Drunk tramp writes off Liverpool's Premier League title chances

[Craig_H]

Are you simply saying it's harder to improve after a really good season than a not so good one? Or are you saying it would be easier to finish first if we had finished lower than second last season?

The first is undoubtedly true but the second is the crucial issue and that's clearly false.

I'm saying that last season being our best for 20 years, show how hard it is to achieve the level that we did.

To do it two seasons in a row, when we hadnt previously done it in 20, is a huge ask.

I'm sure you're fully in tune with what i'm saying and are just being awkward for the sake of it.

[Craig_H]

I'd suggest the obvious flaw is the assumption that United are clear favourites. I'd suggest given transfer activity in the summer and form at the tail end of last season it was until we lost Alonso difficult to separate the three teams - if anything I would have made Chelsea favourites.

For me how I feel about our chances relative to the others is dependent on who we bring in. I think we probably need two players (CM and an attacking option) for me to feel better and 3 (extra defensive cover) for me to be confident of our chances. At the minute I fear that we may have a traditional season that might stand us in good stead long term with young players stepping up and new players bedding in but without Alonso or a yet credible player to take his role I don't think we are likely to build on the progress we made last season.

I think he was talking from United's point of view, obviously. And as champions, it's not unusual that they're used as the benchmark.

Definitively speaking, they ARE favourites. Whether i agree with that or not, i couldnt say. Personally, if i was running a book, i wouldnt separate them and Chelsea at this stage. Ancelotti's impact at Chelsea will be the crucial factor IMO. If he nails it, they'll win the title. If he doesnt, it's a wide-open 3 horse race. United's title winning experience, added to the sale of Alonso, puts them just ahead of us IMO.

[Craig_H]

If we manage to keep Gerrard and Torres fit all season then we'll beat that points total. Big if though.

Anyway, we're not finished in the transfer market yet, so its far too early for him to be making such bold predictions.

Utd are a great team, but they have lost 2 massive players. They will be weakened. Chelsea will be strong again Im sure, but there is always an element of risk whenever a new manager takes over - especially at a club with as much expectation and so little patience as Chelsea. Just look at Scholari.

I'm predicting as of today. If we make big moves in the market, obviously that will impact on the chances of success but we dont know what will happen, so i can only predict in the here and now.

[barnes10]

I'm saying that last season being our best for 20 years, show how hard it is to achieve the level that we did.

To do it two seasons in a row, when we hadnt previously done it in 20, is a huge ask.

I'm sure you're fully in tune with what i'm saying and are just being awkward for the sake of it.

we saw two things last season. a change in playing style - 'off the leash/going for jugular more' and also a real lift in confidence of every player towards the end of the season based on some of the results we got and how high we finished. that will hopefully carry through from now on so I expect us to maintain this imporved form not to fall away.

alonso is a loss to the squad as a master passer definitely but if i remember rightly, he missed some big wins and impressive performances and was present more often than not in the disappointing draws. I think we can cope without him.

[Craig_H]

we saw two things last season. a change in playing style - 'off the leash/going for jugular more' and also a real lift in confidence of every player towards the end of the season based on some of the results we got and how high we finished. that will hopefully carry through from now on so I expect us to maintain this imporved form not to fall away.

alonso is a loss to the squad as a master passer definitely but if i remember rightly, he missed some big wins and impressive performances and was present more often than not in the disappointing draws. I think we can cope without him.

The change in playing style only really happened in the last 10 games, where we more or less had to win every game, to stand any chance of catching the mancs.

Did we only go for it because we had no other choice, or will that become the norm? Only time will tell.

[dww]

Buy one world class centre forward and move Gerrard back in CM. That's the best option. CM is a key position and we can't afford to go for potential if we are to win the league this season IMO.

I genuinely believe that this would be the worst possible choice. Gerrard is a great player and could potentially be a great CM but what he isn't is someone who controls the flow of the game and is willing to slow the pace when needed. Moving him back into CM to my mind means we have to completely change the whole organisation of our team or try and convert him to the CM position in a way that has failed to work for us in the past. To my mind we lose far too much doing this and in effect undo all the improvements we gained last year - effectively starting from square one.

I think we can do with a makeshift and low cost signing for CB, that won't bite too much in our budget. Even if we don't buy central defensive cover, we've still got San Jose to cover and even if he's a bit raw, he'll learn. I'd be more confident of recovering from goals conceded if we've got the adequate ammunition upfront to kill off teams.

The problem is we can't afford to have people learning in too many areas of the pitch - we already have Insua, Agger, Skrtel, Lucas and whoever comes in who will be adapting/learning. I agree that the defensive cover is not necessarily and expensive thing but it is an important thing.

[RedReet]

I'm predicting as of today. If we make big moves in the market, obviously that will impact on the chances of success but we dont know what will happen, so i can only predict in the here and now.

One thing that won’t change though is that we still have quite a generous fixture list this year. I can’t remember all the pro’s and con’s, but it was certainly quite favourable.

We may also be getting a tough game against Spurs out of the way this year when they have no defence, whereas last year we got them at the worst time (albeit we still played them off the park).

I’m still confident we’ll do it.

[Craig_H]

July 9th 2009:

FERGUSON DISMISSES CITY CHALLENGE

By Simon Stone, Press Association Chief Football Writer, Kuala Lumpur

Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed Manchester City as a major threat to Manchester United's Premier League title.

Ferguson has watched agog like the rest of a startled football world this summer as City have splashed out millions in the pursuit of glory.

Emmanuel Adebayor is the latest £25million addition to a cast list that also includes Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz and former United favourite Carlos Tevez, with the prospect of more to come.

As someone who has become accustomed to City's famous inconsistencies during his 23 years at the Old Trafford helm, it must feel strange to know a challenge to United's dominance may come from much nearer home than usual this term.

Yet, relaxed and healthy at the start of another punishing season, Ferguson let his thoughts wander from United's current base in Kuala Lumpur to the city they share with a team now in a very big hurry.

"Given all that has happened in the transfer market this summer, it is a different type of challenge we are facing," he reflected.

"We are being challenged for the back pages.

"Manchester City are getting all the back page stories and they will hold that position for the rest of the season because there is a lot of interest in what they have done and a lot of speculation about whether it is going to work.

"But I cannot look at Manchester City as our main competitors. Liverpool and Chelsea are our main competitors. There is no doubt about that."

And that means no third championship-winning campaign for Carlos Tevez, who has irritated Ferguson with the way he has reacted to his own departure from Old Trafford, bringing the obvious assumption that he really was not worth the hassle of the extra £25million it would have cost to make his "lease" period permanent.

"It won't be easy for them to win anything, even with all the players they have bought," said Ferguson, moving onto the whole City project.

"They have bought a lot of high profile players but they have 10 strikers. That is a hell of a lot.

"I have not spoken to all the managers but the one or two I have are saying 'Who are they going to leave out'?"

"How do you tell players they are not even going to be travelling to London? How does he pick a team? We are all interested."

It was bad enough for Ferguson to inform senior stars like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo they would not be going to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final with Everton.

At least he could offer the Champions League as an alternative. Hughes can't, which just makes handling the expanding collection of talent gathered at Eastlands all the more problematic.

Problematic for United too as, together with Real Madrid, City have managed to bloat the transfer market to such an extent £50million price-tags are being placed on players who have no background.

No wonder he has withdrawn from action.

"Real Madrid are different to Manchester City," said Ferguson.

"They have an unusual culture of not really bothering about money because they can use their name to write off debt. No Spanish bank will ever close them down.

"Manchester City's culture is about cash. It is about having money and using it."

United have benefited of course. But Ferguson has opted to use only a fraction of the incredible £80million pot Madrid presented him with for Cristiano Ronaldo, bringing in Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan to a squad expected to challenge for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title; challenging with, he thinks, Chelsea, Liverpool and, maybe, Arsenal.

"I see Chelsea and Liverpool as the main threats because they have the experience and they are consistent," he said.

"They are hard to beat. That won't change. But I can't make up my mind about who is the better team. There is not much between them.

"Arsenal have the biggest job to do because they have sold Adebayor and don't seem to have the money the rest have got.

"How Arsene develops his team will be his biggest test.

"The one thing we know about Arsenal is that they will play some of the best football you will see and they will create chances. They could easily re-establish themselves and challenge for the league again."

And with that, Ferguson is done, ready to embark on another rollercoaster year, knowing one more title will bring immortality for a team aiming to achieve something not done in the previous 130 years.

"We have won the title for the last three years and in the history of the English game no-one has ever won four," he said. "That tells you what a competitive league it is.

"Lyon won their league seven times in a row. Dynamo Kiev won nine, as have Celtic and Rangers. Dinamo Berlin 11 in the old East Germany. You will never get that in the English game.

"I am in charge of a football club that has the right philosophy. I have had fantastic moments here. I have 76,000 watching my team in every home game. I shouldn't really concern myself about another team in the same city, no matter what they do."

[Guest]

July 9th 2009:

That's what I'm saying, we should just ignore what he says. He probably felt the need to comment because we lost Alonso, but that's his style.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

He'll **** his pants if Dossena stays

[Cormack74]

July 9th 2009:


"But I cannot look at Manchester City as our main competitors. Liverpool and Chelsea are our main competitors. There is no doubt about that."

Nice spot. He must have been on the sauce that day and was too pissed to remember saying it.

[red g]

if gerrard and Torres stay fit and play together for more than the 20odd they did last year we will be stronger regardless of losing Alonso obviously will only know that at end of season though

[Neil Young]

I'm saying that last season being our best for 20 years, show how hard it is to achieve the level that we did.

To do it two seasons in a row, when we hadnt previously done it in 20, is a huge ask.

I'm sure you're fully in tune with what i'm saying and are just being awkward for the sake of it.

Oh, right, thanks for that. Not very respectful towards a fellow poster.

Actually you're wrong - either I don't understand your point or I disagree with it.

[carheex]

I think he was talking from United's point of view, obviously. And as champions, it's not unusual that they're used as the benchmark.

Definitively speaking, they ARE favourites. Whether i agree with that or not, i couldnt say. Personally, if i was running a book, i wouldnt separate them and Chelsea at this stage. Ancelotti's impact at Chelsea will be the crucial factor IMO. If he nails it, they'll win the title. If he doesnt, it's a wide-open 3 horse race. United's title winning experience, added to the sale of Alonso, puts them just ahead of us IMO.

Don't agree with that. Even with last seasons squad, Utd over achieved quite considerably. With Tevez and Ronaldo, they have lost 2 genuine world class players that will make a huge difference to their attacking strength. We've lost one player who IMO, won't be too hard to replace and won't make a huge bearing on our attack. They've lost their 2 best players and we've still got our 2. If we don't finish above Utd this year it will be a massive disappointment and surprise.

[Redspin]

I think he was talking from United's point of view, obviously. And as champions, it's not unusual that they're used as the benchmark.

Definitively speaking, they ARE favourites. Whether i agree with that or not, i couldnt say. Personally, if i was running a book, i wouldnt separate them and Chelsea at this stage. Ancelotti's impact at Chelsea will be the crucial factor IMO. If he nails it, they'll win the title. If he doesnt, it's a wide-open 3 horse race. United's title winning experience, added to the sale of Alonso, puts them just ahead of us IMO.

Losing Tevez and Ronaldo is a far bigger blow for them than us losing Alonso. Who's going to score their goals this season? Why do you assume we'll struggle to beat last season's position when clearly they are much, much weaker than before? They struggled to scrape one-goal wins in 16 league games when they had their best player in the team so how likely is it that they could do it again? For that matter, why do you assume that Chelsea will improve enough to overtake us? I know you always like to praise the opposition beyond all reason and like to denigrate Liverpool performances and players, but nothing you've said on this makes sense