The Title Race - 2023/24

How many points will be needed to win the league?

  • Total voters
    446
  • Poll closed .
gordondaviesmoustache said:
I don’t have a problem with people taking issue with the name, or that they preferred the old format, or even that it was (subjectively) better, but to suggest it was harder to win under the previous format is simply wrong.
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Correct.
Liverpool did the double in the 70s and this was their entire itinerary.
76/77 - Crusaders, Trabzonpor, Saint Etienne, Zurich and Moenchengladbach.
77/78 - Bye (a fuckin bye) Dresden, Benfica, Moenchengladbach and Brugge
80/81 - OPS, Aberdeen (Knox not him), CSKA, Bayern (didn't win either match. Real Madrid.

If we won the League Cup playing them we would be slaughtered for soft draws.
 
Alfie Budd said:
A big problem for me with the old European Cup was the open draws with a complete lack of seeding. No issue with when you’re dealing with the traditions of the FA Cup but not ideal when determining the best team in Europe.
There were a few instances when a number of strong clubs were drawn against each other in a few different early round ties leaving the way clear for lesser lights to progress deep into the competition. When Forest first lifted the trophy in 1979 they admittedly had a brutal draw (holders Liverpool) in the first round but after getting through that, their run up to and including the final was embarrassingly gentle. Villa’s run to the 1982 final was also incredibly straightforward as were a couple of instances involving the dippers.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was when arguably the two best teams in Europe (Real Madrid and Maradona’s Napoli) were drawn against each other in the first round in 1987-88. Broadcasters decided the competition’s credibility was suffering and it needed a revamp if they were going to pay for the rights. The initial Champions League rebranding emerged a few years after that.
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You got beat - you were out. Like any cup competition should be.
You draw an easy team - great.
You draw a tough team - not great. But thems the breaks. None of this seeded horseshit where teams can’t play each other.
All the names, in a bag, you might get an easy route, you might not. Just like it should be.
 
KenTheLandlord said:
Correct.
Liverpool did the double in the 70s and this was their entire itinerary.
76/77 - Crusaders, Trabzonpor, Saint Etienne, Zurich and Moenchengladbach.
77/78 - Bye (a fuckin bye) Dresden, Benfica, Moenchengladbach and Brugge
80/81 - OPS, Aberdeen (Knox not him), CSKA, Bayern (didn't win either match. Real Madrid.

If we won the League Cup playing them we would be slaughtered for soft draws.
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Bye was probably a tougher challenge than Crusaders.
 
I don’t think we have the leaders we had in recent Anfield meetings and that is a concern. Toure, Kev, Sergio, Silva, Vinnie, Fernandinho…. And we probably lack the composure that Mahrez and Gundo provided.

They look good at home so will be interesting.
 
johnnytapia said:
You got beat - you were out. Like any cup competition should be.
You draw an easy team - great.
You draw a tough team - not great. But thems the breaks. None of this seeded horseshit where teams can’t play each other.
All the names, in a bag, you might get an easy route, you might not. Just like it should be.
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Do you trust them not to rig the draw though. The scousers would have rough balls …
 
johnnytapia said:
You got beat - you were out. Like any cup competition should be.
You draw an easy team - great.
You draw a tough team - not great. But thems the breaks. None of this seeded horseshit where teams can’t play each other.
All the names, in a bag, you might get an easy route, you might not. Just like it should be.
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That’s a separate argument to whether it should be restricted simply to the Champions of each UEFA member though.
 
As we are back odds on to win it still, compared to 15/8 the CL and 5/2 the FAC, it is in theory the best chance of a Trophy but the one that takes the most effort and constancy.

Still we will more than likely get to a final and pay £7 a pint. Also the glory hunters can go and watch Manilow if our last game in the PL is a dead rubber and he is not an alternative dead rubber by May.

Last time we had Huddersfield in the FAC we didn't take it seriously and we had the replay when we were supposed to have MU at home before their LC Final. We need to ensure they are beaten with no replay then tear a forlorn Toon a new one in Gulf War III reprised. Then 4th Round and Burnley.

I can't see Brentford away on Monday being a high pointer this year.
 
Bluemoonadam said:
It never felt quite like the curse was broken though for me when we beat them with no fans in the stands. Non the less it was a win though. I'd take a draw now personally.
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I think it's more that the world and his little dog was going there and doing them that year. That diminished it, somehow.
 
jimmygrimblesboots said:
We have lost one of our last 5 visits to their midden and that was a Cancelo cock up that gave them a lucky 1-0 win , you worry too much :)
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They'll be desperate to beat us and they'll throw everything at us. Weather that initial storm, quieten the crowd and then dominate them. We never seem to get any luck at Anfield. Whether it's decisions or the number of chances/penalties we squander. Then someone obscure seems to fire in a shot from 30 yards for their first goal of the season and we lose! But our recent performances have been much better. We still haven't won there since 2003 with fans in attendance though. Can we win there and score (and win) at Spurs?!
 
jimmygrimblesboots said:
We have lost one of our last 5 visits to their midden and that was a Cancelo cock up that gave them a lucky 1-0 win , you worry too much :)
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And there was one that we should definitely have won — just put it straight down the middle and on target, Riyad.

Aaaaaargggh!

Edit: just checked, it was further back than I thought. Shows how traumatised I was by the frustration of it.
 
Liverpool and City are establishing themselves as the main two again this season.

I believe both teams are on an upward trajectory in terms of form, but that Liverpool's is slightly more established - they're just not losing and playing slightly better as the weeks go by. City's form is improving but we're only just out of a horrid patch.

City's tough aways include Newcastle, Liverpool & Spurs - Liverpool away is after the Copenhagen home leg, so that needs wrapping up in the away leg.

Liverpool's tough aways are Arsenal really. They have Utd & Villa away as well, but let's be honest, they're not great teams.

Liverpool's defence is an injury away from causing issues (pre ~March) while i think our squad is about to settle into some steady fitness. City really have to be winning at Newcastle, i think that is crucial. We have the champs league, which is always an extra drain though.

So, very very even in my opinion. Very. Bookies have City at ~58%, Liverpool ~31% and ~13% bar (overround included). I'd put City and Liverpool much more evenly matched to be honest, even if we win at the Barcodes, but i think if we slip-up at Newcastle we'll see a money/media/fan tide of opinion towards Liverpool. Lots more games to play.
 
Liverpool with there front 6 options are favourites for me because they play at that speed level next 18 games they'll be hard to catch
 
waspish said:
Liverpool with there front 6 options are favourites for me because they play at that speed level next 18 games they'll be hard to catch
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Which level, they are hardly winning convincingly,despite our run of draws and losses we are potentially 2 points behind, their defence isn't great.They''ll drop points,if we do what we are capable of we'll win it.We might not win it but we are and should be favourites.
 
shemnel said:
Liverpool and City are establishing themselves as the main two again this season.

I believe both teams are on an upward trajectory in terms of form, but that Liverpool's is slightly more established - they're just not losing and playing slightly better as the weeks go by. City's form is improving but we're only just out of a horrid patch.

City's tough aways include Newcastle, Liverpool & Spurs - Liverpool away is after the Copenhagen home leg, so that needs wrapping up in the away leg.

Liverpool's tough aways are Arsenal really. They have Utd & Villa away as well, but let's be honest, they're not great teams.

Liverpool's defence is an injury away from causing issues (pre ~March) while i think our squad is about to settle into some steady fitness. City really have to be winning at Newcastle, i think that is crucial. We have the champs league, which is always an extra drain though.

So, very very even in my opinion. Very. Bookies have City at ~58%, Liverpool ~31% and ~13% bar (overround included). I'd put City and Liverpool much more evenly matched to be honest, even if we win at the Barcodes, but i think if we slip-up at Newcastle we'll see a money/media/fan tide of opinion towards Liverpool. Lots more games to play.
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Opta have it City 60% Liverpool 32% and 8% the rest so similar to the bookies.

We know we will hit the pedal now as that is what we are designed to do. Liverpool we will see.

What I would say is that Liverpool in general have been luckier than us and if you strip that out we should be 2 points clear of them plus a game in hand rather than 5 points behind plus a game in hand.

EPL xG Table and Scorers for the 2025/2026 season | Understat.com

xG table of EPL standings and top scorers for the 2025/2026 season, also tables from past seasons and other European football leagues.
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blueparrot said:
Which level, they are hardly winning convincingly,despite our run of draws and losses we are potentially 2 points behind, their defence isn't great.They''ll drop points,if we do what we are capable of we'll win it.We might not win it but we are and should be favourites.
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I agree with @shemnel above. We are marginal favourites. If we now keep everyone fit — I'm not thinking about Johnny any more, he just seems to pick up injuries regularly — and they lose even one key player to several weeks of injury, what with Salah out for a while anyway, I think that could swing it more markedly towards us. But as it stands, it's close. We absolutely need to be winning our three league games this month, at this point, just to keep up the pressure. And actually, I think we will.

Edit: by the way, I take your point. They're edging matches, by and large. But that's what they do. They're good at it. They could carry on doing that for much of the rest of the season.
 
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