Villa, Everton, Spurs, Liverpool and Man City fans - do you think 4th is realistic?

Miyazaki · 21-09-2009, 4:04 PM

IMO those are the teams that are knocking on the door, so sorry if you feel your team can grab that top 4 spot and I didn't mention you.

I think 4th is a realistic ambition for Villa this season for a number of reasons.

Last season you might say we overachieved, but then if you look at the team we had on that run, I wouldn't have said the quality was too different from at least Liverpool and Arsenal in the 1st 11.

We obviously had a bad run and that coincided with the loss of our best player to injury and a run of bad form with no back up to replace the out of form players.

This season we have got cover in every position, and quality cover at that, we didn't have last season. We also have the experience of being in the top 4 for a substantial period of time and I really believe that despite the loss of 2 key players, as a squad and a team we are stronger.

We also have stability in terms of management and a settled core of players in the team and have been progressing season on season over the last few years. We were one of the best away from home, but poor at home and conceded too many goals. I think we are just as good away from home this season, but improved a lot at home (Wigan game excepted).

We also spent over £40 million over the summer and have an excellent chairman as well (IMO).

How do you realistically rate your teams chances this year?

mossym · 21-09-2009, 4:18 PM

i reckon it's fair to assume that the top 4 teams from last season and the 4 you mentioned will as a rule beat the rest of the league. given that it will come down to how they perform against each other.

so, given villa have beaten on of the "big 4", so have spurs, so have city, and i fancy everton to get stronger as the season goes on as they tend to do i reckon it's VERY realistic one of these teams could step up and nab fourth...which one will be tough to see, i definitely see villa as contenders..time will tell on the others

Miyazaki · 21-09-2009, 4:20 PM

We've got Man City and Chelsea very soon and I think they'll be a strong indicator, but again I really suppose it is down to who wants it on the day and not the be-all-and-end-all of who is the best team.

dazza74 · 21-09-2009, 4:59 PM

I think it's all up for grabs this season, I'd go as far as to say I'd only now put a sizeable bet on Man U & Chelsea finising in the top 4. Going to depend for me what the league looks like by January, I think if Man City are doing well and in the top 4 I reckon they could throw a few bob at it in the January window and sign maybe even a true world class player.

Rorifett · 21-09-2009, 5:09 PM

The thing with any of our teams getting into the top 4 is that one of the current top 4 need to drop out of there, and who do you see dropping out? Before the season kicked off I would've put my money on Arsenal dropping out but certainly doesn't look to be that way, if anyone Liverpool look to be the ones to drop and again I just can't see that.

Everton should definitely improve as the season goes on, the return of important players (Yak, Arteta, Jags) and the integration of new players (Heitinger, Bilyaletdinov especially) should see us playing more solidly at the back and more creatively at the front with (hopefully) enough players to rotate come the tail-end of the season to avoid dropping off points as we tend to do. However it all comes down to the top teams dropping points and I'm just not sure how many will be dropped.

I think we'll see lots of draws between the Tottenhams/City's/Villa/Everton/Arsenal/Liverpool and the occasional draws with Chelsea/Man Utd which will hopefully open things up for one or two teams to make the most of the results and move ahead of the rest of the chasing pack (kinda like in motor racing when the leaders are fighting between each other and the chasing pack close up with one person nipping ahead).

I still think Everton's final 11 games will prove to be vital in our championship, there's 33 points to be had against teams who finished below us in the league last year (I think Villa are the hardest of that bunch but we turned them over twice last year, just didn't get all the results going our way

Tottenham is also in that list of 11 teams but we'll have them too

)

SibTiger33 · 21-09-2009, 5:51 PM

if one of those gets in then someones gotta drop out
My money would be on Liverpool but as the previous poster said I just dont see it at the moment.

I think it will be alot closer this year for the 4th spot but I dont believe any of the aforementioned teams will get it - but it will be close!

Miyazaki · 21-09-2009, 5:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rorifett

I still think Everton's final 11 games will prove to be vital in our championship, there's 33 points to be had against teams who finished below us in the league last year (I think Villa are the hardest of that bunch but we turned them over twice last year, just didn't get all the results going our way

Tottenham is also in that list of 11 teams but we'll have them too

)

We beat you 3-2 at goodison in the league mate with an Ashley Young wondergoal!!!

addyb · 21-09-2009, 7:22 PM

Same top 4 again this year imo. Only with some positions reversed.

Chelsea
Man u
Liverpool
Arsenal

Cant see city, villa, spurs or everton breaking into it. Them 4 will be battling for 5th!

Rorifett · 22-09-2009, 6:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

We beat you 3-2 at goodison in the league mate with an Ashley Young wondergoal!!!

Oh defo, your lot won, we were just the better side

Dony · 22-09-2009, 9:59 AM

Before the season started, I didn't think we (Spurs) stood any chance of being in the Top4 and I still don't.

Obviously I'm happy with the start, and having already played Liverpool, Utd, and Chelsea I'd hope that we can sustain some sort of challenge.

At this stage I'd take 6th place and the F.A Cup.

ODP · 22-09-2009, 10:20 AM

I dont think Villa posess the quality to break into the top 4, and think they will do poorly this season 8th maybe? sorry to OP

.
youve lost Barry and Laursen. and Only then brought in Dunne, who is quite good but not good enough IMO.
Spurs have looked good at the start of this season but im sorry to say it but City are very good at home and i think will be winning most game there, and questions hung over their away form, however have shown strength away from home, especially at Old Trafford (suppose a derby game doesnt count) but if its gonna be anyone it will be Man City. And Arsenal look exactly the same this season as they always do, although Vermaelen does look a very good piece of business.
However one team you failed to pick up on.. SAFC top 4 this season easy!

mossym · 22-09-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safc_dan

youve lost Barry and Laursen. and Only then brought in Dunne, who is quite good but not good enough IMO.

collins, beye, downing, delph, warnock..

stronger panel than last year if you ask me, and i'm not even a villa fan

dazza74 · 22-09-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dony

Obviously I'm happy with the start, and having already played Liverpool, Utd, and Chelsea I'd hope that we can sustain some sort of challenge.

This seems to have been forgotten by a lot of people all of a sudden who you've played already in those 6 games. No other club in my mind has had a more difficult start.

ODP · 22-09-2009, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mossym

collins, beye, downing, delph, warnock..

stronger panel than last year if you ask me, and i'm not even a villa fan

aye they are better in depth but not one of those players are top 4 quality.
Collins is off the back of one decent season for West Ham
Beye never did anything great at the mags
Downing is injured until Jan if im not mistaken
delph is an unproven league one player
and warnock is nothing special as far as i can see

alan280170 · 22-09-2009, 11:49 AM

Normal service, don't know what order but no surprises.

Munkey Boy · 22-09-2009, 1:05 PM

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a surprise. I think the chasing pack are closer than they've ever been. The odds are one of those four teams will put together a decent run.

Rorifett · 22-09-2009, 2:29 PM

I honestly think we'll still manage to trip each other up more than getting in the way of last season's top 4 finishers, fingers crossed it's not like this and that it's a good mix between the top 8, hopefully all sets of chasing teams will improve and push the status quo more and more each year, would be great to see 8-10 teams really challenging for the title.

Miyazaki · 22-09-2009, 2:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mossym

collins, beye, downing, delph, warnock..

stronger panel than last year if you ask me, and i'm not even a villa fan

Yeah, we brought in 7 new players... don't really understand his comments.

Miyazaki · 22-09-2009, 2:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safc_dan

aye they are better in depth but not one of those players are top 4 quality.
Collins is off the back of one decent season for West Ham
Beye never did anything great at the mags
Downing is injured until Jan if im not mistaken
delph is an unproven league one player
and warnock is nothing special as far as i can see

Both Beye and Warnock were the respected players of the season. You might not say that means much, but give me a squad made of players of the season any day.

I think joint with Chelsea we've shipped the fewest goals, which was what let us down last season. We are definately a stronger squad this year, no doubt.

**mabo** · 23-09-2009, 1:39 PM

I'd say that Villa have a stronger squad due to a touch more depth but 1-11 they are definitely weaker without Barry. They seem to have added in all areas except a direct replacement playmaker which is arguably now their weakest area.

DJT75 · 23-09-2009, 2:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Last season you might say we overachieved, but then if you look at the team we had on that run, I wouldn't have said the quality was too different from at least Liverpool and Arsenal in the 1st 11.

Can't agree with this I'm afraid. Where's Villa's Reina, Alonso, Mascherano, Gerrard, Torres? These are world class individuals. Arsenal have similiar, Villa have pretty much none.

I can't see any real change other than the top 3 switching around a bit. I expect Chelsea to win & Utd to pip Liverpool to 2nd. Liverpool (for a change) took 14 points off the other top 3 sides not losing a single game last season, we only lost 2 games all season & still finished a way behind Utd. To break into the top 4 these nearly teams would need to win pretty much against everyone else. Man City probably have the best chance purely down to depth of squad. Spurs started well, had 2 tough games losing both & now have major defensive injury problems. Villa will do the same as last year, squad not strong enough, Everton have started awfully & will again be around the top 7 places but nothing amazing.

dazza74 · 23-09-2009, 3:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJT75

Can't agree with this I'm afraid. Where's Villa's Reina, Alonso, Mascherano, Gerrard, Torres? These are world class individuals. Arsenal have similiar, Villa have pretty much none.

Didn't stop them beating you the other week though did it. I thought you made heavy work of it again last night as well against league 1 opposition.

**mabo** · 23-09-2009, 4:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dazza74

Didn't stop them beating you the other week though did it. I thought you made heavy work of it again last night as well against league 1 opposition.

That was a second string side though, Benitez didn't even put Reina in for it.

Miyazaki · 23-09-2009, 5:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJT75

Can't agree with this I'm afraid. Where's Villa's Reina, Alonso, Mascherano, Gerrard, Torres? These are world class individuals. Arsenal have similiar, Villa have pretty much none.

I can't see any real change other than the top 3 switching around a bit. I expect Chelsea to win & Utd to pip Liverpool to 2nd. Liverpool (for a change) took 14 points off the other top 3 sides not losing a single game last season, we only lost 2 games all season & still finished a way behind Utd. To break into the top 4 these nearly teams would need to win pretty much against everyone else. Man City probably have the best chance purely down to depth of squad. Spurs started well, had 2 tough games losing both & now have major defensive injury problems. Villa will do the same as last year, squad not strong enough, Everton have started awfully & will again be around the top 7 places but nothing amazing.

Yet of course Liverpool will be up there after resounding defeats to Tottenham and Villa.

No offence, but after losing Alonso and without Gerrard and Torres, you'd struggle to finish in the top 6 this season.

DJT75 · 23-09-2009, 6:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dazza74

Didn't stop them beating you the other week though did it. I thought you made heavy work of it again last night as well against league 1 opposition.

Is that the same game we could've/should've won 10-3? yep think so. & last night was reserves so you obviously thought that from looking at the result only

DJT75 · 23-09-2009, 6:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Yet of course Liverpool will be up there after resounding defeats to Tottenham and Villa.

No offence, but after losing Alonso and without Gerrard and Torres, you'd struggle to finish in the top 6 this season.

Everyone loses a few games, that's ours out of the way early.
We'll wait to see what Alonso's replacement is like before judging that & didn't we play 2 3rds of last season without Gerrard & Torres in the same side & finished 2nd? yep!

Miyazaki · 23-09-2009, 7:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJT75

Everyone loses a few games, that's ours out of the way early.
We'll wait to see what Alonso's replacement is like before judging that & didn't we play 2 3rds of last season without Gerrard & Torres in the same side & finished 2nd? yep!

But last season you had someone in your side that could pass the ball. I hope Aquilani is all he's cracked up to be!

Rorifett · 23-09-2009, 9:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJT75

Everyone loses a few games, that's ours out of the way early.
We'll wait to see what Alonso's replacement is like before judging that & didn't we play 2 3rds of last season without Gerrard & Torres in the same side & finished 2nd? yep!

Just so I understand properly, Everton start awfully and that's our season written off - lucky to get in top 7. Liverpool lose a few and that's theirs 'out of the way early'? Lol please, feel free to support your team and have some kinda bias but not come out with complete nonsense. Lots of teams are getting stronger and beyond the 1st string 11 Liverpool don't have lots of strength. There are players there which have needed to step up their games for a long time, just don't know if they have that fire inside themselves to push on. Babel is a prime example, on his day he looks like he could skin anyone but how often do you see him on his game? I think this season, and possibly even the next few seasons, will be the closest run for a while.

Undoubtedly last year your lot had a good season, the best you had had for a while but this year I don't think you seem to be same force. I watch with interest to see how the league goes.

**Kieron** · 23-09-2009, 11:36 PM

Spurs and City possibly. Everton and Villa - no chance.

Rorifett · 24-09-2009, 12:00 AM

Why do you think Everton have no chance? The start to the premier league has been pretty woeful but 11 goals scored in the past 3 games, along with much better solidity at the back, more flowing and faster moving attack, the return of key players throughout the season and the integration of the new players would make me think that those first few blips aside this could be a real season of progress for us.

Not trying to sound antagonistic with my question by the way, just wondered what your reasons for writing off Everton so quickly were.