The Burning Question: Where will we finish?

[jamespp]

Probably a repeat of 2010-11, a very bad start, a change of managers and a decent finish to get 6th

[dave u]

What's the score with these shiny new polls, Dave? They seem to get a lot more votes than the usual ones. Are you posting them elsewhere too?

 

I voted for fourth in all the polls. I expect that we'll be a shambles in Europe again but this league is shit. Champions League spots are there for the taking.

 

The forum polls can only be voted on by registered forum users. These ones allow guests to vote, so that explains the higher turn out. 

[G Richards]

I voted third. 

 

I reckon:

 

Chelsea

Arsenal

Liverpool

Man City

Man Utd

Spurs

[Stu Monty]

I don't think Stu has mixed enough metaphors in his prediction.

I am to please brother.

 

It's got Hamlet and a reference to Chadam being a lardarse. What more can you want?

[raininblood]

We will win it .

[FanchesterCity]

Makes you come across a a right quim.

 

Versus you as an illiterate one.

[Ne Moe Imya]

I actually don't think it has as much to do with us as it has to do with the teams around us.  

 

I think we'll finish with 70 points, plus or minus maybe 3.  Will that be enough for top 4?  Probably not, I think this season even 75 points won't be enough, as the rich get richer and the poor get further behind I think the gap between the top teams and the rest of the league will grow.

 

That said, there are a number of teams in the mix for top 4 that have at least the potential to implode, even if it isn't necessarily super likely.  

 

United, for example, despite spending money like it's going out of style, still employ one of the most divisive and egotistical men in football as their manager.  Probably it will work out well for them and their front line of Depay, Rooney and Pedro will carry them to 3rd.  But, just maybe, if they start poorly, and the media start to go off of van Gaal, and he starts whipping out his balls at press conferences, you could see that going off the rails in a very big hurry.

 

Or Arsenal, who in all likelihood will be in contention in December before slumping badly to where it looks like they might not make the top 4, before finally getting the results they need to secure it in the last month.  Maybe that won't happen this year?  A lengthy layoff for Sanchez, for example, and they might struggle.

 

Or City, where for all the money they've poured in, they don't look any better than they were last year.  Perhaps they'll drop out?

 

If any of those listed finishes below 73 points, we'll have a chance at fourth.  If not, then I don't care if Benteke scores 18 league goals while Firmino proves an absolute revelation next to Coutinho linking attack and midfield, our squad as a whole just isn't good enough for us to think we can get 75-80 points this season.  In all likelihood we'll end up scrapping with Spurs and Southampton for fifth, disgusting as that may sound.

[Jose Jones]

I think we'll either: 

a) start absolutely appallingly with the team taking time to bed in all the new players, the defence with Lovren and no protection whatsoever from midfield conceding shitloads of goals and be 15th or so in November.  Rodgers will then get sacked, Klopp will come in and we'll be improving but inconsistent in the second half of the season and finish 6th. 

 

2) get a few lucky/good results at the start, to keep us around the top 5 or 6 then we go on a run in the second half of the season to finish 3rd and have a decent run at one of the cups.

 

No in-betweens for me.  We'll definitely be shit in the Europa league though, whatever happens. 

[Tony Moanero]

Versus you as an illiterate one.

Balls.

[redinoz]

I think in a cruel twist of fate to arguably our greatest ever player, we'll win the league without him this season.

 

Bittersweet.

[Hades]

I think we'll finish 6th or 5th. My main worry is the complete lack of defense and defensive midfield. 

 

Would feel a lot more confident if Can and Sakho were our starting centreback combination. Skrtel is a disaster in a two, he retreats and concedes loads of space. Lovren is the opposite, he pushes up and leaves loads of space in behind. Probably the worst centreback combination we've had. 

 

Benteke will do okay, but he won't get the best out of Coutinho and Firmino. If Sturridge is fit, Benteke wouldn't get into our best side. 

[Creator Supreme]

20th, poor squad + awful oxygen thief manager = goodnight top flight!

 

If we sack Rigsby by Christmas, Klopp might get us mid-table!

[xerxes]

Fifth if things go well, seventh if they don't.

 

I think Brendan has bought well, so if he is as good a coach as he believes, things should improve.

 

Fortunately my memory of the end of last season, culminating in the Stoke debacle, has faded. But if we are offered more of the same, Charlotte can start leafing through the winter cruise catalogues.

[ZonkoVille77]

Fifth if things go well, seventh if they don't.I think Brendan has bought well, so if he is as good a coach as he believes, things should improve.Fortunately my memory of the end of last season, culminating in the Stoke debacle, has faded. But if we are offered more of the same, Charlotte can start leafing through the winter cruise catalogues.

Haha

[alles ist gut]

If we start shite and BR is sacked by November, then we have a chance of top four, once either GM or another take over.

 

 

Radical choice for caretaker manager, but he'd command support.

[Russ Atmosphere]

[JustTosh]

Let's see how many of those "1st place" voters are willing to put their names to it!

I fucking hate this aiming for fourth place shit. If you are first you are first. If you are second you are nothing, remember.

 

Before last season everybody pinned their hopes on Sturridge banging in goals for us. This season he’s not even mentioned. I think we look mighty better going forward this season and have great hopes for Benteke and Sturridge.

 

I close my eyes for the fact we have a midfield unable to defend and dream on that we somehow will find a way to shut the door behind us. If that dream comes through we’ll win it.

 

So here it is: First!

 

Attack! Attack! Attacck! And now I’m off to the bookies.

 

PS: Our two first games are going to be very important to us. We’re going to drop some points on our travels early on, so we'll need 6 points to keep us at fighting distance.

[aws]

If we get off to a good start over the first few games then I think we could chase a CL spot but I doubt we'd finish above fifth. If we start badly them I reckon we'll struggle and end up contesting the 6th - 8th slots.

[lebron]

Absolutely massive for our chances of top 4 if de Gea fucks off to Madrid.

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/9939660/manchester-united-keeper-david-de-gea-out-of-premier-league-opener-against-tottenham

 

I've voted an optimistic 3rd for us anyway, as I expect one of the top 3 to falter if they get deep into the CL and domestic cups. I already thought we'd finish above the Mancs, but with de Gea going, our goalkeeping options suddenly look golden compared to theirs!!! If this costs them the CL place they thought they had in their pocket, I'll laugh very, very hard!

 

A few amusing twists and turns in this one if anyone want a laugh and have little to do on a Friday:

 

http://www.redcafe.net/threads/de-gea-contract-situation.397568/page-245

[Russ Atmosphere]

Absolutely massive for our chances of top 4 if de Gea fucks off to Madrid.

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/9939660/manchester-united-keeper-david-de-gea-out-of-premier-league-opener-against-tottenham

 

I've voted an optimistic 3rd for us anyway, as I expect one of the top 3 to falter if they get deep into the CL and domestic cups. I already thought we'd finish above the Mancs, but with de Gea going, our goalkeeping options suddenly look golden compared to theirs!!! If this costs them the CL place they thought they had in their pocket, I'll laugh very, very hard!

 

A few amusing twists and turns in this one if anyone want a laugh and have little to do on a Friday:

 

http://www.redcafe.net/threads/de-gea-contract-situation.397568/page-245

Depends who they're replacing him with. Can't think it'll take much scouting to find one better than ours.

[Bjornebye]

I think in a cruel twist of fate to arguably our greatest ever player, we'll win the league without him this season.

 

Bittersweet.

Kenny would be made up. Not bittersweet at all

[Kevin D]

The forum polls can only be voted on by registered forum users. These ones allow guests to vote, so that explains the higher turn out.

 

Sickening.

[Strontium]

Fifth. The nightmare start will leave us mid-table and playing catch-up for most of the season.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Iv'e no idea what to expect but it has to be guns blazing otherwise Rodgers is gone, in that sense i'm looking forward to it. We should definitely score more than last year but I think Rodgers would struggle to organise a cup of tea, we are going to have to go  full Keegan and I would love it if it works. It won't 6th.

[derykw]

Probably 5th but I really think we can push both Manc clubs for 3rd. 

 

Utd weren`t much better last season than they were under Moyes, De Gea was the difference and it looks like he`s on his way out. Van Persie`s gone and Schweinsteiger is gonna flop. He`s injury prone and overweight.

 

City will be a tougher nut to crack but Sterling aside it all seems a bit stale there to me, certainly nothing to fear.

 

As for us surely we can`t be as dreadful as we were last season, 8 pts from the last 33 or something was it? we can`t help but improve on that. 

Benteke alone will probably score more than than all our strikers did combined last season and even if Origi and Ings turn out to be bang average it will still make them better than Lambert and Balotelli. 

Glenn Johnson has gone and also we won`t have the massive distraction of Gerrard`s farewell tour for half a season.

 

If I pretend Dejan Lovren doesn`t exist I can predict a fairly optimistic 3rd.