Would our form typically win the Premier League?

[Swift Football]

So many things have changed in the PL, especially after around 2003/04 season. So i dont see much relevance in comparing our points total to another season long time back like 1998/99.

United's current points-per-game ratio of 2.18 would have won the Premier League title in nine of the previous 26 seasons, trumping Ferguson's champions of 1992/93, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 2000/01 and 2010/11, in addition to 1994/95 winner Blackburn, Arsenal in 1997/98 and Leicester in 2015/16. -- This means after 2000/01 season, our points tally would win the league title only twice - 10/11 and 15/16 out of 17 seasons. So, I think its fair that we are second.

I dont know why many people are trying to prove otherwise, eod we are not champions.

 

[77]

Lost too many games against shit teams, otherwise...

 

[MDFC Manager]

Probably not. There's obviously something up with the premier league this season so as to allow a very good side like City to have such incredible results and a fairly good team like us have such good results.

Okay maybe it's not obvious and there's nothing concrete in the above. But I don't think we're as good as the table suggests. Our 'squad' is very strong though.

Outside the top 6 and Burnley the league has been poor, hence why so many side were in the mix for relegation. This also contributes to City’s high points total and all the top 4 having final points totals that would have won the league in some seasons.

All this being said, for most of the season we have played with no title challenge pressure. Who knows whether we would have reacted better or worse than our points tally suggests. The same would apply for Liverpool and Spurs who both have not had the pressure on to win a title this season, yet they are both fairly close behind.

All excellent points.

 

[SpyLuke10]

I totally disagree with anyone who says our current points tally flatters us. Its bang on where we deserve to be and what we deserve based on this season so far. A very accurate reflection of our season so far.

However it is fair to say that our points tally from last season was the opposite of flattering, we were a lot better than the tally we got. There are a few factors why we got less. One main factor is completely taking our attention away from the league to concentrate on winning the Europa league, dropping a lot of points there. Another factor is the terrible season we had last year with regards to getting the wrong end of referee decisions, felt like the worst season I've ever seen with reference to this. This season however the refereeing has mostly felt fair for me and any bad decisions have certainly balanced out with good ones, which certainly didn't happen for us over last season.

 

[ghagua]

No, and our manager is already making excuses for next season as well. Great way of providing an excuse for your players to give up instead of battling City next season.

http://www.espn.com/soccer/manchest...-win-premier-league-next-season-jose-mourinho

 

[Chipper]

Not really a big fan of comparing points tallys season in-season out as competition level changes plus cups can get in the way. Obvious examples would be United only getting 79 in 98/99 or looking at Celtic's 106 point tally last season when they've definitely had better football teams in the past and got less points. It's a reflection of dominance vs. the competition from that given season only whereas I like to think of teams in terms of how good they are overall.

Still, I don't want to write it off completely. We do have more points already than we have since Fergie left, we are going to make the top for only the 2nd time since then, we're probably going to have our highest league position since he went and have scored more goals. They're all encouraging signs.

Now to make myself look mental. If you were comparing points tallys to see where you'd finish in other seasons in the league are you not introducing an extra team into the league but not upping the fixtures and therefore upsetting what would or could have been?

Also, and this even more mad, to stay up you would need to beat the 3rd from bottom's point tally. You wouldn't say you needed to match or beat what the 4th from bottom actually did get in any given season. So to win it can you not say you'd need to beat what the 2nd place team got rather than the winner? You'd be replacing the Champions from that year in the table rather than introducing yourself as an extra team to compete against them. I don't really think that's right tbh, but I don't think it would really work just comparing points vs. the team that did win it either. The league panned out the way it did because of the teams that were in it, and shoving an extra side in there would change things.

 

[KanieKaned]

If City hadn't had the season they did we might have just stolen it albeit minus real championship winning champagne play. Its been a very odd season from top to bottom.

 

[NikSab]

If we hit 86. Even more so.

So, yes. We would be fighting for the title 80% of the time. If we were closer, we might have won the Brom and the Newcastle games too.

 

[SuperiorXI]

People forget it's all relative. There's the mental side to consider as well.

 

[Nickthepip]

We’d still be “fighting” for the title in just about any other year you care to mention. It would probably feel like some of the times Liverpool and Spurs have been “fighting” for it though. We’d know deep down we weren’t Champion material and would blow up.

 

[12Aniram]

We’d still be “fighting” for the title in just about any other year you care to mention. It would probably feel like some of the times Liverpool and Spurs have been “fighting” for it though. We’d know deep down we weren’t Champion material and would blow up.

I think the style of our football is something we are not used to. However it has produced results that have us in where we are. The question I suppose is whether we would have been better or worse than now if we had played a more attacking game.
All this is ifs and maybes so the hope for the future is that our player purchases can be blended into a style that allows their flair and ability to be demonstrated in a team rather than individual manner.

Have we punched above our weight this season or have we adapted a style that has limited our full potential? Wish I knew the answer to that one.