The Title Race - 2023/24

How many points will be needed to win the league?

  • Total voters
    446
  • Poll closed .
This season is mirroring last season for me. We've been slow in some games but we're still getting results. With another transfer window and Kev coming back we'll be at full power towards the end of the season.

I think it will be us and Arsenal again, they're the only team that worry me. They're not even that good but they know how to get results. I think that 2-2 at the weekend was a bigger result for them than beating us 2 weeks ago.

Newcastle and Spurs are the other teams to watch but Newcastle will have to cope with playing 2-3 games a week and they haven't got the depth. Spurs will be 20+ goals short this year so I don't think they'll last the whole season.
 
inbetween said:
This season is mirroring last season for me. We've been slow in some games but we're still getting results. With another transfer window and Kev coming back we'll be at full power towards the end of the season.

I think it will be us and Arsenal again, they're the only team that worry me. They're not even that good but they know how to get results. I think that 2-2 at the weekend was a bigger result for them than beating us 2 weeks ago.

Newcastle and Spurs are the other teams to watch but Newcastle will have to cope with playing 2-3 games a week and they haven't got the depth. Spurs will be 20+ goals short this year so I don't think they'll last the whole season.
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Feels similar to last season when Pep was tweaking the balance of the team, trying Bernardo at left back, giving Rico Lewis a run. Then he put Stones in next to Rodri and the rest was history.

One observation from last season towards the end and in the two finals, our build up play became too slow. Which is why we see Doku in there going at defenders, we are addressing some of our problems but still working others out. The rest of the league will be shitting it if it clicks into gear as I don’t see any of the teams around City being anywhere near as good. Complacency is the only thing that can stop City.
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
Nobody has impressed me so far this season.

I’ve been disappointed with both City and Arsenal. Liverpool have been better than last season but still don’t look great.
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I'd be worried if we were flying in the first half of the season.

The aim is to do enough to be close to the top and have enough in the tank to go for the big trophies come March.

Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool are good teams, but probably not good enough to win 88+ pts.
 
BringBackSwales said:
I genuinely wouldn’t write spurs off. Amazing what difference a good manager makes, and this posta…. Ang - is a very good one
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Look at who Spurs have played though.

Brentford, 14th, draw.
United, 8th, win.
Bournemouth, 19th, win.
Burnley, 18th, win.
Sheffield United, 20th, win.
Arsenal, 3rd, draw.
Liverpool, 2nd, win (heavily caveated by the massive refereeing fuck up)
Luton Town, 17th, win.
Fulham, 13th, win.


Take out the Liverpool game with the biggest VAR fuck up of all time, and the average position of the teams they've beaten is 16th. 6 of their 9 games have been against the bottom third of the table.

They've had by a considerable distance the easiest start of the season.
 
We look like the team of the first 20+ games last season. A lack of balance and a defensive strategy that seems to be chase the ball and scramble! With Stones back we looked so much better, and Gvardiol will continue to improve so I'm not too concerned. The lack of attacking depth is a bit of a worry. Last season in the CL final we had Foden, Alvarez and Mahrez on the bench. Whilst De Bruyne is injured, Grealish is the only option currently. We need to get Kovacic and Nunes firing in order to help balance the side and give us more options.

Positively, our rivals don't seem particularly impressive. I don't know why Arteta has decided to experiment with Arsenal so much. They've added depth but it's derailed them. They should have stuck with the team they played last season. Havertz as a midfielder and changing the keeper seems to have done more harm than good. They escaped with a point at the weekend, but they only challenged last season through that insane first half, which was clearly way above their actual level.

Liverpool look better, without being great still. But they're the main threat in my opinion.

Villa are brilliant under Emery, but I don't think Watkins is good enough to score them the goals to win tight games. Newcastle will be in the top 4. Chelsea will improve. The rags are shite.
 
inbetween said:
This season is mirroring last season for me. We've been slow in some games but we're still getting results. With another transfer window and Kev coming back we'll be at full power towards the end of the season.

I think it will be us and Arsenal again, they're the only team that worry me. They're not even that good but they know how to get results. I think that 2-2 at the weekend was a bigger result for them than beating us 2 weeks ago.

Newcastle and Spurs are the other teams to watch but Newcastle will have to cope with playing 2-3 games a week and they haven't got the depth. Spurs will be 20+ goals short this year so I don't think they'll last the whole season.
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I'd argue that Arsenal doesn't know how to get results. They have essentially collapsed at the end in the last two seasons. The question is whether Arteta has figured out how to iron that propensity to fail out of them.
 
Father Paul said:
Exactly as I said before last January into February we looked like we were going nowhere fast. I would say however that we need Kev back fit and firing for the second half of the season or things may not turn out well.
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We'll need him back for the second half of the season, but even without him think we look better than anyone else. Rodri for 3 games has been the bigger miss.
 
domalino said:
Look at who Spurs have played though.

Brentford, 14th, draw.
United, 8th, win.
Bournemouth, 19th, win.
Burnley, 18th, win.
Sheffield United, 20th, win.
Arsenal, 3rd, draw.
Liverpool, 2nd, win (heavily caveated by the massive refereeing fuck up)
Luton Town, 17th, win.
Fulham, 13th, win.


Take out the Liverpool game with the biggest VAR fuck up of all time, and the average position of the teams they've beaten is 16th. 6 of their 9 games have been against the bottom third of the table.

They've had by a considerable distance the easiest start of the season.
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If you put ours on there we’ve had a similarly easy start. Ultimately they can only beat, or in 2 cases draw against, the teams put in front of them. And whatever the background they won’t have to play liverpool at home again, even though Klopp would like them to
 
BringBackSwales said:
If you put ours on there we’ve had a similarly easy start. Ultimately they can only beat, or in 2 cases draw against, the teams put in front of them. And whatever the background they won’t have to play liverpool at home again, even though Klopp would like them to
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I'm going to have to disagree with that. Our average opponent is 12th. They've played 6 of the bottom 8. We've played 3.

Pretty big difference.

Opta actually analysed this properly.

1698161966998.png
 
domalino said:
Look at who Spurs have played though.

Brentford, 14th, draw.
United, 8th, win.
Bournemouth, 19th, win.
Burnley, 18th, win.
Sheffield United, 20th, win.
Arsenal, 3rd, draw.
Liverpool, 2nd, win (heavily caveated by the massive refereeing fuck up)
Luton Town, 17th, win.
Fulham, 13th, win.


Take out the Liverpool game with the biggest VAR fuck up of all time, and the average position of the teams they've beaten is 16th. 6 of their 9 games have been against the bottom third of the table.

They've had by a considerable distance the easiest start of the season.
Click to expand...
Not too similar to ours let's be honest, difference is we lost to wolves.
 
domalino said:
I'm going to have to disagree with that. Our average opponent is 12th. They've played 6 of the bottom 8. We've played 3.

Pretty big difference.

Opta actually analysed this properly.

View attachment 96576
Click to expand...
The only points they have dropped have been away to arsenal and away to Brentford. I’m not going to big up spurs because I hate the cunts but I still have to admit they have made an excellent start. Don’t expect them to win the league, but then who did Leicester?
 
BringBackSwales said:
The only points they have dropped have been away to arsenal and away to Brentford. I’m not going to big up spurs because I hate the cunts but I still have to admit they have made an excellent start. Don’t expect them to win the league, but then who did Leicester?
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Leicester wouldn’t have won in a league with Pep and Klopp (i realise he technically joins halfway through that season but you know what I mean, he hadn’t built the side yet).
 
domalino said:
Leicester wouldn’t have won in a league with Pep and Klopp (i realise he technically joins halfway through that season but you know what I mean, he hadn’t built the side yet).
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But Leicester did win the league, at 5000 to 1 if I recall. Spurs have a lot better chance than that
 
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