The Title Race - 2023/24

[gordondaviesmoustache]

There's a small but very vocal core of our fanbase that would prefer, season after season, the psychological security of saying we won't win to avoid the possibility of saying we have a chance and it hurting if we lose. Like you say, cowards. And getting to say "see, I knew 10 games ago we weren't going to do it" is a fucking lame "prize" to fall back on.

They’ve been itching to say something like that for the last eight years.

 

[Coatigan]

18 wins on the bounce kinda of ruins your statement there. They practically won it in the first half of the season similar to city's 100 point season. It was a huge improvement of form

Don't know their seasons as well as ours, but from memory they won a game kess than the season before. Their form was better iver a part of it, but that's not the same as they were better overall. But I get what you are saying, and the drop-off was when the league was already won.

 

[the blue panther]

But if I remember rightly they didnt have as good a back 4 asc they do now and they certainly didn't have Declan Rice, this seasons difference maker for Arsenal. Their only downfall could be messing about with their gk and relying on Havertz too get them goals.

Sounds like you're worried about them coming to the Etihad.
There's a bigger picture.
Arsenal had an 8 point advantage over us without Declan Rice last season after 28 games, so, go figure!
There's a huge 10 games yet left to play. We're strengthening; Arsenal have already peaked, imho.
We're a point behind and the big blue shark is circling and it feeds off red blood........and rice.
Arteta will be manic and his players will be manic, and they won't be able to cope with any setback when we play them.
They're gonna shit the bed again at the Etihad, I hope - and, if they don't, fair play to them - but, we'll soon see.
4 in a row is one hell of an expectation, but, it might still happen.
If not, I'd rather Arsenal get it than the red scousers.

 

[ysmsa]

Who the fuck planned FA Cup weekend, then International break?

The most exciting title race for years and it's a 3 week fucking break from the League!

Football doesn't help it's self at times, the season is stop start all the way through.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

They’ve been itching to say something like that for the last eight years.

It winds me up that they have been able to celebrate all the many, many victories all the same! But such is life!

 

[Damanino]

my feeling is we get Arsenal in QFs of CL which will throw a grenade into this title race. I hate it that under Pep we faced English club 3x in CL and always got eliminated (dippers QFs, Spurs QFs, vs Chelsea lost the final) and in each time the opponent was something like 10-20 points behind us in the league so we were way superior to them.

 

[Gorbachev]

my feeling is we get Arsenal in QFs of CL which will throw a grenade into this title race. I hate it that under Pep we faced English club 3x in CL and always got eliminated (dippers QFs, Spurs QFs, vs Chelsea lost the final) and in each time the opponent was something like 10-20 points behind us in the league so we were way superior to them.

Arsenal, if they get past Porto - in my opinion - will falter when they have to play those CL QF's and possible SF''s between PL games.

They haven't got the experience to win on both fronts and something will have to give. It will be one of the other, not both.

Those QF and SF games are emotionally and physically draining and took us near on 10 years to to be able to get used to competing on both fronts.

 

[citymad]

Arsenal, if they get past Porto - in my opinion - will falter when they have to play those CL QF's and possible SF''s between PL games.

They haven't got the experience to win on both fronts and something will have to give. It will be one of the other, not both.

Those QF and SF games are emotionally and physically draining and took us near on 10 years to to be able to get used to competing on both fronts.

Yes perhaps but they're out of the FA cup so its only CL and the league left for them. It's a tall order and they'll be up against the giants of Europe but it could end up being be an amazing season for them.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

It winds me up that they have been able to celebrate all the many, many victories all the same! But such is life!

I’m not sure all of them have celebrated those many, many victories all the same. For many, the fear of failure must be suffocating and must have prevented them taking it in sufficiently. When it’s over and the race is run, the overriding emotion for some is relief, not joy, - still a great feeling mind, but I don’t get the sense that a decent minority of our support have taken anywhere near as much in as they could have done while Pep has been at the helm.

I think some prefer, or feel more comfortable existing in, a ‘typical City’ space - even though logic and experience should point them away from it. It’s actually a genuine shame for them because these times we are living through will be fleeting. Sure as night follows day.

 

[Zinchilla]

I’m not sure all of them have celebrated those many, many victories all the same. For many, the fear of failure must be suffocating and must have prevented them taking it in sufficiently. When it’s over and the race is run, the overriding emotion for some is relief, not joy, - still a great feeling mind, but I don’t get the sense that a decent minority of our support have taken anywhere near as much in as they could have done while Pep has been at the helm.

I think some prefer, or feel more comfortable existing in, a ‘typical City’ space - even though logic and experience should point them away from it. It’s actually a genuine shame for them because these times we are living through will be fleeting. Sure as night follows day.

Yep, lots might be like that. Cherophobia. It’s not that some don’t want to be happy, it’s the fear of feeling happy, the risk attached to it. Something good leads to something bad & their personal word caving in. So insulate against that risk, I suppose it’s why some place emotional hedge bets, some might self sabotage. Horrible to feel that way, a huge shame as you say.