Is next season the best hope for a non Man City champion?

[Skills]

No English team has won the top division title 4x in a row.

They've just won the treble* - so will be coming off the ultimate high. This is hard to maintain usually.

The past 3 seasons have been fixture congested for City - they played 1 short of the max games possible in 20/21, 6 short in 21/22 and 3 short this season. The mental and physical fatigue eventually starts to take its toll.

Is there ever going to be a better chance to usurp a Guardiola's City in the league? And who's in the best position to do it?

Would 85 points win the title without City setting the baseline into the 90s?

 

[Bebestation]

Another city thread, I just forgot the treble.

 

[AltiUn]

Christ, another City thread to add to the ignore list. Wish there was an auto filter for it.

 

[Hound Dog]

City not winning it is hardly a miracle. Liverpool are able to go toe-to-toe with them in their non-burnout seasons and I expect them to do the same now.

 

[Solius]

Christ, another City thread to add to the ignore list. Wish there was an auto filter for it.

You just need to ignore Skills and it blocks out 90% of the negative threads.

 

[Woodzy]

I can only see them getting better personally.

 

[Witchking]

Non City and 100% non Liverpool, Non Chelsea, Non Arsenal and spurs, well you know! It has to be United who wins the league.

 

[Bubz27]

City not winning it is hardly a miracle. Liverpool are able to go toe-to-toe with them in their non-burnout seasons and I expect them to do the same now.

It took 18 wins in a row off the bat and a COVID break for Liverpool to beat City. I'm not saying miracle but it takes a hell of a lot to finish above them.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

No English team has won the top division title 4x in a row.

They've just won the treble* - so will be coming off the ultimate high. This is hard to maintain usually.

The past 3 seasons have been fixture congested for City - they played 1 short of the max games possible in 20/21, 6 short in 21/22 and 3 short this season. The mental and physical fatigue eventually starts to take its toll.

Is there ever going to be a better chance to usurp a Guardiola's City in the league? And who's in the best position to do it?

Would 85 points win the title without City setting the baseline into the 90s?

You're forgetting that City are not an English team in anything but name and being based here.

 

[Red Shorts]

I don't even think Bluemoon has as many threads about themselves as we do.

 

[Rampant Red Rodriguez]

They are at a peak, but the other teams around them are catching up. With a less congested fixture schedule and added reinforcements the teams around City have improved more than the Citizens have. Arsenal especially!

 

[Siorac]

It took 18 wins in a row off the bat and a COVID break for Liverpool to beat City. I'm not saying miracle but it takes a hell of a lot to finish above them.

The Covid break had nothing to do with it, as much as I'd like it to be true. They were 25 points ahead when the league shut down.

 

[Skills]

I can only see them getting better personally.

I think some attrition next season is inevitable. Gundogan was a big part of that team - and they'll have an adjustment period with Kovacic. KDB is also 32 - not that you'd expect him to fall off a cliff, but again it's about that age where you start to see some deterioration/inconsistency start to effect players.

Non City and 100% non Liverpool, Non Chelsea, Non Arsenal and spurs, well you know! It has to be United who wins the league.

Well that's the thing - could this be the season where you only need 85ish points to win? If that's the case, I don't think its unrealistic to expect us to pick up another 10 points and be in with a shot.

 

[Bubz27]

The Covid break had nothing to do with it, as much as I'd like it to be true. They were 25 points ahead when the league shut down.

I'm not using it as an excuse as to why they won it. Just highlighting that there were a lot of unusual circumstances that season.

 

[Ayoba]

No.

 

[Ish]

You just need to ignore Skills and it blocks out 90% of the negative threads.

 

[Nickosaur]

Still prefer City over Liverpool

 

[Witchking]

Still prefer City over Liverpool

Always. Liverpool is never the answer if they have a chance to win anything.

 

[bringbackbebe]

The Covid break had nothing to do with it, as much as I'd like it to be true. They were 25 points ahead when the league shut down.

Let's call it pretty close then. Could have gone either way if it wasn't for covid.

 

[BalanceUnAutreJoint]

Chelsea won it the last time they didn't have any European competition didn't they? Liverpool can also afford not to care too much about the EL.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Don’t take care anymore given it’s not likely to be us. City’s success can do one - as can those backed them this past season.

 

[Rajiztar]

Chelsea won it the last time they didn't have any European competition didn't they? Liverpool can also afford not to care too much about the EL.

That chelsea team won the league season before that.Added kante to that team.No comparison to that champion team. Our aim this season is maximum top 5. Any thing better than that just a bonus.

 

[DJ_21]

We shouldn’t be focusing on city all the time. We should be focusing on ourselves and what we can do to stop them.

 

[DWelbz19]

You just need to ignore Skills and it blocks out 90% of the negative threads.

pretty much

 

[erikcred]

I'm not using it as an excuse as to why they won it. Just highlighting that there were a lot of unusual circumstances that season.

You said it took a long winning run and a covid break to beat City.

And probably one of the biggest beneficiaries of the unusual circumstances was Ole, racking up away points at empty stadiums that season and the next.

 

[Real Name]

City fans must be in delight looking at football forum, there are about 20 City related threads I reckon.

 

[adexkola]

I think some attrition next season is inevitable. Gundogan was a big part of that team - and they'll have an adjustment period with Kovacic. KDB is also 32 - not that you'd expect him to fall off a cliff, but again it's about that age where you start to see some deterioration/inconsistency start to effect players.



Well that's the thing - could this be the season where you only need 85ish points to win? If that's the case, I don't think its unrealistic to expect us to pick up another 10 points and be in with a shot.

Any serious team will be aiming to break 90 points, including taking points off City. Not hoping for a City lapse AND no other team taking advantage by racking up points.

But yes, if there was going to be a season where City would regress, it would be this one. 19-20 is remembered for Liverpool's title but City used that season to bed in Rodri and dropped a lot of points in that transition period (Losing Laporte for the season didn't help either).

Teams who could probably make that leap: Arsenal, United, Liverpool.

 

[adexkola]

City fans must be in delight looking at football forum, there are about 20 City related threads I reckon.

Crazy, given that no one cares about City

 

[Sky1981]

Let's just focus on getting 85 points for now, one step at a time.

 

[Real Name]

Let's just focus on getting 85 points for now, one step at a time.

Why 85?

 

[Real Name]

Crazy, given that no one cares about City

Its just few of the most negative posters round here being obsessed. But its not a good look, that's for sure.

 

[Buster15]

Still prefer City over Liverpool

Yes any day.

 

[Coxy]

I bloody hope so - and surely it will be Arsenal who have the best chance. Depends if the real Liverpool come back too

 

[Bubz27]

You said it took a long winning run and a covid break to beat City.

And probably one of the biggest beneficiaries of the unusual circumstances was Ole, racking up away points at empty stadiums that season and the next.

I was just trying to point out how much was different or abnormal that season. Sorry if the wording made it sound different.

 

[Ayoba]

With Man city and pep around, there is no hope.

 

[erikcred]

City fans must be in delight looking at football forum, there are about 20 City related threads I reckon.

Judging from Bluemoon, not much delights them and almost everything angers them.

 

[Oranges038]

Think the only way City go down a bit is if their players have lost some of the drive to keep their top level up and pursue more and more trophies after winning the treble. It can happen, they've won it all last season, a lot of them are still quite young so you never know what impact it will have had on them mentally.

 

[Skills]

Think the only way City go down a bit is if their players have lost some of the drive to keep their top level up and pursue more and more trophies after winning the treble. It can happen, they've won it all last season, a lot of them are still quite young so you never know what impact it will have had on them mentally.

I think the other factor is, that when you're fighting on all fronts players have to play through more injuries than they normally would. They shrug them off, and just go game by game with the end in sight.

Eventually that catches up with you, and that's why you see that dip in the season following a treble or after a 3 year title cycle.

 

[Oranges038]

I think the other factor is, that when you're fighting on all fronts players have to play through more injuries than they normally would. They shrug them off, and just go game by game with the end in sight.

Eventually that catches up with you, and that's why you see that dip in the season following a treble or after a 3 year title cycle.

Pep usually has a magic doctor to deal with that.