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[Albion] Contenders?



Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,931
Brighton
I’ve heard this a couple of times from non Albion supporters in the pub today...

Well are we? ???
Everyone is a contender, but no. We will not win the league. We are learning and growing. We’ve got a shed load of Europa games and need to master those. If we can acquit ourselves well there and aim for top 7 then I will be delighted. This is new territory. Let’s suss out the lay of the land first.
 




Kinky Gerbil

Im The Scatman
NSC Patron
Jul 16, 2003
58,718
hassocks
...and it would be a major turn-up if England dropped from first to third, or lower. To all intents and purposes, England will have five qualifying spots from the 2023/24 Premier League season.

We've already got a massive advantage with extra teams in Europe than some bellow us for a boost

It's not going to drop
 




Justice

Dangerous Idiot
Jun 21, 2012
20,530
Born In Shoreham
Regardless, we beat them both in style unlike any defeat they've had this season, and whatever you say about united's form/playing style/shambles of a club they still hadn't lost at home since we last beat them over a year ago
This, the OP had us down to lose against Newcastle and probably some others so a strange post tbh
 






Kinky Gerbil

Im The Scatman
NSC Patron
Jul 16, 2003
58,718
hassocks
Spurs have had a very kind opening fixture list, their next game should be a guide to see if they really have improved
Not sure you can tell much after 5/6 games either way

Not sure judging away to the second best team is much of a guide either!
 




Birdie Boy

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2011
4,336
Yes we can, unlikely but we can. Let's take a really simplistic view, we win 10 in a row and lose 1, do this 3 times and we would have lost 4 games. That's title winning form. I've put an each way bet on as well! 😀
 




zefarelly

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
22,738
Sussex, by the sea
It’s mid-September.
Quite

Our tour bus mechanic still has the torque wrench in his hand.

Citeh have 38 tour buses, and 5 mechanics for each bus with 2 torque wrences each.

Then there's liverpool, arse, spuds . . .

we're contenders for top 6, possibly top 4, if things go our way. . . . That's the dream/ideal, but possibly a step too far with europe as well. . .
 
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TWOCHOICEStom

Well-known member
Sep 22, 2007
10,884
Brighton
This happens every year. A good/bad start doesn't mean relegation or Champions League.

This is going to be a very tough season where we'll likely suffer far more fatigue. And you've seen what that can do (Newcastle and Forest last season).

We are incredible and will get some results to remember this year I'm sure of it. Maybe even a trophy. But contending for the title? Not a chance in hell.
 


Eric the meek

Fiveways Wilf
NSC Patron
Aug 24, 2020
6,900
Football is a simple game. All you need to do to win, is score more goals than the opposition.

Last season, we made many, many chances, but couldn't put them all away.
This season, we are already top scorers, averaging three a game.

Two past title winners, Man Utd and Chelsea are already out of the race.

Someone has got to win the title. Why can't it be us? If we can iron out losses to the likes of West Ham, is it so unimaginable?
 




Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,915
Surrey
Happy to be considered contenders for the top five and a UCL place, but for the title I would say the widely available 40/1 is about right.

For context, we have been brilliant so far this season, with one blemish. And yet we already find ourselves 3 points behind Man City.
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,915
Surrey
Someone has got to win the title. Why can't it be us? If we can iron out losses to the likes of West Ham, is it so unimaginable?
Despite our outstanding start in the first five games, we're already 3 points off the pace set by the best team in the league.

I'm an optimist though, and haven't ruled it out entirely. The one thing that gives me hope is the pure strength in depth of the squad and their flexibility. I can't express highly enough just how impressive it is that a club like ours can batter a club playing in the UCL, change more than half the team, and still go on to win very comfortably at another UCL team.

After Bournemouth we've got Villa away, Liverpool at home and City away. If we're within 3 points of Man City by then, I think we'll have to look at it again.

These are heady times. Summed up by the fact we've got Chelsea away in a cup game and many of us expect us to win and/or barely give a shit about the game anyway.
 


Couldn't Be Hyypia

We've come a long long way together
NSC Patron
Nov 12, 2006
16,579
Near Dorchester, Dorset
I'd be delighted if we get another run at Europe next year. It feels like a consistent run of seasons in European competitions is the next requirement for establishing us as a top side.
 




Muzzman

Pocket Rocket
Jul 8, 2003
5,446
Here and There
Ahhhh.. f*** it. Go on then, until it's mathematically out of our reach, we've got to be considered CONTENDERS...

1695022362897.png
 


The Fifth Column

Lazy mug
Nov 30, 2010
4,126
Hangleton
Goals people it's all about goals!

In the last 6 seasons the team scoring the most goals has finished as champions 5 times and 2nd once.

On that selective basis alone and being the current highest scoring team in the league we ARE contenders.

Essentially if we keep banging the goals in at our current rate then statistically speaking we will finish top 2. 😁
 


Baldseagull

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2012
11,839
Crawley
This happens every year. A good/bad start doesn't mean relegation or Champions League.

This is going to be a very tough season where we'll likely suffer far more fatigue. And you've seen what that can do (Newcastle and Forest last season).

We are incredible and will get some results to remember this year I'm sure of it. Maybe even a trophy. But contending for the title? Not a chance in hell.
Whilst there are 3 sides that seem more likely to win it than us, and 1 of those most likely of all, I would rate our own chances better than that.
We could have won the league last season, we just had to beat 5 sides that the league table tells us we were better than.

If we had won home and away v Villa, Forest, Tottenham, Brentford, and Fulham, with all other results remaining the same, we would have had 90 points and won the league by one point from Man City.
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,607
Top half finish and Europa League run will do for me :thumbsup:

Contenders ? For another top 6 finish, maybe a cup, possibly even the UEFA one, but Premier League, no way :nono:
 




dwayne

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
16,166
London
We must go for that top 5 and that's more than achievable. We probably need city to win the champions League this season again to keep English league at the top in Europe as well. To get that 5th place champions league spot.

Shame we've got overrated castle and rubbish man u in the champions League this year.
 


hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
62,674
Chandlers Ford
Football is a simple game. All you need to do to win, is score more goals than the opposition.

Last season, we made many, many chances, but couldn't put them all away.
This season, we are already top scorers, averaging three a game.

Two past title winners, Man Utd and Chelsea are already out of the race.

Someone has got to win the title. Why can't it be us? If we can iron out losses to the likes of West Ham, is it so unimaginable?
We have made an unbelievably good start, winning FOUR of five games. Absolutely brilliant effort.

And we are currently FIFTH.

The top sides are utterly RELENTLESS.
 


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