The Title Race - 2023/24

How many points will be needed to win the league?

  • Total voters
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  • Poll closed .
It’s a shame we’ve spoilt that excellent start with two really poor results. Hopefully Pep will have a plan to get us back on track. Tough set of games coming up though starting with Brighton.
 
I've watched today's game twice and even though we didn't play well, just like last week, we deserved at least a draw today.

Let everyone big the arse up. I understand that the result is everything, but the reality is they got a draw and win against us by scoring two late, deflected goals.

Even though they've improved, they aren't a better team than us and we and they, know it!

The dippers look good going forward, but look equally bad defensively.
I think both us and the arse will finish above them.
 
The last 2 games have shown City are not overwhelming favourites as many say. Right now the football is sleep inducing as it was in the middle of last season.
 
Legal Alien said:
I've watched today's game twice and even though we didn't play well, just like last week, we deserved at least a draw today.

Let everyone big the arse up. I understand that the result is everything, but the reality is they got a draw and win against us by scoring two late, deflected goals.

Even though they've improved, they aren't a better team than us and we and they, know it!

The dippers look good going forward, but look equally bad defensively.
I think both us and the arse will finish above them.
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We're having a wobble, we will walk it imo. Rice has made the Arse better but not our level. Wish Scott Tracy would stop reffing the game from the touchline........annoying tosser haha
 
Bill Walker said:
We're having a wobble, we will walk it imo. Rice has made the Arse better but not our level. Wish Scott Tracy would stop reffing the game from the touchline........annoying tosser haha
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We'll have other bad results, though. This walking the league stuff is delusional. People underestimate the toll of fighting on all fronts last season.

I think we are likely to win in the end because (1) Pep, (2) our attackers are still quite young and will likely get better, and (3) the new signings are better than many realise. But the walking or winning the league in October or January stuff is a bit stupid. People should get disabused from it. Which is going to happen over the next month or two anyway, for we'll have other bad results.
 
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SWPISHOME said:
I agree with this. We don't have many other players will to take risks with the ball.

One very notable one today in the first half, Bernie had the ball in midfield, Foden made a lovely run in behind White and had acres of space in behind...He ended up playing a simple 3 yard pass.

The midfield players need to take responsibility and play these passes in behind.

Everything is too slow and predictable with no KDB.
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Pep don't like those risky 50/50 balls and it was only Kdb who would play them because he won't get Bollocks by pep! You see how reacted to Haaland when he had a go at silva not passing to him on the 44th minute in game!

Anyway Peps a genius what he has done at city is remarkable! You can question him but 9/10 he sorts it out! Also I say this a bit we can not expect to win the league every year..
 
I don't think we're worse than we were in our bad patch last season, and that was far later in the season, we were more points behind and with no excuse of Kev and Rodri being unavailable. If we sort the system out, always takes a few months for Pep to get it right, we'll be absolutely fine and ready to charge on again when Kev is back.
 
We just need to stay in the race until the new year. Once KDB is back that will give us creativity in midfield. Rodri and Stones returning will also helps us and give us more quality in the midfield areas.

We went to the Emirates with Rodri, KDB and Gundagon last season. Yesterday it was Bernardo, Lewis and Kovacic.

We'll be fine, we always have shaky starts to the season. I remember the loss at Anfield last year was similar to yesterday, and I also remember Haaland getting stick for "not fitting in" by the media. Once it clicks for us it clicks Pep just needs to find the balance with the new signings.

This next run of games is tough though, we need to get our form together. But if we're still close come December / January then the rest of the league will start to panic.
 
TrentGrisham said:
I don't think we were that poor today but we better pick it up and fast because those fixures are a far cry from what we opened the season with.
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We didn’t have a chance to score after the 4th minute and we didn’t create a single chance all game through our own passing in open play (only chances were from a corner and then a flick on from a hopeful lobbed up ball after the clearance from that corner).

Fewest shots in any game under Guardiola.

It’s about as poor as we’ve ever been in seven years under Pep in the last third.
 
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I think we’re going to struggle over that set of fixtures. We weren’t ready for the season to start when it did. We had far too short a break after the treble celebrations and a short pre-season, we have had key players injured and those not are out of form, we’ve not got as good a squad as last season either. We had the easiest start to the season in the league so it was good to get some points in the bag, but now it’s starts to get tough…

I think we’ll find ourselves slightly cut off from the top for a couple of months until we start to get our rhythm and start playing well before Christmas, then go on a run.
 
waspish said:
Pep don't like those risky 50/50 balls and it was only Kdb who would play them because he won't get Bollocks by pep! You see how reacted to Haaland when he had a go at silva not passing to him on the 44th minute in game!

Anyway Peps a genius what he has done at city is remarkable! You can question him but 9/10 he sorts it out! Also I say this a bit we can not expect to win the league every year..
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Pep is a genuis and we will get it sorted, It's basically always this time of year he makes a few tactical tweeks and we respond.

I don't expect us to win the league every year either there's a reason why I hate the Rags being entitled twats.

I do think we need someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck whem KDB isn't available. I know Pep doesn't like the ball being played in behind but surely when Haaland is making runs in behind with acres of grass in behind. We have players capable of picking out these passes.

Anyway, It's a defeat its not the end of the world. We will turn things around.
 
The start this season reminds me of 16/17 where we were getting the wins but didn’t look entirely convincing. The first decent test we have had , we have come up short

There are some concerning issues with the team that will need to be resolved over the next few months :

Walker has had a great start to the season but we’re now playing with a back four , which seems to be limiting our build up. Last season we had a back three with Stones stepping in, Akanji has tried it this season but hasn’t looked comfortable. Hopefully with Stones being back we start to see this back again

The midfield looks unbalanced to me, we don’t have an orchestrator that dictates the tempo in the number 8 position. Kovacic and Nunes are decent players but are more ball carriers , where we need a ball player. Rodri has been taking on some of this mantel but with him being out we look all at sea. It’s really concerning how poor we’ve been with him out of the team . I was hoping Phillips could step up but he’s no where near. We need another midfielder in January if possible.

Attack has looked inconsistent and has been carried by Alvarez so far. It’s not enough - Doku has had moments but he is showing what he is , not the finished article but the only winger we have that commits people. He should be playing the support role from the bench at this stage but the other wingers aren’t doing it. Phil also hasn’t stepped up consistently enough.
 
alexmcity said:
We'll have other bad results, though. This walking the league stuff is delusional. People underestimate the toll of fighting on all fronts last season.
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Call me deluded if you wish, but when Kev and Rodri are back and the new guys bed in, I think we'll walk it. We'll go on a run after January. No loses.
Not just me being optimistic either, look how bookies have us..

  • Manchester City @ 8/15.
  • Liverpool @ 11/2.
  • Arsenal @ 11/2.
  • Tottenham Hotspur @ 16/1.
  • Newcastle @ 33/1.
They know a thing or two.
So call me and the bookies delusional all you want :)
 
The reaction from the media and Arsenal fans yesterday has been ridiculous, I rate Peter Drury as a commentator but the way he was talking like them winning in October means the title is theirs is ridiculous.

I don't think we've been great so far this season, not the best transfer business and too many injuries and suspensions
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
We didn’t have a chance to score after the 4th minute and we didn’t create a single chance all game through our own passing in open play (only chances were from a corner and then a flick on from a hopeful lobbed up ball after the clearance from that corner).

Fewest shots in any game under Guardiola.

It’s about as poor as we’ve ever been in seven years under Pep in the last third.
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Didn't agree with Peps tactics for this game. We went for a draw. Should've gone to win. Sorry Pep.
 
Bill Walker said:
Didn't agree with Peps tactics for this game. We went for a draw. Should've gone to win. Sorry Pep.
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That seems to be the default setup for these big games

last season

Anfield
Old Trafford
emirates
stamford bridge
spurs
Leipzig
Madrid
Munich

all these games we set up to be cautious and try to nick the games on the break
 
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