The Title Race - 2023/24

[shemnel]

as long as we're within 6/7 points of top as the bells bong for 2024, i think we're always a threat and will always cause fear in the opposition. But we clearly need to address a few things in the middle.

 

[supercity88]

So hard to tell where we are at the moment.

The good signs are we are putting good halves together and if we a touch more clinical and touch better in defence then we'd be +4 points, and 3 points is fuck all at this stage. I don't think we are playing terribly, and if Pep can find the right tweak here then we potentially look good for the run-in. Liverpool and Arsenal are yet to play each other, so we could be right among it with some tricky games ticked off before we head off the world cup. And obviously the best sign is we have the best player in the world and the most critical player in our system to return.

The bad signs are we currently can't kill a game, our defence looks vulnerable, and our midfield looks easily bypassed. You look at the bench and apart from Grealish/Doku there's barely a player you'd look to bring onto change the tempo or result of a game. Our previous seasons have been won on having the best "big six" mini table: we have got to go to Spurs and Liverpool away in the second half of the season as well, so we will likely need to buck one of our poor away streaks at either or both places.

Still, once we have cleared Villa we have a kindish set of fixtures into the new year. One big away win on Wednesday and things will already start to feel better.

That's the key, what's done is done. We're 3pts off top and that's not too bad considering our recent results. We've got Villa away, Luton away and Palace at home before we go to the Club World Cup. We simply have to get all 9pts from those now, to keep the pressure on.

Arsenal - Luton away, Villa away, Brighton home
Liverpool - Sheffield United away, Palace away, Rags home

It's not a given any of us win all three of those, but the dippers probably will.

Liverpool then play Arsenal at Anfield whilst we're in Saudi. So one or both will drop points there and we'll have a game in hand. Win the club world cup, get some warm weather training and remember how good it feels to win again. Come back, kick on.

 

[Claytop]

I think the current situation stings a little more due to start we had and where we could have been had we beaten or at least got a point at Arsenal.

We're obviously still right in and probably favourites but similar to last season around this time we're nowhere near where we can be.

 

[alexmcity]

That's the key, what's done is done. We're 3pts off top and that's not too bad considering our recent results. We've got Villa away, Luton away and Palace at home before we go to the Club World Cup. We simply have to get all 9pts from those now, to keep the pressure on.

Arsenal - Luton away, Villa away, Brighton home
Liverpool - Sheffield United away, Palace away, Rags home

It's not a given any of us win all three of those, but the dippers probably will.

Liverpool then play Arsenal at Anfield whilst we're in Saudi. So one or both will drop points there and we'll have a game in hand. Win the club world cup, get some warm weather training and remember how good it feels to win again. Come back, kick on.

My feeling is that we won't win all three games before CWC. Hope I'm wrong but think things will get worse before they improve, maybe most of us will get pessimistic about the season. Can see both Arsenal and Liverpool being 6-8 pts clear, with City having a game in hand.

My worry is whether we'll be physically ready for a long season. The squad is small when we get several injuries.

 

[Damanino]

Arsenal have Villa away and Pool away still in December. really fucking hope some dropped points for them. ideally draw vs Pool.

will be watching how Villa will play vs Arse compared to versus City and also how Arteta will set up compared to Pep.

big tests for Emery, would fucking hate if he takes points off of us but gives all 3 to Arteta. he was fired from Arsenal too so should ask 150% from his players vs Arse lol.

having said that Villa is decent so far and won 6 out 6 at home so far scoring the most home goals in PL.

 

[TinFoilHat]

as long as we're within 6/7 points of top as the bells bong for 2024, i think we're always a threat and will always cause fear in the opposition. But we clearly need to address a few things in the middle.

We really need our version of the Scouse boom/bust cycle.

We usually tread water October to December. I agree with you if we're a few points behind come January we usually put the afterburners on and back on parity by March, or even 3 points in front.

 

[citymad]

Arsenal have Villa away and Pool away still in December. really fucking hope some dropped points for them. ideally draw vs Pool.

will be watching how Villa will play vs Arse compared to versus City and also how Arteta will set up compared to Pep.

big tests for Emery, would fucking hate if he takes points off of us but gives all 3 to Arteta. he was fired from Arsenal too so should ask 150% from his players vs Arse lol.

having said that Villa is decent so far and won 6 out 6 at home so far scoring the most home goals in PL.

Arsenal will def take at least a point off Villa probably all three. We'll need Erling back to his clinical best if we get anything from Villa. We may have to try and bypass our midfield and play a bit longer for this one which goes against everything Pep believes in.

 

[Legal Alien]

So hard to tell where we are at the moment.

The good signs are we are putting good halves together and if we a touch more clinical and touch better in defence then we'd be +4 points, and 3 points is fuck all at this stage. I don't think we are playing terribly, and if Pep can find the right tweak here then we potentially look good for the run-in. Liverpool and Arsenal are yet to play each other, so we could be right among it with some tricky games ticked off before we head off the world cup. And obviously the best sign is we have the best player in the world and the most critical player in our system to return.

The bad signs are we currently can't kill a game, our defence looks vulnerable, and our midfield looks easily bypassed. You look at the bench and apart from Grealish/Doku there's barely a player you'd look to bring onto change the tempo or result of a game. Our previous seasons have been won on having the best "big six" mini table: we have got to go to Spurs and Liverpool away in the second half of the season as well, so we will likely need to buck one of our poor away streaks at either or both places.

Still, once we have cleared Villa we have a kindish set of fixtures into the new year. One big away win on Wednesday and things will already start to feel better.

I agree.

I think we're still adjusting not only from the highs of last season, but from losing players, Gundo especially, and badly suffering from the injuries to Kev and Stones.

I know we've dropped points, but we haven't played a team yet who's been better than us.

We just need to keep in touch with the pace setters, because once we can get our players fit and the new lads fully settled in, i still think we'll pull away from the rest when spring comes.

 

[supercity88]

My feeling is that we won't win all three games before CWC. Hope I'm wrong but think things will get worse before they improve, maybe most of us will get pessimistic about the season. Can see both Arsenal and Liverpool being 6-8 pts clear, with City having a game in hand.

My worry is whether we'll be physically ready for a long season. The squad is small when we get several injuries.

We have had a lot of injuries and suspensions and it's left the squad feeling very light. What's not helping that perception is the fact Alvarez and Haaland are both starting so our options from the bench have tended to be Grealish/Doku and Bobb. That's it. De Bruyne is a huge miss quite clearly, and Stones has been too. Villa we'll have to put out whatever we can, but I think we need to start playing 4 of Doku, Alvarez, Haaland, Bernie, Foden and not all 5 of them. Rodri has to have someone more disciplined next to him whether that's Kovacic, Nunes or Lewis.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

Despite what Peo said today this season reminds me of 2012/13 in that we were decent but in lots of games we led didn’t get the killer goal and got pegged back. That season there was a united side playing like it was their dance so we never really challenged them. Don’t think any of the 3 main contenders are as clearly better as united were that season.

Looking at Arsenal they’re either going to start winning more convincingly or their luck will run out. Liverpool will either sort their defence or they’ll find themselves in a hole they can’t limb out of and start dropping points.

We are either going to regain control in matches or we’ll continue to drift along.

Hard to one what happens next but I fear things may get worse for us before they get better.