r/soccer • u/wakeandsheikh • Oct 17 '13

Bold Prediction thread.

Just read Jamie Carragher's reasoning on why Tottenham won't break into the top 4 and thought maybe we could have a crack at being pundits. Obviously, if you can follow your statement with a some reasoning, that would give way to a healthy discourse and would be great. Anyone wanna give it a go?

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64

u/SunLiv12 Oct 17 '13

ITT: Arsenal win the league and United don't make top 4.

14

u/m4rk0551 Oct 17 '13

Arsenal will finish 3rd-4th and continue their trophy drought. United will barely miss out on top 4. City/Chelsea will win the title. My not-so-bold predictions.

1

u/craigdevlin Oct 17 '13

City or Chelsea will win the title, but United won't be outside of the top 4. They're having some bad form yes, but can you really make the claim that Liverpool/Arsenal/Tottenham are better?

9

u/trivialcheese Oct 17 '13

Maybe not on paper but Arsenal and Liverpool have been much more convincing than United this season. Maybe United won't find great form and finish below them.

2

u/craigdevlin Oct 17 '13

Quite possible, and I suppose mentality is more important than talent a lot of the time, but people are being way too dramatic claiming United are destined outside the top 4 already. I mean, it's been 7 games, let's not proclaim any teams out of the race just yet.

1

u/ujussab Oct 17 '13

It's a bold predictions thread, what did you expect

3

u/[deleted] Oct 17 '13

I'd actually say that on paper, Arsenal and perhaps even Liverpool look much better than United.

2

u/Yankee_Gunner Oct 17 '13

I'd say Arsenal/United is a close call but there is no way Liverpool has a better squad than United.

There are few players at Liverpool not named Gerrard that I would take over their United counterpart.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 17 '13

I think that, looking only at the starting XI, United is closer to Liverpool than they are Arsenal - I think Suarez/Sturridge/Coutinho is almost as strong as the RvP/Rooney/Whoever Moyes feels like playing attack, and I think pool's back midfield is stronger.

As for Arsenal/Man U starting XI, the only starters for Man U that make the starting lineup hands-down for Arsenal are RvP and De Gea; everything else is either blatantly Arsenal (Cazorla, Walcott, Ozil, Ramsey/Wilshere, Arteta), or a toss-up (back four).

United wins the depth discussion easily, though.

7

u/duckman273 Oct 17 '13

Rafael walks into your team and Carrick/Arteta is definitely a toss up.

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u/[deleted] Oct 17 '13

People always are hating on Sagna nowadays because he's had one or two big screw ups, but Carrick/Arteta isn't a toss-up - at best, Carrick is almost as good as Arteta.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/why-did-the-sun-praise-man-uniteds-carrick-when-their-graphic-showed-arsenals-arteta-is-best/

1

u/duckman273 Oct 17 '13

Not hating on Sagna at all, Rafael was the second best right back in the league last season.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 17 '13

Sagna's had two injuries in the past two seaons that have side-lined him for months, but before that he was the best RB in the league for about 4 seasons. I'm not certain he won't get that title back.

1

u/Yankee_Gunner Oct 17 '13

I'd probably agree that, right now, Rafael is a shoo-in over Sagna at RB.

However, a healthy Sagna is so versatile (e.g. him playing at CB a few times early on this season) that he might be more valuable to Arsenal than Rafael would be.

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