Are Liverpool now favourites to win the Premier League?

The current champions, Man Utd, have sold the best player in the world /their top goal scorer for the last 3 seasons.

If that wasn’t bad enough, they have also failed to keep Carlos, South American Footballer of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2005, Tevez.

The team that finished 2nd last season, Liverpool, have not sold any of their best players.

I have been told several times by Liverpool fans that Rafa WILL NOT sell Alonso or Mascherano. What they have done is sign a rightback for £17.5m because this was a weak position in the team.

The 3 players Man Utd have signed...



I have been told are not good enough to get into the Liverpool team.

So Are Liverpool now favourites to win the Premier League?

Speak now!

Because remember 2005/06?

• Liverpool finished 1 point behind Man Utd in the league.
  
• Man Utd finished bottom of their Champions League Group.
  
• Liverpool won the FA Cup.

So when in the summer of 2006 Man Utd sold Ruud and their only big signing was Carrick. At the start of the 2006/07 season, in many peoples eyes, Liverpool fans and the media, Liverpool were considered Chelsea’s main rivals for the league, 2nd favourites.

But instead Man Utd won the league and the denials came out from Liverpools about them being 2nd and Man Utd being 4th favourites for the league at the start of the season.

The Other Contenders
Chelsea – new manager
Arsenal – won’t spend big
Man City – new team

On this board, yes.

In reality I think Chelsea are the best bet. Weren't far off last season despite missing their best player for about 6 months and their second best player either being injured or out of form for most of the season. With a fit and in form Essien and Drogba they are better than Liverpool, it's just injuries and referees conspired against them last time out.

You are sounding angry Batman

What's wrong mate ?

Bookies have them distantish 3rd favourites. i'd say Man City are third favourites however at least Pool have a reliable keeper.

I'd say YES.

I honestly don't think Chelsea will start too well. Ancelotti is nuts if he thinks players like Pirlo will work in the EPL. I think he'll struggle to adapt in his first season here (and get sacked at the end!).

Liverpool need to keep Masch and Alonso mind. If they keep both, then IMO they're favourites.

For us, I'd say we need to start the campaign really well to have a chance. We also need to sign a DM.

IF Utd really have finished their spending for the summer, I think they'll still be there or abouts.

Citeh in all honesty should probably be considered a threat to the top four this season. If they get Terry, their defence will be massivley improved. If they don't, they'll just sign someone else.

Can't see Chelsea doing it, because they may take a few games to get going with new boss - and then in Jan they'll lose Essien, Mikel + Drogba for a month or so for ACoN, which is going to hit them more than any of their rivals.

City have to be looking at top 4 minimum with the squad they're building, and if they start well, could be threat for title, they've got as good a set of attackers as any of current top 4.

Arsenal, should do better with Fabregas + Arshavin available from the start, but need to add a couple more players to really compete at the top.

Pool perhaps are narrow favourites from Utd, as they've a settled team, were very strong in 2nd half of last season and should have Torres playing more, which can be the difference in some of the scrappier games.

Utd, it simply depends whether Owen/Berbatov/Rooney + Valencia, etc can compensate for Ronaldo's goals.

I think Chelsea...Zhirkov is a fantastic signing for them, will add something to their team.

Man Utd have weakened...but the players they have signed have been alright. They could've done with some more established signings though IMO.

I'd still keep Liverpool as 3rd favourites tbh. Then Arsenal after that.

debaser wrote:Can't see Chelsea doing it, because they may take a few games to get going with new boss - and then in Jan they'll lose Essien, Mikel + Drogba for a month or so for ACoN, which is going to hit them more than any of their rivals.

Really?

What about Arsenal?

I'm far more worried about Arsenal than City

Arsenal are only one good signing away from having a very dangerous team. City still have about 5 good players to buy before they will be consistent enough to cause trouble.

Arsenal still have a shite defence and keeper(at least as a unit). Ireland Robinho Tevez Adebayor Cruz probably matches Arsenal's attack now. City will go for top defenders, Arsenal wont buy no more. Breaking into the top 4 with Given as your keeper will take some doing though.

COTR #2 wrote:I'm far more worried about Arsenal than City

Arsenal are only one good signing away from having a very dangerous team. City still have about 5 good players to buy before they will be consistent enough to cause trouble.

For Citeh, the main weakness I see is their coach. Say if they had Capello as manager, I'd be pretty damn scared of them then. But Hughes just doesn't seem capable enough of getting the consistency needed to mount a challenge for the top four, let alone the title.

L-r d wrote:Arsenal still have a shite defence and keeper(at least as a unit). Ireland Robinho Tevez Adebayor Cruz probably matches Arsenal's attack now. City will go for top defenders, Arsenal wont buy no more. Breaking into the top 4 with Given as your keeper will take some doing though.

Almunia was looking ok last season and the defence is hardly that bad. Good fullbacks and now 3 decent centre back options. If they sign someone to protect them then it will surely improve the defence. I mean they had the utterly useless song and denilson running around in front of them doing nothing last season.

Thankfully the chances of wenger spending the money to get the right person in are slim.

City still have a long way to go to develop the solidity required in the team. They will lose too many matches this year, but the year after could be interesting

COTR #2 wrote:I'm far more worried about Arsenal than City

Arsenal are only one good signing away from having a very dangerous team. City still have about 5 good players to buy before they will be consistent enough to cause trouble.

Arsenal fans were saying that 6 signings ago...

Stimulus Package wrote:

debaser wrote:Can't see Chelsea doing it, because they may take a few games to get going with new boss - and then in Jan they'll lose Essien, Mikel + Drogba for a month or so for ACoN, which is going to hit them more than any of their rivals.

Really?

What about Arsenal?

They've only got Toure, Song, Adebayor, Eboue now, and Ade may be leaving. The others have sufficient cover (Eboue is generally sub, Toure will be competing with Vermaelen and Djourou and may lose his spot). Song may be biggest loss, and they need to strengthen in DM anyway.

If the La Liga big 2 leave Mascherano & Alonso alone then I see no other winner. This is really their year.

I'm hoping that the idea is that we sign a DM. If we don't we'll use Denilson there when Song is away. Neither should be in the first team of a team hoping to win the league though, although song did make huge strides towards the end of last season.

I don't think Arsenal will finish below City. I can't even see City finishing 5th. Maybe the year after. Can see them being all over the place again. Maybe 7th...

MadVillain wrote:If the La Liga big 2 leave Mascherano & Alonso alone then I see no other winner. This is really their year.

What the hell is 'Arry doing this summer

Where are all of Spurs' multi million pound signings. Is 'Arry gearing up to play the Wenger card this season ?

GianDeano Zola wrote:I don't think Arsenal will finish below City. I can't even see City finishing 5th. Maybe the year after. Can see them being all over the place again. Maybe 7th...

Depends what they do with defence, but if they add Terry, having already bought Barry, they'll have two top, consistent PL players, which can make big difference. Imagine Terry instead of Dunne and their defence is going to make fewer mistakes and be more organised. Having Barry as experience & calmness in CM instead of Kompany or De Jong and they are going to be stronger there, too.

Compare how they've changed over the summer to Villa, Everton, Spurs - and they've made big strides forwards with squad, where others have so far stood still/regressed, so they really should be finishing ahead, tragic as that would be.

It's all on paper at the minute, of course.

Quietly optimistic...

COTR #2 wrote:

MadVillain wrote:If the La Liga big 2 leave Mascherano & Alonso alone then I see no other winner. This is really their year.

What the hell is 'Arry doing this summer

Where are all of Spurs' multi million pound signings. Is 'Arry gearing up to play the Wenger card this season ?

I wasn't lying when I said that we had to sell before we can buy. We spent everything we had in January. So far only Zokora has gone, and I'm sure Bent will move on once Levy stops being so.... Jewish.

All the players I wanted are either to pricy, or have made or out of reach (Iaquinta, Chamakh, Dzeko, Jo). We need a Left winger just as an option in the squad. I wouldn't mind Martin Petrov at all to be honest.

That being said, we finished last season strongly & I'm confident that we can be in competition with Everton/Villa/City.

If we keep this team and let them grow, whilst making subtle changes that suit our style, then we'll be very strong. that's why Everton are where they are. Personally I'm tired of bringing in players just because they are good without thinking whether they suit our style of play or cover a particular desperate need in the squad - see Bentley & Bent for proof of this.

A lot of the players will be better prepared this time (Gomes, Modric, Pav) no Europe means we've got a better chance of 'keeping King & Woodgate fitter and building up consistency, Huddlestone in the 1st XI at Jenas' expense and a Defoe & Pav front 2.

Our best EPL season came when we last didn't have European footie, so I'm hopeful.

I have to say yes they are favourites. Man U are weak and have bought some real bullshit, they will finish 3rd, and Chelsea have a pretty mediocre manager. That will leave Pool at the top.

Why do you think Ancelotti is mediocre Kimbo?

Ray Parlour wrote:Why do you think Ancelotti is mediocre Kimbo?

He's a cup manager, his performances in the league with Milan were average at best. I don't think he will last the season.

Stop saying we are favourites!

To be fair though most of the time he had to deal with the bare minimum with Nesta always being injured and the board not releasing funds for him to sign top class players.

Ray Parlour wrote:To be fair though most of the time he had to deal with the bare minimum with Nesta always being injured and the board not releasing funds for him to sign top class players.

Diddums, he only had a bunch of world class players like Kaka, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Nesta, Maldini etc etc. Forgive me for not having much sympathy.

I agree with Kimbo. I don't think he'll do better than Scolari did. Its a strange appointment in all honesty. How many times did he win Serie A with Milan?

And the style that he likes to play is the complete antithesis of what the EPL is about!

Tweedle wrote:I agree with Kimbo. I don't think he'll do better than Scolari did. Its a strange appointment in all honesty. How many times did he win Serie A with Milan?

And the style that he likes to play is the complete antithesis of what the EPL is about!

Arsenal proofed it many times it is a huge advantage to play european style... Only if you have the right players for it!

Liverpool would be favorites, cant argue with that at the moment.