19 Jan 2018 18:06:59
Good evening ed001

Wanted your thoughts please mate as to were you think we are as a club compared to Chelsea, Spuds and Arsenal. In terms of squad, team you thoughts on who might finish the season were. Appreciate its a long question mate. No worries of you to busy.

{Ed001's Note - sorry mate, had to leave it until this morning to answer as I was so busy yesterday. Friday tends to be extremely busy with the match previews for Saturday to do, on top of editing etc.

Overall I think Arsenal, as things stand, are miles behind us, Chelsea and Spurs. Their team and squad are the weakest I can remember them having.

Chelsea have a good team, but they lack cover within the squad, though they have an excellent youth system, they have not fed enough of them into the first team before this season. It means they lack the experience they should have had outside of the first choice players.

Spurs are also very weak in terms of back up players. If they do not have their first choice XI on the pitch, then they are very much weaker, which has shown in their inconsistent results this season.

However, we are in a similar position, added to the fact that we lack in the centre of midfield, but we have an attack that is much better than those other 3 which balances it out. The uncertainty over the defence, including keeper, has hindered us badly. Overall us, Chelsea and Spurs are fairly equal. Spurs have the better defence, Chelsea the strongest central midfield and us the best attack.

As for where everyone will finish, I don't do predictions mate, far too superstitious!}

1.) 20 Jan 2018
20 Jan 2018 07:54:55
Great reply Ed
The most interesting out of those clubs is Arsenal for me. The whole reason given to the fans for moving stadium, increasing ticket prices and having more hospitality was to compete with the big boys.
Since they’ve done this they appear to have gone backwards instead of reaching the next level.
Got 2 Arsenal mates in work and they are steaming over the situation.

{Ed001's Note - it is poor management that is the issue there, Wenger has failed to recruit enough players because he tries too hard to show faith in players already at the club.}

2.) 20 Jan 2018
20 Jan 2018 08:32:43
I agree with all the above Ed, but I think it’s also noteworthy we are the most settled and seem to have positive momentum right now which is impacting team morale and our performances IMO.

Arsenal is a mess with the question marks around Wenger and some of their best players leaving, while Conte isn’t exactly settled and happy, Spurs is under threat of their best players being poached if they don’t start winning something soon (and without the wage structure to attract like for like replacements), while Liverpool seems to be in a pretty happy place at the moment with Klopp and, despite Coutinho leaving, some good talent arriving on a fairly regular basis.

3.) 20 Jan 2018
20 Jan 2018 09:37:31
Many thanks for the reply ed mate, appreciate your input. I agree totally with what youve said. I just hope us having a weeker cenral midfield area doesn't cost us. Next season we should be fine with the addition of Keita and another.

{Ed001's Note - welcome mate.}

4.) 20 Jan 2018
20 Jan 2018 10:49:34
I think I asked a similar question last season as I felt our bench was a lot weaker than the likes of Chelsea arsenal spurs and at the time it was. I think around the time we had a bench full of youngsters and klopp looked reluctant to bring any of them in until very late in the game. I think now our bench and squad in general is a lot better looking, partly down to less injuries than at the time I felt this, but a lot is down to signings we’ve made making an immediate impact. Kudos to klopp. When you’ve got Ings and Adam Lallana on the bench you can make changes and not lose the quality and press. We look in a better place than spurs Chelsea and Arsenal at present and momentum seems to be with us.