I like this one, from rawkof course......
This season certainly feels more relaxing without the worry of them breathing down our necks. The chances of them going on one of their long winning runs are also pretty much zero, so Arne and the team just need to stay focused and keep racking up the points.
I think they might have a mini revival and pick up results in the coming games, as their next little run is West Ham, Salford, Brentford and Ipswich. But they have a brutal run starting at the end of January where they'll play PSG, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, us, and Spurs in the space of 4 weeks. If they lose to PSG then their final CL game against Brugge is must-win which really heaps the pressure on.
Wherever they end up in May (hopefully in another league), I'm glad they've had this poor run of form, as it's brought out the very worst of the players and manager. The team pretty much downing tools and not even bothering to track back or get tackles in. Guardiola playing the victim and publicly seeking sympathy by referring to stress, sleep, not being sure what to do, and plenty of other excuses which you'd never see Jurgen or Arne doing in a million years. Guardiola's recent statment that the club 'needs help' in the January transfer window must be the least self-aware comment made by any manager in history - literally one of the worst and most ironic things he could say when his club is facing over a hundred charges of financial malpractice. Once again showing his arrogance, and inability to face the reality of the fraud that he and his team have been shown to be.
I hope they have a trophyless season, finish outside the top 6, lose De Bruyne (and several others) in the summer, and of course - get a severe punishment for the 115 charges. It would mean that they go out with a whimper and will be remembered as a weak and soulless club when the going got tough - just as it should be. Guardiola's legacy is already massively under threat, and this season could prove what everyone has known all along - that on a level playing field he is bang average, and his teams are entirely beatable. Without all the cheat codes he's no better than some of the ofther decent managers in the PL, and his 'genius' tactics have always been based on having the very best players available in all positions and drilling them to pass other teams to death.
This could be a defining season in so many ways - the world seeing how exciting the league can be when it's a level playing field, Utd firmly planting themselves in obscurity with no European football, and hopefully us winning the title after eveyrone thought we'd fall off a cliff after Jurgen.
It's been a long wait for verdicts, and I seriously hope the punishment fits the crime.
