Daweii Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 15 points clear at the top now with a goal difference of 51. They're in a completely different universe to anyone else in that league currently and they're likely only going to get stronger. I would love for Villa to have just one season like they are having right now, I am so curious if winning every game by 3+ goals ever gets boring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 If they go unbeaten it wont be as good as when Arsenal did it compared to quality of opposition and the budget in place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 3, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2018 10 hours ago, Zatman said: If they go unbeaten it wont be as good as when Arsenal did it compared to quality of opposition and the budget in place It's ok Zatman, we promise not to give Pep too much credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 He’s steamrollering the league now! He isn’t really doing himself any favours complaining about Christmas fixtures, does he not realise that for the elite/rich clubs it’s an enormous advantage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 13 hours ago, Zatman said: If they go unbeaten it wont be as good as when Arsenal did it compared to quality of opposition and the budget in place Much more impressive IMO - particularly if they continue with the current win ratio. Miles better than anything I've seen in English football. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 23 minutes ago, bobzy said: Much more impressive IMO - particularly if they continue with the current win ratio. Miles better than anything I've seen in English football. Dont see how it is? arsenal team cost about 40million to build, even including inflation its still peanuts Leicester and Forest wins are also greater things to happen to English football 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 1 minute ago, Zatman said: Dont see how it is? arsenal team cost about 40million to build, even including inflation its still peanuts Leicester and Forest wins are also greater things to happen to English football Arsenal won 26 games and scored 73 goals after in their 38 game season. With 16 games still to go, Man City are 6 wins and 9 goals from surpassing that. They're absolutely destroying the league - it's just much more impressive (and, if you want to go down the budget route, I'd argue that more clubs have greater purchasing power these days so teams are actually harder to beat now than before). Greater things to happen to English football, sure. Leicester winning the league was incredible. This City team is just miles better than them, though. Miles better than anything I've seen from an English team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted January 3, 2018 Moderator Share Posted January 3, 2018 20 minutes ago, bobzy said: Arsenal won 26 games and scored 73 goals after in their 38 game season. With 16 games still to go, Man City are 6 wins and 9 goals from surpassing that. They're absolutely destroying the league - it's just much more impressive (and, if you want to go down the budget route, I'd argue that more clubs have greater purchasing power these days so teams are actually harder to beat now than before). The other teams do have more money to spend, but they're still in a completely different ball park. Nobody else was able to spend £150m on full backs this summer. When Arsenal went unbeaten the other teams around them at the top were very evenly matched. City are in a position to leave Aguero on the bench. No taking away from the standard of football they're playing, and the mentality to go out there and play properly, but they're the most expensively assembled team in the history of any sport. They're the PSG/Celtic of the Premier League. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 1 minute ago, NurembergVillan said: The other teams do have more money to spend, but they're still in a completely different ball park. Nobody else was able to spend £150m on full backs this summer. When Arsenal went unbeaten the other teams around them at the top were very evenly matched. City are in a position to leave Aguero on the bench. No taking away from the standard of football they're playing, and the mentality to go out there and play properly, but they're the most expensively assembled team in the history of any sport. They're the PSG/Celtic of the Premier League. When Arsenal went unbeaten, from memory, it was basically them vs. Man United for season after season. Chelsea had just been taken over (I think?) and weren't the dominant force that they became (see: Man City being bought out and taking maybe 3 years to settle). I'm not sure there was another side close to Arsenal/Man Utd? I could be wrong here - haven't checked. I think that Man City and Chelsea are pretty evenly matched tbh. Man City have the better squad depth, for sure, but not to the extent they're dominating. Add in Spurs, Man Utd and Liverpool and I think the "big sides" right now are stronger, overall, than they were when Arsenal went unbeaten. It's nothing like PSG/Celtic in terms of competitiveness by the way. There are 5 English teams in the second stage of the Champions League and 4 of them won their groups - including Spurs topping a group with the current holders, Real Madrid. I guess I don't really understand the downplaying of what they're doing to the Premier League this season. It's incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Leicester was the greatest underdog story in the history of British football. I think Pep has taken our football to a higher level. Yes he has spent loads compared to Arsenal and the invisibles but Wenger still had world class players like Henry, Bergkamp and Viera. Pep is a perfectionist and his attention to detail is second to none. I think the standard the of the Premier League is very high at the top end this season. Liverpool have only lost two games and probably should have picked up a lot more points. Any other season they would be title contenders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 The Leicester title still amazes me today. Every 'average' side has a great result or 2 per year. Like when we finally beat Man United or the 3-1 opening day against Arsenal... Leicester just kept having those every week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted January 3, 2018 Moderator Share Posted January 3, 2018 13 minutes ago, bobzy said: It's nothing like PSG/Celtic in terms of competitiveness by the way. There are 5 English teams in the second stage of the Champions League and 4 of them won their groups - including Spurs topping a group with the current holders, Real Madrid. I guess I don't really understand the downplaying of what they're doing to the Premier League this season. It's incredible. I'm going to use a crap analogy here, but think of it as being like a car race. The other drivers have got Porsche 911s, so they're great cars - fast and expensive - and are able to compete to a high standard. Man City are rocking up in a Bugatti Veyron. You've still got to be able to drive that car - not stall it, or crash it - so it's admirable what they're doing. But let's not pretend it's a fair race. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I don't see how Pep has taken English football too a new level at all. Even if City are the best to ever play in the Premier League it doesn't follow that he has changed the game. His 'achievements' and the football they play are totally specific to City, it's not as though other teams are going to follow because it simply isn't feasible for them to. You can only play this sort of football if you have a stratospheric transfer budget. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 1 minute ago, Genie said: The Leicester title still amazes me today. Every 'average' side has a great result or 2 per year. Like when we finally beat Man United or the 3-1 opening day against Arsenal... Leicester just kept having those every week. Yes it will never be repeated. Once in a lifetime event. We can go back to Clough and Derby and Forest but it was totally different then. A much more level playing field. Clough also spent a heck of a lot of money on players for that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 3, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2018 1 minute ago, NurembergVillan said: I'm going to use a crap analogy here, but think of it as being like a car race. The other drivers have got Porsche 911s, so they're great cars - fast and expensive - and are able to compete to a high standard. Man City are rocking up in a Bugatti Veyron. You've still got to be able to drive that car - not stall it, or crash it - so it's admirable what they're doing. But let's not pretend it's a fair race. I agree, but I'd add to the analogy that whilst another manager could win your metaphorical race by just keeping the Bugatti on the road, Pep is putting in lap record after lap record in it. He's not just winning the race in a car he should be winning the race in. He's getting everything out of the car, with style. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted January 3, 2018 Moderator Share Posted January 3, 2018 5 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: I agree, but I'd add to the analogy that whilst another manager could win your metaphorical race by just keeping the Bugatti on the road, Pep is putting in lap record after lap record in it. He's not just winning the race in a car he should be winning the race in. He's getting everything out of the car, with style. I'd agree with that. He's performing exceptionally well. And thanks for embracing that analogy too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 For those wondering about David Silvas recent absence 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 9 minutes ago, NurembergVillan said: I'm going to use a crap analogy here, but think of it as being like a car race. The other drivers have got Porsche 911s, so they're great cars - fast and expensive - and are able to compete to a high standard. Man City are rocking up in a Bugatti Veyron. You've still got to be able to drive that car - not stall it, or crash it - so it's admirable what they're doing. But let's not pretend it's a fair race. I disagree (although great analogy). Man United have spent more individually on 3 players in the last 4 seasons than Man City have - £89m on Paul Pogba, £70m on Romelu Lukaku and £60m on Angel Di Maria. They've also spent in excess of £30m on each of Matic, Mkhitarayan, Bailly, Lindelof, Martial, Schneiderlin, Depay, Shaw and Herrara in the same time period. City have "only" spent £30m+ on Mendy, Walker, Bernardo Silva, Ederson, Stones, Sane, De Bruyne, Sterling and Otamendi during this time. So that's 12 £30m+ players for Man Utd and 9 for Man City in the last 4 seasons. Not a fair race? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 (edited) Man City transfers last 3 seasons: (according to transfermarkt) 17/18: £249.3 M in - 94,3 out 16/17: 213 M in - 35,3 out 15/16: 214 M in - 67,4 out Man U 17/18: 164,4 M in - 11,5 M out 16/17: 185 M in - 47,1 M out 15/16: 156 M in - 102 M out Edited January 3, 2018 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 So by my calculations Man City netspend over 3 years £479m Man United £345 but Pep has been at city 2 years so £332mil net spend to United £296 mil. So not much diff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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