Next season's title race

[Grinch]

This could be very interesting.   We'll improve if we don't make a monumental cock up in the transfer window.  Chelsea you know will bounce back and won't have meaningful mid week football for most of the season.  United will be there or thereabout and City may well struggle with second season syndrome.

 

Even Arsenal have a good shout if they appoint the right man.  They've got the dollar too.  

[Creator Supreme]

We'll be nowhere near!

[an tha]

IF we address our depth problems we will be right in the thick of it.

 

If we don't then it is the race for Top 4 down to the wire again.

[manwiththestick]

Don't forget the Bloos.

[joe_fishfish]

Don't think City will be too much worse next season. They'll spend another unbelievable amount in the summer.

 

Man Utd could be interesting though. Mourinho seems pissed off with half the squad already and we've seen how that ends.

[an tha]

Turning draws into wins is going to be crucial - we are definitely harder to beat now and don't seen to lose as much to shite - but we have drawn too many this season.

 

Of the teams in the top half, only Leicester have drawn as many as Liverpool...

 

Turning 4/5 of those draws into wins would make a lot difference.

 

11 draws this season so far:

 

Watford (a), Burnley (h), Newcastle (a), Man United (h), Chelsea (h), Everton (h and a), West Brom (h and a), Arsenal (a), Spurs (h).

 

Let's say we won 4 of those 11 games - that gives us 79 points as it stands and a possible max total then of 88....most years 88 would be enough to be champions and at the very least be right in the race.

[Colt Seavers]

If we could merge last seasons first half of the season with this seasons second half we would be there or there abouts

[dockers_strike]

Lets face it we missed out on 2nd in the PL with that defeat at Old Trafford when the team did not turn up. If we had signed van Dijk from the start of the season as well I firmly believe we would be 2nd right now. City will strengthen and like I have said that is going to be Jurgens biggest obstacle to the title in the next 5 years. I really do not see United getting better under Mourinho as I think his football is that of yesteryear and he will continue to be divisive with his squad. I think Spurs will have trouble holding on to Pochettino either in the summer or definitely the summer after. You would expect Arsenal to improve with a new manager but it depends who they get in as to just how big the impprovement will be. I think the idea that all our rivals bar city have considerably better squads that us does not hold up. United Chelsea and Spurs have all dropped silly points and I do not think any have stand out players beyond their recognised first team.

[TheHowieLama]

Second is not first -- it will take a herculean effort from our side to win this league.

 

 

The quality to unlock ngative, shite teams again and again that City have in Silva and De Bruyne (behind an awesome front three) is going to be the most difficult hurdle.

City is guaranteed to get more than 88 points next year. 

 

To win the league you need to string together a dozen wins at a time.

[Paul]

The key for me is strengthening the squad without blocking young players. What we’re doing now - value signings, youth development and occasional targeted big deals - is working brilliantly. For me there are several areas that are an issue if we are to sustain a title challenge for an entire campaign whiteout bombing out of everything else:

 

1. Another top class option for the front three.

2. Back up/competition at left back (Moreno is a joke, Clyne can’t offer the attacking threat we struggle without)

3. Back up/competition for Karius

4. A Virgil clone (composure, dominance, leadership)

5. Genuine class and mobility on the ball at number six

 

We couldn’t and shouldn’t just buy all of those as ready made players. I want Harry Wilson in the squad and Trent to continue to develop. However, if we don’t get some more quality in we will not sustain the challenge and without challenge and trophies, we lose our best players. That’s just a fact.

 

In short, another “biggest summer ever” TM awaits.

[Greycellgreen]

I think we'll be City's nearest challenger but they'll still win it by a minimum of ten points, they can take more risks in the transfer market with their cash, our signings have to be spot on.  That said, I have no idea how Keita will adjust to the Premier League, if he hits the ground running and doesn't get suspended too often, he could bridge the gap.

[Ipplfc]

The key for me is strengthening the squad without blocking young players. What we’re doing now - value signings, youth development and occasional targeted big deals - is working brilliantly. For me there are several areas that are an issue if we are to sustain a title challenge for an entire campaign whiteout bombing out of everything else:

1. Another top class option for the front three.

2. Back up/competition at left back (Moreno is a joke, Clyne can’t offer the attacking threat we struggle without)

3. Back up/competition for Karius

4. A Virgil clone (composure, dominance, leadership)

5. Genuine class and mobility on the ball at number six

We couldn’t and shouldn’t just buy all of those as ready made players. I want Harry Wilson in the squad and Trent to continue to develop. However, if we don’t get some more quality in we will not sustain the challenge and without challenge and trophies, we lose our best players. That’s just a fact.

All very good points,I would try to sign hummels and ake to replace lovren and Klavan

In short, another “biggest summer ever” TM awaits.

[Evil_Ways]

One of each from

 

Oblak/Allison

Tah/De Vrij/Alderweireld

Jorginho/Neves/Rabiot

Lemar/Bailey/Pulisic

 

And we will be up there for sure.

[Strontium]

We don't have the squad depth. We won't get the squad depth. Another brilliant 3rd place finish beckons.

[Elite]

Both Manc and Chelsea have a wealth of talent in their squads. We realistically need to buy 5/6 top players to compete.

[El Rojo]

Both Manc and Chelsea have a wealth of talent in their squads. We realistically need to buy 5/6 top players to compete.

Maybe, but it’s more about better replacements/bench options than a complete overhaul.

 

At the moment, we don’t need to improve on most of our first choice starters, with the exception of VVD’s partner and somebody else at midfield with Keita.

 

It’s a good complaint, but there are few enough players in world football who’d improve or displace any of our front three. An option nearer their level than Ings and Solanke is a must though.

[Paul]

One of each from

 

Oblak/Allison

Tah/De Vrij/Alderweireld

Jorginho/Neves/Rabiot

Lemar/Bailey/Pulisic

 

And we will be up there for sure.

We won’t spend big on keeper or centre half, in my view. Midfield and attack more probably.

[Elite]

Maybe, but it’s more about better replacements/bench options than a complete overhaul.

 

At the moment, we don’t need to improve on most of our first choice starters, with the exception of VVD’s partner and somebody else at midfield with Keita.

 

It’s a good complaint, but there are few enough players in world football who’d improve or displace any of our front three. An option nearer their level than Ings and Solanke is a must though.

Not many will displace our front 3 but need at least two others who can be rotated.

 

Look at the Mancs: they have Lukaku, Sanchez, Rashford, Martial, Lingaard, Mata.

 

City: Aguero, Jesus, Sane, Sterling, Bernardo Silva.

 

Our midfield is priority but we also need some quality attacking back up as well.

[El Rojo]

Not many will displace our front 3 but need at least two others who can be rotated.

 

Look at the Mancs: they have Lukaku, Sanchez, Rashford, Martial, Lingaard, Mata.

 

City: Aguero, Jesus, Sane, Sterling, Bernardo Silva.

 

Our midfield is priority but we also need some quality attacking back up as well.

Two new quality attacking options would be fantastic, but I won’t hold my breath.

[Elite]

Two new quality attacking options would be fantastic, but I won’t hold my breath.

Me neither, that's why we will massively struggle to go all the way.

[El Rojo]

Me neither, that's why we will massively struggle to go all the way.

In addition to more depth, I think we’d need a relatively open title race to have a chance, with two or three sides other than ourselves taking points off City.

[King Emlyn]

We need about 4 or 5 quality additions (without losing any of our players) to stand any chance whatsoever, I simply don’t see the owners shelling out the required cash.

[BCM]

Not interested at all till August........ We have a European cup to win......

[Bobby Hundreds]

We won't be anywhere near until we can rotate players without such a huge drop off in quality. I reckon it's city's again next year with United getting closer.

 

We need to spend big. As far as I'm concerned kieta was last years money as was VVD and we aint spent a penny of the Coutinho money supposedly. Ever growing TV money plus champions league cash, Time again to buy top class in the VVD mould and push a few first teamers onto the bench, fuck off permanent crocks like lallana. Despite all the shite in the papers recently about money not being that important it absolutely is, where would city be now if it wasn't for abhu dhabi, or Chelsea without Roman or the mancs not being able to spend 40 million quid on a player nearly 15 years ago yet pretending somehow they never did it with money. Money buys better players and better players win you things.

 

The biggest positive at the club is klopp but even he can only do so much. All that aside you can see the roots of something special if we don't stand still.

 

Shit yeah that's not to forget the champions league this year which has been quality.

[Evil_Ways]

We won’t spend big on keeper or centre half, in my view. Midfield and attack more probably.

 

I kind of suspect the same. Lovren and Karius have shown inprovement since VVD came in. And whilst i do believe his presence calms the whole defensive unit down Lovren and Karius has the calamity in them and replacing them with top quality would really push us on.