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Post by viking22 on Aug 12, 2021 15:01:02 GMT
Yup and now they have Lukaku...a prolific Premier League striker...to add to their midfield dominance and defensive solidarity. Should also see a lot more from Havertz and Ziyech who will create plenty of chances. And what I love about Tuchel is that he is a lot more pragmatic than Pep and Klopp and knows how to get the best out of the players at his disposal.
As for City if they buy Kane it will get them back to finishing on 100+ points a season.
I just really struggle to see us above City or Chelsea. They both have world class managers and really strong sides, and looked better than us for the back half of last season. If the rents had Tuchel at the start of last season they'd have won the league.
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Post by viking22 on Aug 12, 2021 17:05:24 GMT
“I'm excited by the squad. I don't think anything is beyond these boys. It's just how we fare between now and the end of the season. How much sacrifice, how much discipline, how much team camaraderie, how much consistency, how much hard work, blood, sweat and tears – all these qualities and cliches. If you want to be the best you have to live like the best, you have to work as the best and perform every three days. It's going to be tough, but it is possible, definitely.”
From Ole himself. The squad is good enough.....all it will take is blood, sweat and tears...and a collective approach... to win the title.
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Post by Bestie on Aug 12, 2021 19:41:02 GMT
I remember a time when superior footballing ability won us things.
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Post by Rustin Cohle on Sept 1, 2021 19:54:19 GMT
Anyone changing their prediction now we have Ronaldo?
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Post by Bestie on Sept 1, 2021 20:00:52 GMT
Anyone changing their prediction now we have Ronaldo? I wanted to wait until the end of the window and give my realistic pick. I don't think we get top four. I’ve ended up saying Champions anyway because I just cannot allow myself to choose anything else for Ronaldo.  |
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Post by Stretty on Sept 1, 2021 20:24:46 GMT
Anyone changing their prediction now we have Ronaldo? id still say 3rd. we’ve a good squad but come a bit short with no decent box to box type and a manager who will run the likes of Bruno and Ronnie into the ground while players like VDB will just go stale on the bench. we have improved but so have city and Chelsea and both have better managers. |
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Post by Jayrannasaurus on Sept 2, 2021 7:43:30 GMT
Thinking either 2nd/3rd, but I see Chelsea winning the league.
Lukaku absolutely smashes the league fodder, and that's super crucial.
Perhaps Cavani & Ronaldo make a massive difference, but our midfield doesn't look built to last a season of 50-60 matches.
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Post by oscared on Sept 2, 2021 8:12:43 GMT
Cant see us winning the league sadly, we could be close but that midfield isn't good enough.
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Post by Chris on Sept 2, 2021 9:23:05 GMT
I'm gonna hold off until the end of the window. As it is now, 4th. Getting a midfielder could change this. Changed to 3rd. Liverpool had a shit window and as a result, they have a rather shit bench. We really should be finishing above them. Sadly, I see Chelsea and City ahead of us. We are closer in terms of a first 11, but with a decent midfielder not there and worse back up players than the other 2, I can't see us higher than this. Hopefully, I'm very wrong. The Southampton and Wolves games has made me realise that we will still come up short. Also, while I'm not Ole out, I have major doubts that he has the ability to get us a league title. |
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Post by keanosdog16 on Sept 2, 2021 9:38:34 GMT
If we can string some performances together and get some momentum going then we could be hard to stop with Ronaldo up top and thus mount a serious challenge but based on the last 2 away performances i 'm not sure i can see it happening. I still have more of a nagative nervy feeling when we play rather than that feeling of no worries we'll win this and i think that's because of Ole sadly.
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Post by viking22 on Sept 2, 2021 11:14:54 GMT
We've narrowed the gap for sure. But there remains a large gap in management quality and our midfield is also far inferior to Chelsea and City's and arguably Liverpool's as well.
I think a combination of adding Ronaldo and Sancho to our forward roster and having a more solid defence with Varane, De Gea getting back to his best, and a new set piece coach should result in far fewer dropped points against the smaller teams.
I think the Wolves game is a good illustration of how things could work out better for us. Even if our midfield gets overrun our defence should hold up a lot better and with forwards as clinical as Mason and Ronaldo and Cavani we don't need to create many chances to score. Painful to watch. And it won't always work out like that. But we'll drop fewer points against smaller teams than we did last season.
But I think we will still struggle in the big games and that will greatly hurt our title chances as well as our chances of winning domestic cups or the Champions League. In those games the midfield battle is all-important and tactics and game management come far more into play.
So I think the title will be a two horse race between Chelsea and Manchester City while we will be in a battle for 3rd place with Liverpool. We won't be miles off the pace. But by January Chelsea and Manchester City will have a comfortable lead that they will never look like surrendering. Of course they will slip up occasionally but we won't take advantage. In other words a repeat of last seasons "title challenge" except that the gap will be more like 5-10 points rather than 15-20 points.
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Post by Rustin Cohle on Oct 16, 2021 22:51:56 GMT
Anyone changing their prediction now we have Ronaldo? have a manager that is somehow getting worse rather than better? |
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Post by Diablo Rouge on May 1, 2022 16:51:28 GMT
Bump  |
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Post by Karma on May 1, 2022 16:54:47 GMT
C’mon fess up , who said 1st ?
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Post by alwaysUnited on May 1, 2022 17:33:44 GMT
Safe to say this lot has managed to make all of us look like complete morons  |
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