Race for The Premier League - 2024/25

[MSvillain]

1.91 PPG and comfortably 4th in the cumulative table since Emery arrived.

Nothing to worry about

[villa4europe]

13 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

We'll have to see. Last December we'd already qualified so that final game in Bosnia we just sent a scratch 11 and rested our big players for Brentford away three days later.

I'm not sure Emery is of the mentality to just leave everything until the final matchdays, he'll want significant points on the board by matchday six so that might have a knock on impact for the following prem game 3-4 days later.

I think this week will be interesting for team selection. Do we make the changes for Young Boys or Wolves as given the impact Maatsen and Duran made off the bench they need to be starting sooner or later, Barkley aswell will probably get a start soon.

i think the main thing for me is does he do the almost logical thing and rotate to keep the first teamers fitter for the PL games and keep the fringe players happy with games or does that actually do the opposite and upset the first teamers cos they'd rather play CL?

i do think this squad is pretty deep and should be able to do both

im not expecting a huge PL drop off, I'm expecting city arsenal and Liverpool to be the same, Newcastle and Chelsea to be better, spurs to be worse, utd honestly not a clue anymore, this season to be a lot like last season just not with spurs going down to the wire

[nick76]

1 hour ago, jigen said:

Manchester Utd play bad but they have too good players to not finish in CL. 

I see Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd in CL. Then, the race is open. For me: Liverpool and Chelsea. 

You are kidding right?  With EtH in charge I think they could easily finish eighth.  City and Arsenal are top two, then Liverpool should be third but a question mark over that now Klopp has gone so throw them in us, Newcastle, Chelsea and Spurs.  I think we are fourth best team in the PL, whereas Man Utd are imo struggling to get an European place.

[Tom13]

1 hour ago, jigen said:

Manchester Utd play bad but they have too good players to not finish in CL. 

I see Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd in CL. Then, the race is open. For me: Liverpool and Chelsea. 

Ya what? United in CL is extremely unlikely.

[turvontour]

1 hour ago, MSvillain said:

1.91 PPG and comfortably 4th in the cumulative table since Emery arrived.

Nothing to worry about

This is exactly the point.

It's all very well saying we will finish 7th or 8th because of x, y and z. And obviously we can finish in those sort of places. 

But until Emery stops delivering a points per game outcome that gets you 4th you have to assume that its roughly going to be the league position outcome. 

We're into our third season of this ppg outcome now, this isnt some sort of temporary run or bounce.

Edited Monday at 12:05 by turvontour

[Mr_Dogg]

1 hour ago, jigen said:

Manchester Utd play bad but they have too good players to not finish in CL. 

I see Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd in CL. Then, the race is open. For me: Liverpool and Chelsea. 

Lay off the meth.

[Kiwivillan]

1 hour ago, VillaChris said:

Spurs at home isn't a tough match?

It really isn't. SJP one of the biggest fortresses in PL and Spurs are crap. 

[Pongo Waring]

1 hour ago, jigen said:

Manchester Utd play bad but they have too good players to not finish in CL. 

I see Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd in CL. Then, the race is open. For me: Liverpool and Chelsea. 

Stick to Italian football. 

[villa4europe]

1 hour ago, jigen said:

Manchester Utd play bad but they have too good players to not finish in CL. 

I see Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd in CL. Then, the race is open. For me: Liverpool and Chelsea. 

man utd are the same as chelsea, trying to judge them on the quality of their players on a piece of paper is a waste of time, their players phone it in every other week meaning they will always have an inconsistency that leaves them falling short

that said i do think chelsea will be better this year

[VillaChris]

13 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

It really isn't. SJP one of the biggest fortresses in PL and Spurs are crap. 

They were cr*p in March and still schooled us 4-0 at VP.

Beating Spurs is a good result at any stage of the season.

[nick76]

25 minutes ago, nick76 said:

1 hour ago, jigen said:

Manchester Utd play bad but they have too good players to not finish in CL. 

I see Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd in CL. Then, the race is open. For me: Liverpool and Chelsea. 

You are kidding right?  With EtH in charge I think they could easily finish eighth.  City and Arsenal are top two, then Liverpool should be third but a question mark over that now Klopp has gone so throw them in us, Newcastle, Chelsea and Spurs.  I think we are fourth best team in the PL, whereas Man Utd are imo struggling to get an European place.

I’d go even further @jigen of player by player.

Martinez is infinitely better than Onana

Digne and Maatsen are better than what they have at left back given that Shaw is permanently injured these days.

At CB we have Torres, Konsa and Mings which compares well with Martinez, DeLigt and Maguire.

Our RB area is a concern but I don’t know enough about their new RB.

Our midfield dominates their midfield….they even failed a last bid attempt to get Onana after he’d agreed to come to us.

Attacking wise, I’d take Watkins and Duran over Hjolund and Zirkzee.  I do like Garnacho but Bailey’s output fairs well in comparison in terms of winger (different sides).

I much prefer our squad to theirs

[Stevo985]

2 hours ago, jigen said:

Manchester Utd play bad but they have too good players to not finish in CL. 

I see Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd in CL. Then, the race is open. For me: Liverpool and Chelsea. 

There is no chance Man Utd finish in the top 4 this season

Newcastle, Villa, Spurs and Chelsea all have a better chance

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

man utd are the same as chelsea, trying to judge them on the quality of their players on a piece of paper is a waste of time, their players phone it in every other week meaning they will always have an inconsistency that leaves them falling short

that said i do think chelsea will be better this year

I don't think Man Utd are like Chelsea at all tbh.  Chelsea are a basket case of a club, but generally improving and purchasing (a lot of) exciting, young players who could be there for a decade or so.

Man Utd are just drifting, if not getting progressively worse.  It's weird; I look at their next few league fixtures (Palace (A), Spurs (H), Villa (A), Brentford (H), West Ham (A), Chelsea (H)) and can see them getting 0 points.  They won't get 0, of course, but I can't remember ever looking at them before and thinking "Brentford at home, tough game for Man Utd, that".

[Pinebro]

23 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

There is no chance Man Utd finish in the top 4 this season

Newcastle, Villa, Spurs and Chelsea all have a better chance

Spurs are too leaky defensively. Man Utd got better chance imo 

Agreed about Newcastle and Chelsea 

[jigen]

16 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I’d go even further @jigen of player by player.

Martinez is infinitely better than Onana

Digne and Maatsen are better than what they have at left back given that Shaw is permanently injured these days.

At CB we have Torres, Konsa and Mings which compares well with Martinez, DeLigt and Maguire.

Our RB area is a concern but I don’t know enough about their new RB.

Our midfield dominates their midfield….they even failed a last bid attempt to get Onana after he’d agreed to come to us.

Attacking wise, I’d take Watkins and Duran over Hjolund and Zirkzee.  I do like Garnacho but Bailey’s output fairs well in comparison in terms of winger (different sides).

I much prefer our squad to theirs

The only place where you are better is Gk, because Onana is shit and Martinez is class. And ok, Lb, because Shaw is always injured. 
But then Man Utd have better players. This is not disprectful for you, but Man Utd made great signings and have top players. And they have the big advantage of not playing CL matches.
You made a miracle last year, but two miracles in a row... I hope for you but I would be very surprised.

[villa4europe]

30 minutes ago, bobzy said:

I don't think Man Utd are like Chelsea at all tbh.  Chelsea are a basket case of a club, but generally improving and purchasing (a lot of) exciting, young players who could be there for a decade or so.

Man Utd are just drifting, if not getting progressively worse.  It's weird; I look at their next few league fixtures (Palace (A), Spurs (H), Villa (A), Brentford (H), West Ham (A), Chelsea (H)) and can see them getting 0 points.  They won't get 0, of course, but I can't remember ever looking at them before and thinking "Brentford at home, tough game for Man Utd, that".

like i said i think chelsea have improved and will be in and around 4th this year

but i do also still think that squad and those players have the ability to randomly drop to a phone it in 70% performance, they will be inconsistent, its not as simple as saying Chelsea have a £2bn squad and quality all over the pitch because last season everyone who wasn't palmer only turned up in patches 

thats the comparison i made to utd, utd have fewer good patches and performances than chelsea and are worse for it than chelsea but they have the same mental blocks

you cant judge either team on paper

[jigen]

8 minutes ago, Pinebro said:

Spurs are too leaky defensively. Man Utd got better chance imo 

Agreed about Newcastle and Chelsea 

Spurs are without attack. The play well, have a top coach, but wasted incredible money on Johnson and Solanke. Midfielders and defenders are top 4 material, but you can't reach CL spots in PL with average forwards. 

 

 

[Leeroy]

7 minutes ago, jigen said:

The only place where you are better is Gk, because Onana is shit and Martinez is class. And ok, Lb, because Shaw is always injured. 
But then Man Utd have better players. This is not disprectful for you, but Man Utd made great signings and have top players. And they have the big advantage of not playing CL matches.
You made a miracle last year, but two miracles in a row... I hope for you but I would be very surprised.

You’re on the windup if you think Ollie Watkins doesn’t start for Man Utd, of course he does.
 

Central defence and central midfield is very even. They have a better right back and better wingers than us. 

[Stevo985]

18 minutes ago, jigen said:

The only place where you are better is Gk, because Onana is shit and Martinez is class. And ok, Lb, because Shaw is always injured. 
But then Man Utd have better players. This is not disprectful for you, but Man Utd made great signings and have top players. And they have the big advantage of not playing CL matches.
You made a miracle last year, but two miracles in a row... I hope for you but I would be very surprised.

You must be on a windup

[nick76]

52 minutes ago, jigen said:

The only place where you are better is Gk, because Onana is shit and Martinez is class. And ok, Lb, because Shaw is always injured. 
But then Man Utd have better players. This is not disprectful for you, but Man Utd made great signings and have top players. And they have the big advantage of not playing CL matches.
You made a miracle last year, but two miracles in a row... I hope for you but I would be very surprised.

Are you trying to bait me? Surely you’re not serious.

As for Man Utd having top players and made great signings.  The great signings we’ll have to wait and see but I’d choose Watkins over any of their strikers, Kamara and Onana are better than Ugarte and Casemiro for that role, and that’s just for starters.

As for miracle, Emery has been averaging just under 2 ppg for almost two years and started this season in the same way and we all know how well he copes with European football.  

I think it would be a miracle almost that Man U got champions league place this season the way EtH has them at the moment.  

Under a better Man U manager it may be a different story but if the stories are true about Southgate I don’t see Man U getting close to CL placings this season so one less competitor for us.  I’m more concerned with Newcastle and unpredictability of Chelsea than Man U.