Predict Premier League Top 4 2018/19

That's like saying Pardew's tenure wasn't a waste of time because we finished 5th one time.

Firenze pls.

best manager you've had since Keegan. Don't even want to entertain the idea of Rafa being a better manager just because you like him, when he takes a bunch of numpties to 5th, talk to me.

I'd genuinely take Pardew over Mourinho tomorrow. Wish I were joking.

You'll regret that after one game, Pardew is basically everything Mourinho is except you lose all the time....

Firenze wrote:Mourinho's tenure here wasn't exactly a waste of time, as sad as it is, we finished the highest we have in years last season and won a treble before that. He's been the most successful post Fergie - which isn't saying much, especially with the investment into the team he's had. But at least we're consistently back into CL with him.

What treble? Surely you’re not counting the milk cup, the beer cup in this proclamation! The only cups that count are leaque championship and CL, perhaps possibly a supercup or world club, but these latter cups are really friendly compeitions and certainly these second rate cups like your milk bowl are meaningless.

City
Utd
Liverpool
Spurs

Yeah, literally the same from last season.

I'm talking about the aptly named Treble of sadness. It still counts! we won 3 of 5 possible trophies that season. We started in the Europa League, not like we could do any better than that.

Yes, the league run collapsed towards the end, we were in contention for top 4 at the time but were obliterated by injuries and Mourinho correctly decided to focus on the EL and fielded a bunch of jobbers in the league. I think we were unbeaten for like 6 months at one point.

I'm not saying it was ideal, but it was far from terrible that year.

Second season though? No excuses. Despite making two cup finals.

Trying to glorify finishing 6th

Doesn't Utd have the most trophies won for an English club for the past 3 seasons or some ridiculous stat like that?

We could have finished 4th and lost out on the Europa League probably, but who gives a shit? anything but 1st is worthless.

Doc wrote:Doesn't Utd have the most trophies won for an English club for the past 3 seasons or some ridiculous stat like that?

You probably saw me spouting that, it was true until last season, I'm not sure if it still stands as we won nothing then. I continue to claim it though because I figure people are too lazy to check me on it, or were until I posted this.

and IIRC it was the most trophies of any club post Ferguson

Firenze wrote:We could have finished 4th and lost out on the Europa League probably, but who gives a shit? anything but 1st is worthless.

No you couldn't lol, hiding behind those injuries is hilarious when you never had a chance.

Most of that fabled unbeaten run were draws, you were always more likely to finish 6th than finishing top 4.

without looking at the week by week tables, I know we were very much in the thick of top 4 contention when we had a bunch of big games vs Spurs, Arsenal etc IIRC. And yes, we were obliterated by injuries at the time. Not really an excuse when it was a fact. This was in April IIRC, early April.

I was gonna check but fk it, gonna go with Utd being the most winning English team around.

They've won 1 league in 7 years, that's all that matters.

The rest is stat padding nonsense tbh.

1 league in 7 years whew

Kaladin wrote:1 league in 7 years whew

we both know that feeling, eh?

1. City
2. Liverpool
3. United
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham
6. Chelsea

Some reasoning:

Manchester City won't do well as they did last season. A regression for a title winning team is natural and I expect to see a drop off in goals, more goals conceded and a couple more bad results. However, even when factor that in, they're so ahead of everyone in terms of performance that it probably won't even matter. Maybe they won't win it with as big a gap this time, but bar an injury crisis I can't see how they won't win it again.

Liverpool have strengthened well in key areas while retaining their attack. I've no doubts that Salah will hit at least 25+ in the league again, and Mane and Firmino are consistent enough to provide 10-15 goals each. Mentally, I think Liverpool are in a very good place, in that it seems the most settled it's been there for years. However, where I believe they'll struggle is against deep, packed defences. This has been a constant problem for them under Klopp and the fact they haven't signed a playmaker for their midfield gives me little reason to believe that's going to change.

United are a bit volatile at the moment, what with Mourinho being Mourinho and all. That said, if they don't implode like Chelsea did they'll be in the top four. They're consistent at picking up results, one of the least prone to unexpected defeats and adept at grinding out draws in big games. They won't thrill anyone but they'll accumulate enough over the season to finish high up the table.

I have some slight bias picking Arsenal for fourth, but there's a decent reason for that. The home form last season was stellar (second only to City) but it was cancelled out by horrific away form. I don't expect that away form to repeat itself and five or so extra wins on the road will make a huge difference (Arsenal would have finished second easily last year with half-decent away form). Of course, you have to allow for the team getting used to a new manager, which is why I can't predict them finishing any higher. Still, with Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil, etc. they'll have enough to beat the scrubs. Everything else depends on how much Emery improves their defending.

Tottenham could easily finish above Arsenal again, though. Squad consistency isn't a bad thing so long as Kane et al keep performing. Two concerns for them, though: the defence without Alderweireld isn't as good, while the midfield is also weaker without Dembele there every game. If they make a couple of signings that might change, but I think those two areas of the team have become a bit weaker.

Chelsea at least have a manager now, but there are a few things working against them. One is that the transition to Sarri's style of football will take time since it's such a drastic change from what they're used to and he doesn't have all the players he needs. Another is their lack of a consistent scorer. I think they have the weakest attack of the top six sides and will be super-dependent on Hazard for consistent quality. At the back, a lot will depend on what happens with Courtois, whether their CBs can function well as a duo instead of a three, and if they have enough quality at full-back.

City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Man U

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

urbaNRoots wrote:Love the optimism for Arsenal, haven't felt that in years

Not to overexaggerate but I think we will win all the trophies there are imo.

Where you been lol? Neutrals have been overhyping Arsenal for years. I can't remember the last pre season where I saw negativity towards Arsenal on here from neutrals.

uhm, no. It's always been half positive/half negative from other fans, and I actually think it might still be the same.

Can't blame Arsenal fans to be optimistic, They'd behave the same if it was someone other than Emery as well. I hope they don't expect success overnight, Building the team takes a while.

El Gunner wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

urbaNRoots wrote:Love the optimism for Arsenal, haven't felt that in years

Not to overexaggerate but I think we will win all the trophies there are imo.

Where you been lol? Neutrals have been overhyping Arsenal for years. I can't remember the last pre season where I saw negativity towards Arsenal on here from neutrals.

uhm, no. It's always been half positive/half negative from other fans, and I actually think it might still be the same.

Not true at all, people were saying it will be Arsenal's year all the time.

Arsenal fans might have been negative but neutrals constantly believed in them year in year out tbh.

So again i question where Urban has been tbh, what i'm seeing in this thread is no different to what i've seen over the last 5 years.

I believed in Spurs year, but I am going to change it. Unless it changes something for next week.

1 Liverpool
2 Tottenham
3 City
4 Arsenal

I can see United imploding but if they don't I think the table will pan out how Jay put it.

Man City
Man Utd
Liverpool
Arsenal

Spurs getting disrespected because of a quiet window. Pool getting a lot of credit for their window. It's understandable if flawed

Eh

Quote me when Spurs finish above Liverpool yet again.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:It's not really a copypasta tbh.

It's what the Cavs players said after they made a bunch of trades.

Yeah but it's become a copypasta on NBA reddit...lad, if you're going to correct me, especially on such a pedantic detail, get it right