[Albion] Brighton to win the Title

[Dibdab]

We've played three teams that have largely played us attempting to win the game. Our problem has always been working out those that park the bus which is the group after the Intl break. Let's see after that run where we are.

 

[Braggfan]

Steady next five games up to the international break are Leeds, Fulham, Leicester, Bournemouth and Palace. The hardest three on paper are all at home. Dare to dream?

Was thinking about how Leicester did it. They had a defensive core of Schmeichel, Morgan, Huth and Kante up there with the best we've seen, and Mahrez and Vardy terrorising defences up front. Thats the recipe. Are we an Undav breakthrough away from something similar? Dare to dream

*Leicester also had the good fortune of City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and United in various degrees of managerial turmoil. We won't get that......

Leicester were exceptionally lucky that year in terms of the big clubs being in transition. Obviously the talk focuses on it being a great achievement, but the truth is in the last 20 years, 81 points has only been good enough to win the title on 2 occasions. For 14 out of those 20 years 81 points has led to a 3rd or 4th place finish. What was so unlikely about Leicester's title win, was the perfect storm that surrounded it.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I've got a though t about this, which I think is original to me and actually i'm surprised no manager's or commentators have ever thought of it before.

Let's take each game as it come and see where it takes us

 

[Brovion]

I read somewhere that the PL can take ten games to sort itself out, by which time, final league places are not going to change considerably.

That's always been a maxim. I remember Bill Shankly saying in the 1960s that he never looked at the league tables until ten games had been played because that's when they started to settle down. And of course back in the 1960s they didn't even publish the tables in the papers until at least three games had been played. None of this "We're top/bottom after one game! Brilliant!/Disastrous!

 

[Brovion]

Three games in.

Three.

Chuffing.

Games.

[emoji38]ol:

Indeed. Way too early to make any predictions about how the season will pan out. Way way way way way way too early.

But if you add our form at the start of this season to our form at the end of the last ..... well you can see why some folk are getting a bit (over) excited!

 

[Baldseagull]

This is an unusual season with the World Cup in the middle of it, some players will be concerned about picking up injury before it, others will be trying hard to make their squads. Some will go and come back deflated, others will not go, and not have played competitive football for a while when we kick off again, some will come back injured, some may have played against team mates and have grudges. Then there is the five subs thing, some clubs are going to be able to really use those extra subs to increase the intensity, and some teams will struggle to switch out a tired player in some positions, including some of the big six, because they just don't have the quality in reserve in some positions.
I think there is opportunity for a well managed side with good versatile players and enough strength in depth to do very well this season, and a possibility that some big sides won't cope so well with the break for the world cup.

 

[warmleyseagull]

Think of NSC reaction if this thread was on Leeds forum....

 

[SeagullinExile]

I honestly believe the top 4 isn’t already nailed on like previous seasons. The World Cup break might hamper the big boys.

I expect a few surprises this season.