Chris in London
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 21 Sep 2009
- Messages
- 13,340
Interesting weekend.
After the rags' Huddersfield result I thought 'Maybe if Klopp had thrown caution to the wind they could have torn the rags a new one'. But then after seeing what happened at Spurs I thought 'no, they couldn't - Peg would have picked them off'. Liverpool really are not a top 4 side even though when Mane is fit and firing they do have a very potent attack. But even though their defence is poor, I expect a recovery of sorts for Liverpool between now and the end of the year. They have played all the top 6 bar Chelsea. So 4 of their 5 most difficult games during the first half of the season is out of the way. I don't expect them to visit Huddersfield, say, and come away with a defeat. Expect the scousers to start getting all giddy again before the turn of the year.
Which is of course pretty much the opposite of the rags' position. The first quarter of the season for them has been pretty undemanding with the trip to Anfield being their only game against top 6 opposition. The natives are restless already judging by sad cafe and the quality of the opposition in the second quarter of their season gets a lot tougher, starting next weekend with Spurs at home. Lots of people were looking forward to the first Manchester Derby as a top of the table clash, a potential title decider even, but I think the rags' title challenge may well have petered out by that stage already. I certainly don't think the derby - 50 years and one day after the ballet on ice - will be 1st v 2nd. That will be the following week when we play Spurs.
Speaking of whom, I had largely discounted them as mounting a genuine title challenge as I thought their home form would let them down, given how badly they have done at Wembley historically. I thought that eventually they would get over whatever mental block they had about playing there but by then, I reasoned, they would be too far off the pace. Now I look at them and think they, not the rags, are our most serious challengers.
Anyway, after Spuds demolition of the scousers, these are the results so far amongst the mini league
Spurs 1 v 2 Chelsea
Liverpool 4 v 0 Arsenal
City 5 v 0 Liverpool
Chelsea 0 v 0 Arsenal
Chelsea 0 v 1 City
Liverpool 0 v 0 Rags
Spurs 4 v 1 Liverpool
These then are the standings:
1 City played 2 points 6
2 Chelsea played 3 points 4
2 Liverpool played 4 points 4
4 Spurs played 2 points 3
5 Arsenal played 2 points 1
6 Rags played 1 points 1
The next top 6 clash is Rags/Spurs next weekend. Whilst Spurs are flying I think Peg will know that he cannot afford to lose two on the bounce. Also, Spurs record against the rags is piss-poor. I'm still expecting a draw.
After the rags' Huddersfield result I thought 'Maybe if Klopp had thrown caution to the wind they could have torn the rags a new one'. But then after seeing what happened at Spurs I thought 'no, they couldn't - Peg would have picked them off'. Liverpool really are not a top 4 side even though when Mane is fit and firing they do have a very potent attack. But even though their defence is poor, I expect a recovery of sorts for Liverpool between now and the end of the year. They have played all the top 6 bar Chelsea. So 4 of their 5 most difficult games during the first half of the season is out of the way. I don't expect them to visit Huddersfield, say, and come away with a defeat. Expect the scousers to start getting all giddy again before the turn of the year.
Which is of course pretty much the opposite of the rags' position. The first quarter of the season for them has been pretty undemanding with the trip to Anfield being their only game against top 6 opposition. The natives are restless already judging by sad cafe and the quality of the opposition in the second quarter of their season gets a lot tougher, starting next weekend with Spurs at home. Lots of people were looking forward to the first Manchester Derby as a top of the table clash, a potential title decider even, but I think the rags' title challenge may well have petered out by that stage already. I certainly don't think the derby - 50 years and one day after the ballet on ice - will be 1st v 2nd. That will be the following week when we play Spurs.
Speaking of whom, I had largely discounted them as mounting a genuine title challenge as I thought their home form would let them down, given how badly they have done at Wembley historically. I thought that eventually they would get over whatever mental block they had about playing there but by then, I reasoned, they would be too far off the pace. Now I look at them and think they, not the rags, are our most serious challengers.
Anyway, after Spuds demolition of the scousers, these are the results so far amongst the mini league
Spurs 1 v 2 Chelsea
Liverpool 4 v 0 Arsenal
City 5 v 0 Liverpool
Chelsea 0 v 0 Arsenal
Chelsea 0 v 1 City
Liverpool 0 v 0 Rags
Spurs 4 v 1 Liverpool
These then are the standings:
1 City played 2 points 6
2 Chelsea played 3 points 4
2 Liverpool played 4 points 4
4 Spurs played 2 points 3
5 Arsenal played 2 points 1
6 Rags played 1 points 1
The next top 6 clash is Rags/Spurs next weekend. Whilst Spurs are flying I think Peg will know that he cannot afford to lose two on the bounce. Also, Spurs record against the rags is piss-poor. I'm still expecting a draw.