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*Official* English Football Season 2011-12

Uppercut

Uppercut

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sledger said:
Not when there has been such a gulf in quality between you and the main competition though.
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There really has been though. Even this time last season we were miles behind Chelsea in terms of quality. Arsenal have looked so, so much better than us at the start of the season plenty of times and fallen away after Christmas.

The team that looks much better than the others early in the season doesn't usually win the title. Teams really do get a lot better or a lot worse as the season goes on quite often, even when it looks like they're on completely different levels. It only takes an injury or loss of form to a few big players.
 
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sledger

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Uppercut said:
There really has been though. Even this time last season we were miles behind Chelsea in terms of quality. Arsenal have looked so, so much better than us at the start of the season plenty of times and fallen away after Christmas.

The team that looks much better than the others early in the season doesn't usually win the title. Teams really do get a lot better or a lot worse as the season goes on quite often, even when it looks like they're on completely different levels. It only takes an injury or loss of form to a few big players.
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Yeah, but there's a big difference between looking better and actually being better. I'd dispute the notion that Chelsea were miles ahead in terms of quality last season. In fact I'd say they were much the same as they are now, in terminal decline already for the most part. There's not much use it denying that City just look like they have decent attacking talent and depth, they unquestionably do. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool often get caught out as the season progresses, and Man City I suppose may do as well (though I seriously doubt this will happen to any major extent), but this is down to a lack in depth/quality (be it mental/physical/technical/whatever). Give the quality of Utd's squad, and City's, this is a totally different challenge than anything experienced before.
 
Uppercut

Uppercut

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I don't really disagree all that much. But I will say that it's pretty hard to tell the difference between looking better and actually being better. At Citeh guys like Richards, Lescott, Clichy, Barry, Milner etc. are having phenomenal seasons when before they've generally been fairly average. It's hard to say whether they've undergone a massive improvement or they're just having a good run of form. On paper it's really not much stronger a side than the one that finished fourth last season.

It's much harder to see where a United improvement is going to come from, though. Maybe we'll sign De Rossi and Cleverly will stay fit for the rest of the season. Clutching at straws.
 
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sledger

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Uppercut said:
I don't really disagree all that much. But I will say that it's pretty hard to tell the difference between looking better and actually being better. At Citeh guys like Richards, Lescott, Clichy, Barry, Milner etc. are having phenomenal seasons when before they've generally been fairly average. It's hard to say whether they've undergone a massive improvement or they're just having a good run of form. On paper it's really not much stronger a side than the one that finished fourth last season.

It's much harder to see where a United improvement is going to come from, though. Maybe we'll sign De Rossi and Cleverly will stay fit for the rest of the season. Clutching at straws.
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Whilst it's perfectly plausible to suggest guys like Richards, Lescott, Barry and Milner might be having a prolonged purple patch (no need to mention Clichy, because it's a given that's what's happening with him), there's little dispute that in Aguero they now have a player who is genuinely world class. Whilst Silva hasn't suddenly become as good as he is overnight, he's now settled in the Premiership and really achieving top form, so I don't think it's a stretch to say the same about him. Balotelli, Yaya Toure and Dzeko are now getting settling in more, whilst De Jong and Nasri are seasoned premiership players with considerable international experience. There is a lot of quality in this squad, no doubt about it. I'd agree with Furball, barring some huge implosion on their part, it'll be really tough to stop them from here.

Huge game for them on Sunday though. Big test for Arsenal as well.
 
The Sean

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
So Arsenal draw Milan and Chelsea get Napoli - possibly the toughest draws they could have received. Thoughts Gooners (and Blues, if we have any)?

I'd discuss my own team's draw but, well, you know... :ph34r:
 
BoyBrumby

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Worst we could've done, but it's definitely winnable.

Read in the paper today that in 7 KO meetings with Italian teams in Yurp we're 7/7.
 
sledger

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Yeah, would be pretty scandalous if that happened tbh.

On an amusing unrelated note, Blackburn proceeding to make a balls of things at home to West Brom.
 
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