Points records and greatest teams

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Man City set the 3-point for a win era top flight record last night, reaching 97 with a game to go. Chelsea's 2005 tally of 95, in Mourinho's first season there, was the previous record. Liverpool's 2 point for a win tally of 68 in 1979 would convert to 98 now, but that was in a 42 game season.

On that bare stat alone would anyone make the case that this City team are up there as arguably the best in English history? Do season v season comparisons stand up to any such scrutiny at all? Worth noting, for example, that if Man United win their final game on Sunday then Mourinho's 2018 side will have gained more points than Fergie's treble winners. Surely only a madman could claim this year's is a better team?

[The-Reverend]

I must admit that I do feel honoured to have been a season ticket holder when seeing a points record set.

Don't think that I can claim them to be a great team though as it was Derby in 2007/08

[Kevin S]

haha

On the OP, there was a bit on Five Live recently when they were talking about Ray Wilkins. They played a clip of him on a previous show, when they'd asked him right near the end of the programme if this Man City team was the greatest seen on these shores. Wilkins was adamant that Man Utd (c.1999), Arsenal (c.2003) and Chelsea (c.2005) have all had better teams who would beat them. And then the programme ran out of time, so he couldn't be pressed on this. And now he never can, either.

[Flynnie]

This is all subjective, but the utter shiteness of everybody from Everton on town in the table (and Arsenal deserve to be grouped with them) takes some of the shine off Man City's points total for me.

[diggedy derek]

Reading’s 106 point Championship season record still intact after Wolves started dreaming of the beach - possibly the club’s proudest achievement.

[Gangster Octopus]

Nah, I think them winning the league twice in a row in the late fifties was better. Or do you mean Reading?

[Kevin S]

Reading’s 106 point Championship season record still intact after Wolves started dreaming of the beach - possibly the club’s proudest achievement.

I'd forgotten about Reading doing that, and still had Sunderland in mind as the record-holders for the second tier.

[G-Man]

"Best teams ever" must be able to replicate their success, and record success over more than one platform. Man City still have to do that.

But even then, there'll always hang the shade of purchased success over them, as it does over Chelsea. But even allowing for that shade, City have bought exceedingly well (certainly if one aims for the Ferguson rule of 50% of transfers being successful as a par strike-rate), and they've played some stunning football.

[Patrick Thistle]

Almost all success in football is "bought" in one way or another.

[pebblethefish]

I think the Reverend has it right on this thread - Derby hold the Premier League "low" record, and they were indeed the worst team in Premier history. Man City are up there with the best, but I wouldn't say that they are unequivocally best, and whether they got the record points total or not would not make the slightest bit of difference.

[G-Man]

Almost all success in football is "bought" in one way or another.

Sure, every successful club has had a lucky break at some point -- getting the right sponsor, the right manager, the right contacts to give you a big stadium, being in the First Division just as football becomes Big Time Entertainment -- and invested the windfall effectively. But that's quite different from plutocrats and oligarchs pumping unlimited amounts of money into an underperforming club to give it unlimited transfer funds.

It's the difference between marrying a model because of your good looks, charm and financially independence, and landing her only because your unearned wealth.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

"So Meghan, what first attracted you to the boorish balding ginger Prince?"

[Jah Womble]

I'd forgotten about Reading doing that, and still had Sunderland in mind as the record-holders for the second tier.

They can also claim the most wins from the start of a season (13 in Div 3, 1985-86) - which is sort of a points record, at least for the first dozen-or-so matches.