Match of the Day 3: Liverpool or Southampton for the title? MOTD3 pundits Martin Keown and Alan Shearer debate whether there could be surprise winners of this year's Premier League title. The unpredictable nature of the season continued this weekend with title contenders Manchester City losing 1-0 to Sunderland, while Chelsea could only salvage a point from their 2-2 draw with West Brom. Third-placed Southampton have taken advantage of the teams around them dropping points and Shearer says that there is a new "respect" for Saints, with Keown adding that they could have a "huge say" in deciding who will eventually become champions. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24893777
Neither will win the league. I don't think either will even get top four. I like Southampton, i love the way they play their football, but they will not get European football at all as they will inevitably drop away at some point.
City and Chelsea can buy their way out of any trouble, game it is now days sadly, and utd must still have money to spend with the silly money (rumours or fact?) they was trying to get players for, Also Arsenal have brought a quality player. if we are still in the hunt come Jan and can sign a few worldies, maybe we could be up there, but be a tall ask esp with Spurs yet to click as well.
May be being diplomatic..could agree with him that neither is going to win the league.He may have to swallow his words about top four finish at the end of the season.
Southampton don't have that kind of cake, but let's remember they have been dropping 10+ the past two years on players so it is no surprise their overall quality has risen. Ramirez, Osvaldo, Wanyama, Lovren were all a decent amount spent. What I like about Southampton and they have done it for years is bringing players through the academy to the top. Glad we do that now as well.
Southampton will have a good season, they might be in danger of qualifying for the Europa league next season which is like the kiss of death for a club with a small squad like them.
agree Rub, probably best for them they just miss out this time round, as it may give their owners more incentive to strengthen the squad and go for it the following season, knowing they are close and will cope better probably, maybe.
Hopefully we will miss out on it too, looking at Spurs this season it shows how the Europa can affect a club that even has a big squad.
Europa is damaging it seems but Can someone please explain to me the difference from playing Thurs and Sun to Tues/Wed to Sat?
Disagree here. We should always want to be playing in Europe, CL preferably of course but Europa too. Chance to put your name out there, chance for fringe players to get playing time ( Sterling, Ibe, Kelly, Illori, Moses, Aspas when back, Allen, etc).
this it used to be funny seeing clubs relegated to it and then failing, but Chelsea ****ed that theory up, just wrong being ****e in one comp so get the chance to win another.
Agree Zingy And Bluff I didnt mean I wouldnt want it, I agree with what you said. I meant it seems damaging to teams in it for having to play the Thurs and then Sun, makes no sense? But yes, id prefer cl obv but if we're in Europa I want us to win it!
I get your point but if you are aiming to be playing in Europe, it is the clubs job to build squad depth to handle that. I will say it feels like the Europa league games are always much further away and CL. Probably due to amount of smaller nations?