If Haaland werent a such a monster then maybe
Who, with me, believes we can win the premier league?
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Interestingly, City are doing worse with him this season than they were last season without him. So yes, he is a brilliant goal scorer, but they are almost playing with a man less both in possession and especially without the ball. He hardly has any touches, so when he doesn't score, he contributes very little as he isn't a very hard worker or great presser high up the pitch.
It depends on whether City go on one of their usual 10 match-in-a-row winning runs at some point.
True, but he's such a monster in attack that he can bail them out a lot. I'm curious to know what their current goal tally is with him vs last season at the same point.
Super unfair.
Dalot is young but seems to have the mentality. I’m not the biggest Bruno fan but he’s no bottler. We don’t know much about antony either because of his age.
Also I think this gets overblown. Most of these players have won at every level of their life to get here. The reason they haven’t won enough is they haven’t been good enough in past seasons
It's a bit difficult to compare, but after having played 16 games last season, they were in first place with 38 points and a positive goal difference of 24 goals. This season they have 36 points and a positive goal difference of 28 goals. Thus, it's quite similar, but I think looking behind those numbers, you would find that there are some big wins this season that inflates the number of goals scored.
It's on!
Not really, the improvement is there though, just feel that that lot over there have (quite) a few gears left in them...
Arsenal are due a wobble, and with the age / inexperience (comparatively) in their squad they could go through a bad spell if they start to struggle.
Think it's hard to know what our potential is at the moment, we're improving, but we could regress a bit too potentially and have a wobble of our own, but totally confident that ETH is coaching the players into the system and the consistency is there currently, so who knows!
Not really, the improvement is there though, just feel that that lot over there have (quite) a few gears left in them...
Arsenal are due a wobble, and with the age / inexperience (comparatively) in their squad they could go through a bad spell if they start to struggle.
Think it's hard to know what our potential is at the moment, we're improving, but we could regress a bit too potentially and have a wobble of our own, but totally confident that ETH is coaching the players into the system and the consistency is there currently, so who knows!
Yeah desperately need a CF and CM,when you say get a result at Arsenal do you mean take a point if we could beat City
Yeah I said it last night I don't see it happening but would be over the moon if we could pick up 4 points,even 3 wouldn't be disastrous IF Spurs could get something against Arsenal as well
If we were level on points with Arsenal and City, then we could say we have a chance to finish second with City on top and Arsenal at 3.
Yeah this is usually when that starts
Good post. About sums it up for me. A very very long shot, much more likely for things to get derailed rather than in our favour. But it’s good to even have this type of conversation, compared to the soul-sapping seasons of recent past.
Not sure why this bit made me laugh
But in total agreement. Big two games ahead. If we come out of it with 2 points, then it’s fair game but unlikely title challenge this season. Would give us good momentum to solidify top 4. But 3/4 points would be beyond fantastic.
6 points? I don’t even think I can rationalise imagining that in my head. We’ve improved massively under Ten Hagg, but I don’t think we’re at that stage yet where we beat 1st and 2nd in consecutive weeks. At least not with the depth we have at the moment.
If we had a top striker we would have a chance.
If we win the next 2, or even manage 4 points, then points wise we are in the race.
But the limited options we have up front suggest that we can't live with City or Arsenal.
It would take a monumental run of form, with almost no injuries and probably an exit from one of the cups.
Still didn't think we'd be here this early. Ten Hag's doing some job so far!
But the limited options we have up front suggest that we can't live with City or Arsenal.
It would take a monumental run of form, with almost no injuries and probably an exit from one of the cups.
Still didn't think we'd be here this early. Ten Hag's doing some job so far!
They will get there but as of now they're inexperienced in actually winning things, also so many seasons of failure has to leave its mark.
Also I disagree about your second point, mentality definitely matters in my opinion , im sure most professionals will agree.
it all rests on us beating City and Le Arse the next two matches. We'd close the gap to Arse to just 6 points. Then even if City beat Chelsea tomorrow we'd be 1 point behind them if we can beat City.
Draws, we'd still need them to slip up. Lose those and we'll be fighting for 3rd or 4th.
Draws, we'd still need them to slip up. Lose those and we'll be fighting for 3rd or 4th.
Not this season no. We need a striker and it will cost us sooner rather than later.
Definitely in the race, especially considering we gave Arsenal and City a 6 point head start and are still right on their heels. 9 point leads can evaporate very quickly.
Big games for sure. Losses in both and the teams behind us can make ground again. Frustrating that those 2 should come at near enough the same time!
Agree with everything.
Currently I don't think we have more than 1% chance of winning the PL, but it's still too early to rule it out, or to get excited. I think by February we should know much better. I would be perfectly happy with a cup win and top 4 (ideally top 3) this year, but obviously it would be great if we do better than that.
Mentality matters but our players aren't low league/low ambition players overall. I would agree if he still had a team of Lingards, Schneiderlins or Rojo but we don't.
Casemiro, Varane, Erikson have won multiple top flight trophies. Dalot, Rashford, Bruno have top mentalities. Even Antony has won 2 Eriedivisie's and you don't climb your way out of the favella to Man United to not be a winner. Just think it's unfair to label this team as not having a title winning mentality. I think we do lack squad depth.
EDIT: Not to mention we have a world cup winner now as well!
It's not impossible, but I feel that the points gap between us and Arsenal is too big.
But think of it this way: does Arsenal really have a better team than us? Jesus is a better forward than Martial and Ødegaard is in excellent form now, but player for player I don't think they have us beat. I also don't think that Arteta is a better manager than Ten Hag. I also think Arsenal, while brilliant, have over-performed slightly in terms of their points return. I think it will slow down soon, although nothing is sure in football.
Our awful first two games cost us dearly. We'd be challenging right now if it weren't for those.
But think of it this way: does Arsenal really have a better team than us? Jesus is a better forward than Martial and Ødegaard is in excellent form now, but player for player I don't think they have us beat. I also don't think that Arteta is a better manager than Ten Hag. I also think Arsenal, while brilliant, have over-performed slightly in terms of their points return. I think it will slow down soon, although nothing is sure in football.
Our awful first two games cost us dearly. We'd be challenging right now if it weren't for those.
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Yep. A draw at Arsenal and a win vs City gives us some confidence and allows us to dream. Anything less = Game Over.
Please stop, just enjoy the ride
Could maybe get away with 3 points IF and it's a massive one Spurs take something in derby
You have to give them credit where it's due, Arsenal have been class and have really progressed with Arteta. Who knows who is a better manager, I wouldn't swap them but Arteta has been there for 3 full years and into his 4th year, so naturally they are further along the curve. He is showing that he is capable of turning a talented team into title challengers so far as well. I don't think they have a better team at all, not even a better squad, but they do have a couple of positions that are undisputedly better, key positions. Gabriel Jesus and Saka of course are massive for them and we don't have anything close to that for CF and RW, at least not yet (we'll see with the development of some of our guys for RW). Arteta has built his squad though and has 2 players per position essentially that really fit what he wants to do, and combined with the training over time, they are thriving. United's squad has more big names, better in some other positions, but it's still a mish mash of a squad with no starter in some positions, no depth in others, and we are half a season in.
Oh absolutely! They have been brilliant.
It's just that looking at the players and their overall performance I just don't see a 98-99 points team, which is what they are headed for right now. I'm not a big fan of xP(expected points?) but I'm sure that Arsenal have outperformed it. There's no crime in being effective, though!
I think I disagree. We’re in a good run of form with first 11 players getting rests here and there. Maybe there’s no better time to play City and Arsenal.
Obviously, we could get 0 points and I’d look silly, but we have to play them at some point. Maybe now is the time.
You are right about the first two games,however maybe we don't get in Casemiro so urgently if those results are better
They're overperforming their xg but it's no more than the amount city and pool did in 2019 and 2020 .
Not without signing another goalscorer. Rashford is the only one who on form you can be confident will get near 20 over a season, and to win the league you need 3 players like that really. So you don't stop winning as soon as one gets injured or turns shite for a month.
Also not if either Maguire or Lindelof play a significant number of games, which is possible with Varane's injury record. Without being mean, having actual competent centrebacks and even just seeing Shaw play there and not make every single thing into a massive fecking problem, makes you realise just how far below the required level these two are.
But it's nice that we're at least able quietly think about it, instead of debating why we couldn't even look like the better football team against Norwich.
Also not if either Maguire or Lindelof play a significant number of games, which is possible with Varane's injury record. Without being mean, having actual competent centrebacks and even just seeing Shaw play there and not make every single thing into a massive fecking problem, makes you realise just how far below the required level these two are.
But it's nice that we're at least able quietly think about it, instead of debating why we couldn't even look like the better football team against Norwich.
Cheers, I didn't know that!
Yeah, next season.
This season City will most likely win it. Because Arsenal will drop off sooner or later.
If that doesn't happen, I will have some egg on my face - but Arsenal will actually win it, not United.
The likelihood of Arsenal dropping off and City not taking advantage of that - is very low, as I see it.
This season City will most likely win it. Because Arsenal will drop off sooner or later.
If that doesn't happen, I will have some egg on my face - but Arsenal will actually win it, not United.
The likelihood of Arsenal dropping off and City not taking advantage of that - is very low, as I see it.
The 2019/20 liverpool title winning one is the craziest , they outperformed they xp by 25 points!
Yeah their xPts is on pace for 83 or so, and the top teams typically outperform that by a bit. But yeah they aren't a high 90's team. I do think they have turned into a mid 80's team this season though.
I'd rank it like this:
- City ~90
- Arsenal ~mid 80's
- United/Liverpool ~high 70's/low 80's
- Newcastle ~mid 70's
- Spurs/Chelsea ~mid to high 60's
We should definitely finish top three if all players stay fit. I have no doubts about that with Casemiro and Eriksen replacing McFred. If an injury happens with Casemiro or Eriksen we are screwed as the depth in midfield is not good enough. I’m not worried about defence or attack. Martial, Rashford, Anthony, Garnacho, Sancho should be enough to see us through the season but obviously prefer a striker in January. Hopefully Martial can recapture his form. Hopefully we can battle for the title and I don’t see why we can’t.
I think we will know by mid of feb and because of World Cup break I think that can be treated as every other year Dec end. Traditionally whoever is top of the table after Christmas is league winner so whoever is at top of the table by mid of feb will most likely be champion.
Also City has some of the tough matches this month and if they triumph them they are going to win the league.
Nevertheless , we are way short in attack for us to win the league. We lost Ronaldo and possibly sancho too. We have to buy a striker to stay comfortably in top four.
Also City has some of the tough matches this month and if they triumph them they are going to win the league.
Nevertheless , we are way short in attack for us to win the league. We lost Ronaldo and possibly sancho too. We have to buy a striker to stay comfortably in top four.
Weird that we would have played both City and Arsenal home and away by the halfway point of the season
Yeah and won't have played each other once