We will win the league this season | Champions as it Stands
- Thread starter esmufc07
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This is true, but they did spend half of last season having that good squad mismanaged before Tuchel came in. They looked very good, if a bit boring, once he started work and some of their new signings bedded in. Though if they don't sign a big-time goal scorer it becomes a lot more interesting.
What excuse? I think both City and (to a slightly lesser extent) Chelsea are better set up to cover for injuries, suspensions, general rotation etc than we are. I like our first 11 a lot, but we'd be relying on a bit of luck to keep everyone fit and fresh for a season-long title charge. Not impossible, but it's a tougher ask.
I don't think Liverpool had as deep a squad as City when they ran them neck-to-neck for the title and then subsequently won it either.
That's what I mean by a bit of luck. Everything went pretty much perfectly for them that season and we'd need something similar to get close enough.
Varane and Sancho, we've got to challenge for the title. Now we should remortgage if we have to to get Kane. That would garuantee us the title.
With a quality DM and keeping Pogba we have a chance. We could also sell Pogba and buy a quality replacement like Saul + a DM. Trippier would also be nice as i dont trust AWB. For DM Rice would be ideal, but Bissouma is a cheaper and more realistic target.
This is my dream team for next season. A 433 formation with:
--------------------De Gea----------------
Trippier--Varane-Maguire--Shaw
-----------------Bissouma----------------
----------Saul--------------Bruno-----------
Sancho-------Cavani--------Rashford
I still prefer Pogba over Saul but only if he is motivated and wants to sign a new contract. I also prefer Rice over Bissouma, but he is to expensive and unrealistic like i said.
This is my dream team for next season. A 433 formation with:
--------------------De Gea----------------
Trippier--Varane-Maguire--Shaw
-----------------Bissouma----------------
----------Saul--------------Bruno-----------
Sancho-------Cavani--------Rashford
I still prefer Pogba over Saul but only if he is motivated and wants to sign a new contract. I also prefer Rice over Bissouma, but he is to expensive and unrealistic like i said.
they had 14 wins by a single goal margin in the title winning season. It wasnt exactly a barnstorming it was that they ground it out. Their midfield is short 2 players in my opinion as they dont have anyone that great other than fabinho.
and yeah I think we definitely dont need players like bruno clocking up 50/60 apps this season across all comps. Hopefully we dont get ridiculous cup draws this year especially in the CL
I think we have a small chance to win the league but I still don't think we're the strongest team.
I expect us to improve on our points total from last season.
With some luck and players excelling at the right time we could do it. Largely it comes down to how well can we play and how much fortune can we get versus how much misfortune and how badly can our rivals play.
I expect us to improve on our points total from last season.
With some luck and players excelling at the right time we could do it. Largely it comes down to how well can we play and how much fortune can we get versus how much misfortune and how badly can our rivals play.
Can't see us finishing ahead of CIty, Liverpool and Chelsea. Maybe one (just possibly two) but not all. My view would change if we bought a top-class midfielder and Kane or Halaand
I still think we are a top class CM and a consistent goalscorer (who isn't in his mid 30s) away from really pushing City
Though if City do get Kane and Grealish there will be no competition either way
Though if City do get Kane and Grealish there will be no competition either way
I still think Ronaldo would help us get there. But really only if he was okay rotating with Cavani. If those two split games and the other acted as a super sub, forget it. Even more so playing two of them together for a formation switch would be devastating.
It really, really feels like it - something in the air.
City might give a bit of a tired defence like they did v Pool, similar to that lot we have momentum building up from a couple of steady seasons where we are improving all the time.
We are not hanging about in the transfer window, signing pure quality in 2 of our biggest areas of concern.
Sancho is absoultely built for this club, potential to be our next Giggs.
Varane is a World Class defender, part of the World Cup Team of the Tournament for a reason. Became available at a very opportune time, a lot of top squads could have used him.
Maguire and Varane have the potential to be as dominant as Rio and Vidic were, absolutely buzzing we got this one over the line so efficiently.
Chelsea will be up there challenging but will probably be 3rd behind us and City again.
Hope LCFC can pip Pool to Top 4, was rooting for them last season and they came just short.
We are not finished our business yet either, a couple of tidy signings to shore up the squad after landing our 2 priorities would just be perfect.
Roll on 2021/22 & let's bring it home - #21!
City might give a bit of a tired defence like they did v Pool, similar to that lot we have momentum building up from a couple of steady seasons where we are improving all the time.
We are not hanging about in the transfer window, signing pure quality in 2 of our biggest areas of concern.
Sancho is absoultely built for this club, potential to be our next Giggs.
Varane is a World Class defender, part of the World Cup Team of the Tournament for a reason. Became available at a very opportune time, a lot of top squads could have used him.
Maguire and Varane have the potential to be as dominant as Rio and Vidic were, absolutely buzzing we got this one over the line so efficiently.
Chelsea will be up there challenging but will probably be 3rd behind us and City again.
Hope LCFC can pip Pool to Top 4, was rooting for them last season and they came just short.
We are not finished our business yet either, a couple of tidy signings to shore up the squad after landing our 2 priorities would just be perfect.
Roll on 2021/22 & let's bring it home - #21!
It is wishful thinking but it is the right attitude. I am not sure the board shares your sentiment though OP.
These two signings should pull us clear of the rest and closer to city. Their business from now will tell us how close we can get….
Despite the signings I'd still be very surprised if we won the league. Maybe a cup.
If you look back at any time we dominated, there was not a single weak link in the team.
I think there are still lots of question-marks throughout the squad:
- The goalkeeping position - neither have been looking good enough so far.
- AWB's attacking output (will see how it works with Sancho) and positional lapses from crosses.
- McTominay/Fred pivot not creative enough to break down majority of teams/Pogba possibly leaving. No creator from deep.
- No recognised DM.
- Rashford surgery could keep him out for a while.
- Cavani can't play every game, will he keep up the same form?
If you look back at any time we dominated, there was not a single weak link in the team.
I think there are still lots of question-marks throughout the squad:
- The goalkeeping position - neither have been looking good enough so far.
- AWB's attacking output (will see how it works with Sancho) and positional lapses from crosses.
- McTominay/Fred pivot not creative enough to break down majority of teams/Pogba possibly leaving. No creator from deep.
- No recognised DM.
- Rashford surgery could keep him out for a while.
- Cavani can't play every game, will he keep up the same form?
That’s not true, is it. Even in 07/08, I distinctly remember that one of the big complaints was we had two second strikers playing up front in Rooney/Tevez and no one running in behind. Brown at RB was also something the Caf loved whining about.
Those are barely weak links though. That's just people complaining for the sake of it.
That team scored goals for fun.
There is also that problem that arises when you change too much in one go and lose some cohesion. With a new CB pairing, adding a new DM as well could be dangerous (unless the DM has Premiership experience)
I had a feeling Chelsea would do well this season. I thought if they got Haaland they would win it. Now that’s looking unlikely so City with Kane would probably be favourites. United, Liverpool and Chelsea battling for 2nd.
Any of the above are capable of winning it though, but it depends on how the transfer window ends up really..
All four have great managers in their own way as well.
This might be one year early for us though, need another transfer window like this I think.
Any of the above are capable of winning it though, but it depends on how the transfer window ends up really..
All four have great managers in their own way as well.
This might be one year early for us though, need another transfer window like this I think.
. Sancho is all about potential. He could and hopefully will turn into the player you claim he is. Varane I grant you is class.
But we still have this massive gap in midfield. Pogba is meant to fill it, is good enough to fill it but somehow he doesn't.
We have a gap in midfield I agree.
Sancho is not all about potential. He has been one of the top creative players in world football over the past 3 years. He has more goals and assists before his 20th birthday in a big 5 league than any player in modern football (90's and later) apart from Mbappe who has 1 more (and Sancho got his chance to beat that cut by covid). Many creative and dribbling stats that are only matched or surpassed by Messi and Neymar. He's one of the best wingers in the world today who is equally brilliant on either wing. But of course will develop more too.
Not sure about winning the title, but to be close, we need to win the opening 6 games minimum and not lose in the first 10 or 11 matches and then we have a strong chance of being contenders for top 2
It's going to be a tough league next season
It's going to be a tough league next season
not losing to sides that go on to be relegated would help too!
Well even Fergie lost to Bradford now and then
not a good choice - i don't think we've lost to them in the modern era. but I get the point you are making!Well even Fergie lost to Bradford now and then
Yeah, I just picked any random small club. It happens though, but was always seen as a freak result compared to the norm last season.
Blows my mind. Our squad easily trumps Chelsea’s atm and it’s not far off City’s
With no DM in the squad and a fairly thin on quality squad after the starting 11 I don’t think we can win the league unless City badly underperform but we’re moving in the right direction!
Chelsea have a much more functional midfield. Ours is either to unbalanced with Bruno-Pogba-Fred/Mctominay or to weak with Bruno-McFred. The big games are won in the midfield so we need to strengthen here with either 1 class player or two if Pogba goes. If this happends we should be able to fight for the title to the end, if not Solskjaer needs to go.
I can’t see how Kane would guarantee anything. We would still have a weak midfield and the only improvement Kane might bring over Cavani is he’d probably be able to play more matches.
The big games are won in the midfield - that's a cliche but I don't think it's true. The big games are won by strikers. We have great strikers and we are usually defensively strong in big games (see all those 0-0s last year).
Utd and Ole are no doubt putting together a very good side enhanced by the signings of Sancho and Varane, clearly though the Pogba situation needs addressing
as well as the acquisition of a quality CDM.
For me, unless De Gea recaptures his best form and on a consistent basis, the GK position could be a problem with the jury still out on Henderson, I feel Utd missed a trick in not actively pursuing Donnarumma before he signed up for PSG, a big imposing young and talented keeper like him behind Maguire and Varane would have been solid.
as well as the acquisition of a quality CDM.
For me, unless De Gea recaptures his best form and on a consistent basis, the GK position could be a problem with the jury still out on Henderson, I feel Utd missed a trick in not actively pursuing Donnarumma before he signed up for PSG, a big imposing young and talented keeper like him behind Maguire and Varane would have been solid.
I think City will be extremely strong and so will chelsea. A lot has been made of Liverpool’s defence last season but actually their attack was poor too apart from Salah. There seems to be an assumption that as their central defence are back they’ll suddenly be amazing. The defence looked poor at the beginning of the season.
There was way too many times where we gave silly goals away and gave the opposition a lead and had to chase the game. Our attack was solid all season. I hope with Varane coming in we can concede many less goals and our attack continue to perform. If we do that, we are in with a chance. City are still unfortunately the team to beat. The good news is that I don’t actually believe a peak Kane is much better than a peak Aguero so there’s nothing to fear and Grealish isn’t as good as many think, at the end of the day they can only play 11 players and their squad and first team has been good for the last 4 years, without a Ronaldo or Messi you don’t really improve that team. It’s up to us to get to that level and we are slowly chipping away.
There was way too many times where we gave silly goals away and gave the opposition a lead and had to chase the game. Our attack was solid all season. I hope with Varane coming in we can concede many less goals and our attack continue to perform. If we do that, we are in with a chance. City are still unfortunately the team to beat. The good news is that I don’t actually believe a peak Kane is much better than a peak Aguero so there’s nothing to fear and Grealish isn’t as good as many think, at the end of the day they can only play 11 players and their squad and first team has been good for the last 4 years, without a Ronaldo or Messi you don’t really improve that team. It’s up to us to get to that level and we are slowly chipping away.
Depends on how Sancho gels, if he continues hitting the numbers he did in Germany then United will pick up a lot more points. Stating the bleeding obvious I know.
Agree. Kane would probably mean more reorganising the team to get the best out of him too - he plays the striker role differently to Cavani, and you can't just stick him on the pitch and tell him to score (a la Southgate).
I dont agree with this. Very often strikers go missing in the big games expect a couple ones like Vardy . The team with the best midfield controls the game and have a higher chance of winning. Strikers normaly does the work against every other team.
The fact that he got Fred and McTominay to finish 2nd in the league says he does.
Tevez and Rooney had Ronaldo and to a lesser extent Nani and Berba to run in behind. Not to mention, Brown was class for us, Injuries done him over.
Kind of contradicting yourself here in bold aren't you.
I agree games are often won by strikers and moments of genius, but to win you need to more dominate in midfield too...it's a balancing act.
I confess to not having seen much of Sancho in action. I put this question, if he is as good as you say why wasn't he starting for England?