some thoughts on the state of the league

obviously it's very early on and things may turn out differently but it seems to me that the premiership will be a much better competition this year than in the last few. in the last five/six years we've seen a real gap develop between the top, let's be honest, two and the rest, with arsenal and liverpool hovering somewhere between. i don't, tbph, think that was healthy. the league needs more varied competition at the top and it needs the chance of surprises and changes.

the level of points united and chelsea were getting over the last few years was, i believe, less of an indication of our/their strength and more an indication of the weakness of the rest of the league - and i feel that is changing. the clubs outside the top two/top four are much closer this year, tactically and technically. i think a lot more points will be dropped by the champions and there will be a lot more tough matches. that's very good for the sport.

i still think it will be a two-horse race, united's poor start notwithstanding. but i think the league will look a lot more like a league this year, rather than two separate leagues.

For what it's worth I don't think we'll be anywhere near the top 2 this year. The new signings are going to take time to settle in and some of the older heads need to step up.

This will lead to more results like Reading and Pompey - or rather performances which in turn may deliver the odd win but I suspect we'll lose a few more and draw plenty.

That's not me posting my usual tongue in cheek doom but those factors and the reluctance to sign a striker to, if anything else, cover for the injuries/fitness issues of Ole and Saha will come back and bite us on the arse.

I also don't doubt for a minute that Citeh will beat us on Sunday. We can't hit a barn door atm.

IN theory but I'm sure I thought the same last year - there's always been planety of potential, just too many teams that haven't relaised it.

There's 4 teams in england the rest are also rans. I dont expect that to change this year. Give it 10-12 games and my bet is that the table will have an all to familiar look to it.

Originally Posted by Lou_Macari_Chippy

There's 4 teams in england the rest are also rans. I dont expect that to change this year. Give it 10-12 games and my bet is that the table will have an all to familiar look to it.

If we're in the top 4 after 10 or so games I'll drink a pint of wee. I think we're way off at the moment and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

If we're in the top 4 after 10 or so games I'll drink a pint of wee. I think we're way off at the moment and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Sorry Whalers, but that needs quoting for future reference

Originally Posted by hopkins

Sorry Whalers, but that needs quoting for future reference

No problem. I'm pretty confident that we'll be around 6th or 7th.

by december this season will look like the seasons before last.

chelsea will be on there own with at least 7-10 points and the 3 of us liverpool, arsenal and us.

we will play in a defensive formation in champions league second round and get knocked out.

shall we have a bet... how long ferguson comes out with the "season in transition" shite? christmas? february?

It is a transitional season given the type of signings we've made. Any observer with an ounce of intelligence can see that. However Fergie's neglected to point that out and instead has come out and said we're going for all four. Silly, silly man.

[SIZE="7"]DOOM!


£#%&!off with it, 2 games in and people are crying already. Grow some balls, we will be fine. Its bad enough with every other @#%&! writing us off, we don't need our own doing it aswell. You will only look stupid come the end of the season when they, and you are proved wrong YET AGAIN!.

transitional season is just a excuse. if you are good enough, you are good enough. nft.

Originally Posted by sharath

transitional season is just a excuse. if you are good enough, you are good enough. nft.

And that's a cliche used by folk without a bit of sense.

If it was that easy all signings, foreign or otherwise, wouldn't need to settle into a new league/team etc. They should simply hit the ground running.

Sorry your statement is a load of %@#$&!s.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

And that's a cliche used by folk without a bit of sense.

If it was that easy all signings, foreign or otherwise, wouldn't need to settle into a new league/team etc. They should simply hit the ground running.

Sorry your statement is a load of %@#$&!s.

no it isn't.

I haven't heard this statement at all from great teams.

Milan when they didn't do well near late 90's they accepted they weren't good enough. they didn't give some shite excuse like transition. its same with real, barca, juve.

Great managers don't make excuses. they accept and move on. nft.

Use your £#%&!ing head, we have signed four players who are/will be integral to the team but they cannot be dropped into the side and just told to simply get on with it and do their stuff. That is as clear as day.

Anderson and Nani are kids and cannot be expected to have the kind of impact we expect from Rooney and Ronnie. Tevez has had no pre-season, is short on fitness and has had a will he/won't he transfer saga hanging over his head all Summer. Chuck Hargreaves into the mix and his recovery from a broken leg and we're having to stick the ones that are fit into a makeshift side atm, that's no way to get them to settle in and adapt. This'll carry on for a few more weeks too.

When you then factor in the form of one or two others, our current injury list and the fact that Vidic and Evra needed a whole 6months and a full pre-season to settle in and adapt it's more than likely that this season will be a period of transition.

Real, Milan and Barca don't call it transition btw they call it a work in progress. Same thing. It's not an excuse it's evolution. It's frustrating but one thing it isn't is dull.

The only irritation I have is that certain players will continue to get picked ahead of others, irrespective of form. That's why I suspect I'll be pointing a finger at Fergie come May next year.

[quote=Whalefish;496755]Use your £#%&!ing head, we have signed four players who are/will be integral to the team but they cannot be dropped into the side and just told to simply get on with it and do their stuff. That is as clear as day.

Anderson and Nani are kids and cannot be expected to have the kind of impact we expect from Rooney and Ronnie. Tevez has had no pre-season, is short on fitness and has had a will he/won't he transfer saga hanging over his head all Summer. Chuck Hargreaves into the mix and his recovery from a broken leg and we're having to stick the ones that are fit into a makeshift side atm, that's no way to get them to settle in and adapt. This'll carry on for a few more weeks too.
QUOTE]

This is why I've said that if we're still 4 or so points behind once everyone is back and integrated then we'll be in a pretty good position.
7 points from the next 9 and, with Liverpool playing Chelsea and some injuries and Ronnie to come back for us looks fairly decent.

The start isn't ideal, but some of you, please - shut the £#%&! up! You sound like £#%&!ing kids. No wonder all the ABUs call us spoilt bastards with all this negativity.

Originally Posted by The Return of JC

The start isn't ideal, but some of you, please - shut the £#%&! up! You sound like £#%&!ing kids. No wonder all the ABUs call us spoilt bastards with all this negativity.

£#%&!ing spot on mate.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

If we're in the top 4 after 10 or so games I'll drink a pint of wee. I think we're way off at the moment and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOM

Originally Posted by Whalefish

Use your £#%&!ing head, we have signed four players who are/will be integral to the team but they cannot be dropped into the side and just told to simply get on with it and do their stuff. That is as clear as day.

Anderson and Nani are kids and cannot be expected to have the kind of impact we expect from Rooney and Ronnie. Tevez has had no pre-season, is short on fitness and has had a will he/won't he transfer saga hanging over his head all Summer. Chuck Hargreaves into the mix and his recovery from a broken leg and we're having to stick the ones that are fit into a makeshift side atm, that's no way to get them to settle in and adapt. This'll carry on for a few more weeks too.

When you then factor in the form of one or two others, our current injury list and the fact that Vidic and Evra needed a whole 6months and a full pre-season to settle in and adapt it's more than likely that this season will be a period of transition.

Real, Milan and Barca don't call it transition btw they call it a work in progress. Same thing. It's not an excuse it's evolution. It's frustrating but one thing it isn't is dull.

The only irritation I have is that certain players will continue to get picked ahead of others, irrespective of form. That's why I suspect I'll be pointing a finger at Fergie come May next year.

Originally Posted by The Return of JC

This is why I've said that if we're still 4 or so points behind once everyone is back and integrated then we'll be in a pretty good position.
7 points from the next 9 and, with Liverpool playing Chelsea and some injuries and Ronnie to come back for us looks fairly decent.

The start isn't ideal, but some of you, please - shut the £#%&! up! You sound like £#%&!ing kids. No wonder all the ABUs call us spoilt bastards with all this negativity.

it's just ridiculous. you can really tell who remembers the trophyless years at times like this.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

If we're in the top 4 after 10 or so games I'll drink a pint of wee. I think we're way off at the moment and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Guess we'll see but i have to disagree, i thought the football we've played so far has been very good and i expect things to start clicking pretty soon, we might even get our first 3 points on sunday as from what i saw of city although they've won two games all in all they look pretty shit. We win the next three games and we'll be up there. By the end of the season the new players will have bedded down and we'll be in a very strong position.

We've played good football so far. Chelsea have been behind in both their games and scabbed wins. Over the course of a season, form dictates results. We'll be fine. New signings DO take time to settle, but not an entire season. Rooney's injury is more significant than new signings struggling.

Everton are much improved and could push the top 4. I cant see anyone else nosing in there.

In the end it comes down to squad quality, and by that standard, again it's only Chelsea who match us. To say we'll finish 6th or 7th is looking at it too internally from United's perspective, without applying the same scrutiny to the 5 or 6 teams that are meant to finish higher than us. Do that, and you'll see precious few teams - one in my opinion - have the squad depth and quality to take more points over 8 months.