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Premier League 2022/23

Do you believe we can win the Premier League?


  • Total voters
    255

2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
They weren in the same situation as us in competing with Man City for a title, that's what I mean. It's no failure to lose out to them, not like we were clear and completely collapsed they were right next to us all season and people were saying they would take over us anyway.

Rival fans and pundits were saying that but I’m sure at parts this season you didn’t believe it, neither did I.

Of course it’s no failure but it’s more about the manner we lost the title, leading by 2 goal margins in games and just throwing it all away. It’s not something that will be easily forgotten regardless of where we finish next season. A complete collapse when it was in our hands, it wasn’t like there was a point that separated the two sides.
 

2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
Well I was just talking about what I see in that picture. All I'm saying is we were never that far from Man City, they were neck and neck with us all season.

A more experienced side and one that can manage a game capitalises on the little errors that City makes, that’s what it takes to win the title. You can’t be top for 247 days and have nothing to show for it come the end of the season.

I would have cut them some slack if the context was slightly different but the West Ham, Liverpool and Southampton collapses still leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
 

BigPoppaPump

Reeling from Laca & Kos nightmares
Rival fans and pundits were saying that but I’m sure at parts this season you didn’t believe it, neither did I.

Of course it’s no failure but it’s more about the manner we lost the title, leading by 2 goal margins in games and just throwing it all away. It’s not something that will be easily forgotten regardless of where we finish next season. A complete collapse when it was in our hands, it wasn’t like there was a point that separated the two sides.
I don't disgaree necessarily, I do think those games were a collapse on our part. Those Everton, Liverpool, Soton and West Ham games were awful.

However, I don't think we were ever really clear of Man City. They were always in touching distance of us, there were parts of the season I did believe but there were more times were I thought they'd take us over. That 200 and whatever days stat is misleading is all i'm tryna say.
 

BigPoppaPump

Reeling from Laca & Kos nightmares
A more experienced side and one that can manage a game capitalises on the little errors that City makes, that’s what it takes to win the title. You can’t be top for 247 days and have nothing to show for it come the end of the season.

I would have cut them some slack if the context was slightly different but the West Ham, Liverpool and Southampton collapses still leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
I don't disagree with your second paragraph, but I think the part I bolded is a bit disengenous or just doesn't really paint the full picture.
 

Tir Na Nog

Changes Opinion Every 5 Minutes

Country: Ireland
There was definitely a couple of times where we had a chance to pull away and put some real daylight between ourselves at City. Going into that Everton game obviously being one of them. When we were 2-0 up at Anfield would've been the other.
 

2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
I don't disagree with your second paragraph, but I think the part I bolded is a bit disengenous or just doesn't really paint the full picture.

It doesn’t paint the full picture because we allowed them to be in touching distance. We could have pulled away from them like Liverpool did in 2019/20.

When you’re in touching distance of them then that doubt will remain in the players, fans and manager’s mind. There were opportunities to do so but we failed to capitalise on them.
 

BigPoppaPump

Reeling from Laca & Kos nightmares
It doesn’t paint the full picture because we allowed them to be in touching distance. We could have pulled away from them like Liverpool did in 2019/20.

When you’re in touching distance of them then that doubt will remain in the players, fans and manager’s mind. There were opportunities to do so but we failed to capitalise on them.
I don't think we allowed them to do anything though, Man City are like the best team in the world they go on like 15+ game winning runs. Their end of season form was something we just couldn't match although our end of season form was pretty sh*t.

Let me ask you this, do you think our position for most of the season was a bit of a false dawn or that's our actual level?
 

Dokaka

AM's resident Hammer
I don't think we allowed them to do anything though, Man City are like the best team in the world they go on like 15+ game winning runs. Their end of season form was something we just couldn't match although our end of season form was pretty sh*t.

Yeah, I find it a bit.. misguided to suggest that you lot dropped the ball. You aren't competing against a normal team. Sure, you had some results that weren't ideal and that you probably should have one, but that goes for almost every previous league winner as well. You're competing against a team that demands borderline perfection and falling short of that isn't unforgivable in any way.

We're talking about a financially doped behemoth lead by the best manager in the world with a squad deep enough to where players that would be stars for other top clubs are riding the bench. It simply isn't fair, but the media fundamentally fails time and time again to portray City for what they actually are: Cheaters.

Look at their bench in the FA Cup final ffs:

7WMwjuX.png


I'm not exaggerating by saying that at least 5 of those players would start for almost every top team in the world.

You lose Saliba and have to play Holding or a 22-year-old unproven newcomer. City lose Ake or Akanji and are worried they have to play Laporte because "he's a bit slower than the others" ffs. Different planets in terms of squad quality, all propped up by the most comprehensive financial doping scheme in football history and the media is seemingly desperate for us to forget that part.
 

Makingtrax

Worships in the house of Wenger 🙏
Trusted ⭐

Country: England

Player:Saliba
I don't think we allowed them to do anything though, Man City are like the best team in the world they go on like 15+ game winning runs. Their end of season form was something we just couldn't match although our end of season form was pretty sh*t.

Let me ask you this, do you think our position for most of the season was a bit of a false dawn or that's our actual level?
It’s like the guy in 10,000 metres whose 10 metres ahead on the last lap. As soon as he starts looking over his shoulder at the world champion behind him you know his head is going to **** him over.

It had nothing to do with Holding.
 

2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
Yeah, I find it a bit.. misguided to suggest that you lot dropped the ball. You aren't competing against a normal team. Sure, you had some results that weren't ideal and that you probably should have one, but that goes for almost every previous league winner as well. You're competing against a team that demands borderline perfection and falling short of that isn't unforgivable in any way.

We're talking about a financially doped behemoth lead by the best manager in the world with a squad deep enough to where players that would be stars for other top clubs are riding the bench. It simply isn't fair, but the media fundamentally fails time and time again to portray City for what they actually are: Cheaters.

Look at their bench in the FA Cup final ffs:

7WMwjuX.png


I'm not exaggerating by saying that at least 5 of those players would start for almost every top team in the world.

You lose Saliba and have to play Holding or a 22-year-old unproven newcomer. City lose Ake or Akanji and are worried they have to play Laporte because "he's a bit slower than the others" ffs. Different planets in terms of squad quality, all propped up by the most comprehensive financial doping scheme in football history and the media is seemingly desperate for us to forget that part.

I think people are overrating this City team but that’s for a different discussion. Good team and all however that list is nothing special:

Ederson - Bozo and a goalkeeper who I don’t rate at all. A name and nothing else.

Kalvin Phillips - Bonafide scrub who was grossly overrated by many PL fans because he’s English. Showed his true level at City.

Laporte - He’s been out of form for a long time now. Another name like Ederson but he’d get into other teams in the PL because the standard of defending is dreadful.

Foden - Showed promise a while back but he’s dropped off, it’s probably why he doesn’t start for them. On current form, I’m not sure he starts ahead of Ødegaard if I’m being completely honest.

Palmer and Lewis are both young, so it’s hard to judge.

Alvarez, Mahrez and Ake are the three that really stand out off that list but it just sums up the lack of quality elsewhere.

Maybe my standards are high as I’ve been watching the PL for years (not saying you haven’t) but this City side is capitalising on the poor standard of football in Europe imo. Is that team or bench any better than this:

IMG_7472.jpeg

IMG_7473.jpeg
 
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2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
I don't think we allowed them to do anything though, Man City are like the best team in the world they go on like 15+ game winning runs. Their end of season form was something we just couldn't match although our end of season form was pretty sh*t.

Let me ask you this, do you think our position for most of the season was a bit of a false dawn or that's our actual level?

It wasn’t a false dawn at all imo. We showed our level even though many of us didn’t really know we had it in us. We failed to capitalise when we had the chance and crumbled when the pressure really got to us which was no surprise as our team hasn’t really won anything and we had an inexperienced manager in charge who showed his naivety at times throughout the season.

City were flawless towards the end of the season but despite how “incredible” they’re being made out to be, we were still 5 points off them at the end of the season. No one else to blame but ourselves here as the games in which we dropped points were winnable imo.
 

2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
It’s like the guy in 10,000 metres whose 10 metres ahead on the last lap. As soon as he starts looking over his shoulder at the world champion behind him you know his head is going to **** him over.

It had nothing to do with Holding.

All self inflicted tbh. We done the same thing over and over again and expected different results.

Any manager with a bit of cojones would have changed things or tried something different when we could see things weren’t working, those are the types of decisions that win you a title. The lack of adaptability in terms of tactics or being flexible was one of the key reasons to our collapse. All good changing things when the pressure is off but those big calls that the manager failed to make proved to be costly.

All in all a good season nevertheless but I hope the club learns from it.
 

Farzad Stoned

Self-appointed Deprogrammer for the Cult of Mik 🟥

Country: USA

Player:Havertz
Liverpool weren’t in the same situation as us, so it’s hard to draw comparisons.

2021/22 when City won the title with 93 points, they were leading the race and were top for 168 days. Liverpool had to play catch up throughout the majority of the season, so it wasn’t in their hands. Not comparable at all.

2020/21 this was the season when Liverpool finished 17 points behind Man City and Ole finished second. City had a 82 day winning streak which lasted between December to March.

2019/20 when Liverpool won the PL. They were top for 37 of the 38 rounds during the season and were only off the summit for seven of the 352 days of the campaign. An experienced manager and squad kept their cool and didn’t let City back into it by widening the gap.

2018/19 City won the league by a point and this was probably the only season you were referring to but even looking at it, they were literally level for most parts of the season. Liverpool were top of the league for 141 days of the Premier League season, compared to City's 125. I would say this was more unlucky than anything as Liverpool took it right to the wire, so there was nothing an experienced manager or squad could do in this season. City had 98 points and Liverpool had 97 which meant it was left until the final day of the season.

2017-18 Liverpool were not in the title race. Centurion year.

Worst bottle job in league in 30 years people are celebrating did you ever think you would see this sad day. Arsenal fans cheering the worst tank job in recent memory. Maybe the club we grew up rooting for is gone
 

Dokaka

AM's resident Hammer
I think people are overrating this City team but that’s for a different discussion. Good team and all however that list is nothing special:

Ederson - Bozo and a goalkeeper who I don’t rate at all. A name and nothing else.

Kalvin Phillips - Bonafide scrub who was grossly overrated by many PL because he’s English. Showed his true level at City.

Laporte - He’s been out of form for a long time now. Another name like Ederson but he’d get into other teams in the PL because the standard of defending is dreadful.

Foden - Showed promise a while back but he’s dropped off, it’s probably why he doesn’t start for them. On current form, I’m not sure he starts ahead of Ødegaard if I’m being completely honest.

Palmer and Lewis are both young, so it’s hard to judge.

Alvarez, Mahrez and Ake are the three that really stand out off that list but it just sums up the lack of quality elsewhere.

Maybe my standards are high as I’ve been watching the PL for years (not saying you haven’t) but this City side is capitalising on the poor standard of football in Europe imo. Is that team or bench any better than this:

View attachment 15595

View attachment 15596

At some point you have to give credit to the quality of those players though. They obliterated Real Madrid in Europe, a team that has dominated that tournament and also a team full of players people on here would salivate over the thought of getting.

Not even exaggerating when I say obliterated. I have never in my life seen Real Madrid (or any side of that stature) get so thoroughly destroyed as they did at the Etihad.

Granted that's just starting XI vs. starting XI in a Cup. What makes City so unbelievably (and unfairly) good in a league campaign is their outrageous depth on top of having a starting XI capable of making Real Madrid look like a championship side.

Obviously that doesn't absolve Arsenal, Arteta or whoever of all blame for the poor form at the end of the season, but it does contextualize what they're competing against. It must be insanely draining mentally to know you have to be perfect all the time because a sportswashed juggernaut is sleepwalking to 2-0 wins while heavily rotating.
 

2Smokeyy

5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (49)
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
At some point you have to give credit to the quality of those players though. They obliterated Real Madrid in Europe, a team that has dominated that tournament and also a team full of players people on here would salivate over the thought of getting.

I was not impressed as much, as the key cogs in the Madrid side were pretty much at the end of their cycle, that’s not to take anything away from City but I just think Real Madrid got complacent after dominating Europe these past years and failed to freshen things up last summer whilst City have been reinvesting every year. I think they pinned all their hopes on Kylian Mbappe who of course would have been a game changer. That standstill stance Madrid took was bound to catch up with them sooner rather than later. You can already see that they’ve already identified it with Benzema and Hazard departing, Bellingham coming in and Ancelotti saying there will be big changes this summer.

The state of Europe has played a big factor in City’s success too. The teams in the CL quarter final were all pretty much a shadow of their former self. Bayern have looked off, Real Madrid at the end of their cycle, not much has to be said about Chelsea then you have the Italian sides + Benfica who are decent on their day but nothing for City to worry about.

Not even exaggerating when I say obliterated. I have never in my life seen Real Madrid (or any side of that stature) get so thoroughly destroyed as they did at the Etihad.

Granted that's just starting XI vs. starting XI in a Cup. What makes City so unbelievably (and unfairly) good in a league campaign is their outrageous depth on top of having a starting XI capable of making Real Madrid look like a championship side.

Champions League Final 2010/11 is what automatically comes to mind when an excellent side has been completely played off the park in a similar fashion. Barcelona were simply too good for a Utd team that had players at the end of their cycle similar to the Real Madrid side. To do it in a final is even more impressive for me, I remember most of their greats like Ferdinand, Vidic etc were shell shocked about the spaces that Messi, Villa and Pedro were picking up and how they couldn’t get close to Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets.

Big game next weekend, if they go on and win that, I know the media will be creaming off about how they’re one of the greatest sides of all time but I have a good question for you…how many of these current City players would get into the Barcelona treble winning team of 2008/09? Or even Utd’s 99 team?
 

Xln

Get me Jesus on the phone 📲
I was not impressed as much, as the key cogs in the Madrid side were pretty much at the end of their cycle, that’s not to take anything away from City but I just think Real Madrid got complacent after dominating Europe these past years and failed to freshen things up last summer whilst City have been reinvesting every year.
Madrid got completely dominated last year too vs City. Just lucky cause everything they threw forward went in IMO. What was it, 5 attacks resulted in 6 goals or something?
 

Entropics

Established Member

Country: Colombia

Player:Saka
Look at their bench in the FA Cup final ffs:

7WMwjuX.png


I'm not exaggerating by saying that at least 5 of those players would start for almost every top team in the world.

Only Ederson. Mahrez is no longer what he was and Alvarez/Foden are still just kids
 

Riou

In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over

Country: Northern Ireland

Player:Gabriel
Where in the blue hell is the team of the year already?

Both the Prem and even the FA cup final is over now!
 

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