Same Old Top Four: English Premier League 2021-2022

[Satchmo Distel]

New contract for Solksjaer: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57954333

Unless he has a massive budget and new tactical brain transplant, I don't see how Man U can finish above Man City or Chelsea, unless one of those sides implodes.

[EIM]

He finished above Chelsea last season, so it's not really that out of the question, is it?

I certainly don't think Manchester United will win the league, but I don't see why second isn't realistic again.

[Satchmo Distel]

Chelsea didn't have Tuchel for the whole season and they were in a tougher European competition after Xmas. If their prime focus is the league, it would be a tough ask for OGS to keep up.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Liverpool need to work out how to build on finishing last season with 8 wins out of 9 while bedding in their new signings Ibrahimi Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Diogo Jota.

[G-Man]

New contract for Solksjaer: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57954333

Unless he has a massive budget and new tactical brain transplant, I don't see how Man U can finish above Man City or Chelsea, unless one of those sides implodes.

I'd hope that Man United might use this year to integrate some of the exciting youngsters. If they do so, they'll have greater depth in the squad than they've had in many years. Pogba leaving will be another boost, especially if instead OGS gives van de Beek as run. If Varane actually gets signed, and perhaps a decent DM, then the possible first-team is about as good as the possible first teams of City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Current Paddy Power odds

Man City 4-6
Chelsea 9-2
Liverpool 5-1
Man United 17-2
Tottenham 33-1

Rather suggests they expect Kane to be in Sky blue imminently.

[Satchmo Distel]

Top 2 finish: https://www.oddschecker.com/football...e/top-2-finish

Man City

2/9

Chelsea

6/4

6/4

Liverpool

6/4

6/4

Man Utd

2

2

Tottenham

16

16

Arsenal

20

20

Leicester

20

[Belhaven]

Everton's new Moordock stadium is set to remove Liverpool from UNESCO 's world heritage list.

[ursus arctos]

The last straw more than the determining factor, as I think was discussed in he short thread in World.

It does seem to be that the rules could benefit from more flexibility in densely populated urban contexts such as these.

[delicatemoth]

What Hüsker Dü song is the thread title a pun on? I was going to go with 'Don't Want To Know If You Are Burnley'.

Leicester City winning the FA Cup has had a huge effect on me. I kind of feel like my team has won the whole of football, it's odd. We'll be anywhere between 3rd and 9th? I dunno. Signings seem decent. Tottenham and Arsenal being shorter odds than Leicester is pretty funny.

[Sean of the Shed]

So new tweaks to VAR after it was probably implemented in a far better way at the Euros.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58064333

Most notable changes appear to be with regards to:
-handball, and whether it is unavoidable, also position of arm and body.
-offside, with more benefit of the doubt given to the attacking player when the distance between the players is undecipherable.
-fouls, where there is contact is no longer confirmation of a foul, which should stop the likes of Harry Kane and Jack Grealish leaving a trailing leg and 'earning' a foul, though I won't hold my breath on that one.

[jwdd27]

Also less sharing of the VAR decision making process with broadcasters, with only the final decision being shown, which is probably a good thing in terms of dampening "the debate".

[Felicity, I guess so]

If City buy Grealish and Kane it'll alter the aesthetics of the team. I couldn't feel quite as well disposed towards them (the players) as I have done.

[Patrick Thistle]

Also less sharing of the VAR decision making process with broadcasters, with only the final decision being shown, which is probably a good thing in terms of dampening "the debate".

It's sweetly optimistic you think the debate can be dampened.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Can anyone be kind enough to copy and paste a complete set of current betting odds on the Prem title? Betting info is blocked on my work laptop and work mobile, which are my only means of accessing the interweb. I'm curious as to where Leeds are in the current bookies' pecking order.

[ursus arctos]

Paddy Power

(Oddschecker lists books with Leeds at between 100 to 170 to 1)

[Felicity, I guess so]

Those 500/1 are ridiculously stingy. I guess the Leicester 5000/1 win memory lingers long for the scum bookies

[ursus arctos]

Of the books collated by Oddschecker, none are offering more than 1500 to one on any club (and that only on Norwich City and Watford)

[G-Man]

Is Harry Kane's strike being discussed on a different thread? Any player who does that kind of thing, while under a valid contract, is an entitled scumbag. Imagine we chumps at the lower end of the food chain decided to break our contractual obligations. Imagine Kane's plumber decided to stop working on installing Kane's golden toilet halfway through the job, just because he feels like it.

The likes of Harry Kane and Aubemeyang and poison. Man City deserves him.

[Jah Womble]

'Strike' is a bit of a stretch. It doesn't look great, but he isn't due back until the weekend.

It's all tabloid rumours though - much like the ones about City ready to table an improved offer of £160m to secure his services.

[Satchmo Distel]

If City buy Grealish and Kane it'll alter the aesthetics of the team. I couldn't feel quite as well disposed towards them (the players) as I have done.

I see them as impact subs rather than first choices, and would hope that Pep took the same view (and that it's the owners not Pep driving the purchases).

[Jah Womble]

(Potentially) £250m for 'impact subs'. Football has lost the plot beyond redemption.

(19,000 posts is also pretty feverish...)

[Foot of Astaire's]

Is Harry Kane's strike being discussed on a different thread? Any player who does that kind of thing, while under a valid contract, is an entitled scumbag. Imagine we chumps at the lower end of the food chain decided to break our contractual obligations. Imagine Kane's plumber decided to stop working on installing Kane's golden toilet halfway through the job, just because he feels like it.

The likes of Harry Kane and Aubemeyang and poison. Man City deserves him.

Agreed. We've seen plenty of foreign players get dogs abuse from the tabloids when they've failed to turn up to training in an apparent sulk. If that's not the case, Kane or his agent, need to make a statement *

If City were patient, they could have Kane for nothing next year or Haaland for the knock down price of £75m. Another fortnight and Levy would be sweating.

* I've not seen any tabloids lately so perhaps Kane is getting stick and he may have already made it statement?

[Uncle Ethan]

You'd think Spurs would end up cashing in. Ground to pay off, no Champions League this season, rebuild to undertake. 130 million for Kane at his age and with his ankles is almost a no brainer for the selling club.

[Satchmo Distel]

Yes, I think this is just brinkmanship from Levy; City have far more leverage than Spurs here and nothing really to lose because they can just buy an equivalent player or players.