How big will the gap be at the end of the season?

[Adebesi]

Most people accept the assumption that City will win the league this year. A collapse of 12 points looks unlikely, and even then we would have to win all our games. So you can look at the second half of this season as preparation for next and an attempt to build some momentum going into 18/19. It would be good to at least close the gap on City, to "win the second half" of the season, you could say (though that seems a little desperate.)

So forgive the extremely speculative thread, but will we close the gap between ourselves and City between now and the end of the season? Or will they win it by more than 12 points? And will there be a gap between us in second and a chasing pack behind, or will another team get closer to City than us? Will 2-4 all be quite close together?

If we can whittle away their lead, how close can we get? Id be very happy if we could close it down to around 5 or 6 points, I reckon that would give us a great springboard going into next season to mount a more credible challenge. I am personally feeling pretty optimistic about us coming second, though I guess if we get to the latter stages of the CL that could count against us if Mourinho approaches it the same way he did with the EL last year. On the other hand if City do it could help us close the gap on them in the league further.

 

[Drawfull]

We still get to play City, which is obviously a must-win game. Added to the fact they've looked fallible the past few matches - before Liverpool, too - then I think there may be a pleasant surprise come season's end. You've also got the relegation scrappers to come - those teams that have been terrible for most of the season desperately needing points.

Optimistically, I think that whilst they will almost certainly win the league, it will be by only a few points: maybe 3 or 4.

 

[2cents]

The gap between first (City) and second (whoever) is likely to close a bit as the season finishes simply because City will know they've won it and will likely want to commit more energy to their CL campaign (depending on how deep they go), while the battle for 2-4 will probably remain tight enough to have all five challengers needing to maintain top form to achieve it.

 

[2cents]

Just looked it up, only one team has won the league by more than 12 points - us in 99/00 by 18 points

Chelsea in 04/05 won by 12, everyone else less.

 

[Trizy]

7 points.

 

[Ødegaard]

United will win it!

 

[pacifictheme]

If i had to guess i would say slightly bigger than 12, unless as another poster says, they focus more on the CL, knowing thr league is all but won.

 

[Leftback99]

The gap is likely to increase unless Sanchez significantly changes our performances.

 

[Infra-red]

I'd expect the gap to increase and them to be crowned Champions in early/mid-April. After they've won it, they'll rest players for the CL and we'll probably see it close up again. 12 points or so in the end.

 

[Fully Fledged]

I haven't given up yet which is why I get so P'd off when we drop points.
We beat Newcastle when they had a 15 point lead at the the turn of the year.

 

[red4ever 79]

18 points

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

I think the gap will be less than 12 but it'll still be sizeable. I'll go six points.

 

[bludsucker]

I reckon it will be 1 point between us in first place and city in second

 

[horsechoker]

8

 

[utdman]

I think the gap will remain more or less the same. City will obviously be a little complacent in the second half of the season because of having such a huge lead. And the problem is that we are not perfect either to keep on wining each and every game from now on. I think we should focus on the champions league, as that is a tournament we have a chance of winning. We are not the favourites but in a cup competition anything can happen. And we aren't that bad on paper now with Sanchez added and Pogba in top form.

 

[SirAF]

Just looked it up, only one team has won the league by more than 12 points - us in 99/00 by 18 points

Chelsea in 04/05 won by 12, everyone else less.

Those were the days League title wrapped up by easter

 

[Shy_Coconut]

Not too bothered about how much the points difference is. This is a freak season on City's part, the like of which we'll never see again. Large slices of luck in regards to in game incidents & also few injuries to key players have allowed them to build a lead. It all has no bearing on next season.

We must keep it tight though to avoid having to give a guard of honour at the Council House. Not sure if Jose would go along with it anyway though after the events at OT.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

The gap between first (City) and second (whoever) is likely to close a bit as the season finishes simply because City will know they've won it and will likely want to commit more energy to their CL campaign (depending on how deep they go), while the battle for 2-4 will probably remain tight enough to have all five challengers needing to maintain top form to achieve it.

Sounds about right.

If City have bad luck with injuries - say, losing De Bruyne for as long as we lost Pogba - then I could see us "winning" the second half of the season on merit. Otherwise, we'll be relying on them to take their foot off the gas.

 

[AgentP]

I think it will remain the same. We'll finish around 5 points above Liverpool and Chelsea .

 

[Adebesi]

Sounds about right.

If City have bad luck with injuries - say, losing De Bruyne for as long as we lost Pogba - then I could see us "winning" the second half of the season on merit. Otherwise, we'll be relying on them to take their foot off the gas.

How realistic do you think a challenge next season is then? You think we are still missing a few pieces in our jigsaw, so to speak?

I am holding out hope that they will have a blip, not just take their foot off the gas. Teams often have one and if we've already had ours and Sanchez delivers at the upper end of our expectations then I dont see why we cant close the gap, even if they go out of the CL this round or next.

 

[Nick7]

5 points.

 

[2cents]

Those were the days League title wrapped up by easter

And we took it for granted...

 

[VancouverUtdFan]

At this stage, single digit points differential would be a moral victory



Not that it really matters but I’d consider that a ‘success’ and gladly accept it

 

[Pogue Mahone]

How realistic do you think a challenge next season is then? You think we are still missing a few pieces in our jigsaw, so to speak?

I am holding out hope that they will have a blip, not just take their foot off the gas. Teams often have one and if we've already had ours and Sanchez delivers at the upper end of our expectations then I dont see why we cant close the gap, even if they go out of the CL this round or next.

I honestly don't know. I think a 28-29 year old Michael Carrick would have earned us a good few more points this season. So replacing him is key. Then you'd be hoping/expecting for more from our "yong and lernin" crew. So I'm fairly confident of us being a much better side in 2018/19.

The elephant in the room, of course, is that City will invest too. And also have "yong and lernin" players on the up. Plus the gap between us and them is already huge. So, you know, it's gonna be an uphill battle. That's for sure.

 

[Adebesi]

At this stage, single digit points differential would be a moral victory



Not that it really matters but I’d consider that a ‘success’ and gladly accept it

A 9 point gap wouldnt feel like a moral victory and I wouldnt take it because I think we can do better. But it wouldnt be terrible either. I guess how Id feel about it would be tied up in how we did in the cups.

 

[KirkDuyt]

City hopefully lost some momentum, but I still see them finishing well ahead, around 7-9 points.

 

[Adebesi]

I honestly don't know. I think a 28-29 year old Michael Carrick would have earned us a good few more points this season. So replacing him is key. Then you'd be hoping/expecting for more from our "yong and lernin" crew. So I'm fairly confident of us being a much better side in 2018/19.

The elephant in the room, of course, is that City will invest too. And also have "yong and lernin" players on the up. Plus the gap between us and them is already huge. So, you know, it's gonna be an uphill battle. That's for sure.

I thought Pogba was the elephant in the room. And a fine presence he is too.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I thought Pogba was the elephant in the room. And a fine presence he is too.

I over-use that metaphor constantly. I'm just glad I didn't use it in a thread about Pogba.

 

[Sassy Colin]

1 million points!

 

[Adebesi]

I over-use that metaphor constantly. I'm just glad I didn't use it in a thread about Pogba.

No. You have to be a bit special to do that.

 

[PoTMS]

9 points.

 

[Class of 63]

Just looked it up, only one team has won the league by more than 12 points - us in 99/00 by 18 points

Chelsea in 04/05 won by 12, everyone else less.

And the following season we won the League by 10 points, but somehow managed to lose the last three games, or we'd have won it by 19

 

[Sterling Archer]

United will win it!

Til it's mathematically impossible, I prefer to let this drive us. The Sanchez signing is hopefully the platform for a really strong end to the season.

 

[NoLogo]

20 points. And the league will be renamed English Bundesliga.

 

[Canagel]

The main challenge in the PL this season is to close the gap to the top as much as possible. It will give the team a big physiological boost going into next season and given that Man City have already had leads of 15 points at one stage it will also create some doubts in their minds if we can close it to 5/6 points by the end. I don't think that we can get it to 5/6 points but 7/8 is possible.

 

[crappycraperson]

14-16 points

 

[Adam-Utd]

Too hard to predict right now. Depends how the teams do in the CL, if we manage to get close to the final we might abandon the league and put all our eggs into that like last season.

City might do the same considering their massive lead, they can afford to lose a few games and still be comfortable.

In the end I expect it to be around the same amount, I can't see City losing many more than we will.

 

[el3mel]

8-10 points.

We'll lose points but as the season goes on and if City advance in CL farther more I think their concentration on the league -which will be already finished- will decrease a bit.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

I don’t think City will extend it beyond 12 by the end.

In the last couple of months, many teams have stood up to them and nullified them for the most part. I can see them losing one or two more.

 

[Adebesi]

Too hard to predict right now. Depends how the teams do in the CL, if we manage to get close to the final we might abandon the league and put all our eggs into that like last season.

City might do the same considering their massive lead, they can afford to lose a few games and still be comfortable.

In the end I expect it to be around the same amount, I can't see City losing many more than we will.

I cant see us doing it to the same degree as last year because we will (touch wood) actually be in the top 4 places, and will want to stay there, as opposed to being in a chasing pack, watching them get further and further away. Also, by the time we were in the semis of the EL we were definitely the best team left in it and absolutely favourites. Whereas putting everything on a final in the CL, when you are likely to be playing a top team and not favourites, is far more reckless.

So I can see us resting a few players for league games ahead of big CL matches, but not to the same extent as last year. City have more of a cushion and if that persists absolutely I can see them making wholesale changes to rest players for the CL.