The Title Race - 2023/24

[Crooked_rain]

Long way to go, 20 odd games

All teams will drop points, often when least expected, as we see every other season.

We definitely need to pick up our form, and I'm sure we will.

Absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of the table as it stands today, we're not even halfway through the season. We were 8 points behind closer to the finish line last season.

 

[mccity]

We do...
View attachment 100721

Ah colour me an idiot

 

[BlueMooner87]

I'm not convinced we will be competing for the top spot this season.

We lost too much quality and experience in the window. We tried to replace but ended up penny pinching with the Rice transfer. The double whammy of missing out on him and him going to what was our closest challenger last season while we ended up with mediocre replacements for players who were instrumental last season has left us far weaker than last season while everyone has strengthened.

 

[Mad_fer_it]

Spot-on. I have always thought this year would be tough. We are in transition and facing a challenge from clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, Villa. The PL has never been stronger and we can claim much of the credit for that. It’s not supposed to be easy. Pep will make the changes as he did in 2016. I would be happy with any trophy this season and think that could well be the CL. Let’s wait and see.

It's bitterly disappointing to watch. We all knew Newcastle and Villa were going to improve. We all knew Liverpool would be back, a squad like that doesn't stay shit for long. Particularly with them, there league form was evident to see they would be title contenders this year. Then Arsenal - last year was only going to motivate them more.

I thought we had a solid summer transfers wise but on reflection we've left ourselves high and dry. Letting Gundo go - the board didnt do enough on this one. He even said he would have stayed if they'd approached him to stay earlier. Instead we waited until the last minute, by which time he'd already made up his mind - piss poor tbh.

Not saying he would have solved everything but you can't expect to not feel the effects of a player of that magnitude leaving.

We got hugely unlucky with Kev, but even this we had ALL summer to sort. Foden hasn't really filled this void in the way many thought he could so we've been left short.

Not sure why we even signed Nunes. Phillips is a waste of space and Kovacic has been inconsistent. The squad is weaker and it's showing now.

Just gotta suck it and see.

 

[BolinCell]

At least our chances of a success are not resting on Sir Jim Radcliffe.

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

Losing Gundo, no Kdb and missing out on Bellingham is hurting us and we have very little creativity in midfield currently. Shame Pep doesn't trust Foden in midfield, but the balance of the side is not right at present. Things need to change, the return of Kev will help but we still need more I feel.

Pep has put Foden in midfield multiple times but it becomes a basketball game everytime with end to end. Even Foden has said he needs to be better off the ball.

Even @twosips has said.. the best games he's seen Foden play were always end to end. PSG @ home, Chelsea away this year, Spurs @ home this year.

And Bellingham and Rice both said no to us. We had the money but they didn't want us.. I suppose we can blame the 115 for that most likely as foreign born players won't care but apparently English players sure do!

 

[Axel Freed]

People saying it’s a much stronger league this year, all our rivals have improved etc etc have got it totally wrong. Arsenal are marginally better and we’re not quite as strong.

The rest of em are average teams. Utd, a side being regularly spanked by mediocre European teams, are right in the mix. For Villa now read Spurs in the early weeks of the season - overachieving flavour of the month. The dippers are grinding out fortunate victories against poor teams but they looked desperately poor at our place . Even Arsenal don’t look as fluent as they did last season although that’s counterbalanced by them maybe being more streetwise and experienced this time around. Newcastle could be the dark horses, if they crash out of Europe and get their injury list cleared they could go on a run.

It’s all in our hands. If we show up at any point, we win it. If we don’t, Arsenal pull clear and probably stay clear.

 

[citymad]

Losing Gundo, no Kdb and missing out on Bellingham is hurting us and we have very little creativity in midfield currently. Shame Pep doesn't trust Foden in midfield, but the balance of the side is not right at present. Things need to change, the return of Kev will help but we still need more I feel.

We're all hoping Kev will be the Messiah and everything will be just fine. Truth is as we know Kev takes a while to get back and he's that little bit older. His body has been worn out, hopefully he'll comeback refreshed and be like his old self but I doubt it. Hamstrings are notorious for a long recovery and relapses. Like you say we need more than him though to compete with the Dippers and Tarquins.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

It's bitterly disappointing to watch. We all knew Newcastle and Villa were going to improve. We all knew Liverpool would be back, a squad like that doesn't stay shit for long. Particularly with them, there league form was evident to see they would be title contenders this year. Then Arsenal - last year was only going to motivate them more.

I thought we had a solid summer transfers wise but on reflection we've left ourselves high and dry. Letting Gundo go - the board didnt do enough on this one. He even said he would have stayed if they'd approached him to stay earlier. Instead we waited until the last minute, by which time he'd already made up his mind - piss poor tbh.

Not saying he would have solved everything but you can't expect to not feel the effects of a player of that magnitude leaving.

We got hugely unlucky with Kev, but even this we had ALL summer to sort. Foden hasn't really filled this void in the way many thought he could so we've been left short.

Not sure why we even signed Nunes. Phillips is a waste of space and Kovacic has been inconsistent. The squad is weaker and it's showing now.

Just gotta suck it and see.

Agree with all of this except Kovacic who I think was building a strong partnershhip with Rodri before he was injured. In fact we have been shipping goals since Kovacic got injured. Given the sheer volume of matches for clubs and the absurd international calendar our players (more than most) have been overplayed. I think Gundo left for a rest as much as anything else!
I think Pep will get it right and we will win silverware (FA Cup or CL) but four-in-a-row will just elude us. You are right that we should have planned better in the summer but I think the World Cup fucked up a lot of things. I thought we looked dead on our feet in the CL Final but got over the line. I remain optimistic for the long-term future of City as a leading club and, unlike our enemies at LFC and MUFC, I welcome the increased competition provided in a much-improved PL. Whatever happens no one will ever beat our 100 points/100 goals record of 2018.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

hunger is a big question, after a treble win many players can feel they are done. what bigger thing they can win after a treble...

are we just as hungry to do it again?

another thing Pep used pretty well is the PL charges that galvanized us as a club, team, fans, players.

we were generally much better after the charges than before it.

if the hunger and desire is not there 100% that will cost us points for sure, it already did maybe...

It's not a lack of hunger or desire or complacency. It is mental and physical fatigue. You can't criticise the attitude of our treble-winning team. They have proven their character again and again. But they are not super-human. It is a fact that our relatively small squad plays more important crucial matches than any other team in Europe. Pep knows this full well. He will get us back on track. I think we will win the Club World Cup and the Champions League but the PL will elude us this season.