodgy injury time winner to get past Forest.

They haven’t convincingly beaten anybody since Luton in February. Even then they were trailing well into the second half.

They’re finding every game tricky at the moment.

 

[Fordyboy46]

People saying that Liverpool only have one tricky game left, can’t have been paying much attention to their recent form.

Their last three games, all at home they’ve drawn with City and struggled to edge past Brighton and Sheff. Utd.

Their last away game they needed a dodgy injury time winner to get past Forest.

They haven’t convincingly beaten anybody since Luton in February. Even then they were trailing well into the second half.

They’re finding every game tricky at the moment.

Apart from today's probably

 

[Rhapsody in Blue]

Liverpool have 3 tricky away fixtures after each other. Maybe some EL games in the mix. If I was to choose a runin, I would definitely have chosen ours. No derbies or tougher teams apart from Spurs away. Brighton don’t worry me. This is normally the time of the season we really click as well, sometimes earlier, which considering we haven’t lost in ages can be said this season as well. Our only negative as I see it is points collected and goal difference, but think we’re about to iron that out as well. We have taken 8 points against 2 teams that have caused immense troubles recently and also Arsenal plus Liverpool away. Much more confident than a couple of weeks ago, that’s for sure.

 

[Rhapsody in Blue]

Apart from today's probably

I’m sure we and them said the same about the FA Cup encounter a couple of weeks ago

 

[Paul1970]

Got to say arsenal do look good and they have shown fighting spirit this season . They will not bottle like they did last season as their recruitment as worked well for them . Rice has been great and Kai havertz is the player he was at leverkusen who was wanted by everyone.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Strangely relaxed about not winning the league. Wft is that all about?

Not strange. I feel it here too. This is not a vintage season, it has not been a vintage season. To not beat your two direct rivals to be champions at all during the season is, to put it mildly, not a very convincing qualification.
It also consoles — a lot — that we have a serious chance of winning the F.A. Cup, and (I believe this, and don't quite know why we're being written off by some) the Champions League. Sure, I've just said we're not great. But Real are not great, either. Nobody who's left really worries me. Funnily enough, if Inter or Bayer Leverkusen were in it, I'd feel differently. We all know that the best team in Europe that year is not necessarily who wins it (although it definitely was the case last June!). We'll have a better idea at the end of the evening on Tuesday.
Oh and we may still be PL champions, of course. The rags had a knack of not turning in vintage seasons from time to time, and still being at the top of the table when all the shouting had died down. Used to piss me off no end. Is the irony now that we have acquired that knack? It will sure as hell piss off others. I'd back us to win all our games from here on in. I really would. The problem is we need two other teams to drop points now. I have my doubts about that. One, maybe. But both?
What we must never become is entitled. I would hate City fans if they became that (there are now signs of it among our younger supporters). High expectations, yes. Entitled — never. If we win no trophies this season, I'll be hugely disappointed, but I'll still thank the team and the club for giving me times that I never expected to see.