Which squad will deliver the title?

[CFC_RFC_TID!]

Yeah, well I'm allowed to dismiss Arsenal just as much as you are to dismiss ourselves. The whole 'waiting to kick a ball' first doesn't just apply to me.

Not saying you CAN'T have your opinion, just don't tell me I can't have mine for a reason you don't adhere to yourself. No need to be so confrontational.

Arsenal will do an Arsenal.They will be in it around new year, maybe even top then as usual they'll tail off and become nearly irrelevant in the race by march. Like clockwork.

At no stage did I ever dismiss your opinion, nor did I say anywhere that you CANT have yours. Not sure how you construed it in such a manner but for what it's worth, I apologise for hurting your feelings stim, it was not the intention.

You have your opinion, and I have mine. No confrontation in sight.

If costa stays fit and suspension free and has the stamina of a doped lance Armstrong then yes we have a chance

I don't see it working out that way I'm afraid.

 

[dkw]

So youre dismissing us due to only having one top striker, but then backing Arsenal who only have Giroud? Arsenal will continue to miss out on the top prizes simply because of the lack of fight and confidence when it comes to the sharp end of the season, completely down to Wenger.

I would have City slight favourites ahead of us, but if Fabregas and Costa can click then we will edge it.

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Chelsea

City

Arsenal

United

I truly believe we will in the title this year, just have a guy feeling. I'm not too concerned about a the forwards as I was because I truly believe of we have to we'll dip in the market in January,

 

[ForeverCarefree]

I'm feeling confident about us, Costa and Fabregas make us look like a whole new team.

Matic is looking the business too and so our midfield problems are hopefully gone.

I also think Schurrle could have a big season so our attack is looking pretty good and I don't think we are going to struggle with breaking down sides like last season.

Us top then City, Arsenal third with United fourth. Liverpool to struggle with the demands of Europe and the league and not being able replace Suarez, they're the only team to have sold a top player rather than add one.

 

[CFC_RFC_TID!]

I'm feeling confident about us, Costa and Fabregas make us look like a whole new team.

Matic is looking the business too and so our midfield problems are hopefully gone.

I also think Schurrle could have a big season so our attack is looking pretty good and I don't think we are going to struggle with breaking down sides like last season.

Us top then City, Arsenal third with United fourth. Liverpool to struggle with the demands of Europe and the league and not being able replace Suarez, they're the only team to have sold a top player rather than add one.

Fully agree with liverpool to struggle. Their sh*t defence last year masked by the prolific rat boy and Sturridge, the former having not yet been adequately replaced

Hope they get thumped

 

[CFC_RFC_TID!]

So youre dismissing us due to only having one top striker, but then backing Arsenal who only have Giroud? Arsenal will continue to miss out on the top prizes simply because of the lack of fight and confidence when it comes to the sharp end of the season, completely down to Wenger.

I would have City slight favourites ahead of us, but if Fabregas and Costa can click then we will edge it.

Like I said before, they will surprise a few people and writing them off is dangerous. Sanchez can play up top and is ridiculously lethal in front of goal. I can see them coming steaming out the blocks and putting up a f**king good fight this year.

I hate them as much as the next, doesn't mean I will dismiss them out of hand based on previous years. If anything they've improved and if they can avoid demoralising hammerings at the hands of other top four teams this season then they're in with a shout

I say this assuming they will not be f**king stupid enough to go into a season without a destroyer at cm and a new, quality cb. Plug those gaps and all of a sudden they look like a match for anyone.

 

[dkw]

But theres every likelihood they wont plug those gaps, they have had them for several years and haven't even tried to. If your dismissing Chelsea because we only have Costa but including Sanchez in their strike force then surely you have to include Schurle in ours? As per every year they have a great attack, no backbone in midfield and light in defence. All they have done this season is add another player similar to several they already have.

 

[JM7]

The top 4 was poor last year. City were the best of a bad bunch. However they don't have a winning mentality. Arsenal have oroven time and time again that they don't either.

We will win, I am very confident.

 

[RFC_CFC]

Don't know how you can say City don't have a winning mentality when they have won the title twice in 3 years...

 

[CFC_RFC_TID!]

But theres every likelihood they wont plug those gaps, they have had them for several years and haven't even tried to. If your dismissing Chelsea because we only have Costa but including Suarez in their strike force then surely you have to include Schurle in ours? As per every year they have a great attack, no backbone in midfield and light in defence. All they have done this season is add another player similar to several they already have.

They will buy a cb. Agger or howedes who was the only German player to play every minute of the World Cup for Germany - both being heavily linked. If he plays flamini at cm and recognises him as their only realistically solid cm who can break up play then yes, I think they're in good shape.

I've seen nothing pre season to suggest we are any more clinical in the final third. Go through the comments on the friendlies thread, everyone has something to say about how pedestrian we look, and with our main attacking creativity in the no. 10 coming from an utterly frazzled oscar or zero end product Willian, then I see more of the same this season.

Is it so hard to accept that I have a different opinion than you? I've put forward my reasons and happy to draw a line under it and see how it goes. I think that come January / February, we will be feeling the pressure in terms of creating goals. And I think that will be the point at which we come off the rails and hand the initiative to the other teams.

It's an opinion. It might be wrong. It might be right.

 

[dkw]

I`m just giving my opinion in the discussion.

 

[Sloth]

I think Arsenal will have a chance this year, they surely never lack creativity, especially against the lower sides, something we really lacked last season. You can blame the striker thing all you want but at times we couldn't even get the ball to eto'o when teams decided to park the bus.

But now I think we are better and that we have developed our system like Arsenal have developed theres for years but it's took them a long time to actually do something.

The system we are enforcing is a lot of work rate, we don't stop working, I think Mourinho is expecting that players will get that used to the system that even when they are tired the attacking instincts will come to them whilst they go forward. It can work with a lot of practice and this is our 2nd season so don't think because we got one creative player that will not solve everything, players get better by each season. I expect to see a much better performance from Oscar, a better performance from Willian, Schurrle, I'm not so sure about Salah but don't write him off. But the most interesting for me is definitely the centre mid pairing, I already believe in Costa now, but that CM pairing is going to be interesting so we shall see how that goes.

We will definitely contend with anyone out there and we wont give anyone an easy ride, that's the difference between us and Arsenal, we WILL do that, Arsenal might. So tell that to the next gooner fan that's up his arse this season.

 

[Sindre]

United is going to be nowhere near the title unless they buy at least one world class CB and a midfielder in the same league. Great offense they might have but they are going to struggle for 4th as things stand now in my view.

They have three mediocre CBs all of which are injury-prone to fill three positions and their only backup is a 19 year old reserve team player. No proper wingbacks and the only one that might actually have to potential to do well there is Rafael and he also spends more time in treatment then on the pitch. Not to mention their midfield. Their offensive line is going to drag them through quite a few matches, but they are going to get very found out away from home and against teams that properly knows how to park a bus and counter.

City and Arsenal will be our biggest threats. Think we and City have the best team on paper in the league so its going to be tight but not many teams beats a second-season Mourinho side so i'm confident we are going to edge it.

 

[CFC_RFC_TID!]

And all I`m doing is giving you my opinion, or am I not allowed to? Christ all I`m doing is discussing with you why I feel you might be wrong about arsenal, and why I think your wrong to dismiss our squad as only having one striker etc.

Ah f**k it..

fair dos mate. Felt like I was beating a dead horse after talking through my logic with stim.

Valid points all duly noted. Listen I hope im wrong. Im not sat there wanting us to lose.. I just think we have been short sighted in the market and closed ourselves off prematurely when we could have built on our signings with one or two more quality squad additions

sorry for being a dick. Valid points.

 

[dkw]

No worries, I ve changed my post. with Arsenal we hear this every year about their chances, and I honestly think their biggest problem is the manager, he just seems unable to keep them in competitions  once the pressure ramps up, and I think its down to his attitude.

 

[Jonty]

Unless Costa picks up a serious injury I think we'll win, City will push us close and if Costa is out for months at a time should pip us, unless Aguero is also out for most of the season again and then I fancy us to still get it.

Arse, Liverpool and United won't be in it, it's good that we get to laugh at 1 of them for missing out on CL football again though.

 

[CFC_RFC_TID!]

No worries, I ve changed my post. with Arsenal we hear this every year about their chances, and I honestly think their biggest problem is the manager, he just seems unable to keep them in competitions once the pressure ramps up, and I think its down to his attitude.

Agreed he is the weakest link and after his 9 years of unsuccessful "building" he still doesn't seem to know his best team, or understand what his players best positions are

Wait for it. We will sign Remy then break the bank on deadline day for cavani and yours truly will look a right nob.

Fingers crossed

 

[youlots]

I can't recall there being a season where all the usual suspects have such strong claims for the premiership. And I feel it is wishful thinking by some in this thread to discard the possibility that any of the 5 teams have a genuine chance. Of course, and as ever, it's hard not to agree with the bookies assessment of the odds at this stage which have us slightly ahead of City as favourites but to discard Arsenal from the mix at this stage (based largely on their usual dip in the latter stages) is I feel a mistake. At some point one would think, whether it be this year or the next, they'll be able to arrest that. On paper they look vulnerable of course in central midfield and in defence. Likewise, I feel that it is a tad too easy for some to discard Liverpool on the basis that they overachieved last year and that they've lost Suarez and or that they don't have the squad depth to mount a serious challenge when now in the ECL etc. Now perhaps some or all of those factors may be borne out but don't forget that they won more games last year without Suarez than with him on the park and that Rogers has really galvanized them. I feel that they'll be more than competitive again. The dark horse for me is United. With such an open field surely it's going to come down to injuries to key personnel and sheer amount of games because of Europe etc and the intrigues & defences of the lesser teams in thwarting the top teams from taking all the points - the latter was quite marked as a trend last year & the reason why City ended up prevailing. With such an open race I very much doubt that the winner will accrue 90 or more points. 

 

[mactheknife]

I think City's time has passed. Yaya is sulky and I don't know what desire he has left, Aguero will probably miss nearly half the league games. Kompany will always make mistakes and they are toying with their number 1 (unlike us, their two choices are only good not great).

I honestly don't think City have it in them to do back to backs, which is extremely difficult.

I think the league is out of us and Liverpool (honestly). I've been writing them off, but I think Rodgers may have learnt a lot from our infamous game last year and will continue to learn from managing in Europe. If you see his progression as a manager compared to his first year at Liverpool, it is very impressive.

Also they may go into some games with a better balance with just Sturridge and no Suarez. I still think they will concede a lot, but they will hit the 80-85 point mark.

I'm going for this:

Chelsea

Liverpool

City

Man United

 

[enigma]

City will win it. Theyre stacked all over the field. Maybe a bit suspect gk but stil good enough to win it