Next season's title winning tally

[Craig_H]

Heard a few people saying that if we get 86 again next year, it'll be enough but i'm not so sure. If anything, i think it might even be higher.

Next season, the bottom end of the table will be absolutely littered with tosh.

With Birmingham, Wolves, Burnley, Hull, Stoke and Sunderland all down there giving away points like confetti to the top sides, i think it's going to need a big accumulation.

36 points out of that lot should be targetted, with minimum margin of error required. I think whoever wins it, will take the vast majority of those 36 points out of those clubs and consequently, will get more than 90 in total.

Thoughts?

[red g]

Heard a few people saying that if we get 86 again next year, it'll be enough but i'm not so sure. If anything, i think it might even be higher.

Next season, the bottom end of the table will be absolutely littered with tosh.

With Birmingham, Wolves, Burnley, Hull, Stoke and Sunderland all down there giving away points like confetti to the top sides, i think it's going to need a big accumulation.

36 points out of that lot should be targetted, with minimum margin of error required. I think whoever wins it, will take the vast majority of those 36 points out of those clubs and consequently, will get more than 90 in total.

Thoughts?

that points total could be countered with the top 4 league being closer next year, cant see us doing as well and the others doing so badly next year.

Realistically looking at the league dont see much difference next year.....none of spurs, villa, everton or city will mount a serious top 4 challenge and think a lot will depend on the run they are on when we play them

also one club will surprise a big team early on, maybe burnley depending on what there transfer plans are, sunderland have money to.

i wouldnt take 86pts now for next year if i was offered it though

[Red_Polo]

I agree, don't think 90 is an unreasonable estimate.

[Craig_H]

For me, not taking 6 points off Hull and Stoke was calamatous. Even though Stoke ended up finishing where they did, they're still full of dreadfully poor players, and we should be wiping the floor with them.

Next year offers a few more opportunities to claim 6 points easily, and we need to make sure we capitalise as much as possible, because the mancs certainly wont be passing up many of those 36 possible points.

[MrMichael]

For me, not taking 6 points off Hull and Stoke was calamatous. Even though Stoke ended up finishing where they did, they're still full of dreadfully poor players, and we should be wiping the floor with them.

Next year offers a few more opportunities to claim 6 points easily, and we need to make sure we capitalise as much as possible, because the mancs certainly wont be passing up many of those 36 possible points.

All true. In hindsight though every game we dropped points in was pretty damn crucial, we could have gotten away with the Hull and Stoke results (they had some ok ones against our rivals too) if we'd not lost at Spurs (game we dominated) and Boro (utter ****e). We should be wiping the floor with those sides of course, as should our rivals, but there will always be random results in a season, we not only have to beat the weak sides, but the ok ones and the strongest too to win the league.

Its far too early to tell how strong the sides around us might be next year, Chelsea is a circus, Wenger is stubborn beyond belief and Fergie might actually have some work to do this summer. Giggs and Scholes are out of time realistically, and who knows where Tevez and Ronaldo will be playing come August?

With the right purchases this summer I reckon we'll have enough to mount another genuine challenge. That's about all anyone can ask in this league.

[Liverpool]

Last Season I set us a target to get 82 points, this season I reckon we should aim to win 30 league games. The teams Craig name would be 12 wins in itself.

[Craig_H]

All true. In hindsight though every game we dropped points in was pretty damn crucial, we could have gotten away with the Hull and Stoke results (they had some ok ones against our rivals too) if we'd not lost at Spurs (game we dominated) and Boro (utter ****e). We should be wiping the floor with those sides of course, as should our rivals, but there will always be random results in a season, we not only have to beat the weak sides, but the ok ones and the strongest too to win the league.

Its far too early to tell how strong the sides around us might be next year, Chelsea is a circus, Wenger is stubborn beyond belief and Fergie might actually have some work to do this summer. Giggs and Scholes are out of time realistically, and who knows where Tevez and Ronaldo will be playing come August?

With the right purchases this summer I reckon we'll have enough to mount another genuine challenge. That's about all anyone can ask in this league.

There's always the odd few, where you cant legislate for it and have to put it down to 'well that is just football', and our game at Spurs falls into that category. To be fair, the Stoke home game does too, because we did score and it was wrongly disallowed, we battered them and it just wouldnt go in for us. The Hull game at home was a shambles though. I always feel you will get games where it just doesnt go in for you whatever you do, maybe 2 or 3 times a season. Either dodgy decisions, inexplicable goalkeeping performances, or sheer bad luck, can cost you. But when you score twice, especially at home to bloody Hull, you have to win the game. We're strong defensively and to let a terrible side like them score twice at Anfield, was shocking really.

The main problem though, was that it didnt happen just the odd couple or three times, it happened 6 times at Anfield alone (not counting the Arsenal result, because frankly, Arsenal arent a side you can just expect to beat easily at any time) and that goes beyond the odd 'oh thats just football' type of frustration. We have to address it next season and if we do, 30 odd points from that collection of turd will come in very handy.

Last Season I set us a target to get 82 points, this season I reckon we should aim to win 30 league games. The teams Craig name would be 12 wins in itself.

That's precisely the point mate. There's 12 'gimmes' there and i fully expect the mancs and Chelsea to nail most of those games, so the bar will be raised and slip ups to tosh sides will be even more costly than this season IMO.

To be pedantic, we should aim to win 38 games

[Liverpool]

That's precisely the point mate. There's 12 'gimmes' there and i fully expect the mancs and Chelsea to nail most of those games, so the bar will be raised and slip ups to tosh sides will be even more costly than this season IMO.

To be pedantic, we should aim to win 38 games

My targets are realistic and are quite accuate.

My signature "14" was been a count of game we need to win to become champions from the start of the season although I stopped after Stoke because I thought we lost it, and we have won 12 games since then. So two more wins would have made us champs.

I shall be having 30 as my sig soon.

[Joe King]

Realistically, 90 is a good target for us. We had 11 draws, twice to Arsenal, the rest to 'lesser' sides. Thats eighteen points dropped, without the defeats of course. Not to say we should have accumulated 104 points at the end of this season, but we have the ability, with the perfect signings to go above and beyond 90 points. The three promoted teams aren't of the best of qualities, heck I'm still scratching my head as to how Hull survived.

Anfield must become a fortress for us to win the title. Simply put, United won the title at Old Trafford whilst we lost it at Anfield.

[DannyMan2006]

Should always aim high and see where it takes you.

I see the teams mentioned as poor, but it doesn't always go that way. Remember Hulls start, and some good seasons had by Forest, Sunderland, Ipswich and more recently Reading when they came up in their first season.

And I guess after last season Fulham would have been classed as one of the gimmes, yet they ended up seventh and were certainly no push overs.

Reports of Sunderland having big money so no guarantee they'll be rubbish. And you never know how much money Wolves and Birmingham are gonna splurge.

I say all that, but their are only four teams in the premiership where we can turn around and say anything less than a win is acceptable. Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd and Everton. The other big three for their ability to be top class on their day and Everton due to the unpredictable nature of Derbys.

All the other games should be looked at as a win.

[Guest]

We'll need 114 points next season and even this we're not sure of winning it if our goal difference isn't up to it.

[Assassin]

We'll need 114 points next season and even this we're not sure of winning it if our goal difference isn't up to it.

If you have won all of the games as you have indicated goal difference doesnt come into the equation

[Guest]

If you have won all of the games as you have indicated goal difference doesnt come into the equation

I was just making out how pointless Craig's assumptions were.

[magicalbarnes]

I genuinley think that 86 points next season would win it.

Manu U went on a freakish run when they returned from Japan winning 18 out of 20 games (including 11 straight wins). I honestly can't see them doing that again this year as they had so much lucky breaks and late 1-0's. Not that im taking anything away from them, they fully deserved the title.

People are pointing to our home draws but if you look at the overall picture 86 is an excellent total.

Although i think that 86 will win it, 90 will gaurantee it! If we can continue our post-february form, i can't see anyone stopping us.

[Pablo]

I was just making out how pointless Craig's assumptions were.

But you negated your own point by failing to realise that if we beat every team in the leauge then maximum points could not be equalled by anyone else