Bilbo
TeaBaggins
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2004
- Messages
- 14,382
My god this thread is depressing. The lunatics (idiots) really are taking over the asylum (forum)
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I agree. People need to get a grip. Liverpool and Man City and are still miles ahead, not exactly a surprise is it.I don't think we're worse than Arsenal or Chelsea. Tottenham aren't that much better either.
Why is it depressing? You could only find it depressing if you believe what most (as you call them, idiots) are saying.My god this thread is depressing. The lunatics (idiots) really are taking over the asylum (forum)
It's depressing because:Why is it depressing? You could only find it depressing if you believe what most (as you call them, idiots) are saying.
The club was 6th last season and weaker as a midfield and attacking force this one. Not a huge stretch to be fair.
We have once again struggled to get shots on target, we have made costly defensive/keeping errors and to be fair rode our luck v Chelsea before we took control. I would personally say it is very much on par with last season. Yes we buggered up two penalties, our own players fault and had a shocking ref performance v Palace.It's depressing because:
So far this season we've looked better than most of last season
Our direct competitors all also have significant squad problems and none of them have looked better than us so far
Despite the above, our 'fans' are still all too willing to stick the boot in and predict the worst for the team. It's toxic
At gunpoint I'd say 6th because if I was naming Chelsea's best possible XI I probably wouldn't include Giroud, Pedro, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, Willian, Mount, Alonso, Reece James or Zouma and that seems like enough depth to squeak past us.
If we lose Pogba or McTominay for a few games we might be in real trouble in midfield and it's tough to see us finding 6th place level production from the #10 or RW spots, whereas Chelsea don't really have any positions where you'd say they're basically a 12th-18th place quality side.
We have the better defence, but Chelsea and definitely Arsenal have more goals in them.
Worth noting that it's easier to see us signing an attacking midfielder in January and it helping us a ton, whereas Arsenal probably aren't going to seriously address their defensive issues and Chelsea can't. So, if we sign a winger or 10, maybe?
Can you give me a reason why you think we'll improve from our position from the previous year?My god this thread is depressing. The lunatics (idiots) really are taking over the asylum (forum)
I will gladly have a bet with you that they will finish above United. They have a superior squad and it will show imo. Any team can beat another on any given day. I dont think Crystal Palace are better than us because they beat us.They have a better midfield, that's it. And yeah we hit them on the counter? That's a perfectly valid way of playing? We beat them 4-0 while De Gea literally had no real save to make. Its laughable seeing anyone claim they are better than us this season, and that will show over the year, I guarantee it.
People are too dramatic. Liverpool and City are the 2 best sides in the league, and Spurs should be 3rd, but past that, there isnt anyone who has a better squad or starting 11 really.we'll see how the season plays out, but I'd say its very clearly between United and Arsenal for 4th, with the potential of Spurs falling behind in that group, while Chelsea will be in the 6th-9th group. I'll be shocked if they are close to top 4.
I know people love to shit on United on here while ignoring the frailties of other teams... but seriously. We just hammered them 2 weeks ago. Don't you see how funny is it to claim they are better? If they were better, they sure as feck wouldn't lose 4-0 to us. On paper they aren't better, they aren't better in statistical performances during the season both in chance creation and in defensive ability, and they aren't better than us in the actual result on the pitch between the 2.
Chelsea thumped us 5-0 in 1999/2000 but finished 20+ points behind us. Just because we beat a team doesn't mean we are a better team - we've just lost to Crystal Palace but we're still a better team than they are.So the team we just hammered 4-0 is better than us? Makes sense.
I think it's not because rivals are struggling or that our starting is not good enough to challenge for the 4th, but that our squad is so thin that an injury to first-teamer and we have to field the likes of Young, Greenwood, Matic, etc. It's that some of them are just not good or too old and others are too young without any experience. And we already have few injuries. Who do we fill in for Martial if he doesn't recover? If you factor in these, then it simply realistic to expect we would finish 6th or lower. And we have seen just 3 matches in that how fragile some of the players the squad are, heads just drop when we concede. And we finished 6th with more depth and stronger characters like Herrera. Sometimes you just have to be a realist.It's depressing because:
So far this season we've looked better than most of last season
Our direct competitors all also have significant squad problems and none of them have looked better than us so far
Despite the above, our 'fans' are still all too willing to stick the boot in and predict the worst for the team. It's toxic
We shall see I guess. I'm very confident that they'll be a mess defensively all season but be fun to watch with the youngsters. They'll be decent in the middle of the park but then fail to be efficient in the most important parts of the pitch, the 2 boxes. And in terms of squad build up, their starting 11 looks incredibly ordinary, especially the attack. So we'll see.I will gladly have a bet with you that they will finish above United. They have a superior squad and it will show imo. Any team can beat another on any given day. I dont think Crystal Palace are better than us because they beat us.
Thank you. I like your username and may steal itNailed it noods.
They still have Rudiger to return also. Forgot about him.We shall see I guess. I'm very confident that they'll be a mess defensively all season but be fun to watch with the youngsters. They'll be decent in the middle of the park but then fail to be efficient in the most important parts of the pitch, the 2 boxes. And in terms of squad build up, their starting 11 looks incredibly ordinary, especially the attack. So we'll see.
I'm a big Loftus Cheek fan but surely it's him or Mount unless you think Mount will be a better wide player than all of Hudson-Odoi, Pedro, William and Barkley, though that's possible. Also can't rule out a Jorginho-Kovacic-Kante trio and Pulisic and a single attacking mid competing the midfield.I can guarantee that Loftus-Cheek, Mount, and Reece James are part of our best 11. Most league fans will figure that out during this season.
Are Palace better than us now?So the team we just hammered 4-0 is better than us? Makes sense.
6 would do. 2 ready to start so Martial and Rashford can fight for the 9 job (Sancho and Chiesa) , a 3rd to back them up (Fraser on the cheap) with James as the other wide option, a 4th we can play centrally behind the striker (Ziyech or Maddison), 5th converted into a CM like Schweinsteiger to fight with Mctominay and backup Pogba (tougher one here, maybe Raphael Guerrero, Emil Forsberg or Iwobi has a certain Moussa Dembele like strength on the ball and lack of threat in the final 3rd, though he's a bit lacking in hunger to get involved), and a left footed 6th who can defend a bit to push Shaw at LB and give us a more attacking choice there (presumably Sessegnon, though Solly March isn't bad and would be cheaper).I think 10 wingers is overdoing it a bit, tbh.
Arsenal have strengthened significantly and more importantly they have a style and pattern of play. Vs Liverpool they played well and lost to a far superior team with superior players. If arsenal play like that week in week out they will beat most teams they play.Squad wise we are comparable to Chelsea and Arsenal and clearly better than Leicester and Everton. But the pressure on this team is so huge that it might drop out of the top 6. If Leicester finish 6th, they will be heroes. If we finish 6th, we'll be idiots: motivation and atmosphere at both clubs is completely different and this might play a significant role.
This.I think 6th is being a bit generous.