Always sixth mate, ducks them over next year then
Title Race 2020/21
- Thread starter domalino
- Start date
BlueMoonRisin’
Well-Known Member
What title race? : /
All over bar the shouting, as they say.
All over bar the shouting, as they say.
Crazy as it sounds I think that the lack of preseason helped us in a fortunate, roundabout way.
At the start of the season we were playing like 17/18 City. Immense pressing, consistent high-energy movement in attack, chances created galore. I think Pep's original solution to our defensive woes was to bring the pressing back up to its highest and protect the defence that way, as our 18/19 style was visibly no longer working reliably. The problem was we were only doing that for 25 minutes and then we'd spend the rest of the game defending desperately due to tiredness. Fortunately only Leicester punished us but the Wolves and Leeds games could have gone that way too on another day.
After the Leeds game we started being way more conservative, which has really preserved our energy and fitness. All of a sudden (especially after the 1st Tottenham game), we're looking like the most balanced we've ever done.
If we'd have had a preseason I'd wager we would have had an excellent start to the season playing the best football in years, but with COVID and a tighter fixture schedule than ever we'd have likely had serious issues with fitness and injuries due to grinding our players into the ground (eg Liverpool this season). And then we'd risk a 16/17 or a 19/20 style series of problems.
My argument is that the lack of preseason gave us a reality check that would have come anyway, but it was at the very beginning of the season where it was the least impactful and gave the team the most room to adapt into a team that was more capable than ever of going the long haul.
The only major downside of a lack of preseason right now is that fatigue could really accumulate into next season, but that's something I can't predict one way or another.
Viking blue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 26 Feb 2020
- Messages
- 169
- Team supported
- Manchester City
6th all day long.
tony adcock
Well-Known Member
I get what you mean - but i meant more from being front runners and choking from a winning position ( as we are in now ).
That season we never got to a situation where it was in our hands....yes maybe you could point to the home game vs leicester where a win and good performance may have led to things, but a certain Mr Mahrez led us a merry dance that day !
NeilYoungIsBack
Well-Known Member
I pinched this from a thread on Ragcafe. Apologies if there is something similar on here already somewhere.
League table by points: 17th February
56 – City
55 -
54 -
53 -
52 -
51 -
50 -
49 -
48 -
47 -
46 - Rags/ Leicester
45 -
44 -
43 -
42 - Chelsea / West Ham
41-
40 - Liverpool
39 -
38 -
37 - Everton*
36 - Villa** / Tottenham*
35 -
34 - Arsenal
33 -
32 - Leeds*
31 -
30 - Wolves
29 - Southampton* / Palace
28 -
27 - Burnley
26 - Brighton
25 - Newcastle
24 -
23 -
22 -
21 -
20 -
19 - Fulham
18 -
17 -
16 -
15 -
14 -
13 - West Brom
12 -
11 - Sheffield Utd
* = Number of games in hand
League table by points: 17th February
56 – City
55 -
54 -
53 -
52 -
51 -
50 -
49 -
48 -
47 -
46 - Rags/ Leicester
45 -
44 -
43 -
42 - Chelsea / West Ham
41-
40 - Liverpool
39 -
38 -
37 - Everton*
36 - Villa** / Tottenham*
35 -
34 - Arsenal
33 -
32 - Leeds*
31 -
30 - Wolves
29 - Southampton* / Palace
28 -
27 - Burnley
26 - Brighton
25 - Newcastle
24 -
23 -
22 -
21 -
20 -
19 - Fulham
18 -
17 -
16 -
15 -
14 -
13 - West Brom
12 -
11 - Sheffield Utd
* = Number of games in hand
To quote their favourite phrase:
'Next year is their year' ... hopefully.
Is a very good site with loads of stats for PL and many other leagues.