How do you think we will fare this season? Will the strengthening of the squad be enough to propel us to the Title? Will it be enough to regain our Top 4 status?
Here’s what BR thinks (subject to change depending upon results 🙂 )
Let’s look at the opposition, starting with:
Chelsea: We have recently beaten them twice in two important games and lost a meaningless friendly. We are better than them – full stop. Yes, they may be Champions but I fear for them and doubt they can repeat their mid-season run of form which propelled them to the title. They are lacking in midfield (why sell Matic??), are half the side without Hazard and are about to sell their best attacker. Morata? €60m is a huge gamble on a man who has yet to play a full season in a first team (RM made €30m profit on him after just 26 games!!).
We will finish above them.
Man City: Spent a fortune – over €100m on just full backs! Almost €40m on a GK who has yet to gain a full International cap. If their first 11 stay fit and Stones starts to show why he is so highly rated they will do well.
Champions? A team with De Bruyne, Sterling, Aguero, Gundogan and Sane will not be far off but somehow, they just don’t do it for me.
Man Utd. Mourinho has to deliver. Winning the Europa was good but not considering the massive investment made in the summer of ’16, Finishing just 6th could have been a sackable offence. Over €150m spent (added to the €165m last summer) makes this a hugely expensive squad. They have managed to recoup less than €10m in sales! MU should have the best squad and if they had a manager who had the slightest intention to entertain we should be happy to see such wonderful talent in the PL BUT they don’t, and MU remain a dull team to watch. The purchase of Lukaku points to a Route One season They were awful in the Supercup where Real Madrid made them look amateur.
MU should be favourites in a financially doped league.
Spurs: If any other team had achieved what Spurs have I would be delighted and rooting for them to go one step further – but it isn’t, it is Spurs and I have an innate dislike of anything Blue & White – to the point where I will not even allow a blue & white toothbrush into my bathroom. FairPlay to them, they have managed to retain the bulk of their squad (so far), sold players for massive profits and look potential Champions. But, there are two huge problems , firstly, they are playing at Wembley, and secondly, and much more importantly, they are Spurs.
Relegation awaits.
Liverpool: Dark horses. On paper they look excellent. Solid in every position. If they can keep Coutinho it will be a signal of their intent. Salah is a good signing and if Sturridge can form a partnership with Mane, they are strong in attack. Klopp remains a terrific addition to the PL . Good enough to move on and win the title? Good enough to maintain a top 4 place?
I doubt it.
Everton: Given their ambitions and expenditure they have to be considered. Koeman is doing very well and has created an excellent defence, strengthened by Pickford and Keane. Given the loss of Lukaku how will they cope in attack? Will Rooney have the legs? Where does he fit into the team? Not in midfield where Everton have Schneiderlin, Barkley, Davies and Barry. Goalscoring could be problematic.
6th
Arsenal: If Sanchez, Ozil and Ox stay plus we sign another body, then the title is ours. The development of Iwobi and Xhaka, plus the purchase of Lacazette means that both Ozil and Sanchez can leave in 2018. However,they need another season to bed in. Rumour abounds about Gabriel being sold but I doubt it, nor Chambers who has a future at AFC. Mustafi has had a bedding in season and the 3-4-3 means that we have choices, especially given the exciting arrival of Kolasinac.
Champions
written by Big Raddy
Posted by Erik the Red 
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Last May, at the age of 18, he moved from being the star man at Benfica to Bayern for a fee that will eventually hit €80M, and has started two games since December. To top that, he’s been dropped from the full International team, and now plays for the Portuguese U-21’s.
“The problem is that you basically have to be the finished article at a club like that. He was learning so much playing at Benfica every week, it was the perfect environment for him to develop, but he was a still a rough diamond with flaws in his game. Portugal is well known for producing precocious young talents who get sold before they are the finished article. That’s what happened with him”, said someone.
Now, Arsenal. Whatever the figure is, we have a transfer budget the Club are unhappy to spend this summer, and I doubt if it’s a whole lot more than £100M.
My hope is that all key players remain, meaning that whoever we buy, and whenever that is, we’ll still hit the road running with a settled side in our first encounter against…..and Leicester.
So, back to Mbappe. The “someone” that said the above, felt that at Bayern, a player needed to be the finished article. Arsenal are not quite at the Bayern level (cough!), so does that make Arsenal the ideal destination?
Would you risk the whole of our budget on him?
I would, but then I famously have a rather relaxed attitude towards being sensible, whilst at the same time having a somewhat gung-ho take on risk. Above all, I like excitement and think he’d bring skip loads of the stuff.
If, on the other hand, I was a remotely sensible sort and a little more mature, I’d probably say I’d prefer a player like Aubameyang. In other words, someone with a little more history, and having proved themselves in a tougher league.
What say you. All for one?
ps I know the bookies would probably have Lazazette at considerably better odds than Mbapp, but the principle of the post applies. All on one mega deal
written by Micky Didit