But clearly have a bigger/better squad. Equally, I think Arsenal have a better first eleven than us but a weaker overall squad. IMO, Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea are all better than us in both departments.
That's fine, you're entitled to your wrong opinions I hate predicting big things for us because we've had so many false corner turnings in recent years - but I see our squad as being fairly strong right now, and settled more importantly, whereas I see problems with the other big teams (as you call them) be it new players, weak areas or new managers. An deluded me would happily say that fourth is very attainable for us - we don't have the quality to win it. A more realistic me says that we'll be very close to fourth but get Europa in the dying weeks.
^Agree...For the first in I don't know how long, we have a 'team' every player looks like he loves his team mates which is the most important thing. Don't want to get too carried away as I don't think we'll know how solid we are until we lose. We've lost games before and certain players have played the blame game...That is the rot that spreads!
FFS... I agree with that I never said we haven't get a decent team or squad, I just don't think we have suddenly made a eleven (Spurs), twelve (Arsenal) or fourteen (Chelsea) point leap forward. Slight side step; at the start of the season, we were going at odds of around 33-1 for the title which was equal to Arsenal and better than Tottenham (I think they were 40-1???). At the time, I said was insane. The odds were far too short and I'd expected us to be at least 40-1, maybe even 50-1. I heard earlier today that we are now around 10-1
G, I think you're looking at this the wrong way. The points gap is not a true indicator of our sides relative value for 2 reasons. Firstly the major portion of that gap was conceded in the 1st half of last season when we had only 1 striker. Secondly, the squads and managers are not the same as last season. From what we have seen in the first 4 games there is no side playing such outstanding football that our squad cannot compete with them. At this point in the season we are certainly one of the strongest teams in the division. At the end of the transfer window we certainly took the opportunity to strengthen our defensive capabilities. We are only a couple of games away from being able to re-introduce our leading goal-scorer from last season. But I'm not saying we have a better squad than our opponents. I am saying that we have a stronger squad than we had last season with which to beat them. Sorry, can't go along with your analysis even if it does contain large elements of double-think.
Based on same fixtures last season we've already made up 5 of the 12 point gap. Yeah its pretty meaningless. I checked skybet earlier and we were 8 to 1 for the title lol.
The present odds for the title is also pretty meaningless at the moment. The smart money is yet to be placed on that issue. Only the committed and the true risk takers are in that market at present.
swansea will finish bottom half this year. by any stretch if you want to be a top side you go hammer the bottom half every time. LFc need to win. I not only hope i EXPECT they will. any lack of effort, sloppyness and such are my real bug bears... if we perform and swansea win then fair Fs to them. we need to win.
I've already pointed out that the clubs are very different to last season and that we can't claim to be equal or better after a ten game run when seven of those games wee indeed last season. Also, you say the gap was conceded in the first half of the season, wasn't that when we played most of the bigger games too meaning the second half was technically easier? IMO, it is what it is. We finished seventh last season and you can only judge after each team has played thirty-eight games. We need to use this season to show we have improved and become better. Do I think we can do it? Sure. Do I think we will? Not so much. We will be a lot closer but I think we'll come up a little short. Odds are meaningless, just couldn't quite believe how short our odds were considering. Guess we still have plenty of punters blindly backing us
City are in transition, Pelligrini will get it right there & they'll be at or near to the top come May Better defence than Arsenal? Behave, Arsenal had the 2nd best defensive record in the league last season, you can't proclaim to be better than them in that dept.
Yes we can't claim to have been better than them last season So far this season they have conceded 5 league goals to our 0 though...
lol, well done for spectacularly missing the point. 3 or 4 games, compared to a full season i.e. 38.......it's far too early to be making definitive statements on where your backline is, in comparison to Arsenals.
Arsenal didn't have to as they were the 2nd best back line in the division, let's see how your new boys do on the pitch before passing judgement eh?
So the actual number of goals conceded by the actual players is irrelevant, better to make projections based on what other players did a year ago. Cool
G, I wasn't saying that we wre better than any team (apart from Everton that is!). What I did say was "in the first 4 games there is no side playing such outstanding football that our squad cannot compete with them." and "we are certainly one of the strongest teams in the division." Therefore, I conclude that looking at last seasons points tally does not give a true reflection of the capability of our squad. At this very moment there is not one side in the division who we could not beat. The great unknown is, will we be able to demonstrate a level of consistency?
. Well, as has been stated, the performance of the Arsenal defence this time out is already 6 goals behind us
