Seasons expectations

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Seasons expectations

Postby nottsblue » Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:31 am

So, we are 8 games into the PL season and we have had a couple of rounds of the CL. The league table is starting to take shape and at this stage it’s usually a good indication of how the season will evolve. There will be odd exceptions of course, but in the main those near the top and bottom at this stage are invariably in those areas come May

Obviously the 8 point gap is what it is but have we had a bad start to the season? Or have the dippers just exceeded all expectations? Or maybe the truth lies somewhere in between. We were robbed against Spurs. At Norwich it was just one of those games where everything they did came off and it just didn’t click for us, another day and we nick it. Wolves was a horror show and we got deservedly beat. So by my reckoning that’s one game where we have been poor. We are scoring for fun and indeed equalled a 125 year old record for the most goals at the start of the season. But we do have issues in front, strange as that may seem to fans of other clubs. Our finishing has not been as sharp as it could be and it cost us against Spurs and Norwich because if we had taken our chances we’d have won regardless of VAR and Norwich getting lucky.

Are we focused enough? Is the pressure of trying for a hat trick of PL titles taking its toll? Is our injury list hampering us more than we give credit for? Was player recruitment in the summer sufficient? Probably an element of all of those things and more. Team selection has been baffling at times. Certain players do not perform well together. Young lads like Foden and Garcia can’t get on the field when others in their respective positions aren’t performing at all well.

Before the season started I thought we’d win it. Then injuries to Sane and then Laporte started to swing it. The introduction of VAR has been shambolic, designed and implemented to give certain teams an advantage. At this stage of the season I make the dippers slight favourites now. An eight point gap is by no means insurmountable given we have come back from similar positions in far less time twice previously. But I do think we have to get at least a win and a draw, if not two wins v the dippers to claw it back. On current form I see that as unlikely because equally, the dippers will know a win for them at Anfield in November puts them further ahead. So, would a second place if that’s what transpires be a poor season? For me, no it wouldn’t. You can’t win the title every season.

This then leads us onto the cups. The Treble last season was amazing. Unprecedented. I think this season we need to probably put just as much focus in the two domestic cup competitions as the PL as they are probably our best bet for a pot. The draw for the league cup has opened up nicely again and we need to make sure we give 100% in this. We are the holders after all and don’t want to give it up. I just can’t see us winning the CL, I really don’t, so we don’t want to be in a position where we bin off a domestic pot to go all out for glory elsewhere and fall short and end up with nothing. I am of an age where we were shite for most of my life, living in the shadow of first the dippers, then the rags. Well now it’s different. I want us to win as much as we can because firstly, you can never have enough days out at Wembley and winning pots and secondly, we don’t know when our cycle of success will dry up. Because it will.

So to summarise, what are folks thoughts on the season and what their hopes are and what will May bring.
I simply hope for a pot or two whichever one it it. I’d like to see Foden get game time in preparation for next season when we will no longer have Silva. I’d love to win the PL obviously but if we don’t then I’m ok with that
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby Wooders » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:21 am

Champs don’t lose away to Norwich and get done at home to wolves so that ship has sailed I feel - we flicked up our recruitment in the summer losing 2 senior squad centre backs and not replacing them, we were always gonna be one injury away from trouble and here we are with both our starting cbs out and we look and are very vulnerable

Even though I personally hate the champions league I hope we win it this year

So that’s my hope for the season - I’ll take 2nd and champs league quite happily - a domestic cup is a nice to have
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby Mase » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:38 am

Let's just get to 40 points eh.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby RodneyRodney » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:49 am

On the eve of the season , BT sport ran a predictive analysisby computer . So far , this season is going close to how that prediction report stated ; namely , that the Merseyslime would break into an early season lead , with us faltering , partly due to injuries and inconsistent form.

The same report predicted we will be Champs, by 6 points, next May.

We've been crap in a couple of games so far, definitely not in last season's form, but never say never with Pep. He's the sort of coach who can find a way to go on a run and claw back a lead. We'll run into our best form post Xmas with LaPorte & Sane returning, while pressure & exhaustion causes the brick-throwers lead to ...er , slip.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby City64 » Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:02 am

Self entitlement is a very dangerous thing . Look at the rags now !
City have to bounce back from Sunday’s shambles , yes we have injuries but we still have a squad full of world class players . Time as a fan to relax a little as this last decade has been the bust English football has ever seen . A slight dip was always on the cards but we WILL bounce back .
Not really here

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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby mr_nool » Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:34 am

Wooders wrote:Champs don’t lose away to Norwich and get done at home to wolves so that ship has sailed I feel - we flicked up our recruitment in the summer losing 2 senior squad centre backs and not replacing them, we were always gonna be one injury away from trouble and here we are with both our starting cbs out and we look and are very vulnerable

Even though I personally hate the champions league I hope we win it this year

So that’s my hope for the season - I’ll take 2nd and champs league quite happily - a domestic cup is a nice to have


How about at home to Crystal Palace?
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby Hutch's Shoulder » Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:44 am

One trophy will do me.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby sheblue » Tue Oct 08, 2019 12:22 pm

Seasons expectations.

League: We just cant expect to win the league every season. We won back to back titles and that was fantastic, we may end up 2nd this time and thats ok. It would be acceptable as long as we push the vermin hard and then we strengthen and bounce back in 2020/21, but hey long way to go there yet.

Champions league: I was furious the way we went out last season, and the one before, but water under the bridge now. I dislike the competition but I do feel we need to win it sooner or later. So I hope we at least get to the semi, we are good enough to win it. With a bit of luck (not much of that lately) we should have Sane and Laporte back for its latter stages, so who knows.

The Cups: We dont have to win them again. If we go all out in them it will be at the cost of the league and or the CL. I would use them for valuable time for the younger players, anything after that is a bonus.

We could end up with no trophies, but maybe that wouldn't be a disaster.

I wonder what the expectations are over at the swamp?
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby johnny crossan » Tue Oct 08, 2019 12:48 pm

dropping by the match sadly.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby JamieMCFC » Tue Oct 08, 2019 1:13 pm

sheblue wrote:I wonder what the expectations are over at the swamp?


Avoiding relegation
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby budfox » Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:26 pm

Two things if the bin dippers win:

1 - Some scouse twat will be on telly describing them as "The people's champions"
2 - We will never hear the fucking end of it.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby zuricity » Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:29 pm

budfox wrote:Two things if the bin dippers win:

1 - Some scouse twat will be on telly describing them as "The people's champions"
2 - We will never hear the fucking end of it.


All the more reason to win it again !
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby zuricity » Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:30 pm

JamieMCFC wrote:
sheblue wrote:I wonder what the expectations are over at the swamp?


Avoiding relegation


Funny how many major shopping malls are closing in the states, in the Amazon era.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby Mase » Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:55 pm

If the rags got relegated but Liverpool won the league would you be happy?
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby zuricity » Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:07 pm

Mase wrote:If the rags got relegated but Liverpool won the league would you be happy?


No, Rags are on a downwards slide anyway. I actually prefer playing them in Derbies. At the moment those are valuable points!

Just win the league and shut those scousers up.

Htf they can call themselves Royalty .....
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby patrickblue » Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:23 pm

Mase wrote:If the rags got relegated but Liverpool won the league would you be happy?


Not happy, but the rags demise would offer some light relief.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby nottsblue » Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:44 pm

Mase wrote:If the rags got relegated but Liverpool won the league would you be happy?

Good “what if” scenario.

If we can beat the dippers in the Cup Final then that is a scenario that would be rather acceptable
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby Im_Spartacus » Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:52 pm

Expect its going to take a bit of time to work out how to play without Laporte, but history shows Guardiola seems to manage through such spells and come out stronger......remember the defence wasnt the issue vs wolves. For me, the further Liverpool get ahead, the funnier it will be if they blow it.

And remember in December we were 10pts behind with them to play once. We are 8 points behind with them to play twice.

I don't believe this is terminal, it looks bleak, but this is where the manager earns his money.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby everyonehatesus » Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:32 pm

the international break came at the right time for us for a change, we will get through this and the dippers will have a bad spell at some point, the VAR help they currently receive will stop too. its in all the press now so that coupled with a couple of injury set backs we will close the gap even without the head to head games. this will be a cracker of a season from about Christmas time I think, the pressure will get to them im sure of it.
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Re: Seasons expectations

Postby london blue 2 » Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:57 pm

I’ll be content if we win the lot.
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