Phube Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Okay so we're all predicting where us or other teams will finish this upcoming season - an obviously impossible task. So my idea, we break it down and see whether teams have improved or gotten worse over the summer. Which should at least give an idea of movement... My (limited knowledge) thoughts: Leicester - A fraction worse (sort of). Arsenal - A fraction better. Spurs - Better Man City - Better Man U - A lot better. West Ham - Same Southampton - Worse Liverpool - Better Stoke - Same Chelsea - A lot Better Everton - A bit better (after losing Martinez) Swansea - Worse Watford - Same West Brom - ? Palace - Better (if they get Benteke) Bournemouth - Same Sunderland - Worse. So this says a Man U /Man City win.
ARM1968 Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 I think we are potentially better but need to get those extra couple of players in.
Grewks Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Our Starting XI is worse...but the squad is stronger. Not sure how Spurs and West ham are the 'same'...they've both added players and lost no one.
weller54 Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Kante was our beating heart.. So we're definitely worse without him. But squad is stronger of course.
Guest Col city fan Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Its a difficult one this. On paper, you'd say we had to be better. We've only sold Kante and have gained Musa, Mendy and the young defender. But Kante I think was so good, for us at least, that he's basically irreplaceable. I'm surprised we've not pushed the boat out yet. To be going into the campaign as Champs, AND into Europe, I don't think we've improved as much as we could, or indeed probably should have. Morgan and Huth are another year older and at some point, pace will be an issue. It always is when fellas start approaching the early to mid thirties. And I think we need a playmaker in the middle. Where's the creativity going to come from if Mahrez is off the boil? We'll see....too soon to tell anything.
Deucalion Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 I think our central defence will look worse as Kante will not be intercepting attacks through the middle. They should be equally as good defending high balls into the box. Mendy is supposed to be a better passer than Kante, so it should improve it that regard. Also, we have different options from the flanks so we can change and adapt. Better there I would think. Maybe we will be better at breaking teams down than last season? We have added Musa up front who looks lively. We haven't lost any players so we are stronger in attack. To sum up, in my humble opinion, we will be a better and more versatile attacking team but probably worse in defence. (That said, Hernandez has interception stats almost as good as Kante's doesn't he? Could he play in front of the back four or could we play three at the back?
sdb Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 As has been said, the squad is stronger but XI weaker. If we can find a top class dynamic CDM then we're laughing.
Bluetintedspecs Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 5 minutes ago, FIF said: We're better. Some others are a lot better. Factoring the 10 point gap in FIF we still boss it
Great Boos Up Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Down defensively but we should perhaps score just as many goals as we are up offensively. It's just that we will lose/draw more games.
Fox92 Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Everton will be a lot better. They underperformed given their squad and any decent manager - which Koeman is - would have had them top 10 easily.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 14 minutes ago, Fox92 said: Everton will be a lot better. They underperformed given their squad and any decent manager - which Koeman is - would have had them top 10 easily. Getting rid of Stones and going for Williams was an astute move too... and they now have £30m+ to spare for another player or two.
Sol thewall Bamba Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 I think our squad is better equiped for the season we have ahead than we were this time last year.
Phube Posted 9 August 2016 Author Posted 9 August 2016 1 hour ago, Grewks said: Our Starting XI is worse...but the squad is stronger. Not sure how Spurs and West ham are the 'same'...they've both added players and lost no one. West Ham, meh! but Spurs I'll concede, forgot about Janssen. Better.
ARTY_FOX Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Losing kante was obviously massive but I think mendy will come good for us. I recon it'll probably take him abit to settle but we'll end up with a thread on here about how he's amazing and we shouldn't have worried.
FireFox Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 West Ham may not be better on paper, but remember, Payet was injured for a long time and they had many, many bad ref decisions against them IIRC.
Vacamion Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 3 hours ago, Phube said: whether teams have improved or gotten worse over the summer. Hmmmmmmmm. Boooooo!
Gazza M Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 I think we are doing ourselves a disservice here. We played apparently stronger Man Utd off the park at times last Sunday. I fail to see where Tottenham are stronger and Arsenal have defensive crisis on their hands with injuries. The danger is obviously Man City and Chelsea. But their squad needs to gel and don't forget neither manager has managed at Prem level before. I am confident with a new Rb and another striker we can compete to defend our title. 4-3-3 with Drinkwater, Mendy and Amartey behind Musa, Vardy and Marhez. Width to come from Fuchs and Rb overlapping.
Phube Posted 9 August 2016 Author Posted 9 August 2016 12 minutes ago, Vacamion said: Hmmmmmmmm. Boooooo! Hey I'm playing fast and loose with grammar nowadays! plus is sounds nicer!
Aus Fox Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 It seems the media is desperate to tell us how much stronger Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea are. In reality there are so many unknowns here, countless players and managers have come from overseas success and failed miserably in the Premier League: it's vastly different to any other in the world. What we do know is Chelsea can't be any worse, surely and with Kante I expect them to be challenging for top 4 possible title favourites depending on how Conte adapts. Especially with no European distractions. United: Jose knows the league and what it takes to win, there season will depend on Pogba, if he returns and performs to his highest standards United could be a threat, if he flops they are no better than last year and miss top 4 for me. Man City: I don't know why but I just don't see Pep being a premier league sucess, I don't believe they have bought well. Stones for me is a disaster waiting to happen, he will improve but I expect him to cost them around 5 goals this season if he plays every week, I think they miss the top 4 this season. Arsenal are weaker but will still get 4th place as standard. Spurs we need to see how their players come back after last seasons disappointment, if the Euros are anything to go by e pest them to struggle early and make a late push for the top 6. Liverpool for me will be the big improves Klopp now has his team and has got to know the league, no European football Top 2. Leicester: much stronger going forward, much weaker defending. Will need to play the attacking game we played so well at the start of last season. Will heavily back us in the over 2.5 goals market in each of the first few games.We need Mendy to step in and try to replace the irreplaceable. Morgan and Huth another year older could be found wanting over what could be a 50 game plus season. On the flip side Musa and his Joachim like skills and pace looks designed for the premier league and I think will cause teams problems and Gray looks like he is ready to step up and could be a real handful this season. amywhere from Champions to 14th. I expect Everton to be the surprise movers and shakers in the top 6. I predict Chelsea Liverpool Man Utd Arsenal Leicester Everton Man City Spurs
Dan Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 Arsenal - Very marginally better. Still not strengthened in the right areas. (5th) Bournemouth - Similar. Haven't convinced me with their signings and lost for me their best player. (14th) Burnley - Similar. Nothing of significance. (19th) Chelsea - Better. Signed the best midfielder in the league and appointed a very good manager. (3rd) Crystal Palace - Stronger but still got a bombscare manager who could sabotage everything. (13th) Everton - Slightly better. A better defensive organiser in charge. Still would've expected more now. (8th) Hull - Comfortably worse than a side who scraped a play-off win (20th) Leicester - Slightly worse first XI but better strength in depth, if that's possible. (7th) Liverpool - Better. Quality manager has a summer to really settle in and improve. (6th) Man City - Significantly better. Should win the league. (1st) Man Utd - Significantly better. Will fight Man City but will miss out I feel. (2nd) Middlesbrough - Appear to have improved upon their promotion winning side. (15th) Southampton - Slightly weaker for me. Lost a good manager and their best attacking player although have replaced him, just not quite as well. (9th) Stoke - Quite an unknown at present. About the same I would guess. (11th) Sunderland - Weaker. Lost a good manager and have appointed one who is in a bit of a three strike situation. (17th) Swansea - Weaker. Lost their captain, one of their best attackers and haven't signed significantly although Baston could put an end to that, good player. In trouble for me though. (18th) Tottenham - Slightly better. Added a quality striker to rotate with Kane. (4th) Watford - Total unknown again, but do seem to often get it right. (12th) West Brom - Genuinely haven't a clue what they've done in this window. (16th) West Ham - Weaker for now. Have been a bit disappointing in the window. Feghouli's a very good addition but they've got plenty of injuries. (10th)
fuchsntf Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 I cant see where fans believe our defence is weaker. 1) Armatey a seasons more experience, plus looking good investment. 2) Chilwell signs, strengthening left hand side, and could well cover elsewhere. 3) Hernandez good buy, strengthens back four, upping potential. 4 )Why doubts over Morgan and Huth, they have done the business 5) Doubt Wasi at your own peril. 6) Kasper has competition, good 2nd gk added. I refuse to believe, that Kante's loss makes us weaker, no!!! it sets us a new challenge. Importantly a top Italian tactician is staying, seeing us through our next phase.. CLAUDIO RANIERI... Wuzzies the lot of you....!!! over nothing
Sionnach gorm Posted 9 August 2016 Posted 9 August 2016 24 minutes ago, fuchsntf said: I cant see where fans believe our defence is weaker. 1) Armatey a seasons more experience, plus looking good investment. 2) Chilwell signs, strengthening left hand side, and could well cover elsewhere. 3) Hernandez good buy, strengthens back four, upping potential. 4 )Why doubts over Morgan and Huth, they have done the business 5) Doubt Wasi at your own peril. 6) Kasper has competition, good 2nd gk added. I refuse to believe, that Kante's loss makes us weaker, no!!! it sets us a new challenge. Importantly a top Italian tactician is staying, seeing us through our next phase.. CLAUDIO RANIERI... Wuzzies the lot of you....!!! over nothing Completely agree. I do believe some teams will improve this year, especially Chelsea (I think conte is excellent). Guardiola is up in the air for me also. Pogba didn't impress during the euros. Mourinho will need more time (though it's hard to imagine zatlan ever having a bad year). LCFC will be in the top four, me thinks.
TMELcfc Posted 10 August 2016 Posted 10 August 2016 Defensively, we are worse off... Agree with many that Kante is a huge loss. And while we can only judge on preseason, it isn't a coincidence in my mind we've conceded loads without him. Teams going through the middle where we lack pace at the back when last season teams were forced wide a lot with Kante snapping at them anytime they tried to go through the middle. A ball whipped in from the wing was mopped up by Huth and Morgan. I'm concerned that if we carry on with 442 without Kante (because Mendy isn't like for like to Kante, "but he's French and little and looks like him so he must be" no he f****** isn't!) we'll not be having many Pizza's. The good thing is Ranieri isn't normally afraid to make changes quickly and I'm sure will work something out of this ends up being the case. Drinkwater I must add seems to have improved again (only preseason I know). Going forward we look as good if not better as last season so maybe we'll adopt the old Real Madrid approach and just try and score more than them!
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