The Title Race - 2024/25

How many points to win the league?

  • Total voters
    301
  • Poll closed .
Withnail said:
Without Rodri and a current ageing midfield we are certainly at our most vulnerable. Long way to go, but if we win the PL this year it will rank as one of his best imo.
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We need gundogan to find his form of two seasons ago and kovacic to step up just as rodri did when we all thought dhino was irreplaceable.
 
Withnail said:
Without Rodri and a current ageing midfield we are certainly at our most vulnerable. Long way to go, but if we win the PL this year it will rank as one of his best imo.
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It would be one of his best but IMO it’s a bridge too far. Unless that midfield improves massively you not getting close and the champions league will be embarrassing. Teams like wolves and Bournemouth are cutting us open literally at will and there is no other midfielder we have that can change it. We’re relying on Kova, Bernardo and Gundogan clicking and finding top notch form and fitness.
 
hertsblue said:
Over the last 2 games we have had 34 shots with only 7 on target, This is the huge issue despite our poor form as we have had enough chances to get something from the 2 defeats. We only have 1 striker in the squad, lost a lot of goals from the wings as our current wingers do not score no where near the level we are used to from our wingers ie Mahrez/Sterling and Foden had the best season last year banging them in but is a shadow of that player so you just look at our current team and wonder where goals will come from bar Haaland who we just cannot get into games
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Yes, I've been noticing that, too. Is it that unreasonable to expect professional footballers of any level, never mind being among the very best in the world, to get that few shots on target so as to at least make the keeper work? Bournemouth certainly didn't have that problem. A reasonable proportion, it seems to me, would be around about one-third of all your shots being under the bar and between the two posts.
Mind you, at half-time today we had had no shots either on or off target. And that, to me, is the sign of a mentally tired team.
 
WestGorton said:
Salah carrying Liverpool. Long way to go.
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Semper aggressus said:
How come that fucker is never injured?
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It's irritating, isn't it? You can count on that bugger to get the winning goal round about the 70th minute, or later. And he's been doing it for seasons, now. And somehow he plays every bleeding game…
Apparently, for large portions of the game today Brighton outplayed them.
 
ProofMCFC said:
It would be one of his best but IMO it’s a bridge too far. Unless that midfield improves massively you not getting close and the champions league will be embarrassing. Teams like wolves and Bournemouth are cutting us open literally at will and there is no other midfielder we have that can change it. We’re relying on Kova, Bernardo and Gundogan clicking and finding top notch form and fitness.
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Depends on what happens in January. It's rare we move for anyone in the winter window, but I feel we will buck the trend this time. Echeverri will be one, but I'm certain we will make a concerted effort to bring in a midfielder too.
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
It's irritating, isn't it? You can count on that bugger to get the winning goal round about the 70th minute, or later. And he's been doing it for seasons, now. And somehow he plays every bleeding game…
Apparently, for large portions of the game today Brighton outplayed them.
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Which gives me confidence. There are no standout teams this year but a lot of good, competitive ones behind the three favourites like Brighton, Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle and Forest. A lot of points will be dropped. You may be able to lose six and still win it. Like the good ol' days before Pep came along and ripped up the rules.
 
It will be tight, with a number of ‘surprise’ results, that shouldn’t really be a surprise, along the way. I think a loss now feels so stark because of what Pep and the team have done over the last few years & as many have said, that incredible success has not been properly understood or acknowledged.

Gut feeling is that the fixture list will play a part - teams who play once every 3 days coming up against a team that plays once a week. How those fixtures fall will have an impact. It’s why it was annoying to see that Arsenal and Liverpool are playing other Carabao Cup quarter finalists the weekend after their quarter finals.
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
It's irritating, isn't it? You can count on that bugger to get the winning goal round about the 70th minute, or later. And he's been doing it for seasons, now. And somehow he plays every bleeding game…
Apparently, for large portions of the game today Brighton outplayed them.
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But the bastards will always score, they seem to regularly go behind, but have a number of players capable of getting the goals they need. Having said that, according to my dipper mate at work, ST holder, they haven’t been playing well this season.
 
John Wayne said:
Which gives me confidence. There are no standout teams this year but a lot of good, competitive ones behind the three favourites like Brighton, Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle and Forest. A lot of points will be dropped. You may be able to lose six and still win it. Like the good ol' days before Pep came along and ripped up the rules.
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Oh, surely.
I've just calculated it: at this point, ten games in, last season, we had 24 points. Today we have 23. Not exactly an apocalyptic difference. We had played no-one very major at that point, either, other than Arsenal at the Emirates. You could say it's comparable this year, since we've played neither of the Liverpool games, and only Arsenal at the Etihad. Although those three points at Chelsea are starting to look precious. And the point at St. James's Park is starting to look better than it did. And we had nothing like the injury situation last year that we have at this point. Nobody whatsoever's playing vintage football, that much is certain, certainly not us, but no more are Liverpool and Arsenal. It's still very much open.
The worrying part is the long-term injuries, Bobb and Rodri, and just the general fatigue that is leading to niggling injuries for many players, I'm convinced of it. But it's anybody's title. (I do not see the likes of Forest, Villa or indeed Chelsea being serious challengers).
 
In the last four years, we've won the FA Cup, Champions League, PLs x4 plus multiple semi finals and Charity Shields along with European Club and World Club Champions.



Additionally, we've had more players on international duty than any other team in Europe.

Is it any wonder we've hit a bit of a dip with players suffering long and short term injuries, fatigue and illness.

They are utterly shagged and until we have a full squad of fit, conditioned and in form players results and performances will be patchy.

Pep should request that none of his players are called up for internationals and if they are withdraw them.

Just now it's Club before country for everyone !!
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
Yes, I've been noticing that, too. Is it that unreasonable to expect professional footballers of any level, never mind being among the very best in the world, to get that few shots on target so as to at least make the keeper work? Bournemouth certainly didn't have that problem. A reasonable proportion, it seems to me, would be around about one-third of all your shots being under the bar and between the two posts.
Mind you, at half-time today we had had no shots either on or off target. And that, to me, is the sign of a mentally tired team.
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...plus a labouring Erling who's work rate and movement has been only so so.

It's at times like this that a quality second striker becomes valuable and necessary !!
 
Big Joe Corrigan said:
But the bastards will always score, they seem to regularly go behind, but have a number of players capable of getting the goals they need. Having said that, according to my dipper mate at work, ST holder, they haven’t been playing well this season.
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They’ve got numerous goal scorers/game winners.

Ours, bar meat shield, are all injured.
 
We obviously look very suspect in defence this season so I'd like us to go to a quick attacking style the last 2 games when chasing and playing fast attacking football we have looked miles better.

Ederson

Akanji
Dias
Stones
Gvardiol

Kovacic
Foden
Bernardo

Savio
Haaland
Nunes

When all fit.
 
Liverpool gonna win it by process of elimination it seems.

We're winning nothing without Rodri I don't think sadly.

Arsenal's form is shite and they're a good bit back already.

Liverpool following on from where they were for a stage of last season, giving up chances, getting away with it and when they score one you just know they're going to win.

Sadly they look like the most likely winners at the minute
 
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