Heh, we're now ahead of Liverpool in the league

It’s utterly bizarre that a team with so many holes decided to splash out 40m on a backup utility player with one year left on his contract. You can’t do anything without a striker by the way, it makes winning so much harder than it need to be and Liverpool have one that just about manages double figures.

We've played a handful of games so the story will have many twists and turns.

It is nice that one of the teams we're challenging for fourth is basically nit much better than us if at all.

Chelsea and Spurs unfortunately are a step ahead.

United and City are just steam rolling teams.

goon wrote:

It’s utterly bizarre that a team with so many holes decided to splash out 40m on a backup utility player with one year left on his contract. You can’t do anything without a striker by the way, it makes winning so much harder than it need to be and Liverpool have one that just about manages double figures.

Firminho is barely a striker.

Unless you mean Sturridge, who I guess barely reaches double figures in games played.

United hasn't played anyone better than 11th. City has played 2 big games for comparison.

I can't see it happening right now but I'd love it if we took United down a notch and win at the Emirates or even OT.

Clrnc wrote:

United hasn't played anyone better than 11th. City has played 2 big games for comparison.

4 of their next 5 games are away, including Liverpool and Chelsea. The home game is against Tottenham.

Ideal for their style of football this season. Hope they get mauled in each of those 5 games, but I suspect they will come away stronger than we hope. Do we also play them in this stretch?

goon wrote:

Clrnc wrote:

United hasn't played anyone better than 11th. City has played 2 big games for comparison.

4 of their next 5 games are away, including Liverpool and Chelsea. The home game is against Tottenham.

I hope they get found out. They have been pretty lucky in the past matches and often only score late to boost the scoreline.

Clrnc wrote:

goon wrote:

4 of their next 5 games are away, including Liverpool and Chelsea. The home game is against Tottenham.

I hope they get found out. They have been pretty lucky in the past matches and often only score late to boost the scoreline.

Yeah I've been beating this drum all season but they look much worse than their scores have been indicating. They're lucky they have momentum now which should help them but I think they'll be found out. I've said I see City and Chelsea battling for the title and TBH I think Spurs will finish above United too. Its Arsenal, United and Liverpool in a battle for 4th IMO, I could be spectacularly wrong but there you go.

Problem is momentum as you say. Chelsea looked bang average for much of their long winning streak too but it gave them enough confidence to carry on chugging away.

Everyone has a different idea of average and good as well. For me consistency is part of what makes a good team. Attractive football is also a part of it but it's a separate quality.

It's not about them not being attractive, in fact it's not even all that subjective, it's about how comfortably you win games.

For example, during that run last year Chelsea beat City 2-1 in a game where City should have been 4-0 up. While they did well to get the win at the end Chelsea had no control over City's wastefulness, it was just plain luck that they were still in it.

There were several other games where they were badly struggling to create chances or impose themselves on a game but managed to capitalise on an error. Pundits will claim it's a skill but nobody plans to win a game that way, the margins are too small and on another day you're walking away with dropped points.

Tony Montana wrote:

Everyone has a different idea of average and good as well. For me consistency is part of what makes a good team. Attractive football is also a part of it but it's a separate quality.

Its not about being attractive. Spurs and United are about as exciting as each other but I'd go for Spurs finishing above United because I think Spurs look like a stronger outfit. We play quite messy football but I think we'll finish above Liverpool who play some blistering attacking football when they're on form.

Mane injured, Ox still on the bench.

Who are people wanting to win here?

I think I’d prefer a Liverpool win and then a draw. United cannot win though.

Definitely hoping for a Liverpool win. Not happening though. Liverpool's defence is ass.

Yeah, they’re in shit form too.

Klopp has a fantastic big game record. Lets hope he delivers

We should have went after Salah to replace Sanchez.