PL Round 18 (really)

[hatterson]

I think his point was pretty clear, being pedantic really isn't refuting it.

I agree that I don't think a team in the EPL will be able to have that level of dominance over a longer run. Even City's run this year, with a few bad bounces or bits of bad luck, could easily have them neck and neck with United. They've rescued or won a total of 9 points on goals after the 82nd minute this year, 4 of those were on goals at least 6 minutes into stoppage time. Take those 9 points, and give Lukaku a late equalizer in the Derby (or Mata on their double chance) and suddenly City would be 1 point behind United instead of 11 ahead.

That's not to say City doesn't deserve their lead, they've clearly been far and away the most dominant team in the league this year, the point is just to show how close the margins often are at the top of the PL and why a sustained string of titles of virtually impossible.

 

[KJS14]

PSG didn't win 5 straight titles. They have 4 of the last 19.
Bayern on the other hand has 5 straight and 13 out of the last 19 titles.

They won 4 straight, and 4 of the last 5. I think their recent domination of L1 is what Kahuna was envisioning for Man City.

 

[Theokritos]

Crystal Palace haven't lost in 7 games now. Over the last four weeks they're 3-4-0 in the league with a goal differential of 11-6. That's a pretty nice turnaround when you consider how they did in the beginning of the season. Also, West Ham have not lost in three games now despite playing against Chelsea and Arsenal. Way to spoil fantasy football expectations!

 

[YNWA14]

Thought this was nice from Ox:

Oxlade-Chamberlain defends Coutinho in interview

I've been pretty sour about the whole situation all season, but he's performed well in more games than not. Nice to see the unity regardless.

Crystal Palace haven't lost in 7 games now. Over the last four weeks they're 3-4-0 in the league with a goal differential of 11-6. That's a pretty nice turnaround when you consider how they did in the beginning of the season. Also, West Ham have not lost in three games now despite playing against Chelsea and Arsenal. Way to spoil fantasy football expectations!

Zaha has been massive for them. He's really come into his own and is an integral part of their team. It's no real surprise their uptick in form started with his return.

Also yeah, I'd be really surprised if City could get a stranglehold on the PL the way some other leagues have gone. There's too much competition and money. Even though I fully believe City will win the PL this season fairly easily there's still the chance a bad run of form (or perhaps an injury to KdB?) could bring them right back down within striking distance if other teams can remain consistent.

 

[Evilo]

They won 4 straight, and 4 of the last 5. I think their recent domination of L1 is what Kahuna was envisioning for Man City.

Yeah 4 straight. I was just giving a correction to something that wasn't entirely true, not about the whole point.

People were saying here they'd win 10 straight. That's not football. A team like Monaco can always come up in a league with a lot of young talent (Nantes 90s, Lyon 00s, etc...).

 

[Stray Wasp]

Considering City's domination, I am not particularly optimistic for the future of the PL.

That's what you think.

Just wait until Newcastle is taken over. The new owners will spend more in January than City has in the last decade.

And that'll only be the start.

A million seater stadium will be built in the North Pole, with a retractable roof and heated to be warmer than the tropics by Unobtanium. Newcastle United will win the Premier League, FA Cup, Thingamy Cup treble in 2019. And then add the European Cup in 2020. And then they'll win the quadruple for another fourteen centuries in a row.

No football team created by man shall end their dominance. Instead the entire city of Newcastle, like most of the human race, will be destroyed by a war between giant honey badgers and mutated cockroaches.

Oh, and sunderland will still be rubbish, and seethe through it all. Nor will they have the satisfaction of witnessing NUFC's final destruction, because after a pathetic attempt to collaborate with the Mutated Cockroach Uprising, they'll be among the first to go to the wall.

Disbelieve this prophecy if you will. The history books shall be my vindication.

Besides, great minds understand. Napoleon Bonaparte sits to my left nodding in agreement, and in the far corner of the lounge Orson Welles concurs.

 

[Ar-too]

Dr Who, is that you?

 

[Stray Wasp]

Dr Who, is that you?

Like most contributors to this site, I am bound by anonymity.

But I can reveal that if anyone wishes to give me a Christmas present of Karen Gillan and a time machine, I won't stop them.

If I need to reduce my demands, I'd settle for just Karen Gillan.

 

[SSF]

Karen Gillian almost made me watch the new Jumanji, almost.

 

[Stray Wasp]

You did well to resist the temptation.

The question of whether Karen Gillan can act at all is a moot point. But she improves the visual side of anything she appears in. I suppose the solution is to watch her with a mute button handy.

Maybe the FA should appoint her as its chief. They'd be able to slip a lot of incompetence and ruin under the radar with her to distract the attention.