Topic: The Title Race 2023/24- Jurgen's Last Dance

[Razors Razor]

Of course City will drop points now and Arsenal will win it, it looks inevitable. It would sum up our luck that twice we needed them to drop points in the run in whilst we kept winning, but the one season they do that our performances and belief have deserted us. The fact that we had to go near perfect to win it and still didn’t has probably affected us more than people realise. Luckily for Arsenal they’ve never had to deal with that. It may take us a long time in future title race’s to be optimistic as well. 30 years perhaps who knows.

Not a chance City will drop points. Have you seen their run in? May as well give them the trophy now.

[Gogeqac]

Yesterday
Everton (1.2 xG) 2-0 (2.00 xG) Liverpool


Today @ HT
Brighton (0.14 xG) 0-3 (0.88 xG) Man City

We desperately need players who can shoot at the goal.

We're only 16th in the league in the ranking of goals/expected goals (in other words, conversion rate), only ahead of Fulham, Bournemouth, Brighton and Everton.
Arsenal are 3rd and City 10th.

[itihasas]

What a manager, what a team but at the end of it all, will there be a sense of so close yet so far?

[Henry Chinaski]

We've looked ropey in every game bar maybe five, which makes it remarkable that we have won as many as we have (and a pot to go with it). Reminds me of the Rodgers season where games were too open. All those comebacks were a testament to Klopp and the spirit of the team, but it was too much.

I think we all sensed it, even if we might not like to admit it.

Last summer, we really needed a proper defensive midfielder. Despite claims at the time that Klopp doesn't favor purely defensive-minded players in his midfield (overlooking Fabinho in that argument), I believe that was the main goal.

Either way: great post.

[spider-neil]

I want Arsenal to beat Spurs at the weekend. That result is far more useful for us.

[The_Nomad]

I want Arsenal to beat Spurs at the weekend. That result is far more useful for us.

Whatever happens, l don’t want The Arse to win it. It would be too fucking painful to think they’d got it right and won it instead of us under Klopp. If $hitty 115 win it, it would be meaningless to everyone.

[Caps4444]

What a manager, what a team but at the end of it all, will there be a sense of so close yet so far?

We deserved 1 more league title and 1 more European Cup, I feel the 21/22 season made Jurgen think….that was a painful season the way it ended.

For example United fans may play down Klopp and his time with us and the fact he only won 2 top tier trophies, but I look at the journey, looking forward to games at the end of the season, the joy of being involved in title races, cup semis, finals….its been an absolute pleasure, delight….and we had it consistently from 2017 to 2024.

[Crosby Nick]

I want Arsenal to beat Spurs at the weekend. That result is far more useful for us.

I’m not worried about Spurs winning their last 6 or whatever it is they need. I’d say Villa are more likely to win out (our game with them could be important) but I wouldn’t stress about Spurs at this point. Not that their results against Arsenal and City are too much of our business now.

[GreatEx]

Spurs lost their last game 4-0, have 7 points from their last 5 games, have won one of their last 7 away games, and are playing each of the top 3 in their remaining 6 games.

What I'm saying is, they're guaranteed to win 6 out of 6 so we might as well give up.

[spider-neil]

Whatever happens, l don’t want The Arse to win it. It would be too fucking painful to think they’d got it right and won it instead of us under Klopp. If $hitty 115 win it, it would be meaningless to everyone.

Liverpool first. Whatever happens after that, happens. The sooner we confirm the top 4 the better.

[mullyred94]

We deserved 1 more league title and 1 more European Cup, I feel the 21/22 season made Jurgen think….that was a painful season the way it ended.

For example United fans may play down Klopp and his time with us and the fact he only won 2 top tier trophies, but I look at the journey, looking forward to games at the end of the season, the joy of being involved in title races, cup semis, finals….its been an absolute pleasure, delight….and we had it consistently from 2017 to 2024.

We should have cooked the books and cheated 

[Son of Spion]

Whatever happens, l don’t want The Arse to win it. It would be too fucking painful to think they’d got it right and won it instead of us under Klopp. If $hitty 115 win it, it would be meaningless to everyone.

It wouldn't be that they got it right but we didn't. Even if they win all their remaining games I think they only get 89 points. We've been 'runners up' with 97 and 92 points.

The sportswashers have skewed everything with their rampant cheating. We more than got it right. It's just that we were cheated out of the trophy by the 115*.

[mullyred94]

Still over achieved considering the what the thoughts were before the season.

Understandable to be upset but a lot of throwing the baby out with the bathwater atm.

We should probably sell the whole squad though... 

[spider-neil]

We're third in the league having legitimately challenged for the league until April. This was one of the worst injury crises we've ever had. We need to get to the bottom of why we have no many injuries and make a handful of key signings in the summer (most likely the DM and LCB) and go again. We need tweaks and not an overhaul.

[mullyred94]

We're third in the league having legitimately challenged for the league until April. This was one of the worst injury crises we've ever had. We need to get to the bottom of why we have no many injuries and make a handful of key signings in the summer (most likely the DM and LCB) and go again. We need tweaks and not an overhaul.

Imagine before the season saying it would have been in our hands.

[spider-neil]

Imagine before the season saying it would have been in our hands.

With a midfield overhaul I was fearing the worst.

[UntouchableLuis]

Secure top 4, get the new manager in ASAP and start to rebuild.

If City aren't going to be punished by the league then we need to spend at least 100 million to compete for the title.

[mullyred94]

Secure top 4, get the new manager in ASAP and start to rebuild.

If City aren't going to be punished by the league then we need to spend at least 100 million to compete for the title.

We need class CDM and a left sided defender.

If ruthless would sell one of the forwards and get a younger one in.

[harleydanger]

Would’ve given Danns a couple of subs while the forwards couldn’t hit a barn door

[Egyptian36]

I hope City win it, nobody cares about them winning it just will expose their cheating more. Fk Arsenal they were like everybody else cheering for City before.

[kaesarsosei]

We need class CDM and a left sided defender.

If ruthless would sell one of the forwards and get a younger one in.

Agreed. Need a LB who can at least split time with Robbo next season and maybe establish himself as the starter going into 2025

1 more CDM - basically an upgrade on Endo, who I would definitely keep as the backup since I don't want Macca playing there.

I would keep Jota, Diaz and Gakpo. Salah I would cash in and while I would not be pushing Nunez out the door, if anything close to decent interest was there I would consider it. Salah's replacement would be the marquee signing and either Nunez (if he is still here) next season establishes himself as the de facto first choice attacker and fully picks up Salah's mantle, or he is definitely out the door.

I don't have any targets in mind, and this isn't the transfer thread, but those are the 3 areas that to me cost us the title. Goals dried up, too soft in front of the back 4, and with Robbo missing or catching up for basically half the season our left side was neutered.

[killer-heels]

Agreed. Need a LB who can at least split time with Robbo next season and maybe establish himself as the starter going into 2025

1 more CDM - basically an upgrade on Endo, who I would definitely keep as the backup since I don't want Macca playing there.

I would keep Jota, Diaz and Gakpo. Salah I would cash in and while I would not be pushing Nunez out the door, if anything close to decent interest was there I would consider it. Salah's replacement would be the marquee signing and either Nunez (if he is still here) next season establishes himself as the de facto first choice attacker and fully picks up Salah's mantle, or he is definitely out the door.

I don't have any targets in mind, and this isn't the transfer thread, but those are the 3 areas that to me cost us the title. Goals dried up, too soft in front of the back 4, and with Robbo missing or catching up for basically half the season our left side was neutered.

Its not a transfer thread and I have been critical of Darwin but it would be mad to sell him and Salah and keep the other three. They are our top scorers!

[Cormack Snr]

We have been ravaged by injuries all season but chopping and changing centre halves and midfielders hasn't helped.
The Endo, MacAlister partnership was working and then dropped, Konate in out shake it all about hasn't worked and Jones getting taken off in every game including half time is messing us about .
We haven't had a settled team all season, it's quite amazing we are in 3rd place.
All those missed goals have done for us, Jurgen will be sick now leaving this way ..

[Kloppage Time]

Not giving up until it's mathematically impossible

[MH41]

I want Arsenal to beat Spurs at the weekend. That result is far more useful for us.

Should we not be looking for Arsenal to drop points?
Finishing 2nd behind City might give us another Title?
I would love someone from our club to come out with that! 

[Razors Razor]

Whatever happens, l don’t want The Arse to win it. It would be too fucking painful to think they’d got it right and won it instead of us under Klopp. If $hitty 115 win it, it would be meaningless to everyone.

Would rather Arsenal win it than 115 FC doing an unprecedented 4 titles on the bounce.

[farawayred]

Would rather Arsenal win it than 115 FC doing an unprecedented 4 titles on the bounce.

I'm split on that. Maybe that's better, or maybe it's better for the Cheats to win it and then get stripped of everything...

[Brain Potter]

Would rather Arsenal win it than 115 FC doing an unprecedented 4 titles on the bounce.

Any Man City title win is totally meaningless, it doesn't register with me. I've stopped watching any of their matches on TV or listening to radio commentaries, and I love watching football.

It's football without any emotion...cold, boring shite.   

An Arsenal title win would really piss me off. 
   

[Crosby Nick]

Would rather Arsenal win it than 115 FC doing an unprecedented 4 titles on the bounce.

4 in a row might finally get thick as shit United fans to realise that cheering for their local rivals to keep winning stuff maybe isn’t that great after all.

[Son of Spion]

4 in a row might finally get thick as shit United fans to realise that cheering for their local rivals to keep winning stuff maybe isn’t that great after all.

Unless they're seriously addressed, they'll go on to eclipse United's European Cup record in the not too distant future. The Mancs are only blasé about their titles because they are still nowhere near their twenty, but we are. They'll soon change their tune on that one though, because they aren't getting anywhere near a title for many years to come, and 115* are hoovering them up like a Dyson cleaning up confetti after a wedding.

[Caps4444]

Should we not be looking for Arsenal to drop points?
Finishing 2nd behind City might give us another Title?
I would love someone from our club to come out with that! 

Good point and also I know Arsenal fans, and can do without the grief….so prefer City or w8n as don’t know any fans and them winning means nothing.

[kaesarsosei]

I've been of the opinion that second place is important for us in all these seasons in case something ever does get done and City somehow get stripped of these titles. But another thing that might help is if the likes of Arsenal and United have skin in that game as well.

Over the last 10 years I make it we would gain 3 titles, Arsenal now looking like 2 and United possibly 2 or 3. The big difference with United of course is that while they finished second behind City at least twice I think, they were no where near them on either occasion.

[KevLFC]

Should we not be looking for Arsenal to drop points?
Finishing 2nd behind City might give us another Title?
I would love someone from our club to come out with that! 

No finishing 2nd wouldn't mean anything. If City get stripped of anything it won't be the title they will win this season. I think down the line we probably or hopefully see them severely punished in terms of possibly relegation, fines, transfer bans etc.

[Gifted Right Foot]

I never expected us to be challenging for the title at the start of the season and to still be close after all our injuries was pretty incredible. To fight so hard to be in that position at the end of the season and throw it all away is disappointing though.  Dropping points in 3 of our last 4 league games is horrendous.  Weak as piss.

[AmanShah21]

10 points dropped in the last 5 league games. Our season died at that Fa Cup game at Old Trafford. Since then the belief to hold on to a lead and control games is gone. At thia point heads have gone both from Klopp and the lads. This is a bottle job. In the last 10 games, we have gone from chasing a quadruple to season being over already with just the league cup. Jurgen deserved more, much much more. The club raising the prices in the run in didnt help either. We were a club with everyone pulling in the same direction. Over the last 5 weeks, it seems like internally they have already moved on.

[Oldskoolcool]

Beyond the misfiring attack it’s the extremely fragile mentality and weak defence that has me more frustrated. Teams just know that a few minutes of sustained pressure on our back line is all they need, we will eventually fold. I’m hoping that’s one thing we can sort out in this team next season, not quite sure what has caused it, perhaps nerves or a lack of belief, but if we want to be challenging for honours next season that has to be sorted out as a priority.

[theboyspen]

I blame the 'Walking Football' we've adopted in the past few weeks. When we have to adapt to teams counter attacking we're not getting out of the traps and panic sets in at the back. Conceding far too many goals from mistakes and now set-pieces. When we upped the tempo in the second half we looked like the team we recognize. Trouble is we are trying to win games in 45+ minutes instead of 90+

[Cesar]

Not giving up until it's mathematically impossible

If city and arsenal both lose this weekend then we've gained a point in the race. ITS ON!

[spider-neil]

Can we turn the main title into Top Four Race?

[DLF]

It's all gone a bit Roy Evans.  Oh well, we lost a lot of experience last summer but it was fun while it lasted.  For years I didn't expect to even be in a title race never mind actually winning the thing when we did!  Cheers Jurgen.