29 Aug 2020 09:55:34
I hope I'm wrong, but I can't see Liverpool making a start like we did last season. The small time elapsed between lifting the trophy and starting the season again, it must make it hard to get the players re-focused and hungry again.

This season, Chelsea, Citeh and even Utd will be strong. I reckon 87+ points wins the league.

So no disaster if we lose a couple of games, but a much tougher league this year.

What do you think?

29 Aug 2020 10:38:21
I think different, I think we'll have a strong start, the lads will be hungry for more success now they have had a taste of it. Leeds concern me somewhat I must admit, they will cause many teams hassle though this season. Still, bring it on, we've got this.

29 Aug 2020 10:53:48
All three teams have not sorted their issues with the defence and or goalkeepers.

Chelseas lampard is running round like a kid in a candy shop but not fixing the glaring problems of defence and an inept goalkeeper he may well spend further. If he doesn't get them to gel does he get past xmas with the trigger happy owner after spending so much? No transfer ban to hide behind this year.

Utd defence is still not top class maguire obvs caused the club a big headache too. De Gea is looking like a man lost of all belief if they give henderson the num 1 slot that will be better for them but then they have a keeper between 300-400k a week sitting on the bench.

City still need at least a cb if not two losing garcia won't help and the full backs are still not nailed down a regular performance level, less so walker but he is aging.

Outside of those Leicester have lost another top player in childwell and seem to be losing ground Brendan has work to do with there team.

We have sorted our lb cover out but need to decide what is happening with GW but we led the league but over 20 points and only wained once we had it won bar a shock performance vs wolves.

Overall i still see it being between liverpool and city with wolves, utd, chelski, leicester fighting it out for the other european places.

{Ed002's Note - Chelsea have signed three CBs and a LB already? Where do you get this nonsense?}

29 Aug 2020 11:06:26
Ed2 lol you have a 35 year old coming in silva and lb was never an issue chilwell is a good player but alonso and palmeiri wasnt bad for me although not as good as BC so ill give you that.

Sarr is not playing this year and who is the other cb?

If you really think this sorts your defence and GK best of luck to you haha.

{Ed002's Note - I am afraid you really don't understand what is going on with clubs working very hard to improve their playing staff. You are simply speaking from a position of simply not knowing anything about it.}

29 Aug 2020 11:07:06
I reckon Chelsea will be the big threat this year, and that's without signing Havertz as of yet. I do feel sorry for a lot of their young British players, they did well last season but I don't see them getting much game time with such a stacked team now.

29 Aug 2020 11:35:17
Chelsea still need a good keeper to really challenge, you don’t win a title with a poor one and that is a truth. Personally I’m not convinced that a 35 year old Silva will adapt very well to the premier league as he’s had it fairly easy in France these last few years. Also the pressure is on Lampard now, as he’s spending the most this summer of any team in the league (obviously awaiting Man City and United to really start their spending spree) and the expectation level is now that he must win either the league or the champions league. In a way, the pressure is off of us to a degree because of the way our competition have been throwing money around left right and centre as we’re certainly not favourites by a long stretch, being underdog suits Klopp a lot more than being favourite. It’ll be interesting.

29 Aug 2020 11:36:33
Chelsea should've gone for Mason Holgate. He's the best centre back outside of the top 2 teams. He'd have made a real difference. I don't see anyone they've signed as an immediate improvement on the starting XI except Chilwell.

I think Spurs will be 3rd this season. All they really lacked was a manager with a winning mentality, a decent right back and a midfielder with a spinal cord. Mourinho, Doherty and Hojbjerg may not sound inspiring but that's exactly what they needed. Poch was a mid table manager. Aurier and Winks are Championship players. It's still mostly the same squad that got to a Champions League final in spite of that though.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd will battle over 4th i think. Probably all finish up on similar points around the 70 mark. Man Utd should just about edge it with that front 3 they have, and Fernandes behind them.

Wolves and Everton would be my best bets for the remianing top 8 positions. They both have better managers than Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd but they don't have the same level of players. One of them two should still scrape Europa qualification though.

Leicester will be mid table at best. Rodgers is completely incapable of balancing a squad between domestic and European competition. Sheffield United have had their surprise package year and will probably be mid table too.

My top 8 prediction:
1. Liverpool
2. City
3. Spurs
4. Man Utd
5. Chelsea
6. Arsenal
7. Wolves
8. Everton

(Disclaimer: all of the above is only my opinion)

29 Aug 2020 11:49:15
Harvey’s man bun, you had me at Holgate being the best CB outside of Liverpool city.

29 Aug 2020 12:01:05
Chelsea will easily get third place imo. Their attack has way too much quality and depth to not score a bucket load of goals and prop them closer to the top 2. They will definitely pull away from Man Utd and Spurs with their brand new signings.
Their defense however is an absolute s**thouse. Silva is still pretty good but that defense needs a complete revolution, not simply minor tweaks. Rudiger is worse than Lovren, Christensen needs to get out of the premier league until his reputation hits rock bottom and Zouma is extremely inconsistent. Tomori needs a loan move desperately.
Chelsea's team reminds me of us during the Brendan Rodgers era. Ridiculous talent and number of goals up front but an absolute disaster and shambles at the back.
And don't even get me started on Kepa (he should focus on being a GK than the manager of the team) .

29 Aug 2020 12:12:02
It will be much tougher this season, every team will try to raise their game to knock us off our perch. City, United and Chelski should be more consistent and get more points than last season. The sooner Henderson gets back the better, his leadership on the pitch will give us the edge to grind out results when we are not at our best. Expecting a good fight for the title, come on you Red men!

29 Aug 2020 12:14:26
Haha, Southern Red. To be fair, Holgate was quality last season. Everton could've been beyond saving by the time Ancelotti came in, without Holgate. He was the only leader on or off the pitch at one stage. Ancelotti will get them up the table big time though. It's not actually that big of a claim because there are so few good centre backs in the Prem right now! I still hate Holgate for pushing Bobby into a concrete barrier, but i can't deny his quality.

29 Aug 2020 12:51:39
I never bother with predictions, at any stage. Much rather just go in amped for each game and hope we pick up the 3 points.

We all start on a clean slate and we are a well established squad that is starting to get used to winning things. it all bodes well for us heading into the new season.

29 Aug 2020 12:55:20
Indian Buzzer, the way i see it:
Son>Pulisic>Rashford
Kane>Martial>Werner
Greenwood>Bergwijn>Ziyech
Fernandes>Mount>Alli

29 Aug 2020 13:04:37
Man Bun, both Everton and Tottenham will finish in the bottom half in my view.

29 Aug 2020 13:30:41
That's a huge claim JACK! You're entitled to your opinion though mate. Everton wouldn't be a huge shock to be fair. I'm putting a lot of stock in Ancelotti to be honest.

If Spurs finish bottom half though i'd be staggered. I bet you'd get great odds on that pre-season! Player for player they have the 3rd best team in the league i think. Beauty of football is the subjectivity and unpredictability though. Nobody really knows right now do they!

29 Aug 2020 15:49:45
here is my table
If city get messi and we sell mane

Mancity
Liverpool
Chelsea
Spurs
Everton
Arsenal
Leicester
United

If city get messi but we keep mane
Liverpool
Mancity

If city don't get messi but we loose mane

Liverpool
Chelsea
Spurs
ManCity

If city get messi they will walk with the title imo just because he is messi and their whole team will play at a higher level with him.

29 Aug 2020 16:11:11
Not going to predict a winner but I think the only thing holding Chelsea back is the manager really. Not sure I've seen enough yet to suggest Lampard has got it in him to become a top manager, he may do somewhere else but I reckon the owners at Chelsea may not have enough patience given how much they have spent this summer.

{Ed047's Note - you confident in their keeper?

29 Aug 2020 16:38:06
Spot on, IB regarding Rudiger. Finally someone has seen what I have seen. People esp. Chelsea fans like to big up Rudiger and say he must be good cos he is a German international. The guy is absolutely useless. He has pace and all that BUT what does it matter if you are almost all the time, out of position. He is rash and makes a tonne of mistakes. I would take Lovren over him all day long.

As for Chelsea's chances this season, they have improved their team for sure even tho, I don't believe in Chilwell nor a 35 yr old Thiago Silva in a back 4 (played in a back 3 for PSG all last season) playing alongside average to poor CB's like Zouma and the awful Rudiger. The GK situation is a crap show until they address it.

One more thing, Chealsea may be outspending everyone right now BUT it won't matter IMO cos I do not trust the tactical acumen of Lampard to get them anywhere near 2nd or 1st. The guy has been outclassed and outcoached on too many occasions this past season and I do not think he can improve completely after just one season in charge. It will take some time. With that financial outlay tho? He won't get that time.

29 Aug 2020 17:16:45
Ed047 - not from what I've seen so far but I keep thinking he'll come good at some point, he must have impressed enough people to have been valued so highly. I do wonder if having a better defence in front of him will help?

{Ed047's Note - I’d had that thought of him improving and for so much money are they almost obliged to stick with him.

Guess a lot will depend on how much of a loss they can take on their outlay if they do sell.

His shot stopping stats have been woeful so the defence will have to be immense.

They could always be of the thought process you score 4 well score 5 and that’s why they’re loading their attack. 🤷‍♂️

29 Aug 2020 17:36:29
Seems a lot of similar thought to me then cheers gents for your inputs.