The Title is there for the taking...

[GaudinoMotors]

And then you wake up, Utd have strengthened with a great buy. Chelsea have Eto and Torres, We now have a weak midfield due to yaya not being active enough to play with only 1 man next to him. And a defence with the speed of a cripple on a stairlift. It is going to be a tough season, Arsenal still won't be contenders their defence is worse than ours.

We are cut from the same cloth - realism with a massive dose of pessimism thrown in. A depressing mix but nearer to the mark than the ill founded blind faith and unmerited optimism some prefer.

Bah humbug!

 

[Chippy_boy]

Really when you look at the top 6, any of them could finish anywhere from 1st to 6th, although some permutations are more likely than others obviously.

Perhaps out of the 6, arguably Spurs will find it most difficult, which is a bit ironic considering they have spent the most.

 

[bernabias home shirt]

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.

Good post
Although even second would be disappointing unless we surpassed last seasons points tally & ran the winners pretty close.

 

[MadchesterCity]

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 ...

I find it odd that you have so much optimism under this new regime but hated Mancini with a passion.

Maybe you know something the rest of us don't about the new management team or are filled with hopes after exploits in Spain with Barca and Malaga respectively

The last 2 performances against Cardiff and Hull have been an eye opener for most.
We should have been 3v0 down against Hull and we looked second best in the center of the park.

This was also noticeable during counter attacks in the Newcastle game but cast aside due to clinical City performance.

I hope Manuel can sort it out soon and pick up 3 points away at Stoke and then beat the scum but I think this will be a tougher season than you are currently depicting.

Let's not set the team up for a fall!!

 

[BlueAnorak]

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.

I see what I see Billy.
Mancini had his faults but if we play with a high line against any remotely good team WE WILL come a cropper. The pre-season friendlies against AC Millan and Arsenal where we conceded 3 goals in each game due to failure of the high line were warnings that needs to be heeded. So far, they haven't been. Cardiff should have scored twice as the high line was penetrated, as should Hull. Good teams will not let us get away with it.

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

It's usually the press boys who come out with "it's City's title to lose" putting the pressure on and making crazy simplistic statements that we have the best squad,spent the most money therefore we MUST win the title or everyone should be sacked.

Having a good quality squad is important but it's much much more important that the team we put out wins game after game after game.That isn't necessarily down to having a great squad but more about having a manager who knows what the best team is and how to get the best out of them. If we don't get many injuries and suspensions we might not need a good number of the squad anyway.

Any of the top 4 or 5 sides that really get it right on the pitch have a chance this season.It's just 3 games in but there are signs that no team will walk away with it whether it's down to having a new manager or lots of new players to bed in or both.

As far as City goes I don't think the manager knows his best team yet or even the best way to play.That probably goes for Spurs too so it will be essential that we get results while this is worked out.We seriously need to get a result against Stoke next time out and not lose to the scum or else we will have fallen behind the early leaders which is never a good thing. I still feel quite positive but wary at the same time.

 

[blueparrot]

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.

Good post
Although even second would be disappointing unless we surpassed last seasons points tally & ran the winners pretty close.

I get the feeling the points tally to win it this year will be lower than the last couple, with the top teams taking points of each other, and dropping more at some of the mid table teams, that have strengthened as well

 

[PragueBlue]

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.

I think that's understandable given the new manager and new players we have and also the changes at other clubs. I think 6 teams are in with a chance, whereas previously there were only ever 2 or 3 teams in it. It all depends how much impact new managers and new players have.

Personally I think we have strengthened our squad and it is probably the best in the league but I'm not so sure that we've really improved the starting 11 by that much, whereas other teams have.

Anyway, it should make for a very interesting and exciting season. Let's hope we can come out on top.

 

[Anonymous]

It's usually the press boys who come out with "it's City's title to lose" putting the pressure on and making crazy simplistic statements that we have the best squad,spent the most money therefore we MUST win the title or everyone should be sacked.

Having a good quality squad is important but it's much much more important that the team we put out wins game after game after game.That isn't necessarily down to having a great squad but more about having a manager who knows what the best team is and how to get the best out of them. If we don't get many injuries and suspensions we might not need a good number of the squad anyway.

Any of the top 4 or 5 sides that really get it right on the pitch have a chance this season.It's just 3 games in but there are signs that no team will walk away with it whether it's down to having a new manager or lots of new players to bed in or both.

As far as City goes I don't think the manager knows his best team yet or even the best way to play.That probably goes for Spurs too so it will be essential that we get results while this is worked out.We seriously need to get a result against Stoke next time out and not lose to the scum or else we will have fallen behind the early leaders which is never a good thing. I still feel quite positive but wary at the same time.

Good post ... I personally think that there's no risk of anyone running away with things or winning the league in the next month/6 weeks. In that sense our dropped points at Cardiff don't sting too much. The key is going to be going to Stoke and getting a win then following it up with a win against the rags. Even with the apparently shambolic nature of our defending at times, I'm confident we can win both those games. If we do the rags will be the ones looking up at us and worrying.

 

[Skashion]

Good post
Although even second would be disappointing unless we surpassed last seasons points tally & ran the winners pretty close.

Oh yes, we've got to get more than 78 points. Anything less considering money spent, plus the other factors mean that should be a bare minimum. Also if we don't win anything this year we've got to next year. A trophy a season average is a realistic and fair target.