Predictions 21/22 season

[sean the sailor]

Ok lads really looking forward to the new season and great to have fans back

So please list your predictions under the following headings

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

Relegation

Watford
Norwich
Brentford

Cl
Psg
Fa cup
Utd
League cup
City

Signing of the season
Sancho

Flop signing
Ings

First manager to go
Veira

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[nine nine nine]

With almost 4 weeks to go in the transfer market all this might be a bit premature but here goes.

PL

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

Relegation

Watford
Norwich
Brentford

CL
PSG

FA Cup
Chelsea

League Cup
Liverpool

Signing of the season
Sancho

Flop signing
Townsend

First manager to go
Xisco Watford.

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[sean the sailor]

Ye good call on watford manager nine mate. Ye still a bit to go but just a bit of fun chum

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[Editor]

Top 4

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

City obviously for the league. No brainer with that squad. Chelsea two probable signings Kounde and Lukaku are probably as good signings as Utd’s and Chelsea had a stronger squad to start with. Winning the CL means they have experience of winning trophies too, something Utd lack. Liverpool will be right back up there with VVD back and Konate coming in. Thiago started to show some form at the end if the season so we’ll surely see the best of him and Jota now.

Relegation

Watford
Palace
Brentford

CL
City

Assuming they get Kane and Grealish, they have to do it this season. PSG I think lack bottle under Poch and too many new big personalities.

Fa cup
Chelsea

League cup
City

Signing of the season
Daka

Flop signing
Townsend

First manager to go
Arteta

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[Brian blue]

Not one for predictions, at least 6 teams have a chance. Interesting that Pep has announced the PL is his priority NOT the CL. That should make you City predictors happy…not for me, I am a proper Jonah, in fact I blame our defeat to Leicester because I did not play Blue Moon on my keyboards and wear my City T shirt before the game, such is life when you have to worry about such thinks!!!!!!

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[Anonymous]

I am tempted to no brain this with City also, very tempted. I don’t agree with Liverpool’s seemingly not being interested in signing a midfielder but having seen Elliott yesterday, I’m wondering if he’s ready to play a bit-part role. Seems we’re going to be using him in a deeper role also so…

As mad as it is, Klopp has done it before. He knows how to get many wins in a row, without spanking everyone by 3 or 4 goals. We definitely do not have the capacity to be utterly dominant over every team we play, like City can when they get the bit between their teeeth but we can grind out results like the best.

The lads were awful last season until the run in, when they showed their true colours again. I think they’ll be hungry again but we’ll need to be kinda lucky with injuries. Looks like we are off to a bad start in that regard with Robertson getting injured already but hopefully it isnt too bad.

Anyway:

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

I do not see anyone challenging these 4 and of course they could be in different order. This could be the closest top 4 that we’ll see in many a year. Of course, City might still sign Harry Kane and Liverpool might snap out of it and buy someone. Utd and Chelsea will be stronger teams and they might challenge for the title. Players will have to settle in though, which will be Liverpool’s only advantage, coming in from this transfer window. It’s clutching at straws and there’s a will for me to believe that we can do it, definitely influences me but I wouldnt put us up there if I thought we didnt have some small chance.

CL : City (or whoever comes 2nd) I’m going to rule out PSG for another year. Controversial, perhaps.

Relegation : The new lads, cause I couldnt possibly guess otherwise.

Domestic Cups : I don’t think Liverpool will put much effort into these, as usual. I’d usually say City here but the other 2 will have something to say about that. So, I’ll just say it’ll be between those 3 for the 2 cups.

All in all, this will be the year where the PL is utterly dominant over La Liga. I hold out on saying Europe, cause Bayern would start coughing loudly. The top 4 are improving, whilst the giants in La Liga are potentially in free-fall. Who knows though, maybe they’ll sort themselves out quickly and get new projects off the ground in 2-3 years.

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[Editor]

Well City are understandably favourites with the bookies, odds on to retain it:

City: 4/5
Chelsea: 26/5
Liverpool: 13/2
Utd: 9/1

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[nine nine nine]

Suprised at the United odds Ed. I don’t think they’ll win it I can’t see anybody finishing above City currently but 9/1 seems too generous to me.

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[Editor]

I think it’s about right Nine if I’m honest. The other 3 managers have all won big trophies recently which can’t be underestimated. Utd probably have the weakest squad of the 4 still IMO though we’vedefinitely closed the gap. Midfield is not good enough for a sustained challenge.

Plenty of money to be won though if anyone thinks they have a genuine chance. I certainly won’t be betting on Utd to win it! 😄

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[nine nine nine]

Me neither Ed.😊

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[Blaze]

1. City. 2. United. 3. Chelsea. 4. Liverpool. Relegation: Brentford, Brighton Norwich.

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[Mikus LFC]

My thoughts

1 Man City
It feels like they’re becoming the Real Madrid of the premier league, albeit with a bit more thought and precision with regards to signings. Guardiola is a manager with a strong philosophy and identity, which will continue to sweep up the league as such football tends to win most of the games most of the time. I do think Kane would be important to them though, particularly now they’ve shown their hand and to the possible detriment of other players in the squad who may feel unwanted, and 4 players apparently do now want to move on (Grealish may also have impacted that). However, I do think their CL woes will continue, because tactically he does struggle here. And no amount of money tends to solve that.

2 Liverpool
Van Dijk and co are now back. Could do with a few more signings in midfield and up top, but this side I think is starting to age now. And injuries are a big worry. Klopp still a very good coach and very good at creating a very together side. But I think a lot rests on players staying fit and ideally bringing some new faces. African Cup of Nations in the winter too! A lot would have to go right to push City.

3 Chelsea
Tuchel a very tactically astute manager, with a good squad, and now Lukaku up top – that should see them win more games in the league. But I’m not sure they can mirror the same consistency as a Guardiola side can to win a domestic league. Also the expectation on Tuchel will now be big.

4 Man Utd
Their signings now look more Klopp-esque with the team being more patient to sign the right players. Varane you would expect to be a good addition at the back, and Sancho a good addition up top. Then we come to Ole. I do think the absence of fans actually helped him last season when the league just felt less serious. Now the crowds will be back and the expectation too. So it all rests on what we see from Ole this season. Tactically I worry about him, which is why they have no cup yet imo. But in the league if he is brave and bold, he could still do well. But how will the pressure affect him?

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[Anonymous]

That’s a good point regards Ole and the crowds. I’;ll make one more on top of that. Perhaps Ole was under pressure when he wasn’t rated (and rightly so in my opinion). In this year off without fans though, his credibility has risen. Will utd fans now come in with more trust in him and his side? I think perhaps they will. I’m not saying they were calling for him to go, in the stands etc but a fanbase that supports and fully backs a manager is a powerful thing.

Also, those 2 signings are pretty huge, especially Varane. What a coup!

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[Editor]

I do worry about Ole to some degree tactically too. I’ve full confidence in him in the big games. He has a great record there. It’s breaking down the smaller sides on a consistent basis that appears to be his downfall, as well as often failing in the “last hurdle” games. Finals, semi finals etc.

I disagree about the fans point though. Utd’s home fans are incredibly loyal. The twitter fans will be on his back from the first whistle but the home crowd are unusually patient with managers. They were extremely supportive of Mourinho Moyes and LVG right until they all left. Mourinho still gets a great reception when he goes back there.

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[Mikus LFC]

Ed, it’s not so much that I think the stadium fans will be on his back, more that the expectation that they will bring. And if Man Utd are struggling in a certain game, as many top teams can, it inevitably creates moans and groans around the stadium. It’s more that kind of pressure I mean, as opposed to calling for his head. And that inevitably unsettles you as a manager. It’s like the difference between doing a musical performance in an empty gallery with no feedback versus a concert in front of a packed audience.

In the last season, without fans, there were just 4 sackings/managerial changes during the season. This compares to 10, 11 & 15 changes in the previous 3 seasons with fans. Quite a difference.

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[Editor]

Yeah fair enough Mikus. I see your point. It’s hard to say how much of an effect it would’ve had. I suppose the same applies to that losing run at Anfield for Liverpool, which could have been very interesting with an increasingly disgruntled crowd there.

Though, I think it works both ways. Some of those defeats at Anfield might not have been defeats with fans there and some of those careless defeats/draws at OT might have become wins with the crowd behind them.

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[steveosnakeeye]

Fans will be on Artetas and clubs back after Friday …. Those not already!

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[Mikus LFC]

No one can say for sure at a particular club Ed, but I do think those stats are remarkable regarding managerial changes during a season with and without fans. Klopp had quite a bit of credit in the bank. Not sure Ole did, particularly with regard to the poor start at the beginning of the season.

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[Editor]

No that’s a fair point though I’d argue Ole had tons of credit in the bank. Rightly or wrongly, club legends will always be afforded more slack than a manager coming in from elsewhere. Lampard, Dalglish obvious examples.

Ole is a cult hero at Utd so, whilst he’s not invincible, he’ll certainly have more credit in the bank than what his managerial record will have earned him.

Which is part of the reason why I don’t particularly like club heroes managing my club as fans tend to be a bit blind to flaws which would otherwise be apparent.

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[Anonymous]

Ya, I also was not suggesting that the fans would be on his back in the stadium. I think Klopp is a good example of it, in that early on, the fans loved him but when somethign would go wrong, the fans would still drop off, lose faith on the day (gasps and grumbles). I guess I should have clarified that this is more based around their faith that the team will win on the day and not directly suggestive of the managers ability.

In time though, those grumbles and gasps disappeared as the fans saw how difficult to beat we would become.

So my point here is that having seen Utd come 2nd, playing to a much higher standard than previously, that maybe this element would be better when the fans return.

Faith in a manager, team, players etc can keep fans optimistic even when they go a goal down, or when they struggle to break a bus down etc etc. Again for Liverpool, we eventually gained a reputation for being able to break these teams down and as a result, the atmosphere was better, less tense etc. It definitely ,didnt start that way.

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