2024/25 Season

[Norbs]

Might be time to stop this silliness

[Kenneth]

none of the teams targeting a title are out of it. This will likely be true for months.

[BigChief]

none of the teams targeting a title are out of it. This will likely be true for months.

It's not showing a challenge to the title per se, it's just a quick visual on how each (relevant) team can get to 90 points.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Might be time to stop this silliness

Little bit harsh, fella.

Don't think what BC is doing is silly. A bit premature when looking at the long game maybe, but is a handy way to see at a glance the sort of gaps there are or are not between all the team in the title mix.

Is just a different take on saying how many points are between teams vs reaching the 90 point target BC set and can be a bit of a chat starter.

Only thing I would change about it is to suggest to BC that maybe have it in a thread of it's own, then people could look at it after each game if they liked and chat in there about it and/or add/remove teams from the list as tyhe season wears on.

[Sus]

So, how are we feeling about the title race?

With the usual 'I would have bitten your hand off before the start of the season...' it's not looking like the 19-20 procession any more.

Feels more like 2016-17 where Chelsea put a run on once they went to 3 at the back and zoomed away in the middle third of the season.

Not saying that Chelsea is likely to do that this season (I really think they will fall away once their xGC starts matching up to actual goals conceded) but if we could just put a run together of 5-6 wins, that might be enough to be clear once we hit the last part of the season

But we really do need some more luck with injuries and potentially a midfielder in January

I'm confident though, this is our year

[rudedog]

Feeling pretty good - Chelsea don’t really worry me at this stage

[fidget]

Cheque book needs to come out.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Top of the league going into the third week of December is a really nice place to be.

Sure Chelsea are breathing down our necks (though have played a game more and are still behind us) but then again nobody in the top four is out of the title race just yet so happy to be the team being chased than having to be one of the ones chasing us.

My take is that the teams behind us are going to be under as much of not more pressure than us at present. They all know they have a slip up that the chances are that we will take advantage and for the most part when we slip up then the very same weekend at least two of the three teams chasing us tend to slip up.


Think most were hoping for a strong top four performance this season so we are getting that and then some so far.

A player or two in the January window would be the sort of depth we might need to prevent burn out in the middle and at the back. However think I am quietly confident of this turning into a very good season (ie some silverware being won).

[SB]

Cheque book needs to come out.

Chelsea would need to build a new training facility to house them all if they do

[Exiled_red]

Chelsea and Arsenal have to be the main contenders at the moment based on form, City are a fair way back, you imagine they will try to buy someone in the window, a Rodri replacement, but to be honest I think/hope their problems might run deeper than that. I would like to think we can keep up the level of form we have showed in the first (almost half of the season) but conventional wisdom suggests that we will have a dip (I'm hoping this is it to be honest, but we will see).

The reality is we don't really know much about what to expect from the other sides. City's lack of form is unprecedented in the last 6 or more years, Arsenal at the moment aren't looking as good as they have last couple of years, Chelsea are somewhat new to this so how they will continue who knows, and us to a certain extent with a new manager are an unknown quantity. I know people have been assuming 90 points wins you the league, but I think it could be more competitive than that with the total necessary to win it perhaps being a bit lower than that.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Chelsea and Arsenal have to be the main contenders at the moment based on form, City are a fair way back, you imagine they will try to buy someone in the window, a Rodri replacement, but to be honest I think/hope their problems might run deeper than that. I would like to think we can keep up the level of form we have showed in the first (almost half of the season) but conventional wisdom suggests that we will have a dip (I'm hoping this is it to be honest, but we will see).

The reality is we don't really know much about what to expect from the other sides. City's lack of form is unprecedented in the last 6 or more years, Arsenal at the moment aren't looking as good as they have last couple of years, Chelsea are somewhat new to this so how they will continue who knows, and us to a certain extent with a new manager are an unknown quantity. I know people have been assuming 90 points wins you the league, but I think it could be more competitive than that with the total necessary to win it perhaps being a bit lower than that.

I was thinking that after yesterday's result and that maybe it is something to do with the charges and then knowing a points deduction is on the way for this season.

However I think the truth might be a lot simpler and is one that we are more than familar with. My hunch is they have simply let the midfield age together as a unit and have left it a season too late to refresh them.

Rodri is out and they are left with a core of midfielders that for the most part as a couple years past their prime and lacking in mobility.

Their slump is very similar to what we had when our midfield was not refreshed and I suspect that two additions in the middle would suddenly knit the team back together.

A controller type midfielder and a midfielder with the energy/stamina to press hard (obvs able to play on the ball and not just any grock) would transform them imo.


Another similarity they have with our midfield going to pieces season is that like us their RB is having a **** season the very same season the midfield is not capable of covering the flank.

[Exiled_red]

I was thinking that after yesterday's result and that maybe it is something to do with the charges and then knowing a points deduction is on the way for this season.

However I think the truth might be a lot simpler and is one that we are more than familar with. My hunch is they have simply let the midfield age together as a unit and have left it a season too late to refresh them.

Rodri is out and they are left with a core of midfielders that for the most part as a couple years past their prime and lacking in mobility.

Their slump is very similar to what we had when our midfield was not refreshed and I suspect that two additions in the middle would suddenly knit the team back together.

A controller type midfielder and a midfielder with the energy/stamina to press hard (obvs able to play on the ball and not just any grock) would transform them imo.


Another similarity they have with our midfield going to pieces season is that like us their RB is having a **** season the very same season the midfield is not capable of covering the flank.

That is what I was thinking/hoping too, they are going through what we had at the end of the Henderson/Fabinho/Milner time. As you say they could sign a couple of players and sort it out. To be honest I am hoping that their problems squad wise run deeper than that as well

If it were that they knew they were getting done by the charges that would be great too but I'm not as sure about that one to be honest. The 'jury' is just out to consider their decision on that so nothing will be close to decided yet, although the club would obviously have an idea whether they thought the hearing went well or badly, but I would expect that they would try to shield that from the players either way.

[Sus]

That is what I was thinking/hoping too, they are going through what we had at the end of the Henderson/Fabinho/Milner time. As you say they could sign a couple of players and sort it out. To be honest I am hoping that their problems squad wise run deeper than that as well

If it were that they knew they were getting done by the charges that would be great too but I'm not as sure about that one to be honest. The 'jury' is just out to consider their decision on that so nothing will be close to decided yet, although the club would obviously have an idea whether they thought the hearing went well or badly, but I would expect that they would try to shield that from the players either way.

Even if they buy the right midfielders (big if based on their recent track record)
I’d imagine they’d be too far back this season for them to be in the running, and they’d be looking for top 4 to build for next season

[kingfunk]

Chelsea have a tough run in this season. All we can do is look after ourselves, we have dropped a few points allowing them one foot in the door. Time to get ruthless now. If we are on top come March, we have a real chance of going all the way.

[Exiled_red]

Even if they buy the right midfielders (big if based on their recent track record)
I’d imagine they’d be too far back this season for them to be in the running, and they’d be looking for top 4 to build for next season

I'm hoping they've been booted out of the league before next season

Or at least have such a large point deduction relegation is inevitable