[Albion] Our Mid-Table Mini League

[Terry Connor]

Newcastle
Man U
Brighton
West Ham
Chelsea
Will contest places 6-10.

Spurs have had their blip (although they remain very beatable, the way they play (not unlike us)).
Chelsea, for all the team car crash they are, have enough quality players to improve.
Can't see Fulham, Brentford, Wolves, Bournemouth being consistent enough to threaten the top half.

Views?

 

[Weststander]

The bookies forecast us finishing 9th.

Lay bet £20 on us finishing outside the top 10 and we do, you win £83.

Tottenham will shirley finish miles ahead of us after the money they’ve spent. A couple of injuries for us at say FB and we’re so exposed.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I reckon we will finish 9th or 10th, with less injuries and if we had signed two fullbacks potentially 6th or 7th.

 

[Weststander]

I reckon we will finish 9th or 10th, with less injuries and if we had signed two fullbacks potentially 6th or 7th.

Or perhaps still could, if we sort that early in the January window?

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I can certainly see Bournemouth being good enough to finish top half. Not sure about Fulham. Also expect Newcastle to get back into top 5 contention.

 

[TomandJerry]

Depends what happens in the January transfer window

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

We will do better in the new year as we're a second half team.

 

[Machiavelli]

I'll have a bet that the OP is wrong about one or more of the predictions made.
This is not to doubt the acumen of the OP but merely to say that both myself and countless others have done similar things in the past, and transpired to get at least some of it wrong.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

As much as I love RDZ (and I really do), it'll be quite nice to hear him not going on about how "we're getting used to three games in a week" now that the Europa League has gone on the back-burner for a while. I completely get it – and it's factually correct (ish) – but, FA Cup aside, it really IS time to concentrate on the (Premier) league. With a little bit of a luck and a few of the walking wounded being welcomed back into the fray, the few couple of months could be season-defining...

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I'll have a bet that the OP is wrong about one or more of the predictions made.
This is not to doubt the acumen of the OP but merely to say that both myself and countless others have done similar things in the past, and transpired to get at least some of it wrong.

One team that wasn't mentioned is Villa. They could carry on having a storming run, or a dip in form (or the manager could be poached) and they could drop like a stone (fingers crossed) into 'our' mini-league.

 

[dazzer6666]

The bookies forecast us finishing 9th.

Lay bet £20 on us finishing outside the top 10 and we do, you win £83.

Tottenham will shirley finish miles ahead of us after the money they’ve spent. A couple of injuries for us at say FB and we’re so exposed.

We haven’t got any full backs left to get injured

 

[schmunk]

One team that wasn't mentioned is Villa. They could carry on having a storming run, or a dip in form (or the manager could be poached) and they could drop like a stone (fingers crossed) into 'our' mini-league.

I'd be happy for them to drop like a stone into the North Sea.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I'd be happy for them to drop like a stone into the North Sea.

Geographically dubious, but I completely agree with the sentiment

 

[Terry Connor]

I'll have a bet that the OP is wrong about one or more of the predictions made.
This is not to doubt the acumen of the OP but merely to say that both myself and countless others have done similar things in the past, and transpired to get at least some of it wrong.

The OP worded this carefully, these are not intended as firm predictions but as a focus for whom our peers are currently and therefore where our '6 pointers' lie. We're in strong company.
I did consider including Villa but they are 12 points clear, flying and with a fantastic manager. I don't think we'll catch them.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Newcastle
Man U
Brighton
West Ham
Chelsea
Will contest places 6-10.

I'm calling you've got the teams correct in 6th to 10th and I reckon it will be in the below order.

6th - Petrol Utd. I reckon us and Newcastle are the best sides out of those but are being hamstrung by injuries. PIF will be giving them a some very expensive late Christmas presents, so most likely, they will pull away and claim 6th.

7th - Us - This is hugely dependent on our injury crisis easing and certainly not getting worse. We're also more dependent on a good January than the others. But it's hard to escape the conclusion, that when we're only carrying 3 or 4 injuries, as opposed to 7 or 8, we're a very good side. I think we'll just about hold off the late surge from ......

8th - Chelsea - The laws of football gravity should take effect and they should start putting results together, but they've been deeply unimpressive when i've seen them.

9th - West Ham. Some decent players all over the pitch, but let's not fear them. When they played us, they did a good impression of Sutton Utd knocking Coventry City out of the Cup in the 80's. A negative defensive first approach under Moyes will get them the odd good result, but luck runs out.

10th - Man U will continue to have very mixed results, but I actually think they will finish bottom or second bottom of this mini league. They have a large number of very poor players at this level.

 

[kevo]

I think we'll have a much better second half when some of our injured players come back. Enciso was on fire at the start of the season and Pervis and Fatti big misses, but should hopefully be back for last three months of the season (can't see Solly or Tariq coming back for a long time though).

The other reason to feel optimistic is that the young players who have come in and had more game time have done very well and have gained valuable experience.

Being a bit bullish, but I still reckon we could finish 6th or 7th. At the start of the season I was hoping for 5th, as we were robbed of that last year (or even possibly 4th) by all the incorrect VAR decisions that potentially cost us 13 points (!).

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Surprised people are thinking Spurs are nailed on for 5th.

Way too early for making judgements like that.

 

[Machiavelli]

Surprised people are thinking Spurs are nailed on for 5th.

Way too early for making judgements like that.

Yup. I think it's at best 50-50 that Spurs make the top five. If bookies have decent odds on them finishing sixth or lower, I'd take that.

 

[Weststander]

Yup. I think it's at best 50-50 that Spurs make the top five. If bookies have decent odds on them finishing sixth or lower, I'd take that.

I looked around and can’t see top 5 odds, let alone lay betting against a top 5 finish.

The bookies make it a Spurs v Newcastle battle for 5th. Both expensive squads of ‘names’, both with no European distractions. Whilst ManC, Arsenal, Liverpool, Albion, West Ham and Villa will be knackered.

 

[portslade seagull]

Still think we will fall further without reinforcements in January 12th to 14th