Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: TonyD on May 26, 2024, 11:32:20 PM
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Could we win the league next season?
Liverpool lose Bingo.
Pep I think could leave this summer or if not I just can’t see him being 100% committed next season. He looks cooked to me.
Spurs - well….file under Arsenal.
Chelsea need a good manager to hit the ground running.
Manu - not a hope.
Get back our injured players back and 3 or 4 new clever signings.
It could be us !!
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Ahh, the joys of Bank Holiday drinking!!
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Ahh, the joys of Bank Holiday drinking!!
Moi?
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But could we what...?
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Win the title.
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Anything less than winning the title, Champions League and FA Cup and it would be very very disappointing.
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I think we've more chance of winning.the Champions League than the Premier League.
As an aside, this is the sort of thread we see on SHA and laugh at their blind optimism.
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I think it's very unlikely we'll be even close points wise to winning the league. However jumping from 4th in a bonkers injury season to 1st isn't impossible.
small heath talk about being the new Man City despite having just being relegated to the 3rd tier. It's nothing like the insane shit we take the piss out off them for coming out with.
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I reckon the normal order next season is up for grabs.
No at all like the talk by our neighbours BV.
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Look where we finished this season. Look at our injuries. It's not impossible.
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What a lovely thought.
We did finish with a huge gap to the top 2, and we can't really strengthen too much because of FFP.
The chances are a million to one.
So, there's still a chance
Top 4 and the FA cup is what my dreams are set on.
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If we could sign 2 x Kamaras types before the start of the season.
Or even one good DM.
I’d be tempted to a put quite a few pounds on us.
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I dont think the odds are actually a million to 1 - so maybe save your £
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I reckon the normal order next season is up for grabs.
No at all like the talk by our neighbours BV.
I know you do, but I'd say most football fans would say the 'normal order' is more likely to be resumed next season. You can get us at 50/1 if you're feeling confident (we're 8th favourites for next year's title).
I'd take 4th and getting to the CL quarter-finals if it were offered now. A couple of years of CL money, a deeper and improved squad, more Unai magic and Pep buggering off at the end of next season, and I might ask 'could we?".
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I think our biggest issues issues this year were defensive consistency and lack of depth, which led us to fading late in the season. If you consider our injury situation, I don't think we're really that far away from solving that second issue, if we can just keep everyone mostly healthy for a season. We spent a large chunk (or more) of the season without Mings, Buendia, Ramsey, Moreno and Kamara and had lots of injuries spread or suspensions spread between pretty much everyone else. Matty Cash was a bit of a liability at RB, meaning Konza had to bump over, and we were playing our 3rd and 4th best CBs most the year.
I think solidifying the RB position would go a long way for us, provided we get everyone else back from injury. We would be two deep in every position, with guys that are deserving of first team play. Get maybe one more game changer somewhere else, and we definitely could be mixing it up with the best of the best.
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I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility, but in my head currently there's a big gap between us and Arsenal/Liverpool/Man City which needs to be closed. We could finish 4th next season and still have progressed massively if there's a nice comfy gap between us and 5th, and we're running 3rd place very close.
That said, it's Unai Emery we're talking about and I can't see him settling for that.
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I think we might challenge for longer than we did this season and get into the knock out stages of the CL.
It then depends on injuries and how far we go in the domestic cups.
I don’t expect us to win the PL though.
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I saw the title of this thread and was expecting an invitation to dance. Must say I’m disappointed
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FFP/PSR is the problem. I have no idea what's going to happen this summer but it seems unlikely we will be strengthening significantly. So either we will be replacing players as well as adding them, relying on free/cheap gambles like Barkley or going again and hoping for better luck with injuries.
There's some pessimism for you!
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FFP/PSR is the problem. I have no idea what's going to happen this summer but it seems unlikely we will be strengthening significantly. So either we will be replacing players as well as adding them, relying on free/cheap gambles like Barkley or going again and hoping for better luck with injuries.
There's some pessimism for you!
Blow the Budget. Take the PSR points hit. Still win the league. By goals scored on the last day of the season. There’s some optimism for you.
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Highly improbable, but not impossible. To be honest I think if we hold on to top 4 it’ll be a massive achievement.
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The way I look at it, there's this top 8 at the minute of whom only Man City are virtual guarantees for the Champions League spots. Literally everyone else, including Arsenal, you don't know. Finishing top 4 again would be pretty massive.
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It’ll definitely definitely definitely be our year for the FA Cup.
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I do think that Liverpool will drop a bit, but Chelsea, depending on who they get in, could be a lot better. Pep looks bored and probably wants his next adventure to be a spoilt little brat somewhere else. Really depends on who we bring in, and replacing Kamara, as the stats were sharply focussed on the need for another Bouba, is key. Personally, I think a trophy, rather than the league title is more doable. Consistency is the key and I'm sure that's what Unai and Monchi are working on. Getting into the CL once could be considered by others a bit of a fluke (I disagree of course) but doing it twice is proof that we are back as a force to be reckoned with and will make us one of the Sky sycophant six.
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I actually suggested this to a mate on Saturday afternoon. Man City although deserved winners are starting to age a bit. Liverpool will have a new manager to work under and they probably need to buy to freshen things up a bit. Can't see Chelsea, Man Utd or Spurs doing it so I reckon we have a chance although I think it will be Arsenal's turn next year. We'll need to be a bit luckier on the injury front though.
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If we have more luck with injuries we can certainly improve on our finish. Not saying we'd win the PL, though.
FA Cup would be nice though.
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I reckon the normal order next season is up for grabs.
No at all like the talk by our neighbours BV.
I know you do, but I'd say most football fans would say the 'normal order' is more likely to be resumed next season. You can get us at 50/1 if you're feeling confident (we're 8th favourites for next year's title).
I'd take 4th and getting to the CL quarter-finals if it were offered now. A couple of years of CL money, a deeper and improved squad, more Unai magic and Pep buggering off at the end of next season, and I might ask 'could we?".
I might have a flutter, stranger things do happen.
For the record, I'm not a betting man although on hearing we'd signed Stan C I marched into the bookies and slapped a crisp £10 (that's right, ten big ones) note down at 20/1.
Whatever happens, it's good to feel a bit excited again.
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It’s a massive gap to bridge. We effectively need to halve the amount of goals we concede and probably score 20 more, mostly in away games.
I’m hoping that the return of Mings and later Kamara will help massively on the defensive front. It’s an obvious thing to say but we need a lot more luck with injuries. And we also need 2-3 top level additions this sunmer.
Not impossible, by any means, and if our second half of the season had matched the first we’d have been a lot closer. Obviously injuries did for that.
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I do agree though with the original post that the landscape at the top of the league might change somewhat over the next few seasons. Liverpool might go through a transitional period with Klopp gone. If the Premier League do act against Man City then that might weaken them and judging by his comments, Guardiola might not be there much longer.
Arsenal look relatively stable at the moment, but they just don't seem as formidable as Manchester City. Could be some interesting times ahead.
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If C115y drop a place or two, Arsenal remain the most likely winners. Liverpool's managerial transition will be interesting. Will they take time to adjust or rectify the drop-off that came on the back of Bingo's announcement? I reckon they'll still be top three or four. Man Utd will not be as bad again - and as their cup run demonstrates, when they get it right they can still beat anyone. Chelsea and Spurs? Who knows. Anywhere from third to tenth.
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The key to it, as always, is consistency. More 7 out of 10 days, less blowing two goal leads.
One thing I would say: we've gone from 14th to 7th to 4th in three seasons. The potential is there. The right signings and some luck with injuries...
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A good season for me:
5th-6th place in PL
24th place or higher in the CL
Bother one of the domestic cups for a change
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A good season for me:
5th-6th place in PL
24th place or higher in the CL
Bother one of the domestic cups for a change
I doubt Unai would consider that a good a season.
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Why not?
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With a couple of new additions and when all fit and raring to go we could have a great starting eleven and bench. Summit like:
Martinez
Walker-Peters Konsa Mings Digne
Kamara Luiz
Bailey McGinn Olise
Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Cash, Torres, Moreno, Rogers, Buendia, Tielemans, Diaby, Duran
Maybe not win the league but certainly close the gap.
Would probably have to sell Ramsey, Carlos and a few fringe players.
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Is the likelihood of winning the league next season any less likely than us going from Fulham away (Gerrards last game) to 4th placed finish 20 or so months on? I'd say not. And remember, Leicester did it even more out of nowhere than if we did next season.
Do i think we'll do it? No, but it's certinaly not impossible. A lot depends on Man City, because with Pep still there and a big signing or two again this summer and it's going nowhere else. It's like the SPL at the moment.
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We’ll give it a good go. Injuries are the undoing of us and the rest but as much as we need Mings back we need quality cover for him too. I’d take top 4 again but there will be more of a challenge from Chelsea, ManU and Spurs should they manage to get their act together.
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Why not?
Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.
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To win the league nowadays you need 90 points at least.
We pretty much limped to 68 points.
Another 22 points on top of what we produced for most of this season....pretty remote.
We also conceded far too many goals once Kamara was injured so need to sign a decent quality DM just to even stand still I suspect.
Playing CL will also take far more out of us than many of the Europa Conference games did.
I'd be happy with top 6 and 60-65 points next season and having a really good domestic cup run.
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Why not?
Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.
My post was towards the thread title, not the preceding comment.
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In my opinion we should keep reaching for the sky, but keep our feet on the ground.
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Why not?
Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.
My post was towards the thread title, not the preceding comment.
Ah apologies then.
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There's been quite a debate as to how injuries affected our season and how we might have done had had less bad uck. The figures below are taken from a BBC article - they DO NOT include Emi Buendia's absence because he was injured pre-season.
Most individual players injured
Spurs 23
Liverpool 21
ManU 21
Villa 20
Chelsea 20
Newcastle 20
Arsenal 14
Man City 14
Separate injuries
ManU 45
Chelsea 43
Newcastle 41
Villa 39
Spurs 37
Liverpool 35
ManC 26
Arsenal 23
Worst injury weeks per club - most players out in one game week
Chelsea 11
ManU 11
Newcastle 11
Villa 10
Liverpool 9
Spurs 9
Arsenal 7
ManC 4
Days lost through injury
Newcastle 1,950
Chelsea 1,745
ManU 1,620
Spurs 1,402
Liverpool 1,383
Villa 1,236
Arsenal 898
ManC 672
There's a clear correlation between the numbers and where we finished.
City and Arsenal were the least affected by injuries, whatever metric you chose to use. They were able to rotate players for the right reasons and could play the same partnerships, shapes and formations, whereas we were constantly chopping and changing - especially defensively.
If we can get our injuries down towards those of City and Arsenal, then that should help us immeasurably and with 4-5 Monchi signings, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to push on in the league and you never know ... ... The Holy Grail, 68 years and counting.
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There's been quite a debate as to how injuries affected our season and how we might have done had had more luck. The figures below are taken from a BBC article - they DO NOT include Emi Buendia's absence because he was injured pre-seasin.
Most individual players injured
Spurs 23
Liverpool 21
ManU 21
Villa 20
Chelsea 20
Newcastle 20
Arsenal 14
Man City 14
Separate injuries
ManU 45
Chelsea 43
Newcastle 41
Villa 39
Spurs 37
Liverpool 35
ManC 26
Arsenal 23
Worst injury weeks per club - most players out in one game week
Chelsea 11
ManU 11
Newcastle 11
Villa 10
Liverpool 9
Spurs 9
Arsenal 7
ManC 4
Days lost through injury
Newcastle 1,950
Chelsea 1,745
ManU 1,620
Spurs 1,402
Liverpool 1,383
Villa 1,236
Arsenal 898
ManC 672
There's a clear correlation between the numbers and where we finished.
City and Arsenal were the least affected by injuries, whatever metric you chose to use. They were able to rotate players for the right reasons and could play the same partnerships, shapes and formations, whereas we were constantly chopping and changing - especially defensively.
If we can get our injuries down towards those of City and Arsenal, then that should help us immeasurably and with 4-5 Monchi signings, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to push on in the league and you never know ... ... The Holy Grail, 68 years and counting.
Great stuff Sadd - what an achievement finishing fourth was given all that. And Emery, isn't it amazing that he never even mentioned it? It means the pundits don't talk about it because they really are as easily distracted as a rabbit. But why should we care? Emery knows what's going on.
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Why not?
Because we'd have taken a step backwards. He doesn't seem like the sort of bloke who goes into a season planning to do worse than last year.
My post was towards the thread title, not the preceding comment.
Ah apologies then.
No worries. Reading back I can see why.
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No point in supporting a football team if you can’t dream hopeless dreams and expect the unexpected
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Anything is possible.
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I think we are very close. If you look at the points we chucked away last season, Man Utd home away, brentford, Sheffield United etc.
It's definatly up for grabs. I don't see Man City getting 5 in a row, De Bruyne looks like he's on the way down, Liverpool in transition, Arse perennial bottlers.
If we can add the right ingredients to the squad, get lucky with players staying fit and learn a few lessons from this season we won't be far off. I'd like to think the premier league needs a new story to keep it the best league in the world.
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Someone might as well say it:
Do you want to bet against us?
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Doubt we’re going to win the league or champions league. Finishing 4th again would be an achievement plus, maybe the league cup. Hope I’m wrong but, I feel people are going to be disappointed if they really think we’re going to win the league.
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Might be a little soon but I think we're heading in that direction. We'll put in a genuine challenge in the next few years and if we're still heading in that direction, we'll win it at some point.
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Doubt we will challenge for the title. Keeping 4th would be a massive achievement. We do not have the financial clout or media profile yet.
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I don't see a media profile being a pre-requisite for a title challenge.
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Doubt we will challenge for the title. Keeping 4th would be a massive achievement. We do not have the financial clout or media profile yet.
Why would we need media profile?
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Doubt we will challenge for the title. Keeping 4th would be a massive achievement. We do not have the financial clout or media profile yet.
Why would we need media profile?
Is he a right back?
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If we finish 4th next season and Emery is still with us then anything is possible in a few years time.
This summers transfer market is one of the most important we’ve had for a long time. We get it right then the sky 6 will have a club they should be very worried about.
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If we finish 4th next season and Emery is still with us then anything is possible in a few years time.
This summers transfer market is one of the most important we’ve had for a long time. We get it right then the sky 6 will have a club they should be very worried about.
I can not remember when someone didn’t say a most important transfer window.
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If we finish 4th next season and Emery is still with us then anything is possible in a few years time.
This summers transfer market is one of the most important we’ve had for a long time. We get it right then the sky 6 will have a club they should be very worried about.
I can not remember when someone didn’t say a most important transfer window.
I agree, every season it gets trotted out but not every season we are in this position.
It’s not the most important in terms of survival but it is with regards to staying in this position. Get it wrong and is could be a flash in the pan season. Get it right and it’s going to be very exciting.
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We'll be looking to progress next season and there's only three places above us so yeah.
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I don’t think we can do it but the Emery news certainly increases the chances.
UTV.
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Look where we finished this season. Look at our injuries. It's not impossible.
Finally some sense.
Obviously the odds are stacked against us.
But we were in the race into the New Year. Another window to strengthen and the summer to get injure players back, we will be much stronger next season.
Right now I put us 3rd favourites. Ahead of Liverpool but behind Arsenal and the 115.
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There's been quite a debate as to how injuries affected our season and how we might have done had had less bad uck. The figures below are taken from a BBC article - they DO NOT include Emi Buendia's absence because he was injured pre-season.
Most individual players injured
Spurs 23
Liverpool 21
ManU 21
Villa 20
Chelsea 20
Newcastle 20
Arsenal 14
Man City 14
Separate injuries
ManU 45
Chelsea 43
Newcastle 41
Villa 39
Spurs 37
Liverpool 35
ManC 26
Arsenal 23
Worst injury weeks per club - most players out in one game week
Chelsea 11
ManU 11
Newcastle 11
Villa 10
Liverpool 9
Spurs 9
Arsenal 7
ManC 4
Days lost through injury
Newcastle 1,950
Chelsea 1,745
ManU 1,620
Spurs 1,402
Liverpool 1,383
Villa 1,236
Arsenal 898
ManC 672
There's a clear correlation between the numbers and where we finished.
City and Arsenal were the least affected by injuries, whatever metric you chose to use. They were able to rotate players for the right reasons and could play the same partnerships, shapes and formations, whereas we were constantly chopping and changing - especially defensively.
If we can get our injuries down towards those of City and Arsenal, then that should help us immeasurably and with 4-5 Monchi signings, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to push on in the league and you never know ... ... The Holy Grail, 68 years and counting.
It also doesn’t include Ramsey or Moreno’s injuries that they got pre-season either, apart from the ones they got after they came back for the odd game.
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The numbers are based on starting squads and include games missed from the start of the season.
Ten Hag with his constant references to injuries gave his players a top-down excuse for non-performances.
Unai, by comparison built a "Band if Brothers", "All for One" mentality in which everybody stepped up when asked.
OK some individual and collective performances towards the end of the season might not have been what we wanted, but it's hard to deny that the players gave everything they could, even though quite a few were running in empty at the end.
No excuses, no complaints.
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We've got a manager who's good enough to win the title. It's up to the club to give him a team capable of lasting the distance.
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We've got a manager who's good enough to win the title. It's up to the club to give him a team capable of lasting the distance.
Good way of looking at it. I hope we’re aiming for it in 3/4 years time - obviously I’d love to win it next year, but if we have a really coherent plan that builds each year is our best chance of doing it.
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Doubt we will challenge for the title. Keeping 4th would be a massive achievement. We do not have the financial clout or media profile yet.
Why would we need media profile?
Is he a right back?
Yep, his name is pronounced:
Med - ee- ah
Prof-ee-leh
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Found this thread. So can continue discussion here.
After 7 games we are 5th , 4 points of top
Last season were also 5th but on 15 points and 3pts off 1st (Man City 18pts)
Currently as it stands
1.Liverpool 18pts
2. Man City 17pts
3. Arsenal 17pts
4. Chelsea 14pts
5. Villa 14pts
We are averaging 2pts per match as head into the International Break.
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FFS, we all know where we can find the league table.
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FFS, we all know where we can find the league table.
Formatted File System
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The break has come at the right time and to be really selfish, I hope our players don't get used in the internationals. Could we win the league? Fuck yeah.
We've only got Liverpool and Arsenal to beat. Man City look rattled.
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FFS, we all know where we can find the league table.
Do you have an alert set up so you can abuse FV whenever he posts?
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FFS, we all know where we can find the league table.
Formatted File System
Now you're going back a bit there :D
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Having Ramsey, Ginny, Konsa, Onana, Mings , Kamara back and all available only helps the dream!
I'm feeling good! Like Emery says about the players !
It's Good News!
Actually I say it's wonderful news!!
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Great result for Us with Bournemouth beating Arsenal
Now Arsenal play Liverpool next week
Today Liverpool play Chelsea
Villa play Bournemouth next week.
Some draws and a Villa win see us move closer to the 1st!
Let yourself dream -it's getting exciting!
November onwards is going to be very positive with more players ready to play. Indeed I can feel its going to be good.