The Title Race - 2023/24

[LongsightM13]

Means we have to win Brentford(home away) Brighton spurs away instead

Palace as well

 

[LongsightM13]

Where the fuck is this projected deficit coming from?...

There was a lunatic on here the other day saying we’d be 6th by Christmas or some such bollocks

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

One season we won't because Rodri will get injured or red carded again!

To early yet and it's the first time we have lost two quality players plus adding 4 new ones to bed in! It's going to be tight last 5 games of the season I'd guess

We've won titles without Rodri. We've also lost players who we thought we would always need, Silva, Aguero, Kompany, Yaya etc and yet we've always come through. It's a product of great management from the top

 

[simon23]

How can a team's track record mean very little? Does Real Madrid's track record in the CL mean very little? They've fed off their track record to add to it with different managers and entirely different squads. You're stone cold wrong on this point...

in your opinion

We could have exactly the same squad as last year and not be playing as well due to individuals levels of motivations for instance, or fitness/injury levels.

The manager is more important especially in our case and how he chooses to balance/set the team up/tactics/tweeks he makes etc

 

[meltonblue]

i hold two, perhaps contradictory, views;

1. Currently we are contenders every season under Pep, that's the bottom line.
2. Football is naturally cyclical, if it's our turn to have a slightly off season, so be it, we've been amazing for years.

believe in both and the stress simply drifts away..... :D

Pretty much. Very very few teams can successfully transition and remain successful, particularly in midfield. We went from Fernandinho, Silva and De Bruyne to Rodri, Gundo and De Bruyne changing the shape and did it seamlessly by making it a gradual transition. This year, we’ve made changes not just to that midfield (as well as some of it being enforced - there’s a reason every game we’ve lost Rodri hasn’t played) but to how we attack too, it always take time. Just enjoy watching the transition and if we fall short, meh. It’s only falling short of the obscenely high standards we’ve set ourselves that are higher than any bar anyone else has ever achieved.

 

[JewelZee]

in your opinion

We could have exactly the same squad as last year and not be playing as well due to individuals levels of motivations for instance, or fitness/injury levels.

The manager is more important especially in our case and how he chooses to balance/set the team up/tactics/tweeks he makes etc

I don't disagree with any of those factors. I disagree with you saying a team's track record means "very little"...

 

[JewelZee]

There was a lunatic on here the other day saying we’d be 6th by Christmas or some such bollocks

I'm at a loss. Where is this coming from? From top to bottom at full strength we are the best team in the world with everyone else being at full strength. that's not a matter of opinion. It's a fact until proven otherwise...

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Nothing to choose between the Dippers , Goons and Spuds at the moment and the Barcodes and Villa are potential top four/six teams , but none of them will get the ninety points they will need to finish above us.
Alll the above teams will take points off each other as well , the two defeats we have suffered in the league probably means we have to win 24 of our last 30 games to retain the title whch is not beyond these players.

 

[wolviedinho]

Assessing the title challengers 8 games in is foolish. Every season a few teams start on fire but drift away. This year it is spurs again and West Ham/Villa.

Arsenal based on last season is no surprise but let’s see how they fare with champions league. Liverpool look good and bad with also europe. Villa/hammers/Newcastle don’t have the squads to go all the way. Spurs tend to fade but maybe they could have a Leicester type of season.

City have injuries and mental fatigue coming off a magnificent season. Lost 2 good players who contributed a lot.

Overall, based on fact and not fiction. City will start winning games. No point worrying about Rodri. Have we become over reliant? sure but for a bloody good reason. His genuine backup is yet to be decided. Far too early to judge the new player.

Wait until December. If and it’s a big if but not impossible city continue to underperform then it won’t be long now until we find out.

The pretenders to the throne don’t look shit hot either.

Oh forgot the rags….

 

[bluenova]

Nothing to choose between the Dippers , Goons and Spuds at the moment and the Barcodes and Villa are potential top four/six teams , but none of them will get the ninety points they will need to finish above us.
Alll the above teams will take points off each other as well , the two defeats we have suffered in the league probably means we have to win 24 of our last 30 games to retain the title whch is not beyond these players.

We dropped points in 10 games last season, and still ended up winning the title by 5 points.

Arsenal were on target for 100 points at the half way stage last season, but so far, no team has looked like putting together that kind of run.

Hopefully it'll be a title race with more teams involved than usual, and I can see it only being mid 80s again for the title, which frankly is a bit more fun than that feeling that we need to win every single week.