Guardian picks Chelsea to finish 3rd

[Guest justin_3d]

Every year Liverpool is out of the CL is a good year. Have you seen Liverpool's defending this pre-season? It's been sh*t and that's kind.

Arsenal defending is far worse then Liverpool.

While i do concede, that Pool has to spend on defense now. If they don't then they might have a hard time reaching 4th.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Well if they sign Enrique, they're one step towards that..

[laura90 556]

If we enter new season without player who can dribble, go past opponent defenders and who is able to make a decent cross, especially in the last fifteen minutes when we need it the most, third place is cause for celebration.

If Lampard doesn^'t regain his form back, and Yossi pick up injury at some point, we will be in trouble.

We can consider Benayoun, Torres, Sturridge, Josh, Luiz, Ramires and Romeu as new players, but no one of them is a genuine winger( we need two, at least one desperately) and reliable creative midfielder who can assist on regular bases. Josh is the future but remains question whether he is ready yet.

Malouda is genuine winger, indeed, but he is also selfish ...,who would be much better player if he knew that football is a team game not one man show.

I personally don^'t have problem with that prediction, but big concern is possibility of not making top four. I believe in AVB but much depends on injuries.

But I will try to be positive and hope our board sees this year as an opportunity for change and will give full support to AVB, so he can make a revolution we need.

In that case, I would be happy with fourth place.

[Guest justin_3d]

If we enter new season without player who can dribble, go past opponent defenders and who is able to make a decent cross, especially in the last fifteen minutes when we need it the most, third place is cause for celebration.

If Lampard doesn^'t regain his form back, and Yossi pick up injury at some point, we will be in trouble.

We can consider Benayoun, Torres, Sturridge, Josh, Luiz, Ramires and Romeu as new players, but no one of them is a genuine winger( we need two, at least one desperately) and reliable creative midfielder who can assist on regular bases. Josh is the future but remains question whether he is ready yet.

Malouda is genuine winger, indeed, but he is also selfish ...,who would be much better player if he knew that football is a team game not one man show.

I personally don^'t have problem with that prediction, but big concern is possibility of not making top four. I believe in AVB but much depends on injuries.

But I will try to be positive and hope our board sees this year as an opportunity for change and will give full support to AVB, so he can make a revolution we need.

In that case, I would be happy with fourth place.

My vote is on Mata.

Arsenal want him, i am sure we can get him!

If not Arda will do the job decently, but Mata is better IMO.

[Bluenail 1]

I havent commented for a couple of weeks because ive been away and could not be bothered to sign in but i had too here.

I cannot believe anyone thinks United have strenthened that much, 6 good squad players have gone and been replaced by one good expierenced(ish) player and two young untested youngsters (and to say De Gea has looked shaky in pre season is a understatement) remember what happened to us last season when we tried a similar squad cutting exercise?

I completely agree with this. Young is a good player, and Jones and De Gea are good prospects, but they've let O'Shea and Brown go, two very reliable squad players, they've lost Scholes, a hugely influential player, and Van der Sar who probably had his best season for them last season. So unless they sign anyone in central midfield, I'd say they're worse off than last season.

[lionsden 4,689]

The assessment is about right. given the quality and depth of our current squad, it would be a remarkable achievement to finish above man utd and City next season.

[zolayes 14,489]

If we enter new season without player who can dribble, go past opponent defenders and who is able to make a decent cross, especially in the last fifteen minutes when we need it the most, third place is cause for celebration.

If Lampard doesn^'t regain his form back, and Yossi pick up injury at some point, we will be in trouble.

We can consider Benayoun, Torres, Sturridge, Josh, Luiz, Ramires and Romeu as new players, but no one of them is a genuine winger( we need two, at least one desperately) and reliable creative midfielder who can assist on regular bases. Josh is the future but remains question whether he is ready yet.

Malouda is genuine winger, indeed, but he is also selfish ...,who would be much better player if he knew that football is a team game not one man show.

I personally don^'t have problem with that prediction, but big concern is possibility of not making top four. I believe in AVB but much depends on injuries.

But I will try to be positive and hope our board sees this year as an opportunity for change and will give full support to AVB, so he can make a revolution we need.

In that case, I would be happy with fourth place.

one thing is certain ..if we dont make the top 4 we will have a new coach next year.

[didierforever 7,349]

i dont think even liverpool are starting the season which so much negativity.... avb seems to be more than qualified for the job and if he feels tat the current squad is good enough to win the silverware thats good enough for me... avb had all the reason in the world to start an overhaul and i m sure after a trophyless season roman would ve been more than pleased to do so... but avb trusts in the old guard n so should we...

[Madmax 9,219]

Am I the only one somewhat pleased by the fact that (apart from the Modric saga) we're flying under everybody's radar at the moment? All the noise is about what City and Liverpool are doing and what Arsenal are not doing. Having become accustomed to getting all the attention and relentless press coverage over the years, it's nice to sit back and enjoy a few quiet moments. There's a calmness about the place, a welcome change indeed.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

The fact most seem to think we won't challenge is like music to my ears. There were those who said the same thing in 09/10 if I recall correctly.

[Ollie 4,400]

I believe we will come 3rd behind the 2 manc teams. I hope not but i would've predicted something similar to be honest. Think Man Utd will win it. Man Utd are a bit weak in the middle of midfield tho which is an area to dominate against them with a bit of power. We need to improve our wide play and i believe Danny Sturridge is the man for this season.

[Laylabelle 9,353]

The fact most seem to think we won't challenge is like music to my ears. There were those who said the same thing in 09/10 if I recall correctly.

Yeh even when we were top you still had people going 'oh they wont win it Im not convinced'..

3rd...bleh!!Behind the two Mancs...not to bad...if in some bizzaro world we ended up 3rd behind Liverpool I will be pissed off

But end of the day means jack shit,predict what you want hopfully we'll prove them wrong...and not finish 4th lol..doubtful but never know weird things happen

[dodojojo 510]

I believe we will come 3rd behind the 2 manc teams. I hope not but i would've predicted something similar to be honest. Think Man Utd will win it. Man Utd are a bit weak in the middle of midfield tho which is an area to dominate against them with a bit of power. We need to improve our wide play and i believe Danny Sturridge is the man for this season.

Sturridge may play well but it'll he'll be a better version of Kalou and Anelka. So he'll be a striker posing as a winger. For all the good he'll do, I'm afraid he won't stay wide

[Madmax 9,219]

"Everybody is on about this new young manager [Villas-Boas] - but I don't think the manager will be the problem," Keane said. "It's always the players down there, they all seem to self-destruct. They're big pals one minute and the next you hear they're all bickering with each other and players aren't happy if someone else scores."

- Roy Keane.

[manpe 10,861]

- Roy Keane.

wait what? who bickers? who is unhappy at others scoring? did I miss something or is Keane delusional?

[Laylabelle 9,353]

Keane does make a point then the players be the problem more then the manager if things go bad he looses the dressing room and all that jazz but 'not happy if someone else scores'...erm wtf?!?!? I doubt well hope anyway no one gives a shit who scores long as they win!

Is this Keane speaking from experince or something?Guy is mental

[BlueLion. 21,491]

You know something is wrong in the world when Roy Keane is talking about temperamental players?

[laura90 556]

one thing is certain ..if we dont make the top 4 we will have a new coach next year.

I know I have been critical towards AVB lately, but in almost every post I pointed that he was in difficult situation due to lack of support from this board.

Except when Tomo said he would surpass Mourinho in this stage. I found that, well, not possible. In near future. Without major luck.

Back to AVB. As I previously stated I follow Europa League and the season AVB won it, I supported him. Well, I kinda like that competition, therefore the fact that many were mocking it bothered me a little.

When AVB was appointed I was enthusiastic. For a while. Before transfer window closed. Than my enthusiasm splashed.

I've never wrote optimistic post about how we will make CL or win a trophy under AVB since. Simply because I didn't believe he will make it with those players and these kind of expectations. The only way I could believe in AVB's long term future here, is if he was allowed to have one bad season to rebuild the squad. Which includes Europa League. I wrote various posts about that.

But come January it was more and more clear to me that the board doesn't share my expectations.

Everything with AVB would be so much better if he was given full support and if he wasn't expected forth place under that circumstances , but to rebuild the squad instead. Or better players from the start. But he wasn't.

It seems you told the truth.