EPL 2022 / 2023
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Here is something for @KiwiPie to get his hopes up for this coming season
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So less than a week to go to the new season kicks off.
The grauniad has had writers predicting how teams will go. Predictably Fulham's report was all about yo-yo's.
They also had a fan of each team make prediction.
All bar one had City top (no prizes for guessing the exception) Liverpool were favoured in second by all bar two. Spurs made everyone's top 4 with the 4th team being pretty evenly shared by Chelsea and Arsenal although two chose Man U.
Everyone bar the supporters of the two teams expect Bournemouth and Forest to go straight back down. Most expect Fulham to join them but four didn't. In those cases Palace, Leeds (twice) and Southampton were chosen.
Bad news for Frank Lampard; 15/20 expect him to be the first managerial casualty of the season. Others chosen were Marsch and Howe - twice each - and Hassenhuttl.
Personally, I expect Liverpool and City to battle it out at the top again with City odds on to make it a hat trick of Premiership titles. No one else has the strength in depth to mount a credible season long challenge.
Spurs could make 3rd - if Conte sticks out the entire season. No idea what the new Chelsea regime will mean but the squad doesn't look much stronger than last year. Arsenal - have they overcome their mental frailties - they choked last time. Ten Haag will improve United, but how much?
At this stage the three promoted sides look likely to fight out relegation with Southampton, Everton, Leeds, Wolves and Brentford but usually one of the promoted sides surprises and a team no one expects to gets sucked into the relegation shit fight. Just as Fulham were in 13/14 when everyone predicted a top half finish.
Fulham have bought pretty well I think, but it has taken way too long. The major concerns in May were a goalkeeper and two CD's. Six days from kick-off and we haven't made a signing in any of those positions.
It looks like we have given up on the Liverpool opener, which is fair enough, but we have games in August that we have to get points from. A slow start is what got us relegated last time. Given we were promoted in April we really needed to do our business earlier, but it seems there is a reluctance to join a
yo-yo club. -
@dogmeat Bournemouth also has not made any real attempt to cover squad with a lack of signings. Even Bournemouth supporters expecting the obvious at this point. I am expecting a slow start for the cherries too.
Forest have been spending comparatively, but you could argue they needed to do that the most.
probably need a new thread for new season
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@bayimports Yeah was going to comment on Bournemouth and Forest but already felt like I'd said too much. The first have done very little and I don't rate Parker so look doomed.
Forest have gone the opposite route. Mind you they had to as their promotion winning side had 7 loanees I think.
It all sounds very much like Fulham in 2018 when we spent 100 million - when that was still a shit load of money and ended up with a demoralised squad and a bunch of players who had to be introduced. At least Forest have done their business early. that year I think we made seven signings on deadline day!!
one positive for Fulham this time. At least only Manor Soloman is not a permanent transfer - and he should have been but for the Khan's exploiting the Ukrainian situation. Please don't let us make another fucking Loftus-Cheek foodbill signing.
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@Bovidae Yeah - but it's an example of what I mean. That transfers been dragging on for ever. We really should have had our defence sorted a month ago.
Mind you the Arse holding out for 15 mill for a player that a) doesn't want to stay b) they have telegraphed they want to get rid of c) has one year left on his contract and d) we have agreed terms with in principle didn't help.
So they play hard ball for a month and in the end it looks like we will get him for 1 mill more than our original offer. Arsewipes.
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@dogmeat said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
@bayimports Yeah was going to comment on Bournemouth and Forest but already felt like I'd said too much. The first have done very little and I don't rate Parker so look doomed.
Forest have gone the opposite route. Mind you they had to as their promotion winning side had 7 loanees I think.
It all sounds very much like Fulham in 2018 when we spent 100 million - when that was still a shit load of money and ended up with a demoralised squad and a bunch of players who had to be introduced. At least Forest have done their business early. that year I think we made seven signings on deadline day!!
one positive for Fulham this time. At least only Manor Soloman is not a permanent transfer - and he should have been but for the Khan's exploiting the Ukrainian situation. Please don't let us make another fucking Loftus-Cheek foodbill signing.
Bournemouth's two signings both injured going into first week. Looks like we may have finally got Tavernier from Middlesbrough, just hope the board see fit and actually go and pay the asking for Nat Philips ..stupid they havent done it already.
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@dogmeat We ain't a charity.
As to Arsenal, we have addressed most of the problems that affected the team at the end of last year when both first-choice fullbacks were injured and a lack of squad depth meant some key players were running around on fumes. In Jesus, there is a goal-scorer who also presses.
If Youri Tielemans does join then some more options for Arteta in the midfield. Still need to get a number of players out the door though.
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Thought I'd bring an Aston Villa focus on this thread - Stevie G has recruited really well for us with Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Coutinho being made permanent. Carlos from what I saw of him in pre season already looks like he'll make an instant impact on the league. He's strong, and a very good distributor. Will be interesting to see who partners him at the back now that Mings has lost the captaincy to John McGinn. I would like to see Calum Chambers partner Carlos personally as he looked far more assured than Mings and Konsa who is coming off a long injury layoff.
Boubacar Kamara is another inspired signing. We had no defensive midfielder last season which is suicidal in Ènglish Football, but from what I've seen, this guy is the answer to our problems where we got exposed on the counter so often as he breaks up play so well and can also turn defence into attack. Stevie G did really well convincing this guy to join us ahead of the likes of Athletico Madrid, Man U etc. He's like another version of Declan Rice.
I would have liked to have seen us add another striker to the side as Watkins and Ings were very hit and miss last season, but they have another season to prove themselves.
I expect us to be pushing for a European spot tbh, Gerrard is doing the right things and is starting to get guys in that fit into his system, now he's needs to start getting us to show a bit more consistency on the field.
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throw in my pointless predictions
Winners. City. well durrr. They've won 4 out of 5 with Guardiola in charge. They've scored 90+ points 3 times. They signed a couple of good players and were willing to let others go. There is a part of me that wonders whether or not the Champs League might be the main focus this year (hence signing a proper striker) but they are the best team with the best coach and they will win
Rest of the top 4: Liverpool, Spurs, and god help me i might be sucked in by Arsenal. Chelsea and Man U to keep Newcastle out of the "big 6"
Top Scorer: Kane because Spurs will be good and he'll also take lots of penalties.
Relegated: Fulham, Everton, Forest
First Manager Sacked: Frank Lampard
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wait, i just did more reading on Bournemouth and they look like 22-23s Derby County. They'll come stone motherless.
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That's the first prediction I have seen that doesn't have Bournemouth for the drop.
Forest are the most popular choice to survive from the promoted sides. Personally I think that is more sentiment than science.
Predictions are bloody difficult a month out from deadline day but Bournemouth do look doomed.
Then pair two from Fulham, Forest, Leeds, Everton, Brentford, Southampton. Strength in depth will be key/.
the other end of the table looks much more predictable.
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@dogmeat said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
That's the first prediction I have seen that doesn't have Bournemouth for the drop.
Forest are the most popular choice to survive from the promoted sides. Personally I think that is more sentiment than science.
Predictions are bloody difficult a month out from deadline day but Bournemouth do look doomed.
Then pair two from Fulham, Forest, Leeds, Everton, Brentford, Southampton. Strength in depth will be key/.
the other end of the table looks much more predictable.
I think the fancying of Forest to stay up is based on the fact they have virtually a new team this season (12 signings as they lost 7 loan players at the end of the season). They seem to be spending in quantity rather than price but it is a gamble. Awoniyi looked good in the Bundesliga but strikers get much more space over there, Lingard is a wild card - free transfer but they are paying him a fortune. The rest are a mixture of lower league players and young prospects.
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@KiwiPie yeah that and they are considered a 'big' club or like Leeds one that 'should' be in the EPL.
My opinion is formed by Fulham's calamitous spend up 4 years ago.
My picks to go down as in who I'd quite like to see relegated Bournemouth, Everton, Southampton.
Actually I'd really like to see Newcastle relegated despite Eddie Howe seeming to be a decent bloke and the Toon Army so long suffering - just coz Saudi Arabia. But that ain't going to happen. and if I really could wish upon a shooting star - Fuck Chelsea
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@dogmeat Agree with most of that.
Clubs from last season who look vulnerable to relegation are
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Southampton - seem to have runs of poor form but also a string of good results to keep them out of trouble. If Ward-Prowse is taken before deadline day pencil them in for a relegation battle.
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Everton - sold the only striker who scored last season and Lampard looks to have little clue.
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Brentford - Sheff U & Leeds did well in their first season and struggled in the 2nd. Teams should have worked them out and they don't have the magical Dane to provide the class.
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Leeds - their best 2 players have left and have been replaced by players that Jesse Marsch knows. Expect a good season or a bad one, middle ground doesn't look an option.
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Wolves - they have lost some players and don't score often. Could find themselves struggling.
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Leicester - no signings yet and Newcastle sniffing around Maddison, Barnes, Tielemans, Fofana apparently.
Should probably stop there, not all clubs can be at the bottom!
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@KiwiPie Not long before you come up against Maidenhead. How are you guys looking at promotion wise before the first ball is kicked in the Vanarama League? I see the most expensive season tickets come it at 389.00 quid which is just under 17.00 pound per game so its not too bad all things considered. For old buggers like me they are reduced to 250.00 quid! Good luck in going one better than you did last season.
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You all can go and get farked, the cherries will find a way to stay up.. 😀 We may need our Russian owner to sell to someone who has the ambition to stay up and actually start buying players, our defence stocks are wafer thin to say the least
Smart money on us going down but I would like to still hope for now
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@KiwiPie said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
@dogmeat Agree with most of that.
Clubs from last season who look vulnerable to relegation are
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Southampton - seem to have runs of poor form but also a string of good results to keep them out of trouble. If Ward-Prowse is taken before deadline day pencil them in for a relegation battle.
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Everton - sold the only striker who scored last season and Lampard looks to have little clue.
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Brentford - Sheff U & Leeds did well in their first season and struggled in the 2nd. Teams should have worked them out and they don't have the magical Dane to provide the class.
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Leeds - their best 2 players have left and have been replaced by players that Jesse Marsch knows. Expect a good season or a bad one, middle ground doesn't look an option.
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Wolves - they have lost some players and don't score often. Could find themselves struggling.
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Leicester - no signings yet and Newcastle sniffing around Maddison, Barnes, Tielemans, Fofana apparently.
Should probably stop there, not all clubs can be at the bottom!
I thought Everton had new relatively wealthy owners? You'd think they would have gotten a big enough scare last season
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Leicester - Notts Co 1:2
