This is the thing. Making predictions before this season is incredibly difficult, you can have a shot in the dark but you are making a lot of assumptions. Will Liverpool be as improved on the pitch as you'd expect from the signings they have made? Will Chelsea improve significantly under Sarri, will City replicate their success etc? How will United get on in a third season, will the likes of Pogba and Lukaku step up to world cup form? Then you have our own questions and worries, many of which have been expressed in this thread. Even Arsenal under Emery are a dark horse, they could be revitalized under a manager who isn't tactically inept and Aubameyang, Ozil, Lacazette etc are incredible dangerous players in their own right.
I honestly have no idea, I put 5th in the prediction thread but I feel that was somewhat negative. This team has proven itself capable of making top four repeatedly and most fans expect us to do that, but it's so difficult with how competitive the league is at the moment, for me I'd say we can't really make any accurate predictions till the transfer window is over. If we have a late flurry my expectations could be changed, who knows? You're right about the squad being thin, we need a few players (especially in midfield) to cover that, and maybe it'll be addressed with a couple of weeks to go, though I doubt it.
I'd guess that realistically most fans would say anywhere in the top four, where exactly doesn't really matter so much other than for pride. Anything more (such as a title challenge) is entirely dependent on Manchester City not reaching the same levels they did last season, as we simply aren't capable of that in any realistic scenario.
