As a football club, do we have the will to win the League?

[Kinkys Left Foot]

Ask me again in May 2017.
This side will get better as the year goes on under Pep.
In my opinion the first 10 games would be where I expected us to struggle the most.
The League isn't won before Christmas but can certainly be lost. We stand 2 points of the top so we're right in the mix.
Will we win it? I don't know, but if we don't it won't be because of any lacking in will to do so. On the players part or the fans.

 

[GortonBlue62]

Not saying you are wrong, merely explaining what my addiction to supporting City means to me. Any other investment either in time or money I have been able to walk away from without any regrets but it is a lifelong connection when you talk about being a City fan.
I hope pray and worry about our results and can only be in charge of my emotions by lessening my expectations, the reality is of course as you describe and if you can hack it then go for it(especially if you ignore the City Factor).

My City factor is probably at least as well developed (and as debilitating) as yours Silver Fox - I always fear the worst (similar generation I think) - but my logical side tells me that we need to be doing better.

 

[The Pink Panther]

I don't know what you've been watching if you've not seen the rot that has set in over the last couple of years. Pep has by far the most difficult challenge he has ever faced as a coach and a unique style of playing which the players aren't used to. It will probably take another couple of transfer windows and a season of assessing what he has here already before everything is bedding in so yes I do count expecting to win the league as wanting instant success.

OK, so we settle for a top four finish 2016/17
So now Aguero, Silva, Kompany and all four of our full backs are all a year older!!
What's the excuse if we don't win it next season?
Players too old
Perhaps we shift a number of players out
Too many new faces that need time to settle in
Quality of the Prem has improved

It's not instant success. The time to win it is now and this culture of settling for what is Arsenal esq mediocrity has to end and there should be a fire burning in everyone's belly, us the supporters, the players and the management

Oh and there's nothing unique in football about kicking the ball into the oppositions goal or defending properly

 

[SilverFox2]

My City factor is probably at least as well developed (and as debilitating) as yours Silver Fox - I always fear the worst (similar generation I think) - but my logical side tells me that we need to be doing better.

You are not wrong, stats produced by City Watch today from data generated by Sky indicate we are number one in all aspects of play in the PL. Stats on another thread so won´t copy again.

See post 2842 here

http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/threads/guardiola-and-the-future.321735/page-285#post-9818580

Unfortunately we cannot score from creating the most chances.

 

[Wilf Wild 1937]

If that is the case then we will heaping pressure on ourselves as no way will we win the CL this year . Personally hope we are targeting the League as that is what matters to most of us.

Never say never, mate! It's quite possible that we will win the CL this season. Far worse teams than us have in the past.

I think the PL is the second priority (for me it would be first) but that puts us at a disadvantage to Chelsea and Liverpool, although I don't really see Liverpool being good enough over a full season. I also expect we'll play similar, reserve type, teams in the FA Cup as we did in the League Cup this season. Not popular with traditionalists like me but just my reading of the situation. I could, of course, be wrong!

 

[Terra Passenger]

OK, so we settle for a top four finish 2016/17
So now Aguero, Silva, Kompany and all four of our full backs are all a year older!!
What's the excuse if we don't win it next season?
Players too old
Perhaps we shift a number of players out
Too many new faces that need time to settle in
Quality of the Prem has improved

It's not instant success. The time to win it is now and this culture of settling for what is Arsenal esq mediocrity has to end and there should be a fire burning in everyone's belly, us the supporters, the players and the management

This is Pep's first season. He inherited a dispirited squad who was not accustomed to pressing and playing it out from the back.

Under the circumstances - Pep is doing much, much better than I expected. We're - for the most part - playing Pep's system as he would like (pressing drops off in the 2nd half, could use upgrades at several positions, etc.).

At the beginning of the season I thought that the system change would just overwhelm us - moreover, as time dragged on, it seemed that we would be starting a keeper who wasn't comfortable playing it from the back - only very late on did we sign Bravo.

So, just before we signed Bravo, I thought that, this year, we would finish outside the top 4 in the EPL, and that we'd be out probably in the first knockout stage of the UCL and that we would not win any trophies.

But with Bravo signed... and with the much more rapid ability to play Pep's system than I thought - well, I now think that we could well challenge for the PL title this year (there's a huge amount of very talented competition so if we pull this off it's going to be amazing - still it's possible), and I think we might go deep into the UCL depending on whom we draw - in a two match playoff against any team on the planet we have a chance - maybe not favorites - but a good chance. Hell, we might even win the UCL this year if luck prevails.

 

[Ban-jani]

We've not been the same as a club since Sergio smashed in the winner 93:20.

That season every game was a cup final at The Etihad and every point dropped felt so much worse.

I just think most City fans have seen what they always wanted to and everything else is a bonus now.

 

[nellyonthewing]

Realistically this group of players should have had 2 more EPL Champions medals than they have. The obsession with the Holy Grail of the Eufa Champions Cup by our hierachy whilst ultimately our goal detracts from the bread and butter of the Premiership. How is the crowd expected to engage with this approach on a weekly basis if EPL matches are merely warm ups for the big competition.