Who goes down?

Can't judge Sunderland on last year though....I think they will be a very different team this season.

 

Yes but that could be worse!

 

Agree with this.

I can see the Kinnear / Pardew thing going pear shaped very soon, and Di Canio is just a loose cannon. If they don't manage these things in a positive way, I can see Newcastle and Sunderland both struggling to stay up.

 

Sad for the fans. They deserve a bit of success.

 

Oh Lamballana, not that old chestnut. No teams fans deserve success anymore than any other teams fans. I get fed up of the myth about NE fans being so great. They don't love their team any more or less than I love mine and they certainly don't deserve success anymore or less than mine.

It's a top cliché

 

You're right of course FLT. My excuse is it's too early!

 

The bottom five will include Hull, Palace, Cardiff, Stoke and Sunderland. I can't see any other teams being involved in a relegation battle even if Newcastle end under finishing 6th from bottom. These teams look set to remain in the bottom five for the whole of the season from about 4 games in and I can't see it changing. The relegation battle will be a bit boring this season even if the likes of Swansea and WBA start to preform poorly. I can't see these two team pulling up any trees either. Villa will mature as a side this season and I think they will be something of a surprise package.

I meantioned this on an earlier thread but it might be worth while adding that I wouldn't be surprised if Arsenal ended up mid-table this season. I think that Saints will actually finish above Arsenal.

 

Was thinking similarly about Arsenal but Wenger may just spend enough to keep them in the top 6. He'll be under huge pressure if they lose tio Fulham this lunchtime though.

 

Based on what I saw inyesterdays games Newcastle could be in real tyrouble. 90 mins at home without any concrete chances.

 

Swansea looked very poor against Spurs they need to get something from West Brom or go into the International break rockbottom!

 

Too early to judge any team...bad performances can give them a kick up the wotsit and good performances can be a flash in the pan.

 

Not sure what gives, re: Arsenal predictions. There is no way they won't finish in the top five. How can the second most consistent team of the last two decades suddenly underperfom to the extent that it will drop almost half a table? The window isn't shut yet either - predictions are just nonsense at this stage of the season imo.

 

That's one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever seen.

 

On another note, I really think we could be an underperfoming team, by our own standards. If Poch can't sort out our issue against stubborn, defensive teams, then we will drop a lot of points in games we should ordinarily win (Cardif, Hull, Stoke), and could result in a lighter points haul than we're expecting.

 

I completely agree. I can see why people think the two Manchester clubs, Spurs and Chelsea would finish above Arsenal but even Liverpool finishing above them would be a surprise and anyone else would be a massive shock.

 

Yep. And Wenger's methods - like them or not - are completely tried and tested. It is a standard formula that he knows inside and out; a method for finishing fourth which allows for their traditional mid-season slump, and a few losses to the teams above them, and a few below them. He will buy just enough new players to remain at that level too, just like last season and the season before. It's a seriously steady ship.

Agree, it could be tighter than ever before, re: Spurs. If it was any team other than Spurs in that position of competing for fourth, Arsenal may have failed to achieve fourth a handful of times over the last five years. But nothing gees a team on like a fierce local rivalry, and that gives Arsenal that extra impetus in going for that position.

 

Another plus for Arsenal is that for the first time in a while they haven't sold their best player this summer. I agree about the rivalry but as things stand (and even bearing in mind there's another week of the window to change things) I think Spurs may finally have too much for them this year.

 

But heartwarming....I have my sights on getting close to Liverpool.

 

I dreamt last night that West Ham, Stoke and Sunderland went down....

The best dream I've ever had... Well almost!

 

Earliest opportunity for 'confident' predictions like this is the close of the transfer window, once we know who has who and who's gone where...

Having said that...

Palace, Stoke, Sunderland for me

Stoke are stoke, not an admirer of the team or the manager, gut feeling is Di canio will indeed become the 'loose cannon' as has been mentioned a number of times, just feel maybe a bit more time at Swindon and/or time in the championship may have been beneficial. As for palace, I don't see the quality, and I don't like/rate holloway. He's to much of a talker, and the comments post sfc v Blackpool the other season still anger me