How Do You See The League Shaping Up?

[Shabu]

Apologies if this has been asked recently. I went back three pages & saw nowt.

Who do you think will be the top four, euro contenders, mid table & relegation battle boys?

Man City & Liverpool were miles ahead of the others last season but Chelsea will be looking to bounce back. Spurs will have a full pre season with Conte & Arsenal finished the season strong & have a young developing squad. **** knows how Man Utd are going to go :lol:

In the pack hoping to sneak into 5th, 6th & 7th will be us, Newcastle, Leicester, Wolves & maybe Brighton who finished the season on fire. Palace also looking up rather than down.

Can Frank do anything with Evertons bloated squad? Which of the promoted teams will finish top half & will Fulham swap places with Norwich again.

Here's my random predictions on league places.

Man City
Liverpool
Arsenal
Spurs
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Chelsea
West Ham
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Newcastle
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Man Utd
Palace
Brighton
Bournemouth
Wolves
Villa
Leicester
Brentford
Fulham
Everton
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Southampton
Leeds
Notts Forest

The way Spurs are shaping up I could see them being a threat to the top two.

[ironilunga]

Spurs are at the very least assembling a squad comparable to Chelsea’s.

[btajim - mcfc]

I think Forest might have a reasonable season. Steve Cooper is a very promising manager.

[johnnyb]

Unless something unexpected happens like us signing the three first team starters we need, then I think we will sink back to midtable or just below even. Our league form for the last 5 months or so of last season was just that and with the top 5 clubs building out of sight squads and the likes of Newcastle and Man Utd strengthening as expected and even a couple of others, then imho we may well get left behind.

[hammers92]

I think this year is Everton’s turn to drop. Being forced so sell one of your best players is always the beginning of the end imo.

Staying up would be a good job from Frank personally.

[bubbles1966]

Unless something unexpected happens like us signing the three first team starters we need, then I think we will sink back to midtable or just below even. Our league form for the last 5 months or so of last season was just that and with the top 5 clubs building out of sight squads and the likes of Newcastle and Man Utd strengthening as expected and even a couple of others, then imho we may well get left behind.

I very much felt the same way a week or two ago, but I'm beginning to feel a bit more positive.

Some of that is watching the 9th-17th type teams losing good players - they will have to go some to stand still.

The only one in the group below us that is holding it together and clearly improving is Newcastle, though I suspect they will be a very agricultural team. It's like that old TV programmes, Land of the Giants. They are likely to be a grim watch but somewhere top half. Villa may improve a bit.

At least one of the top 6 teams will have a 'mare.

[YorksHammer]

Ronaldo is another year older and Ten Hag likes to play with a press from the front, will be interesting to see how he uses him.

Impact sub. Looking for a goal in the last 15 minutes? Send for CRonaldo.

[Doc H Ball]

I can’t personally see Man U having as bad a season. I know they’re rebuilding, but even that is better than the attitude they had last term and they still pipped us. We squeezed the life out of the lemon and yet the top 6 ended as the top 6.

I think we’re in a group with the Saudis, the Thais and the CCP slugging it out for 7th - 9th.

Leeds, Fulham and Bournemouth for the drop.

[Kermit]

Unless something unexpected happens like us signing the three first team starters we need, then I think we will sink back to midtable or just below even. Our league form for the last 5 months or so of last season was just that and with the top 5 clubs building out of sight squads and the likes of Newcastle and Man Utd strengthening as expected and even a couple of others, then imho we may well get left behind.

I see where you're coming from with this. All this talk about Top 4, regular European competition and so on is all well and good but, being realistic, how many players of genuine top 6 quality do we have ? Rice, Fornals, Bowen and maybe Zouma.

As you say our form since beating Chelsea was mid table at best and my fear is that our style of play has been well and truly sussed. Let's face it the way to beat West Ham is to concede possession and force us to make the running. And when a team sets up that way against us we're not very good at breaking them down. We need more creativity in the side and a more intelligent spearhead striker than Antonio. Sort that out and we might go places but sorting it out is easier said than done.

[last.caress]

Top 6 made up of the "Big" 6. Boring but there it is.

1 Man City
2 Liverpool
3 Spurs
4 Chelsea
5 Arsenal
6 Man Utd

WHU or Newcastle best of the rest this year.

Leeds and Everton down with one of the new teams. Hopefully Fulham, probably Forest.

[bubbles1966]

9th-17th teams' player losses so far - Brentford (Eriksen ), Leeds (Phillips), Southampton (Broja), Palace (Gallagher), Everton (Richarlison), Brighton (Bissouma)

[Georgee Paris]

9th-17th teams' player losses so far - Brentford (Eriksen ), Leeds (Phillips), Southampton (Broja), Palace (Gallagher), Everton (Richarlison), Brighton (Bissouma)

West Ham - Noble & Yarmolenko

[Ironing Board]

9th-17th teams' player losses so far - Brentford (Eriksen ), Leeds (Phillips), Southampton (Broja), Palace (Gallagher), Everton (Richarlison), Brighton (Bissouma)

All losing their best players!

[bubbles1966]

Of the supposed big 6, Arsenal are the ones most likely to bottle it, blow up or do something really stupid and lose their heads.

I think the group of 6 will be broken again now that they are all having to play in Europe as well. Spurs won't be able to soft-pedal it either.

[bubbles1966]

I'm starting to become a bit more uncertain....

[Ironing Board]

With Eriksen and a new manager Man Utd will finish 3rd or, at a push, 2nd.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

With Eriksen and a new manager Man Utd will finish 3rd or, at a push, 2nd.

don't see a 2nd place, they're not good enough to topple either City or the Bin Dippers imvho.

the race for 3rd might be hectic though.....

with the money they're spending, Arsenal and Spurs had BETTER get 3rd and 4th between them. or else the lack of difference between finances in the CL and Europa League monies will bring both Conte and Arteta under enormous pressure.

not sure that Tuchel will be able to get Chelsea functioning properly. he's going to have to go full on 5-5-0 sometimes and their fans ain't going to be happy. winning or not. ticket prices being what they are these days from what I can read, people won't want to go and watch full blown Big Sam football in West London.

[AnthraxDave]

If we can finish 7th-10th and have a decent go in the cups, I would consider it a good season.
I think Newcastle might over-achieve next season - Apart from Manchester City and Liverpool, they were the best form team from January onwards. Wouldn't be surprised to see them in the top 6 at the end of the season.

Hope that Forest stay up, and think they will do by a comfortable margin. Their signings have been superb and very sensible. One of my favourite grounds in the country and hoping to have a day out there with one of my best friends who is a Seasoon Ticket holder. Might have to hide in the home end!

One of Spurs/Arsenal/Chelsea will implode and end up finishing 12th.

[stu1]

One of Spurs/Arsenal/Chelsea will implode and end up finishing 12th.

Unfortunately if one of those teams implode they typically still finish 6th - 8th

For one of those teams to finish bottom half over a season they would probably end up sacking 3-4 managers.

Last season Tottenham and Man U had spells deemed poor enough to sack their manager,whilst Arsenal also came close. yet they all still finished above us.

[bubbles1966]

Man U have spent £57m on a 5'8" CB to add to the £15m on a 5'7" LB.

They are trying to spend £70m on a 5' 11 DM. So over £140m.

They will need to be very special technically to overcome the obvious frailties this will bring.