The Title is there for the taking...

[citytill1die84]

Easily have the strongest squad if we gel together quick we'll be fine. Rags & Chelsea have both been slow starters this season Chelsea only just beat Villa. We're missing our Captain and need him back sharpish hopefully for Stoke if not the derby. But I'm still hopeful even tho Sat I was worried but I think we'll win the league.

 

[Deepest Blue]

I agree with Bob K.
We have quitte a few advantages over the rest and if we can capitalise on them the title should be ours.
Not saying it will be easy or that it's assured but we have a talented, balanced squad with the new players having had a largely successful preseason and are far ahead of the Tottenham and Chelsea signings in that regard.

No disputing that application, injuries, refereeing decisions and good squad management will play a part but we have the best weapons to go to war with.

 

[Anonymous]

Why do I get the feeling that Vinny reads Bluemoon and is trolling after the OP ... he tweeted this this morning.

Arguably the hardest year to win the Premier League. All teams have strengthen. I live for challenges like this! This is exciting. #MCFC

 

[supercity88]

I agree with the thread title, but I think literally any of the top 6 clubs could be saying that. The rags have added some physical strength to their midfield and kept the rest of the side together. Chelsea have added quality but perhaps the biggest question is whether Eto'o will score because Torres and Ba don't match up to the strikers at other rival clubs, remains to be seen if Mourinho can get them playing well together and winning games despite his negative tactics. Arsenal are a quality side but had they spent that money on Suarez I would be more concerned. Their defense is weaker than the other rivals and if Giroud gets injured where will the goals come from? Liverpool have a quality side with some good strength in depth, they have slowly been building something and without European distraction they are free to focus on the league, they cannot be written off. Spurs have to get their side playing together and work out their best lineup, losing Bale will be a big loss for the team and the fans, in tight games they will still believe that he would save them and at the Emirates we saw very little from them in their first major test of the season. City similarly have to get used to quite major changes in playing style. It will take time for the players to learn Pellegrini's system of intense high pressing and man to man marking but whilst the performance against Hull wasn't great they were well organised and made themselves hard to beat. We kept at it and made a couple of changes, broke them down and won so credit where it is due. From a neutral point of view you would look at the rags as being favourites as they won it last year, but we have had the better window and are a better side than them so I think it will be between us and Chelsea simply because they will not lose many under Mourinho.

 

[jollylescott]

Haha. Classic Bluemoon. A general browse of the forum currently will tell you that Kompany's a crock, Hart/Clichy/Lescott/Dzeko/Fernandinho/ Garcia/Yaya/Nasri/Navas are all shit and should be dropped or sold, Silva isn't as good as the Russian Dzaegov even though no one's ever seen the Russian play, our new manager's the second coming of Juande Ramos, Txiki & Ferran are clueless, and yet the title is an open goal.

Nothing like BlueMoon logic! Very good Billy....I think of the others they are giving Sergio some leniency before he too is written off, that only leaves Micah (already written off as injury prone), Zab (allegedly making too many errors, overrated player etc), Rodwell (made of glass), Kolarov (the player they love to hate).

Now I think about it Chappy is the only one escaping attention. You watch he will get the kits mixed up against Stoke, or he will reprint 'why always me' for Fernandinho! Then he will be out the door!

 

[Anonymous]

The question is who's gotten weaker ... the answer from a playing squad point of view is "no one". Chelsea are stronger, United are stronger, Spurs are stronger, Arsenal are stronger, and City are stronger. We've brought in more players than the rest of last season's top 4, but then we've also let the most number of previously key first team players go. Obviously Chelsea have the Mourinho factor. City and United have new managers which brings an element of the unknown into the equation. Liverpool and Spurs will be better because both managers are beginning their second season in charge.

Having said all that, I still think we're best equipped to win the title, just as we were comfortably best equipped to win it last season. We just need to go out and show it ...

 

[Chippy_boy]

I think it got a lot harder yesterday.

A couple of weeks or so back, Rooney was out of United, but they have kept him. And their biggest weakness by a country mile was central midfield and they have strengthened well there. Anyone who says Fellaini is crap should take their blue specs off. He always gave us problems when we played Everton and people should not forget his performance in the 4-4 Everton at the swamp where he was incredible (and won us the title, btw). The team that won at a canter last year is now even stronger. The only real chink in their armour is David Moyes. How much of a chink that is, remains to be seen.

I still think Chelsea are the team to beat though. David Luiz is a far better defender than anyone gives him credit and I don't buy this "weak at the back" nonsense. Their midfield, enough said. All they have really missed is a striker and if Eto'o can be just 50% of his former self that would be enough. And then you have Mourinho who like it or not is an incredible manager who has been there and done it all before. He will have that team playing really solid, VERY difficult to beat, football in no time.

The dark horse is Liverpool. Brendan Rogers has made some really good signings for the dippers and kept Suarez as well. Wouldn't rule them out at all.

Any of the above (and us of course) could win it, in my view, and luck and injuries will play a huge part.

 

[Skashion]

Depends on your perspective. Is this squad the best in the league? Yes, in my opinion. We should, in theory, have motivated players with renewed confidence, no African Cup of Nations to take Yaya away (and central defensive backup) like last year. There are major pluses from the last campaign. The stage is all set for Pellegrini. However, I still have my doubts, reinforced by the past two games and the fact that we've leaked three goals on six occasions since Mancini left.

However, I am more confident than I was yesterday. Our main challenger is Chelsea and they let Lukaku and Moses go. Very pleased about that. Letting potential super-subs go and Lukaku could be far more than that.

From our side, shame about Barry. I'm not and haven't ever been a fan but if you use wing-backs or attacking full-backs he would be useful. Indeed this might have been his most useful season. Overall though the barometer swung our way yesterday.

What about the rags, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool? Well the rags have lost Taggart and he's probably worth ten points a season. Ozil is a great player but without the class in front of him cannot put Arsenal in the race unless both us and Chelsea underperform. Spurs have done good business but so have we do the gap should remain and look like they'll need time - no goals for them from open play yet. Liverpool look impressively cohesive but are still struggling for goals amd should Sturridge suffer bad form might drop off. Of course maybe Suarez will ensure that doesn't happen but I'd still be surprised if they were genuine contenders. Lower than second isn't good enough for this squad and Chelsea are the ones to beat. That's my summary.

 

[BlueAnorak]

As things are I think we will struggle to make the top 4 this season
- Chelsea will improve by at least 10 points under Jose.
- Even though Spurs have lost a 20 goal a season player, they have improved markedly.
- Arsenal have just bought one of the best midfield play makers in Europe so they too have got better.
- Liverpool have dramatically improved. Mingolet is the best keeper in Briatain and is already starting to make a huge difference.
- Utd? This season they seem not to be breaking as quickly as they did under Baconface with more concentration on retaining possession. This will both decrease their goals scored and goals conceded totals - the overall effect being to lower their points total. Hair Bear is a good buy though. They will be one of the top challengers.

Have we improved? Up front, I think we have. We have yet to see Jovetic who is a stonking player. Elsewhere though I have worries - especially the high defensive line. Fortunately Pellegrini has a good record as a pragmatist so I hope he reigns it in as a tactic. If he doesn't then he will find out soon enough (like AVB at Chelsea) that a high defensive line is suicide in the Premier League (especially with the defensive players we have in the squad). As things stand, when we come up against a team that has a striker with a pulse or alternatively have good fast wide players we will be crucified. At the very least he needs to resign it in until the AMs and Strikers are doing the pressing bit well and the DM's are quickly closing down opposition midfielders when they receive the break out ball as the opposition begin to counter attack.

 

[Anonymous]

As things are I think we will struggle to make the top 4 this season

Not having a go at you but I think this sums up the polarised nature of the forum at the moment.