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Thoughts on the new season

the dza said:
Maybe see Poch use a different formation this season, a 4-3-3 ... Dier as the one holder with Dele and Eriksen completing a midfield 3.
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Agree, I can imagine a back 4 and then "whoever is not crocked from Dier, Dembele, Wanyama, Winks, Onomah" sitting in front.
Then the other 5 just "run around a bit"

Basically a mad Ossie's Dream 5 formation
 
as much as I’d love to secure another season of CL and pick up a pot, I really hope the new ground is going to be a great experience for those of us who had to attend Wembley last season.
It looks like being a challenging season with the variables of world cup tiredness, no squad investment (as it stands!) a few question marks over 3 or 4 players fitness / commitment, the run of away games and adjusting to the new ground but if we can beat our rivals and have an ongoing confidence that the home ground will be an asset in terms of atmosphere and Home advantage, let alone the improved facilities, that would be preferable to me than the success of last season in that soulless bowl we squatted at.
 
Lack of investment means the players can hit the ground running so hopeful of a good start- i honestly Llorent will score more cis he’ll play more.

Fir all the talk of grealish- a harry substitute is still desperately needed. Llorente is ok but our game changed so much with him leading the line compared to harry.

Apart from that I’m relatively optimistic but Poch will have his coaching skills tested balancing everything this year- has to rotate more this year.
 
As it stands, would take anywhere in the top 4 and a cup (either the FA Cup or CL. League Cup barely counts for me).

I half expect 5th or 6th and no cup.

tinkle poor would be us getting overtaken by all 5 of the other big clubs and Everton.
 
Though I love new signings and signings are fun, I actually am pretty excited about the shape of the squad going into the new season. Though holding on to Alderweireld will probably cost us around 15-20 million next summer and Dembele will be able to leave on a free, there's no doubt that they give us a better chance to win this season than anyone else we would have signed. I think our squad is super balanced, and for once, there's some room for young players to come through.

Though I'd like to sell Sissoko, I don't think it'll happen. Assuming we sell Janssen, we'd have a 25-man squad that looks fantastic.

First team

----------Lloris------
Trip--TBA---JVT---Davies
----Dier---Dembele--
Son--Eriksen---Dele
-------Kane-------

Second Team

------------Vorm--------
Serge--Sanchez-Foyth--Rose
---Wanyama---Winks--
Lucas---Lamela----Sissoko
---------Llorente----------

With Onomah, CCV,KWP, GKN, Amos, Edwards (wishful thinking), and Skipp as young utility players.

My only real issue with that second team is Sissoko and Llorente, but I'd imagine if we had an injury to Kane, Son would go up front with Lucas or Lamela replacing him. And though I don't love him, Sissoko is a decent enough stop gap to get some minutes here and there.

I get that we all wanted new signings, but this squad is fudging good and a year older and more experienced. COYFS.
 
Top four will do nicely. Maintaining our regular habit of finishing above Livvapewwl (it's THEIR YEAR, mate!) whilst doing so would be a nice bonus, just to further slap back all that scouse chirping. Sweeping Arsenal has to be a goal. And now that a winning habit has been established for Spurs at Stamford Bridge, extending that.
 
Assuming we dont sell anyone significant between now and the end of the window, I expect us to be in the mix for 4th, and put our chances of a top 4 at 50/50. Reason being:

- Despite their unattractive football, Man U finished above us last season and have added Fred who should add some much needed creativity to their midfield plus have Sanchez from the start of this season. All else equal, its rational therefore to expect them to finish above us

- Liverpool have had the best window adding some quality. Still some flaws in their squad and I dont buy into the hype that they'll be challenging for the title, but us and them were very close last season but I expect they'll be ahead of us come next May given events of the last few weeks. Not miles ahead, 5-10 points perhaps

- Cheatski are difficult to predict. Its unclear how much the feuding between Conte and the board impacted them last year but equally always unpredictable how a new quickly manager will settle. There is upside potential in their squad compared to recent seasons given that players like Fabregas have seemed more interested in picking up their £200k per week rather than achieving anything so if Sarri gets him playing it will be like a new signing. Jorginho and Kovacic are really good signings strengthen their midfield a lot whilst they're retained Willian and Hazard. Courtois is obviously a loss

- Arse also have the new manager unknown factor, though at least they got him in early but their signings are underwhelming and I'd like to therefore think that we should still finish a bit above them this year

- Everton has strengthened well but have a lot of players to integrate and probably need a couple more seasons before really challenging top 6.


So I think its between us and Cheatski for 4th, hence saying its 50/50 whether we finish top 4. Clearly we could outperform and finish higher, but equally we could underperform or Arsenal perform better than expected and therefore 6th is equally a possibility. We've had 3 consecutive poor to average summer transfer windows and eventually that has to catch up with you. My biggest fear though is next summer and the number of important players on short-term contracts which might leave and then need replacing.

Cups are impossible to predict, but expect that we'll challenge just like the other top 6 will do, and really comes down to the draws and one-off performances in games against other top 6 teams when we get drawn together. We're due a trophy soon though...
 
Hope I am proved wrong regarding the squad strength and depth.

Top 4 is an achievement as we have invested nothing into the playing side.
 
Legohamster said:
Hope I am proved wrong regarding the squad strength and depth.

Top 4 is an achievement as we have invested nothing into the playing side.
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We lost about 2 games in the second half of last season with the same squad (minus Onomah and Moura settling in period).

Arsenal and Chelsea are weaker this time round; it's only Liverpool who have really strengthened.
 
Gutter Boy said:
We lost about 2 games in the second half of last season with the same squad (minus Onomah and Moura settling in period).

Arsenal and Chelsea are weaker this time round; it's only Liverpool who have really strengthened.
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I struggle to see how Chelsea are weaker?

Who have they lost who will make them weaker?

We were pretty average in run in, we looked tired.
 
Gutter Boy said:
We lost about 2 games in the second half of last season with the same squad (minus Onomah and Moura settling in period).

Arsenal and Chelsea are weaker this time round; it's only Liverpool who have really strengthened.
Click to expand...

Chelsea have added Jorinho and Kovacic which massively strengthens their midfield, albeit the Courtois/Kepa swap in goal weakens them.

Net though I think its indisputable that they're stronger, and they retained Hazard and Willian which seemed unlikely.

The question mark around them is a regular goal-scorer but I cant see how they could be considered to be weaker than last season
 
AdamB said:
Chelsea have added Jorinho and Kovacic which massively strengthens their midfield, albeit the Courtois/Kepa swap in goal weakens them.

Net though I think its indisputable that they're stronger, and they retained Hazard and Willian which seemed unlikely.

The question mark around them is a regular goal-scorer but I cant see how they could be considered to be weaker than last season
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They can still sell to foreign teams and seeing as its Barca and Real who are interested in Willian and Hazard it could get uncomfortable for them. However I don’t think they will sell now no, just it’s not completely out of the question.
 
The closed window does make it easier for the club to refuse an offer. They can tell the players that it is too late to get a replacement.

It also makes it harder to sell unwanted players. If you are willing to sell, it means they are surplus, so it will be hard to get a good price.
 
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