Interesting OP. You know I'm one of the 'senior' posters on here, so as with Saint, dave, jonesey and a few others, I've personally witnessed us in our pomp, winning the league like shelling peas. However, I've since 'enjoyed' 24 years of pisstaking from the ****ers down the road. (I had it coming ). This makes me very protective. Quite a lot of mancs in my local have said to me they think we will win it this season. This immediately makes me raise my defences. My response is "No chance" every time. It will continue in exactly the same vein until it's mathematically impossible for us NOT to win the ****ing thing. Some of them are genuinely worried, though............
Spurs had this debate a year or so ago? They were second/third and well in to the second half of the season. Their conclusion was that they had to get top 4 and weren't concerned about the title. They slid to 5th.
Joking aside, the media will always suggest that those with a track record of recent title wins are the ones most likely, even if the table doesn't quite suggest that. So they've been backing City over the leaders Arsenal for weeks before their victory over them last Saturday. Chelsea are considered strong contenders, when in reality their football has been worse than both of our clubs this season & they've had a few fortuitous results. There's always the assumption that the unexpected won't happen. But why can't it? Why can't a side that hasn't won it for donkeys come up on the rails this season? As it's the most open in living memory. Why can't Arsenal, Liverpool or Everton take the crown come May? At the end of the Christmas period the picture will be slightly clearer, but if both of our clubs do the business over the holiday period, then we're right in the mix, as half the season will have passed..........
I think the longer we stay out of the media limelight the better, they're all rimming City atm and Chelsea are the second favourites. I think we play better when there is less expectation
I don't think for 1 minute it will happen mate, just saying that there's no rule that says it can't - but you'd think so given the media's fawning of the 'usual suspects'.
Agree with Tobes on this, there is like this unwritten rule that Chelsea and City will just power on from January and win 90% of their games..... Why's that then?
where is the media based? mainly London and Manchester, so as utd are ****e and Arsenal do the usual fall apart thing each year, they go for the next best. be funny as **** if we won the league with Everton 2nd, maybe Southampton and Newcastle made up the top 4, ****ing media wouldn't know what to do with themselves lol.
Personally I would say the Champions League restarting is a good point in time to look at. Middle to end of Feb when there will be 11/12 league games left. Only if we were within a few points then will I take seriously a challenge from us. I have my doubts (as we probably all do) that we'll still be up there by then but.....when you consider that in the second half of the season Everton, Arsenal, City, Spurs and Chelsea will all have to come to Anfield then you never know
I agree that we do SR but at some point we have to learn to play with the weight of expectation without crumbling or we'll never win anything. As a club we need players who can deal with the loftiest of expectations.
I think that's the key tbh. It's all about managing the expectation outside the dressing room, but maintaining the real belief that it's achievable within it.
They have massive squads? Just look at City's strike force possibilities: Negredo, Aguero, Joevetic, Dzeko, Silva, Nasri, Navas, Fernandinho
This could well be our undoing DF but again this season there isn't the looming presence of Fungie around at least. Granted Maureen is **** hot with the old mind games and undoubtedly could build the chav players back up to believing they are better than they are again but as of right now there are only two managers in the league who have won it before and Maureen won it 7 years ago, Wenger 9 years ago. There isn't that one team anymore that looks invincible which means all the rest of us have a chance at least
They've had them from the start of the season too and they're still behind us. Considering we have been without Suarez for the opening 5 league games and Sturridge, Enrique, Aspas have been out, johnson and coutinho for spells as well we've done a fantastic job. If we can get everyone fit for the new year and add to it.... But the main point was - you can have a great big squad of stars on paper but it doesn't mean you will just win most of your games suddenly....Look at the mancs last year.
We'd all managed the expectation perfectly well until Sunday mate In fairness the way City are playing at home they might manage our expectations for us on Boxing Day....or we could just not turn up against Cardiff at the weekend....who knows eh but I do know I'm enjoying us being up there for now and the fact that the league is genuinely so open at the moment.
