Build Up To New Prem Season

[nine nine nine]

Fair shout there Chucky.

Difficult to predict how Spurs and Arsenal will do as there is so much uncertainty surrounding Spurs and Arsenal look like they are trying to be active in the transfer market. I think one or both of them could do better than is being predicted.

Leicester are interesting they’ve made some decent signings but their progress towards the top 4 may well be nullified by what the other top 4 contenders do in the transfer market.

If Nil’s prayers are answered though then it looks like Liverpool’s title.😊

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[nine nine nine]

Lucky, Rata or a Freudian slip? 😊

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[Editor]

I really do not rate Ole as a manager and I think he will be their downfall. They have had the squad to challenge for over a year now and haven’t. I also think ManU got lucky with injuries last season. If some one of or even both of Maguire and Fernandes get injured they are in trouble. They showed last season, no Fernandes, no creativity.

Bit harsh that I think Foxy. Whilst I don’t think Ole will ultimately be the man to lead Utd to trophies, Utd had probably the 4th best squad in the league last season and came a comfortable second, with the gap only shrinking after we’d confirmed 2nd. 2nd was the best we could hope for against that City side.

Ole is the only manager to have a leading head-to-head record against Pep (of those who have played more than 2 games) having won 4 and lost 3 against him, drawing 1. He’s very capable of winning the big games. It’s getting past the smaller teams which is proving to be tricky for Ole and Utd.

I’ve always maintained Ole would eventually be proven to not be good enough for Utd to get back to winning things but he’s far surpassed what could have been expected of him given the squad he’s had and his previous lack of experience at this level.

I mean, how many Utd players would get in City’s side? Shaw easily but that’s probably it. Difficult to expect him to topple City with that in mind.

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[Editor]

My top 4 would be:

1. City
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. United

I think 1 & 2 will be a close fight (unless City get Kane and/or Grealish) and I think 3 & 4 will be a close one too, with Leicester just missing out, again. Serious questions need to be asked of Rodgers if Leicester do bottle it at the last hurdle again IMO. Leicester spent an incredible 567 days in the top 4 over the last 2 years, more than any other team and failed to get top 4 once.

I don’t think Spurs or Arsenal will be good enough to challenge for a top 4 place and I can’t see any other surprise packages in and around the top 4.

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[steveosnakeeye]

Arsenal are now in the mid table mini league (if we are lucky)

Can we snatch 8th ? Who knows the nerves start now 🤣🤣

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[Editor]

To be honest Steve, it might be just what Arsenal need in terms of having a season where there is zero expectation. I’ve been very critical of Arteta but it might suit them to just get on with his plans away from any hint of a challenge. They didn’t finish too badly in the end last season so you never know!

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[Chucky McChuckface]

Really can’t see Foxy Ladies getting better than 5th… Vardy can’t last forever living on Red Bull & Port… and nobody else really chips in with the goals… easily best of the rest outside the Top 4, but I think One of the bog-digs need to stumble to give them a chance of Top 4…

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[Chucky McChuckface]

Buffy… I reckon that’s all we’ve got to look forward to this season, seeing if the Spuds can finish higher than your mob…

At least AFTV should be a blast again!! 🙂

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[Luckydestiny]

Ed I think you are right there and it should apply to spurs too.

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[steveosnakeeye]

Bring it Nancy our season before a kick of the ball is wether we get a st totteringham day this year even if that’s finishing 8th 😁

Do like nuno tho I’d prefer him to arteta! Let’s see what we both do in the window before final predictions

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[sean the sailor]

Ye Ed, I agree with they about ole but I really don’t think he is to far away from a trophy. Good few semi finals and a final in his years there so next step is a cup

Looks like varane is going to join. What a signing that will be and he will be the perfect partner for Maguire

I’m not sure how anyone is expected to challenge city even with the current squads.

Think Rodgers has done a great job at Leicester as injuries and lack of quality on the squad has cost Leicester. Fa cup was massive last season.

But as Ed says, if Leicester are in top 4 this season then they need to finish the job.

Kabak for 8.5 million would be an excellent signing. Don’t rate James at all but Rodgers may improve him

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[steveosnakeeye]

Chelsea have the squad abs if they do end up with Harland too then I think it’s there’s to lose tho city will push them all the way
Pool in 3rd for me

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[Editor]

Sean, I remain convinced Varane is just using us for a new contract. Players like Varane don’t leave Real when Real want them to stay. Feels very much like when we seemed really close to getting Ramos a few years back only for him to sign a new deal. Would love to be wrong but I just can’t see it happening.

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[sean the sailor]

But I don’t think Madrid want him to stay Ed as the president said a few weeks ago if a deal can’t be reached then he can go

Defo think there is something in it and what a signing that would be.

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[FoxyFoxes]

Yeah, Ed that’s a tough one. No other team could have competed for so long the way Leicester have the last two seasons with the injuries we have had. Not even Liverpool can claim quite the impact of players we had. Sure they had some important player injuries but they still had a decent squad to call upon.
The COVID hit season we simply ran out of players and squad depth was just not there. This season just gone, we started the first 6 games without a single first choice player in our back 5. With such a small squad, we just couldn’t cope with the following players being out for extended periods of time:
Ndidi
Maddison (was never the same after his injury)
Vardy (was never the same after his injury lay off and besides has lost his shooting boots anyway)
Soyuncu
Evans
Ricardo
Castagne
Justin
Barnes
Praet

Tielemans and Schmeichel were about the only two players who didn’t have a decent amount of time out through injury last season. When the rest of the squad is either youth players or over 30s has-beens (Fuchs, Morgan, Albrighton) I think it is fair to say Rodgers keeping us in the top 4 for so long was a miracle!

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[Editor]

Sean, everything points to Madrid offering him a new deal that he seems reluctant to accept. I don’t for a minute think they’re happy to see him go and certainly not when they’ve just lost Ramos. Frankly, I don’t think they can actually afford to give him what he wants (and arguably deserves) AND invest in the big signings they need but I think it will end in their hand being forced (in terms of them agreeing to his demands).

Though a lot of reports suggest he simply wants a new challenge and fancies the PL. Who could blame him? He’s won the lot, multiple times, at Madrid.

Apparently Rio was his idol growing up though, so let’s see.

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[Chucky McChuckface]

Buffy… reckon neither of us are signing top-draw players, not without CL footy, so it all depends if we get lucky with a couple of Carlos Kickaballs, it’s simply a race for bragging rights (4th best team in London) and see if it’s “St. Totteringham’s Day” or “It ‘Appened Again Day”.

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[Editor]

Foxy, I think that’s a very kind assessment of that final few weeks for Leicester. They shouldn’t have been getting convincingly beaten at home by Newcastle or a poor Spurs side in those last 2 home games. They did well to stay in the top 4 for so long (arguably helped by Liverpool and Chelsea’s decline) but they shouldn’t have been letting that slip at the last moment.

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[nine nine nine]

Stevo, I agree if Chelsea got Haaland it’s would likely be game changer and would probably make Chelsea a realistic title contender but “there’s to lose” is a bit too optimistic imo when there’s still City to get past who might well strengthen significantly themselves and the likes of United and Liverpool to overcome too.

More than happy for you to be right though!😊

Tbh I don’t think Chelsea will get Haaland I think he’ll do another season at Dortmund and then move to Real.

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[Editor]

Nine, the Lewandowski (to Chelsea) rumours are interesting. I’ve often said I thought Bayern would be a good fit for Haaland as they will need a replacement for Lewandowski within a couple of years and they have a habit of getting players from Dortmund.

Lewandowski to Chelsea, giving Bayern both the budget and the team place needed to bring in Haaland at his release clause next summer might just make sense. Madrid I think are more into Mbappe than Haaland.

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