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I do agree with SBYM and GermanRed that City is still objectively the biggest threat. Though they and MU have played like dogshit for the first two months before turning a corner, City have a much more cohesive style.
On the one hand, I always prepare myself for the worst possible outcome. Maybe I’m a naysayer but I was convinced that we were going to blow the title in 2014, figuring there was no way we would win 14 games in a row with a shit defense and goalkeeper…hell, even after the slip I was like “well, at least we didn’t blow it on the last day,” as I thought we were going to lose at home to Newcastle. I’ve become slightly less pessimistic since, but even last year, I didn’t sing we were going to win the League after the United game…and while that might have been due to my own skepticism, it proved prescient given COVID gave us 3 months of uncertainty. In fact, the first time I sang it was when Greg Clarke from the FA came out and said null and void was off the table. So, in that sense, I would not be surprised if United won the League. That doesn’t mean they necessarily will, of course, but I’ve prepared myself for that.
On the other hand, United seem to play off-the-cuff and hope they get a jammy goal or penalty, almost like they’re playing five-a-side on the streets. It has worked out well for them in the last couple of months, but it’s not a sustainable way to win games. City and us, meanwhile, both have well-drilled, consistent tactical plans and systems. It is true that the hallmark of champions is winning close games — we ourselves won 14 League games by 1 goal last year, compared to City’s 5, which is exactly the margin between 1st and 2nd — but you can’t rely on it every week. At some point, even the luckiest of teams hit a wall.
On Fernandes: he’s good. I didn’t want to believe it for a while, but I’ve seen enough of him that I can say he’s good. At the same time, I do feel the media has not given his goals + assists tally enough qualification (in terms of “yes he has been involved in X goals but half of them were penalties”.) He is also a whinging c**t. All of these things can be true.
On scheduling: In addition to them having to play on Thursday nights, which is definitely tougher than Tue/Wed to Sat/Sun, we also mustn’t forget that, unlike last year when we were the only team in the top 6 to beat them, they haven’t played that well against good sides. Aside from the PSG and Leipzig wins, they’ve suffered home losses to Arsenal and Spurs, draws against City and Chelsea, losses to PSG and Leipzig, and defeat to City in the Carling Cup. Even without VVD and Gomez, I’d still take our back five over Slabhead and friends, particularly against a good team.
Ultimately, as much as it pains me to say, there is a non-zero chance that United could win the title this year. At the same time, it was just a couple of months ago that they were dropping points on a weekly basis, and it doesn’t take much for overperformers to revert to the mean.
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Let me get one thing straight: there’s no human being out there that I’d rather have as the manager of Liverpool than Klopp. Not even Rafa, whom I love immeasurably. He’s worked out of his skin to get them where they are, whereas Solskjaer inherited and bought some of the most expensive players in the world. Klopp had ten, mostly first team players out with injury at one point this season - I honestly doubt any PL side would cope with that, City couldn’t cope with less injuries last season. Problem is, it’s only now that we’re seeing the consequences of injuries and fatigue that accumulated over the course of last three months. He can’t perform miracles, that’s all I’m saying, and a lot of people, to put it mildly, will be asking questions of him and FSG because they failed to sign a CB. That’s unfair on both and I think it is unfair to expect Liverpool to win the title under current circumstances, especially taking the imminent fixture list into account. If that’s me managing expectations, @wyld.at.hrt, then so be it. My expectations weren’t that high to begin with, at least not since Gomez got injured.
To paraphrase that old quote, Klopp is a great general, one of the greatest, Solskjaer is one of the luckiest. When that lucky run kicks in, so to speak, I don’t see that it ends just like that, in the middle of the season - and it started around this time last season when they got Fernandes. This reminds me a lot of their last two league titles, I hated the guts of those two seasons. Dross everywhere, rivals downing tools and sacking managers, players getting injured, while Man United just plodded on, got some timely decisions in their favour, perennially injured Van Persie staying miraculously fit throughout the whole 2012/13 season and got it over the line with one of the weakest title winning squads I’ve seen.
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Very true. It confounds me how one person can have so much fortune.
As mentioned, I have also had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that they’re going to bullshit their way to the title with luck. It may still happen. Yet as much as I bemoan Solskjaer’s luck and our lack thereof, I still think that your luck can run out. Even if the odds are in your favor, as seems to be United’s case, you are playing with fire when you are relying on chance. It is also worth remembering that United went 14 League games unbeaten to close last season…only to start this year with a loss. You only have to look at their UCL catastrophe in which they seemed odds-on to qualify from the group of death (needed 1 point from their last 2 games) and they blew it. And while conspiracies might abound about them blowing the CL to help them in the League, I don’t buy it, particularly given Thursday night games are a bitch.
I do get what you’re saying. I thought it was hilarious that the United players allegedly thought less of Moyes when he told them to make changes, going “we just won the title by 11 points.” Yeah, you won the title by 11 points because of RvP and the offside goal at Stamford Bridge, with dogshit like Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia along with aging CBs. And I have never been more convinced of a team losing in the CL final as I was when United played Barcelona in 2011…I was like “this team is dogshit, they’re gonna get run over by Messi and friends.”
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Stop the Cunts
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Agreed, ZB. This is exactly what I’m hanging my hat on. There is still miles and miles to go in this season. So much football to play.
I think back just 2 seasons and all the hysteria in January from media about us winning the title with a 9 point gap only to be pipped by City at the end. Then last season, Leicester were “serious contenders” for the title in January, then reduced to top 4 contenders, then completely disappeared.
Point being, even if we were to lose this Sunday, while extremely painful and would leave me with a very heavy heart, we are by no means out of anything. So many twists and turns yet in the road and chapters of the season’s story yet to be written.
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You would assume they would have some injuries at some point.
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Towards the end of the Burnley game Martial limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury and Matic went down holding his groin,so it looks like those 2 may not be in sundays squad.
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Yeah EPL physio room have those two down as well as Lideloff
Martial says tight hamstring so you are right.
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People said the same about Leicester…
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I think our match on the weekend could really be the one to put them in their shells and break their current run. I think a single bad result could make them really wobble. And it needs to be us to provide it. Remind them of the difference in class (on and off the field) between the two sides, even with our injury problems.
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In theory I’d agree with you, but usually these games are stale as fuck in a footballing sense. Since Kloppo came in, it has been slightly better, especially when we play at home (at OT, we have been terrible most of times under him) but these fuckers usually refuse to play football against us, stay behind the ball, and just wait on the usual ‘error’ from the ref to bail them out.
A win would be massive for us in terms of staying a bit longer in the race for the title. But let’s face it, with the horrible form our lads have shown recently, and considering utd’s current baraka (everything, and I mean, everything goes in their favour at the moment), a draw or a defeat looks unfortunately more likely.
Hopefully though the lads will find back top form. They need it to get any form of result in that fixture.
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While I agree with your general stance that the chance of us winning the title is as remote as it gets, I don’t think that the red mancs have it in themselves to go all the way. They remind me very much of us in 2014: some great players in the team, on a great run, attack on fire, lucky results, but with structural problems (their defence for instance is shite, just like ours at the time) and with a somewhat clueless gimp leading them.
At some point, they’ll face problems, either through injuries, or being shown up by better teams hitting some form. Same for the likes of Leicester, Tottenham, etc. who seem in the race for the time being, more because of the big boys struggling, rather than because of their own consistency.
For me, the overhwelming favourites for the title this season are still man cheaty, despite their initial indifferent results. With their deep squad, they’ll go from strength to strength and take advantage of ours and everyone else’s frailties.
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Yeah, I’m not convinced we’ll beat them, but with years since growing up, I’ve grown to absolutely adore these tense moments.
We’ve never actually seen in modern times both Liverpool and United going toe to toe. We were close a few times, but couldn’t compete off the pitch. We don’t know the outcome, but I just love the buzz, especially when it’s not 20 points difference between on, for whichever side.
I don’t think luck has been such a big factor for them. Sure, they’ve had some, we had some less. But credit where it’s due, they’ve put themselves in a nice position. We shouldn’t take that away from them.
I wouldn’t underestimate them when I say I can’t wait for the games against them, but I also wouldn’t overrate them.
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If I’m honest there wasn’t like a team like Man City lurking in that Leicester year. To be fair it’s only come to this because we didn’t win a game over Christmas.
As I’ve said though it’s down to us still, win our games we still win it.
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checks table
21 games left, 7 teams within 10 points of them. Europa league still to come.
I’m surprised the bookies haven’t stopped taking bets, they’re nailed on aren’t they?
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On the face of it that’s impressive, I must begrudgingly admit. Fair enough.
Though, to also to be fair to our Bitter friends, no way they should have ruled out the late Maguire OG in the game at Goodison just before lockdown. That was jammy as fuck, even by United standards (which also includes Brighton hitting the woodwork five times and United getting a penalty after the full-time whistle).
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Correct…that Brighton game was a travesty, with regard to both the laws of the game and the laws of physics.
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Amazing away record? What’s our home record then?
Bedwetting galore going on. Typical of the times we live in. All or nothing. Winning the title is as remote as it gets this season? Give yer head a wobble and have a chat with yourself.
There’s plenty of time left in the season and at the moment for me the threat is Man City.
OGS aka gollum struggles when the pressure is on.
We take the chances we get on Sunday and we’ll win comfortably. Leave the ref in the equation and it’ll be a different story.
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he is such a cunning stunt
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