May 12, 20223 yr It doesn't say much about the quality of the league this season when this shambolic arsenal side are still the favourites to finish 4th! Also I genuinely think Son is going to pip Salah for the golden boot, the latter has been well well below standard ever since AFCON.
May 12, 20223 yr ^ The pundits at Sky Sports seem to think the current state of the league is great though!
May 13, 20223 yr Manchester City and Liverpool have really warped people's ideas about how good teams usually are. Arsenal and Spurs are absolutely typical in terms of quality and results of contenders for 4th place, entirely consistent with what should be expected, but they appear rubbish because they're so far behind two teams whose quality and consistency is completely abnormal compared to any other era of football.
May 13, 20223 yr Fair point but it seems mad that a team can lose a third of their games and still finish in the top 4. I know Spurs did that too a few years back but I can't think that it's happened much else. I think as well as the top 2 pulling away all the usual midtable teams have caught up. A decade or so back there was a very clear top 4, which then stretched to a top 6 with City and Spurs who were all way ahead of 7th and below. Now you've got teams like Leicester, West Ham and Wolves getting in amongst these positions and dragging down the threshold for CL qualification in a way.
May 13, 20223 yr Yes I do think there's been improvements at both ends of the table, it also feels increasingly common that promoted sides struggle to compete but maybe not as the ceiling for the good ones seems to have got higher in recent years (Wolves, Leeds, Sheff U all top 10). Sides lower down are also probably more attacking and play 'better' football than they have in the past. These are the points tallies for the CL chasing positions over the last 10 years, once Spurs and Man City established the "big 4" becoming the "big 6". 3: 70 75 82 75 70 78 77 72 66 69 4: 69 73 79 70 66 76 75 71 66 67 5: 65 72 72 64 66 75 70 70 62 66 6: 64 63 69 62 63 69 63 66 59 65 Moyes up against the best 3rd, 5th and 6th placed teams of the last decade when he took over from Fergie. The top teams certainly all upped their game in 16/17 in response to Leicester's title win, which was a really weak year, but pretty much reverted back since. Both of the last two seasons have lower points tallies than this, unless both Arsenal and Spurs fail two win either remaining match, but it's likely to be pretty much on the average. Edited May 13, 20223 yr by RabbitFurCoat
May 13, 20223 yr Ha I totally forgot we somehow fluked 3rd with only 66 points 2 seasons ago! Wouldn't have even got 6th on previous occasions. Only 2 points more than Moyes' infamous season too.
May 14, 20223 yr Def my favourite Twitter post from a United fan today: ‘the United treble winning teams Premier League points total of 79 is more than 18 of “that lots” 19 league title winning seasons ....facts are facts, I don’t make the rules’
May 15, 20223 yr Sort of wish they just won today as we have to play a half decent team on Tuesday night now!
May 15, 20223 yr Sort of wish they just won today as we have to play a half decent team on Tuesday night now! We'll ring the changes, I would shocked if we don't make 6-7 changes - Gomez, Milner, Origi, Jones, Matip all start imo. Can't see anything but a City win on the final day of the season but at least it is highly unlikely to come down to goal difference. We just need the 3 points on Tuesday. Judging from the players yesterday and even Klopp I think they know the title has gone, the eyes are already on the CL final.
May 15, 20223 yr Well if nothing else comes from this season Man City edging Liverpool fans only to not finish them off will be something at least. Looks like it will be another similar 2011/12 type of thing happening. It will be all over by this time next week. Cannot wait! I've hardly watched the Premier League this season tbh, just keep track of scores and that's largely it. Definitely not going to be a season to reminisce on in years and decades to come.
May 15, 20223 yr Not football as a whole, a summer World Cup would have been good but I'll take no football at all for 3 months over this shite any day. The likes of Jamie Carragher are not going to know what to do with themselves during the summer :lol:
May 15, 20223 yr This title fight has at least been better than 18/19 where both City and Liverpool were absolutely bulletproof. The fact both have dropped points in the run in has kept it much more intriguing. Plus we're guaranteed the top 4 battle and relegation to both go to the final day now too so at least some excitement and interest right up to the very end.
May 15, 20223 yr This title fight has at least been better than 18/19 where both City and Liverpool were absolutely bulletproof. The fact both have dropped points in the run in has kept it much more intriguing. Plus we're guaranteed the top 4 battle and relegation to both go to the final day now too so at least some excitement and interest right up to the very end. Just a real shame covid came, saw and conqoured between December and January as it messed the season up massively and benefitted City once again. But at least there will be a few things to play for across the table on the last day. I am looking forward to the season ending though. Not too much respite though as there's an earlier start to 22/23. Pre-season will be rolling around before we know it. Think it might be a bizzare start to the season as well as no players will be playing international football this summer.
May 15, 20223 yr Author Are there not World Cup games in June? Nations League yes, World Cup is in November mate.
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