The Race for the title

GuanYin

It amuses me that in all the furore of last weeks Utd-Arsenal match that nobody has said much about the fantastic performance of the real contenders - Chelsea.

Rightly lambasted for their defensive displays at the start of the season they seem to be in free scoring form now, albeit against weak opposition both times.

They now find them selves 2nd on goal difference while the other so-called challengers Utd are 9 points behind.

I think that Utd blew their chance at making a comeback here, it was really a hollow victory for them last week and todays result shows why they lost their grip on the premiership.

I think chelsea will run close but Arsenal will retain the title. Utd may face stiff competition from Liverpool for 3rd and I really do think that they've slipped into the second tier of teams from 3-6th in the premiership.

Big Ears

The toon are playing very well under Souness and are unbeaten under him .I wouldn't write them/us off getting third yet .

GuanYin

Big Ears wrote:

The toon are playing very well under Souness and are unbeaten under him .I wouldn't write them/us off getting third yet .

I actually think that its gonna be Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle, Everton and Utd in competition for the last CL place.

Utd raised their game once off against Arsenal but they just can't do it week in week out as they could before.

mr_angry

To be honest, I think United have the funds, the will, and the strikeforce to turn it around, but they badly need a new midfield, with the exception of Ronaldo. Get rid of Keane, Scholes, Giggs, "World Cup Winner" Kleberson, and Djemba-Djemba, and actually bring in or develop some good players with a bit of grit and determination. They'll be back.

gandalf

Well Arsenal were very lucky today !!! Chelsea look like they are the threat alright but I will not make a call on things till Christmas, then things will be clearer. As for united having funds I do not think that is the case after the investment in Rooney. I agree they need to sort out their midfield and Rooney could have been an extravigance that they could have ill afforded.

Looks like my bet on Newcastle getting relegated is wasted money as well

Memnoch

rooney seems over rated, I think United wasted their money on him when they already had 3 strikers. Giggs is way past his sell date and defo needs to go

Third_Echelon

Its a one horse race... mark my words.. Everton for the league...

gandalf

Third_Echelon wrote:

Its a one horse race... mark my words.. Everton for the league...

Stranger things have happened, I rate Moyes very highly as a manager and he's getting his players punching higher than their weight with a decent budget for the transfer window in Jan.

RuggieBear

gandalf wrote:

Stranger things have happened, I rate Moyes very highly as a manager and he's getting his players punching higher than their weight with a decent budget for the transfer window in Jan.

I think the teams with the larger/better squads will come to the fore the longer the season continues...that's why i think (unfortunatly) that Everton will falter and end up in mid table, while the big teams will float to the top....

PHB

Write Utd off, please
Try get the press too aswell.

Big Ears

PHB wrote:

Write Utd off, please
Try get the press too aswell.

They have to have been wrote on before someone could write then off .

warning: this post may contain traces of flamebaiting .

Boro

You forgot Middlesbrough. Maybe not going to win it this year (understatement of the century eh? ) but i reckon we are a good bet for that 4/5/6th place.

TBH i fancy chelsea for the title. I think Arsenals confidence is shook and they will lose quite a few more games before the end of the season. Chelsea however look ominous.

p.pete

I think I'd actually fancy Chelsea at this stage. They have an amazing defense (3 goals conceded?) and will probably splash out on a replacement for Mutu - but only if they feel like it.

As mr angry points out ManU have several things to fix before they are a top tier team again. They are still rich enough but for this season the funds will be tight bearing in mind they have to balance the stock price. For now it's a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth up front and the problem area behind the front men not really being addressed. They'll pull it together and finish 3rd.

Arsenal - an amazing squad of players and hopefully they can continue to play that way too. It would be a poorer league if they fall apart after losing a game. I reckon they'll be alright but will struggle to match Chelsea, still finishing a comfortable 2nd.

I reckon it'll be more interesting to see who finishes 4th - especially if Everton go the distance. Liverpool are trying to restructure the team and it's far from perfect as yet, new players are needed which will mean further change. Newcastle seem to have gotten off on the right foot with the new boss and if they keep going as they are I'd make them favourites for 4th.

uberwolf

Boro wrote:

but i reckon we are a good bet for that 4/5/6th place.

TBH there is a world of difference between 4th and 6th with the teams currently playing in the premiership. More so between 3rd and 6th but the point holds. No offence to Boro but their hope is in other teams having a mare. To me it seems that Chelsea and Arsenal are the contendors, and even that depends on how teh gooners respond to the Utd defeat. If they'd lost at the wknd (and they very nearly did) it really could have taken a while for them to win again. They may see that equaliser as key to their season.

p.pete

uberwolf wrote:

TBH there is a world of difference between 4th and 6th with the teams currently playing in the premiership.

Based on how last season finished I'd disagree. There was a world of difference from Liverpool (who finished 4th) to the teams above them but they only edged it into 4th place so it was quite close - tbh I don't think there was a world of difference between the teams finishing 4th - 6th and the teams finishing 11th - 15th last season.

Boro

uberwolf wrote:

TBH there is a world of difference between 4th and 6th with the teams currently playing in the premiership. More so between 3rd and 6th but the point holds. No offence to Boro but their hope is in other teams having a mare. To me it seems that Chelsea and Arsenal are the contendors, and even that depends on how teh gooners respond to the Utd defeat. If they'd lost at the wknd (and they very nearly did) it really could have taken a while for them to win again. They may see that equaliser as key to their season.

When you look at the top two, they are a different class at the moment. I think they will stay the top two for the whole season. Call me a begrudger if you will, but i dont think Everton can sustain their form. Their squad is just too thin. I think they will start rocking between now and january. Of course they can reinforce then, with the rooney money, but it might take time to bed in the new players. I think they will finish top 10 but outside the european places. Sorry to any everton fans reading this!

Man U will make a recovery and get third place, they will push for 2nd but wont get it. Liverpool are looking good (Alonso looks superb) but with the loss of Cisse, they just dont have a cutting edge. They will probably buy someone in Jan also, but again, he could take a while to settle in. Newcastle - i just dont like newcastle! I think they will finish inside the top 6, but i just have a feeling that they are going to spontaneously combust somewhere along the line. They look too shaky at the back also.

I think Bolton will do well again this season. I dont like the way they play, but it works. They will rough up a good few more teams this season and take the points. Top 6 is achievable for them but i think they might just struggle to get it. Spurs are having real problems scoring goals. Top 10, but not a european place.

And now my impartial views on Middlesbrough Its asking a lot to claim a european spot in the league, but im really optimistic about our chances. With JFH and Viduka up front, we finally have a cutting edge, something we have been missing since the days of Ravanelli (only a terrible run of injuries and a shockingly bad defence stopped us from doing something special in that season). Zenden and Downing create chances, Boateng and Parlour are real ball-breakers in midfield. We have a very solid defence in Southgate and Ehiogu, Quedrue gives extra flair, and Schwarzer is a top class keeper. Apart from all the injuries we have suffered already this season (3 players with broken legs, a cruciate injury and a dislocated shoulder being the worst), we are still picking up the points and, most importantly, playing well.

The reason i said 4/5/6th was because it does depend on those other teams. There are maybe 5 or 6 teams that will be serious contenders for the remaining few european places. It will go right down to the wire (and will probably be more exciting than watching the top of the league!) but theres still lots of time for new contenders to be thrown up.

Just my 2/c.

Jivin Turkey

As I thought last week, it will come down to the top two. Cant look past them at the minute, and while Chelsea look more solid I can see Arsenals experience take them home. I also think Chelsea will go further in the CL which might also be a distraction for them. 3rd and 4th will be between United and Liverpool, and as much as it pains me to say it, if I think with my head over heart United will probably shade it, but it will be very close.

From there down its a lottery until about 8th with Newcastle, Bolton, Villa and Middlesboro all there or thereabouts. There wont be much of a gap between 3rd and 8th I dont think. I dont think Everton will last the pace. As people have said the squad is a bit thin.

The weekends results said a lot. Liverpool aren't quite there yet, Bolton should be taken seriously, Newcastle will need to improve, Arsenal aren't as invinvible as previously thought (lets face it I reckon everyone, myself included, thought they could have put 6 past a poor Southampton team minus its 2 first choice strikers), Chelsea will score goals and are probably going to have some silverware at the end of the year, and United are well off the standard set if they want to be champions (Im suprised their result was not mentioned sooner, but I guess people dont want to be accused of baiting in this paranoid world).

PHB

I think Man Utd are gona win, funnily enough probably for most people, I think United will win the champions league, rather than the premiership.

But if I was a betting man at this very moment in time, I'd put on Chelsea, who are looking very very very very solid, in both Europe and Premiership.
But in the long run, I don't think they will do it this season.

Villain

I can't see any team getting close to Chelsea or Arsenal really, Man Utd might but it's hard to see it when you look at the hole that is their Center Midffield. I think they could be forced to sell in order to find a suitable partner for Keane not something a team of their size should have to worry about.

Chelsea have the best squad and the addition of another striker in January will probably help them even more. Arsenal have the ability to win the league but need to keep their head, they also need to have Campbell fit because Cygan showed again last night that he's not good enough.

My prediction at the moment would be:

Arsenal
Chelsea
Man Utd

krinpit

Arsenal have the most talented, gelled and experienced squad at the moment. I sincerely believe that it's Arsenal all the way this season. Sure, the Chelseas, Newcastles, Evertons and Man Utds will have their impressive runs, but as the old cliche goes, take a look at the league table.

Also, slightly off topic, I think that Arsenal should drop Henry for the big games, because he just goes walkabout.

I don't support Arsenal

PHB

Krinpit who do you play instead?

Reyes and Berkjamp?

Berkjamp won't be at half of the big games, and is getting old.
Reyes is good, and is going to be fantastic, but he is still not world class just yet.
Mutu to Arsenal? Maybe

I think they need a striker, a real striker, one who doesn't move outside the 6 yard box