PL 2021/22 Season

[Pablo]

I think we look really strong right now, the problem is so do City

- We've finally got a pretty much fully fit squad - but so do City (they barely ever seem to have an injury crisis?!)
- We pretty much dominate all the attack stats for the league: top goalscorer(s), assists, changes created etc. The only one City beat us on is passing stats. They have the stronger defence too.

On very rare occasions they do seem to throw in the odd shock crap result (like losing to Palace at home in October). I think we need that to happen to them at least once before we play them in April to put some kind of pressure on them.

As well as that we also need to be be flawless ourselves and go on a run like City just did. We've got 8 league games before we play them. We'll probably need to win them all.

All in all, its a really tall order truth be told (although stranger things have happened). It's just such a shame this amazing squad of ours has only one league title to its name so far

Does anyone think we can somehow still do it?

[Pablo]

I suppose the next question is...

Given where we are at now (fighting to win 4 trophies), what would people consider a successful end to the season?

[rudedog]

Yes we can.

City have had a great run but it will be a massive ask for them to maintain that until the end of the season.

They have also been pretty fortuitous in terms of injuries etc

[rudedog]

I suppose the next question is...

Given where we are at now (fighting to win 4 trophies), what would people consider a successful end to the season?

League title or champions league = success

Domestic cups = nice to haves

[Pablo]

Yes we can.

City have had a great run but it will be a massive ask for them to maintain that until the end of the season.

They have also been pretty fortuitous in terms of injuries etc

They always are though right? The only time they struggled they managed to get away with a break because of a covid outbreak.

I honestly can't remember the last time I looked at a City starting XI and thought it looked remotely weakened. It's insane.

[Pablo]

Oh one positive note though. I bet City are gutted that we won every game without Salah, Mane and Keita. They must have been expecting us to fall even further away during that period, instead we closed the gap slightly.

[Irishnev]

I suppose the next question is...

Given where we are at now (fighting to win 4 trophies), what would people consider a successful end to the season?

I still think City win the league but we need to push them all the way and finish at worst second

Win the LC

Champions League you need luck but we can win it

FA Cup - beat Norwich and we are in the 1/4 final right…… avoid away to City and we can win it

2 domestics cups, second in the league I’d be happy - CL is a bonus

[Mr Pink]

2 domestics cups, second in the league I’d be happy - CL is a bonus

A very very big bonus, haha…

You definitely need a little luck in the champions league, but also in the FA cup- as you say, we’d be hoping to avoid city in the cup, but they’re probably also the team I’d most want to avoid in the champions league. Anfield on European nights is so special that I wouldn’t fear anyone.

If you asked teams to pick a team to avoid in the FA cup they’d prob pick city, but I reckon in the Champions league, most teams would pick us as the team to avoid.

I’d say given the European anfield factor, and the fact that we always go full strength in the champions league, we have about as good a chance at winning that this year, as we have of winning the FA cup. It would be great if we beat inter and then got the winners of benfica vs ajax next

[Buzzo]

How about this for a dream scenario.

We beat Norwich at home 3pm Saturday. Then (and granted this is the unlikely bit) Spurs beat City at the Empty. We then play our game in hand and beat Leeds at home on the Weds.

Three point gap. Even if City drew with Spurs it is 4.

City then play Everton and us West Ham…

Then they have the Manc derby.

[Norbs]

How about this for a dream scenario.

We beat Norwich at home 3pm Saturday. Then (and granted this is the unlikely bit) Spurs beat City at the Empty. We then play our game in hand and beat Leeds at home on the Weds.

Three point gap. Even if City drew with Spurs it is 4.

City then play Everton and us West Ham…

Then they have the Manc derby.

Loving that enthusiasm

[SB]

How about this for a dream scenario.

We beat Norwich at home 3pm Saturday. Then (and granted this is the unlikely bit) Spurs beat City at the Empty. We then play our game in hand and beat Leeds at home on the Weds.

Three point gap. Even if City drew with Spurs it is 4.

City then play Everton and us West Ham…

Then they have the Manc derby.

We’re livin the dream

[The_weatherman]

How about this for a dream scenario.

We beat Norwich at home 3pm Saturday. Then (and granted this is the unlikely bit) Spurs beat City at the Empty. We then play our game in hand and beat Leeds at home on the Weds.

Three point gap. Even if City drew with Spurs it is 4.

City then play Everton and us West Ham…

Then they have the Manc derby.

Conte will actually have Spurs fired up, I think he very, very, very rarely loses three on the bounce and it's two now.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Conte will actually have Spurs fired up, I think he very, very, very rarely loses three on the bounce and it's two now.

He has just lost three in a row in the league

Chelsea, Southampton and Wolves.

[danperkins]

Wouldn't hold much hope in Everton or Spurs getting anything out of City. We obviously need to beat them but maybe likes of Palace away, Wolves away & West Ham away might be potential banana skins. We pretty much need to win all our games as well. It's a massive ask.

[Scratch]

Garth Crooks is complaining about us playing Salah and Mane...the man is a cretin of the highest order.

Why Sadio Mane started this game, so soon after his exploits in the Africa Cup of Nations, is a mystery to me, especially as Diogo Jota is in such good form. If anyone needs a break Mane does. Read why I think the winter break is a complete waste of time in the Crooks of the Matter below...

...Mohamed Salah, followed shortly afterwards by Sadio Mane, comes back from the Africa Cup of Nations final and is immediately placed on the bench against Leicester City, and both are in the starting line-up to face Burnley three days later - a great break!

I don't blame Mane in the slightest taking his time returning from Dakar after Senegal's first Nations Cup triumph. Salah and Mane actually deserve a winter break.

It seems to me the only people who had any rest throughout this rather confusing period were the managers.