Premier League - 2018/2019

Roysterdoyster

As a Liverpool fan I'm really looking forward to this season based on our pretty high profile signings,although despite the reputations of Shaquiri,Fabinho,and Keita,they are unproven in the prem (well Shaquiri isn't,but he didn't exactly rip up trees at Stoke). Plus Keitas disciplinary record is pretty poor from what I've read. So the jury is out. But we potentially look good all across the pitch for the first time in a long time,but I'd like to see another quality No 9 coming in. It's hard to see Mo having another 40 goal season and we'll need another reliable consistent scorer

I love Klopp but he really does need to deliver something in terms of silverware soon,considering the signings he's made over the last couple of seasons.

One real hope is that all the top teams,not just LFC start well and don't let City open up a gap early on. I think Top 4 will be City/Lfc/Utd/Spurs, but hoping its a lot closer than last year,and who knows,defending it isn't easy so it won't be plain sailing for City.

thecolourbox

As a West Brom fan I'll be interested in the Premier League for the first time in years, now that we are out of it for a good while. I can now watch Match of the Day ignorant to the bias as I won't be witnessing events to contradict what they say, and I can watch matches on Sky without thinking...Oh dear we'll get annihilated when we play this Man City/Arsenal/Bournemouth side (could have been any one of the 19 teams from last season there to be honest). 

I think City could get done this year for pushing the limits of erm...shall we say "sports science" or "sports Chemistry" at least, and hopefully having now seen their game plan oof basically committing fouls every time they lose the ball to enable them to regroup over an entire season, at least one or two managers may have done some homework on how to counter it.

I'll be very interested in how the Wolves get on, and actually hope they do well which you won't hear often from a Baggie. But it's purely selfish because I don't want them to get relegated as they'd destroy us if we had to play them again.

mikeyrob73

I think Liverpool could be the team to beat this season, they finally have a decent keeper, their front 3 are very good and Keita and Fabinho are very good sigings. 

jellyroll

City fan here. Expect Liverpool and ManU to be our closest competitors. With the upward trajectory Mourino has set for United, I expect they'll improve again this year and finish less than 20 points behind us

axisus

Arsenal fans will think they have won something if they finish one place above Spurs, even if they were 6th and 7th!

ourmaninthenorth

I think it'll be repetitively too much for Arsenal to synthesise that the season doesn't actually end in January....

Flanging_Fred

Saints fan here.

Mark Hughes doesn't fill me with great excitement but unlike his predecessor I think he understands that you actually have to score more goals than the other team to win a game.  I'm sure Pellegrino could have been replaced by a tin of posh lemonade and Saints wouldn't have done any worse.

Some interesting signings so far over the summer but I still don't think the strikers are up to par really.

 I suspect lower mid table becons at best. 

menamestom

United fan here

The team looks pretty good for next year, especially if we get the world cup winning version of Pogba and Lukaku shows similar form to the world cup as well.  Fred should be a good addition and offer more creativity.   Sanchez should start to be the player he is.  On paper we should be closing the gap to City and with Liverpool challenging.

But I can't help thinking Mourhino's style of play will hamper that, his negative pragmatism seems at odds with the club and the squads attacking talent.

We'll see, I'd say it's make or break season for him, but the competition have all strengthened and I think finishing even 2nd again will be difficult.

axisus

menamestom said:

But I can't help thinking Mourhino's style of play will hamper that, his negative pragmatism seems at odds with the club and the squads attacking talent.

100% agree. He's not the right sort of manager for Man U.

I was absolutely disgusted that he set up for a draw away to Liverpool last year and then thought that he achieved something. They are our main rivals, it's a historic encounter. It should be toe to toe and may the best team (on the day) win. 

I want to see more flair and attacking intent this season or I want to see him gone!

Philly_Q

axisus said:

menamestom said:

But I can't help thinking Mourhino's style of play will hamper that, his negative pragmatism seems at odds with the club and the squads attacking talent.

100% agree. He's not the right sort of manager for Man U.

I was absolutely disgusted that he set up for a draw away to Liverpool last year and then thought that he achieved something. They are our main rivals, it's a historic encounter. It should be toe to toe and may the best team (on the day) win. 

I want to see more flair and attacking intent this season or I want to see him gone!

This is his third season, isn't it?  He'll be getting itchy feet.

menamestom

Philly_Q said:

axisus said:

menamestom said:

But I can't help thinking Mourhino's style of play will hamper that, his negative pragmatism seems at odds with the club and the squads attacking talent.

100% agree. He's not the right sort of manager for Man U.

I was absolutely disgusted that he set up for a draw away to Liverpool last year and then thought that he achieved something. They are our main rivals, it's a historic encounter. It should be toe to toe and may the best team (on the day) win. 

I want to see more flair and attacking intent this season or I want to see him gone!

This is his third season, isn't it?  He'll be getting itchy feet.

So will the owners if he doesn't do well.   He's been there long enough and spent enough for it to be all on him now.

guitars4you

So only a few days to go and only a few days left regarding any transfers - My thoughts still valid regarding

1) Man City
2) Liverpool - but closer this year
3) Man U
4) fight for 4/5/6 between Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea

What will happen with Man U and Jose who knows - certainly doesn't look a happy teddy does he

Markeebee

Big overhaul going on at West Ham, and I think we're not done yet. Could easily be 7 or 8 new players in the first XI, and some of them look pretty tasty.

Really looking forward to this season for the first time in yonks, but I fully expect the wheels to come off in true West Ham fashion. 

COYI! 

underdog

guitars4you said:

So only a few days to go and only a few days left regarding any transfers - My thoughts still valid regarding

1) Man City
2) Liverpool - but closer this year
3) Man U
4) fight for 4/5/6 between Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea

What will happen with Man U and Jose who knows - certainly doesn't look a happy teddy does he

I see the typical Jose implosion and Man U not doing much until he goes around Christmas time, by which time they will be too far out of top 4 race. 

1) city
2 & 3) Liverpool and spurs (not sure which way around)
4) Chelsea.

EricTheWeary

Football is a relentless beast, only just getting over the world cup.
I feel quite nervous if I think about the Wolves - winning the championship is like being head boy at primary school and then getting bullied at big school because your parents insist that you still need to wear shorts. 
The deadlock on the top half of the Premiership by the same clubs is a bit dull so anyone outside of those doing well  ( ideally 'doing a Leicester') is what you hope for to make it an interesting year.

Ben8010

City to win it again for me. Liverpool, with the signings they've made, should be disappointed if they don't run them close though. United haven't strengthened a great deal yet so it's hard to see them getting too much closer to City at the moment.

I think a lot of people are writing Arsenal off too early. They've made some decent signings in key areas and have a pretty potent attack providing the new manager gets Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil & Mkhitaryan firing. They won't win the league but they have a good chance to get back into the top 4.

axisus

Mourinho being a sour faced old grump already. I wish he'd fall on his sword. There's talk that Man U want Zidane, I'd sign up for that. 

axisus

EricTheWeary said:

The deadlock on the top half of the Premiership by the same clubs is a bit dull so anyone outside of those doing well  ( ideally 'doing a Leicester') is what you hope for to make it an interesting year.

Personally I think that's a bit unfair, after many years of two horse racing I think that we have a pretty competitive league in more recent years. 

underdog

axisus said:

EricTheWeary said:

The deadlock on the top half of the Premiership by the same clubs is a bit dull so anyone outside of those doing well  ( ideally 'doing a Leicester') is what you hope for to make it an interesting year.

Personally I think that's a bit unfair, after many years of two horse racing I think that we have a pretty competitive league in more recent years. 

Agree, a few years back you knew who was going to finish top 4 and pretty much what order too, now you have Liverpool, Chelsea, arsenal, Man U and spurs fighting for 2nd, 3rd and 4th and hopefully one of them runs city close this year then makes a real challenge next season.

EricTheWeary

axisus said:

EricTheWeary said:

The deadlock on the top half of the Premiership by the same clubs is a bit dull so anyone outside of those doing well  ( ideally 'doing a Leicester') is what you hope for to make it an interesting year.

Personally I think that's a bit unfair, after many years of two horse racing I think that we have a pretty competitive league in more recent years. 

I am a slightly half arsed follower of the premiership but the dominance of half a dozen clubs and the reporting focus on those same clubs doesn't make it an inviting proposition to dig deeper ( even just the MOTD type bias in which other clubs seem to exist only to give Man U, Man C, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool something to do. Although Alan Shearer is allowed to speak about Newcastle as a bit of a comic turn). I don't think it's unfair to say that Leicester's success made it more interesting for the less commited observer. I understand that success, and money, tends to perpetuate success and these clubs have all been successful for very long periods now. But it also seems to perpetuate all that is uncomfortable about the modern high level game ( the oligarchs, the prima donna managers ,etc).