A couple of high scoring games skew the scoring charts.
Id say we don't score enough
Not in the Race?
- Thread starter Hughie77
- Start date
Id say we don't score enough
We were only ever in a title race in the fevered dreams of the Top Red fantasists. We are looking like a comfortable top 4 finish though, so it's still progress. The real question is will the Glazers want to build on that progress with strong signings in the summer or will they be happy to settle for top 4 every year. I know what I think. Seems to me their priority is to recast the UCL as something we automatically qualify for, thus rendering team quality absolutely irrelevant to financial reward.
We have scores 3 or more in 14 games this season. Not to shabby!
I'd say let's focus on the bigger issue first. The defence.
8 pts behind with 15 games to be played. It's doable.
The negativity in this thread in particular is next level sh*t!!
We are in a title race, whether you want to argue one way or another, is irrelevant.
Will we win the league?? I doubt it.
Could we win the league? Definitely.
IF we win tomorrow, we are 5 points behind and with the fixtures we have should remain 5 points behind until we play city i a few weeks.
IF we then beat city........
We are in a title race, whether you want to argue one way or another, is irrelevant.
Will we win the league?? I doubt it.
Could we win the league? Definitely.
IF we win tomorrow, we are 5 points behind and with the fixtures we have should remain 5 points behind until we play city i a few weeks.
IF we then beat city........
There isn’t a race. We should aim to finish strongly in second and put up a good fight to win the FA Cup. Back Ole in the market and improve the team in key areas. The title race talk was fantasy, and rightfully so. The team isn’t good enough yet. But it can be if we allow Ole to finish the job.
We've scored feck all against the top teams.
We're improving don't get me wrong but id still say we don't score enough to be genuine contenders but getting there
It all depends on the investment in the summer.
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same stuff and expecting different results.
Unless VB or Diallo really step up and become serious game changers, we still need a couple of big signings to improve.
We didn't make any in the summer so it was always a stretch to expect too much movement upwards. We'll do very well to claim second.
2nd and a cup would be serious progress.
Hopefully that would encourage us to buy a centre back, unless Bailly magics himself into a reliable performer, and a major attacker.
City would probably clinch it but I hope we’re not throwing in the towel just yet. A couple of shock results and the pendulum swings our way.
Agree, we will see if they get transfer targets in summer. My feeling is they get 1 transfer target. Who? CB or Sancho. I hope they get at least 2 or 3. But as you mention quality irrelevant, as long as UCL is achieved.
I’d be happy if we can keep pace with City until the end of the season, and be there or thereabouts on the final day. We were never going to win the league this season, anyone who thought otherwise was kidding themselves. A couple of key additions in the summer and we’re right in the mix for next season, though.
I think you have a good point. We look too disjointed in attack far too often to be considered a consistent-enough threat to win the league, but I think the problem in those big games is more to do with the way we approach the game. We see the name Chelsea or Liverpool and immediately go into our shell, regardless of their form or the players they've got out on the pitch. That's the big thing that needs to change.
In terms of personnel though, it's at the back where we're shakiest.
Such a weird take, in my opinion. Why would we aim to finish strongly in second ? How about we aim to win the title?
Our aim should always been to win the league. Not when we are ready. Now. This season. Every season. I don't think we will win the league, but we are in a race and should act as such. If we aim to win it and finish strong second, we'll all know it is progress anyway. Why would you basically give up on the title already?
I think city have won the title already.. even if they happen to have a blip. Everyone behind them are more likely to have blips as well.
We may as well end the season now as the pundits all say that City will be Champions and while we are at it we should crown all the leaders in their respective leagues as champions.
We can play all the European games over the next six weeks and then the season will be over and we can just cancel the domestic cups because they are insignificant now due to the money that comes from the League and Chmps Lgue.
We can play the Euros in May and then have a break in June and then have preseason where the biggest clubs in Europe can play against each other to make a shedload of cash and then everything is back to normal.
Moving forward we should look at adopting a policy when once over 50% of the pundits and journalists agree that a team will be champions we end the season as it will reduce wear and tear on the players and even look at allowing clubs to make 10 substitutions in a game just to keep the foot on the throat of the lesser teams.
We can play all the European games over the next six weeks and then the season will be over and we can just cancel the domestic cups because they are insignificant now due to the money that comes from the League and Chmps Lgue.
We can play the Euros in May and then have a break in June and then have preseason where the biggest clubs in Europe can play against each other to make a shedload of cash and then everything is back to normal.
Moving forward we should look at adopting a policy when once over 50% of the pundits and journalists agree that a team will be champions we end the season as it will reduce wear and tear on the players and even look at allowing clubs to make 10 substitutions in a game just to keep the foot on the throat of the lesser teams.
I don't really believe in "seeing" progress. For every one person who believes we've improved there will be at least one more person who believes they're seeing nothing at all and Ole needs to be sacked.
You either prove your improvement by winning trophies or prove it using points, no other way about it.
Just not good enough to be Champions I’m afraid. We’re better than we were, but we’re still a mile off. We’ll (hopefully) strengthen in the Summer, but so will City and probably Liverpool. We have to remember that City are doing what they are doing without forwards for most of the season. Next season they’ll have one and probably a very good one. We are going to have to sell to buy, so it’s goodbye Pogba and maybe two decent signings with the money raised.
We're not completely out of it but it takes a massive drop off in performance from City at this point to start looking realistic. We''ve moved in the right direction but aren't good enough to put a run of 15 wins together like they can.
I think it''d only be the chance of a title that would give us enough momentum to even go on a similar run to the one we did up until the Sheffield Utd game.
I'd be happy if we finished the season well and got a points tally somewhere around 80. If City do feck up then that gives us a platform to be in range to have a go but I think even that is an ask with our current squad and the fixture schedule. Defensively we're only ever 1 injury or out of form player away from struggling, and midfield is still a bit hit and miss as well...probably less so in a normal season when we could actually get away with not changing it for every other game.
I think just do what we can this year and use it as a platform to build again. End of last season we were still a long way off being a title contending side. End of this season you could look and say we're not actually a million miles away if we do the right things to strengthen.
I think it''d only be the chance of a title that would give us enough momentum to even go on a similar run to the one we did up until the Sheffield Utd game.
I'd be happy if we finished the season well and got a points tally somewhere around 80. If City do feck up then that gives us a platform to be in range to have a go but I think even that is an ask with our current squad and the fixture schedule. Defensively we're only ever 1 injury or out of form player away from struggling, and midfield is still a bit hit and miss as well...probably less so in a normal season when we could actually get away with not changing it for every other game.
I think just do what we can this year and use it as a platform to build again. End of last season we were still a long way off being a title contending side. End of this season you could look and say we're not actually a million miles away if we do the right things to strengthen.
The "Big 7" table (which is a thing now, I suppose)...
The only team to not win a game. Pitiful.
The only team to not win a game. Pitiful.
When is the trophy presentation??The "Big 7" table (which is a thing now, I suppose)...
The only team to not win a game. Pitiful.
Do we get relegated or does one team go down??
F*ck this nonsense
But yet in the table that actually matters we're third.The "Big 7" table (which is a thing now, I suppose)...
The only team to not win a game. Pitiful.
It really isn't a thing though.The "Big 7" table (which is a thing now, I suppose)...
The only team to not win a game. Pitiful.
City can afford to have a blip and still win title comfortably as we’ll drop plenty of points.
Finishing second means nothing and I’m not convinced a pragmatic manager like Ole can bridge that gap next season. Who knows though, Liverpool have shown us how quickly things can change in terms of both huge improvement a couple of seasons ago and a collapse this season.
An excellent transfer window and we might be contenders, a few injuries (or just one to Bruno) or a bad window and we could be struggling for top four.
Finishing second means nothing and I’m not convinced a pragmatic manager like Ole can bridge that gap next season. Who knows though, Liverpool have shown us how quickly things can change in terms of both huge improvement a couple of seasons ago and a collapse this season.
An excellent transfer window and we might be contenders, a few injuries (or just one to Bruno) or a bad window and we could be struggling for top four.
Erm, we’re 8 points behind them
It’s a thing created by the fans if the 7th place club. Top 6 was never a thing until two of the normally top 4 clubs finished 5th or 6th.
We were eight points ahead in April 2012. Bigger leads have been blown. We just need to keep in touch with City. Nobody is saying its sure thing. However, if we are still in touch with them when their fixtures start to pile up we have a chance. City have to play the League Cup final, they're still in the FA Cup, still in the Champions League and still need to find time to play the league match they missed. That's a lot of football to cram into an already condensed season. Their squad is holding up well right now. There's a chance it'll run out of gas by May though. If it does we just need to be within touching distance. If we keep dropping points I'll accept we're out of it. However, there's still a lot of football to play.
Helps if you have 2 squads worthy of winning the league like they do. I think we’ll do well to keep the gap to what it is now to be honest.
I think it’s safe to say it isn’t an attempt to persuade the board to invest in the playing squad - we’ve seen enough evidence over the last 8 years to simply know they aren’t willing to do that.
More likely he’s trying to ease pressure on the players he’s got - I can’t put into words how big a strain it is being in a title race - there will be a point where he has to admit it but you don’t want to prolong that period as a manager
More likely he’s trying to ease pressure on the players he’s got - I can’t put into words how big a strain it is being in a title race - there will be a point where he has to admit it but you don’t want to prolong that period as a manager
There needs to be a race in order to be in it.
It's not over until its 12 points ahead.
But looking at our inconsistencies, it may be right to play down the title race talk..
But looking at our inconsistencies, it may be right to play down the title race talk..
Or maybe himself. If you say you are in a title race and don't end up winning it, some may say you've failed. If you're not in the race at all, you can't win it.
City can go on 16-17 game winning runs. We have never shown we can get anywhere near that. With everything equal and no massive injuries we are the 3rd best team in the country. That is a big step up over the last few years, but its an even bigger step up to get to 2nd and a massive one to 1st. We will need a few more players to cross that threshold.
When City drop points and we're finally increase the gap over Leicester, then safe to think of full scale race. Still lot of games to play and we really need to push for it to think realistically.
Lots of positives already this season and perhaps there is more to come. Let's just see what happens after upcoming consecutive games vs Chelsea & City in few weeks.
Lots of positives already this season and perhaps there is more to come. Let's just see what happens after upcoming consecutive games vs Chelsea & City in few weeks.
You call it defeatist but I'm a realist. Pep Guardiola isn't Brenden Rodgers. He won't bottle an eight point lead and we're not going to win enough games even if they do slip up once or twice.
Although we started from different positions, we've spent the same amount of money as City since Pep arrived. Unfortunately we spent the money starting a Jose build and then dismantling that and starting an Ole build. That's the problem with changing managers. It costs a lot of money. Yet another reason for standing by your manager.
A top class attacking player (Jack Grealish) and Pogba or his replacement and we should be close next year.
A top class attacking player (Jack Grealish) and Pogba or his replacement and we should be close next year.
It's more that we don't create enough on average. Scoring/finishing can be really volatile just by the nature of the game, but we on average haven't offered enough outlets of chance creation if Bruno/Pogba are off it. Although our fullbacks are increasingly showing improvement in that area.
I mean I'm always of the opinion that people "hand" the title to a team normally much too early. But it's obvious that on average we don't have enough solidity at the back to challenge, because there will always be games where we are unlucky/wasteful going forward. I'm more than pleased with the squad's improvement as a whole this year, especially with our three bright forwards all being off it for the majority of the year. But we certainly need to replace probably both defensive halves and need a mainstay DM that doesn't need covering for either going forward or at the back.
No one expected us to be in a race before the season started, with our signings (or lack of). We have done well to reach where we are, but there is a lack of belief and one or two quality players to bridge the gap. We should have taken advantage of Liverpool's defensive crisis for example in that match (as teams that have attacked them more have shown) and have more nous to prevent our numerous last minute draws (Leicester and Everton).
The disappointment comes from elevated hopes, but if we can finish in a strong second place and with a trophy, it represents progress. Still, anything can happen in this strange season, need to sort our defence out to keep challenging. In some ways, we are like Liverpool before van dijk/Allison a few seasons ago?
The disappointment comes from elevated hopes, but if we can finish in a strong second place and with a trophy, it represents progress. Still, anything can happen in this strange season, need to sort our defence out to keep challenging. In some ways, we are like Liverpool before van dijk/Allison a few seasons ago?