Assessing Rivals strength and probability of top four.

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Page_Moss_Kopite said:
You cant take the 'freak 6-1 win' out of the equation because City deserved the win just like Everton deserved the 4-4.
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Not taking it out, just pointing out that there was very little between the two teams in either attack or defence so fail to understand why everyone sees City as the team to beat this season. I think this season will be a close call between three or four teams and at the moment don`t see a stand out team at the top.
 
Kyle? said:
Gooner in peace, good thread here, i agree with the majority of points being made.


1. Chelsea
2. City
3. Man Utd
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Everton
7. Newcastle
8. Spurs
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as soon as an arse fan contributes...stupidity reigns <ok>
 
City
Utd
Chavs
Arsenal
Liverpool/Spurs (seriously can't choose between them at this point will wait for window to shut)
Newcastle.
 
i'm going to be my usual eccentric self and go for this

chelsea
arsenal
city
newcastle
manu/liverpool/spurs

yes yes i know im stupid and emotional and think with my heart when it comes to football
my head which i never refer to in football says

chelsea
city
manu
arsenal
liverpool
spurs
newcastle

for the record im going with my heart (midly influenced by my powerless brain...otherwise manchester clubs, and chelsea would have been relegated)
 
City are the team to beat because they won the league last year. We're about equal with City I'd say, not on paper but football isn't played on paper. If we can sign someone like Fellaini we'd have a pretty scary first VI.

De Gea
Rafael Rio* Vidic Evra
Carrick Fellaini
Nani Rooney Kagawa
Welbeck

*Not sure whose going to partner Vidic, but since the Rio-Vidic partnership is arguably the best CB partnership in the world in the last 10 years I'll stick with that.

I can also seen Rooney being pushed up top with Kagawa playing in the hole with Young or Valencia slotting in at a wide position.
 
Manobear said:
City are the team to beat because they won the league last year. We're about equal with City I'd say, not on paper but football isn't played on paper. If we can sign someone like Fellaini we'd have a pretty scary first VI.

De Gea
Rafael Rio* Vidic Evra
Carrick Fellaini
Nani Rooney Kagawa
Welbeck

*Not sure whose going to partner Vidic, but since the Rio-Vidic partnership is arguably the best CB partnership in the world in the last 10 years I'll stick with that.

I can also seen Rooney being pushed up top with Kagawa playing in the hole with Young or Valencia slotting in at a wide position.
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Any team with welbeck and carrick in the starting 11 cannot be called scary. Compare that to city's team any they have a better player in almost every position.
 
I have a sneaky suspicion Torres wont be the lead striker at chelsea this season, he hasnt proved himself in a blue shirt infact he has proved when the chips are down he goes inside himself, chelseas back up strikers are few and of low quality & i just cant see Roman going into a season that light up top. Giving his penchant for spending big, you can bet your bottom dollar they will splash out on someone who will most likely put torres back on the bench. But what a sub to have, if his attitude & physicality are right.
 
David Schofield said:
Citeh's Squad is far superior, only a fool would claim otherwise.
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It’s been a long season for most clubs when it comes to injuries, none more so than Man United who top the Injury League in the final table for the season. When the number of injuries they have sustained this season is compared to those which Man City have picked up, a ratio of over 6 to 1, it makes the fact that they are neck and neck with the blue side of Manchester as we enter the final day of the season even more remarkable.

Arsenal, once again, have had a horrendous season with injuries, coming second in the table for the second year in a row while it is worth noting that four of the top five teams in the league also occupy four of the five top spots in the Premier League as well.

Spurs fared better than they did last season when they topped the table by finishing fourth this year.

Man City have zero players injured for 14 weeks out of the whole season. The closest team to Man City for injury free weeks is Wigan with five. Villa have managed four weeks with no players injured, Liverpool have managed two weeks with no players injured while Blackburn, West Brom, Wolves and Chelsea have all had one.

Every other team has had at least one player injured every week of the season. The most players City have had out at any one time has been four (twice) while Man United’s most has been 13 (once). United have also have 12 players out twice this season. Man United have never had fewer than four players out injured at any time this season.

As usual, one player out for one week equals one injury point. The figures are taken at the same time each week.
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United's squad as a whole is categorically superior to City's.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is a full blown window licker.
 
The fact that people are putting us up around the european spots is good enough for me. Our net spend, our wages and our expectations are MILES lower than the other teams mentioned. We've got a long term plan and as Pardew said, we're a year ahead of schedule. It looks like we're going to keep the core of our squad together and whilst its fair for people to say we don't have as much strength in depth, its important to recognise that we had the 4th worst injury record in the league (although to be fair, Spurs, Arsenal and Man Utd had worse)!

Defence: With a new full back and a fit Steven Taylor (another CB would also be nice) our defence is solid, only the Manchester teams kept more clean sheets than us, and I genuinely wouldn't swap Krul with any other keeper in the League.

Midfield: Tiote and Cabaye are, in my opinion, capable of playing regularly for a CL team, the fact that they were both signed for £8m (£3.5 and £4.5m - that couldn't even buy you half of Jordan Henderson) is staggering. Gutierrez is solid and has a great engine, however, we'll be relying heavily on youth to keep the stars fresh. New boy Bigirimana looks a gem, Abeid and Vuckic look good but not great. Gosling is once again injured and I'm not sure if he'll ever have a full season.

Attack: Top 4 attack IMO. Ba and Cisse are natural goal scorers who have movement and are willing to put in work. Both can play up front on their own, in a 4,4,2 and in our preferred 4,3,3. Ben Arfa is temperamental but can and did rip apart any defence in the league. Even when we were beaten 3:0 by City, Ben Arfa hit the post and put Ba clean through, 3:2 would tell a very different story!

The ACoN is gunna hurt us, but thankfully Senegal and Ivory Coast play each other in the final knockout qualifier so we'll either lose Tiote OR Ba and Cisse but not all 3.
 
David Schofield said:
Ivor,

I'll give you 3 points head start, head to head Citeh v Yernited highest placed finish Premier League 2012-14

£100 Bet
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You are being very mean there Mr Schofield! How many points lead did they blow last season? You could at least give them that much.
 
Manobear said:
City are the team to beat because they won the league last year. We're about equal with City I'd say, not on paper but football isn't played on paper. If we can sign someone like Fellaini we'd have a pretty scary first VI.

De Gea
Rafael Rio* Vidic Evra
Carrick Fellaini
Nani Rooney Kagawa
Welbeck

*Not sure whose going to partner Vidic, but since the Rio-Vidic partnership is arguably the best CB partnership in the world in the last 10 years I'll stick with that.

I can also seen Rooney being pushed up top with Kagawa playing in the hole with Young or Valencia slotting in at a wide position.
Click to expand...

Where's Ashley Young...? <whistle>
 
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