Fantastic Balance

[EwarWoo]

It's consistency that determines who's the best.

Depends if you're asking who's the best team or who's the best squad. Former us, latter them.

If it was down to one-off matches, Boro could make a claim that they're better than us - but one look at the table tells you what a farcical claim that would be.

That was a freak result, we've fairly consistently beaten the top teams. There's no comparison. Nice try on the strawman but.

[DannyMan2006]

Well if we were to play Man Utd now I would say 80% would predict a draw or victory in Liverpools favour.

If the question is who has been the best team this season, well the league table never lies. If the question is who is the best team now I reckon I could make a decent case for LFC.

For instance, I reckon Spurs are a better team than Fulham. But the start of Spurs means that Fulham will likely finish above them.

Still. It's impossible to look away from the Mancs. The strength and depth of their squad is second to none. It's up to us to close the gap in the summer, because we didn't last summer.

[DannyMan2006]

I'm not sure if our first choice is better than their's. If both are at their best, i think their's is better, to be honest. For example, Ronaldo has had a mixed season, and scored 25 goals. Kuyt's had his best, and scored 15.

This is Ronaldod second best ever season, so it's hardly been a mixed season for him. We have yet to see if this season Ronaldo has been out of sorts and last season is his level, or if this season he is playing at his usual level and last season was a one off.

For me, last year Ronaldo had the perfect season, and I don't think we're ever gonna see him perform any better. In fact, I doubt we'll ever see him hit such a concistant level ever again.

[Craig_H]

Depends if you're asking who's the best team or who's the best squad. Former us, latter them.


That was a freak result, we've fairly consistently beaten the top teams. There's no comparison. Nice try on the strawman but.

So are you disputing the argument that any PL team can beat any other PL team 'on their day' ?

As for best team or best squad - that's pretty irrelevant in the context of consistency = best.

Whether you have a better team, better squad or whatever, the fact is that being the most consistent (eg consistently winning the most games/points) equates to being the best.

[rudedog]

The best teams don't always win a game of football - luck has a massive part to play. Anyone who watches football knows this.

People often say that these things even themselves out of the course of a season but any statician would laugh in your face if you tried to tell him that a mere 38 times was a sufficient sample size to rule out any inconsistances caused by chance.

Therefore, when a league title is decided by only a few points, I would say that its not beyond the realms of possibility that the best team didn't actually win the league.

[DannyMan2006]

The best teams don't always win a game of football - luck has a massive part to play. Anyone who watches football knows this.

People often say that these things even themselves out of the course of a season but any statician would laugh in your face if you tried to tell him that a mere 38 times was a sufficient sample size to rule out any inconsistances caused by chance.

Therefore, when a league title is decided by only a few points, I would say that its not beyond the realms of possibility that the best team didn't actually win the league.

Of course. But I'm sure anyone in football will tell you that if you add a League Cup, a Club World Championship, an FA Cup semi final and a Champions League final it probably would point to them being the best team this year..................

Over the season there is no doubt in my mind who has been the best team this season. Man Utd. If you compare our first XI, our second XI, our utility players and then our players on the fringes, they come out way on top overall. And that squad is what enabled them to have the season they have had.

That said, the weaknesses in our squad our easier to identify than theirs, and as such should be easier to fix in the summer. That despite us losing only five games this season.

[Red_Polo]

The best teams don't always win a game of football - luck has a massive part to play. Anyone who watches football knows this.

People often say that these things even themselves out of the course of a season but any statician would laugh in your face if you tried to tell him that a mere 38 times was a sufficient sample size to rule out any inconsistances caused by chance.

Therefore, when a league title is decided by only a few points, I would say that its not beyond the realms of possibility that the best team didn't actually win the league.

Spot on, regardless of any number of hackneyed footballing expressions

[Craig_H]

I personally find it staggering to suggest that we're better than them, despite all the evidence to the contrary. As Danny says, they've won or got to the latter stages of every competition they've entered. I cant put that down to luck or coincidence.

If people think we're better than them, despite all this, that's upto them.

And i'd be interested to hear these people's points in arguing that Chelsea (for example) arent better than us. I imagine most of the points they'd use could probably be used by mancs, if we suggest that we're better than them.

[DannyMan2006]

I personally find it staggering to suggest that we're better than them, despite all the evidence to the contrary. As Danny says, they've won or got to the latter stages of every competition they've entered. I cant put that down to luck or coincidence.

If people think we're better than them, despite all this, that's upto them.

And i'd be interested to hear these people's points in arguing that Chelsea (for example) arent better than us. I imagine most of the points they'd use could probably be used by mancs, if we suggest that we're better than them.

It all depends on what we're going on Craig. If we are going by the squad then they are clearly better. First XI and it's difficult to say. We've beat them twice this year and in both games we were clearly the better team. IMO you can write off the league now as the top is settled. The difference in my eyes has been four points this season.

As a poster points out, luck does not always even itself out and we came very close to winning the title. It's fine margins at the top. A win over Arsenal would have made the Mancs panic a bit more and could have tipped the scales in our favour. You yourself harked on long enough about the Carrick penalty v Spurs. Had we won the league and had the luck in the CL against Chelsea we could be going on about a double for LFC.

So going on it all I don't think there is a massive difference between the squads. But when the dust settles we will all see we have won nothing whilst they have virtually cleaned up.

I'd have to see who both teams signed before deciding on next seasons favourites for the league, as well as Chelsea I guess.

But I'd see us as favourites if we were playing each other in Rome on Wednesday.

[Mattshark]

I personally find it staggering to suggest that we're better than them, despite all the evidence to the contrary. As Danny says, they've won or got to the latter stages of every competition they've entered. I cant put that down to luck or coincidence.

If people think we're better than them, despite all this, that's upto them.

And i'd be interested to hear these people's points in arguing that Chelsea (for example) arent better than us. I imagine most of the points they'd use could probably be used by mancs, if we suggest that we're better than them.

We're better cos we are not them.
They are scum.

[LiousRed]

Well if we were to play Man Utd now I would say 80% would predict a draw or victory in Liverpools favour.

Depends on who is being asked

I am not sure we would get anywhere near 80% in some places

[Jas]

We're better cos we are not them.
They are scum.

Well said that man

[Craig_H]

So aside from emotion and supporter bias, the other tangible evidence probably suggests they're slightly better.

[Rich]

So aside from emotion and supporter bias, the other tangible evidence probably suggests they're slightly better.

The amount of supporter bias in this thread is most amusing.

[Mattshark]

So aside from emotion and supporter bias, the other tangible evidence probably suggests they're slightly better.

Well we did beat them twice.