The College Dropout

I'm looking at the last 8 results. Of which they have only lost once. Including draws at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge (where we lost badly). I fancied them to get a result at OT because they've been scoring goals and picking up results and Man U are shit. For a team that is 19th, that is decent form. Averaging over a point a game. They've dropped the young keeper and tightened up defensively a little. They have improved from being that terrible side they were for 2/3 of the season. They have it all to play for. It's not the super easy fixture it would've been in September. And we are bad away from home. We should beat these. They are still 19th with a low points total. But they are in as good a vein of form as they've been all season with it all to play for. Another slow away start and we could be in trouble.

Yeh they are obviously a great team. They have the best manager in the world and have built a team in his image with a crazy budget. The not buying proven winners doesn't mean much to me. It's the highest wage bill in the league for a reason. The squad depth is brilliant. The youth setup is the best in the country and one of the best in the world if they ever need to dip into it. What makes their dominance so boring is it's predictable. in 2 of their tight races, they won every single game for something like 10 games. Those title races weren't entertaining. City kept winning when it matters. It's what makes this title race not as exciting as it should be. It feels like City will win every game until the end because they've done it before... more than once. They are inevitable. And to top it off the football is boring and formulaic. The best moments in their run-in when it's been tight is a CB breaking code and just lashing one from 30 yards that one year. Man U were dominant. But not 4-in-a-row dominant. And it felt like the competition back then was weaker. City can't even muster a proper rivalry, they just keep winning.

All the teams in the race for 6th/7th will continue to drop points. Chelsea do look a bit better now than they did. But I think they would do well to get better than 9-10 points from their remaining fixtures. Likewise, we don't look like hitting top form at all this season. I'd probably take 7 points if it was offered now, if 3 of those came against man U. Man U would do well to get 4 points from their next 2. So would we tbh.

They have raised the bar. But I do think a part of that is the gulf between 1-3 and 16-20 is just so big in terms of squad cost and wages. You're talking 4x the difference, sometimes 5x. It's no wonder they can go to Forest (ok, bad example) not really play too well and still win 0-2. Performance wise this is the weakest City side (to possibly win a league title) since Pep won the league. Which is likely to be reflected in a slightly lower points total than usual. It's shit. The football this season has been especially boring.They haven't even beaten Arsenal this season. I hope they lose this season. They can win it next season though like. Arteta going back-to-back, Liverpool winning, Man U winning

Regarding the title race. Tired of City and Pep dominating. Winning 6 of the last 7 titles is too much. 4 peat? Come on man. They're not even that good this season too. Fergie didn't even dominate like this. They'll be better next season too assuming Pep stays. They'll lock off those Kovacic, Nunes, Grealish shit next season imo.

A lot of people think the Wilson replacement will be easy and/or cheap.

Crowd needs to support him. He's limited. We know that. Get behind him.

Would like Arsenal to win the league. I just want to feel something.

If I was him, I would hold out. West Ham is a better job than Bournemouth but not much better. It will be difficult to do much better league position wise although the football could easily be improved. The top 8 teams, you can see 4-5 changing managers in the next 18 months. Barca, Bayern and RM too. How the chips fall will create opportunities.

Slot bigger up Minteh a lot. Seems to believe in youth. He’s not a brand name but seems a good coach. Not sure what to expect.

I don’t think it does.

11 points from the last 8 games. 1 defeat in the last 8 and they had 10 men in that defeat. draws at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Our rivals couldn’t beat them at home. Beating them away might not be easy. For a team that is still 19th (I think) that is decent form. They’ve seem to find a way to be competitive in games. Unlike most of you lot, I know ball.

Burnley are in decent form.

The ones that take forever tend to be offside calls. And that’s just trying to enforce the rules of the game.

This is what VAR is for. Awful decision by the ref in real time

Aye not much gets made of selling their DM and CM and not replacing them with the same quality.

I’ve thought he was over rated. Hot head. Rash. Ill-disciplined. All of that is probably true. But his personality today has been endearing. He wants it.

He’s a talent. But it’s not hooking up. When he first joined he looked a wonderful playmaker.

Brighton look like a team who have sold their best 2 players and not replaced them. And then played European football

Kulu has been largely poor since Conte left imo.

Arsenal had a wobble in December I think. Drew and lost games they shouldn’t. But from GW20 or so they’ve been the best team in the country.

Lad in #1 has done the revolutionary thing of picking good players from good teams. Thats usually my approach but I’ve followed the doubles here. A CS for Arsenal would be horrendous.

Anyone else in the NO league top 5?

He doesn’t get much credit for basically firing us over the line to get to the CL last season.

Just think he was carrying an injury.