Archer?

and hhyftrftdrdrfrtdrdt

Evening sir.

I see him posting (at least I think it is him) every now and again on a City forum but mainly in the travel/holdiays thread. If it is him he is in zanzibar at the moment.

Archer?

How nice, I thought, you are missing me. Then I checked the date

17/18 Lost 3-1
17/18 Lost 3-0
18/19 Lost 2-0
18/19 Lost 3-1
19/20 Lost 3-0
19/20 Lost 3-0
20/21 Lost 1-0
20/21 Lost 1-0
21/22 Lost 5-1
21/22 Lost 2-1
22/23 Lost 3-1
22/23 Lost 4-1

8th October 2023
23/24 Won1-0
Ralph: "Where's Archer?"
 
  

Touché Archer mon brave.

Well I have missed your insightful contributions on the footie boards, not to mention your rapier wit which I see is as sharp as ever.

Any derby predictions?

Cheers sir.

I had no  money on the derby  but City priced at about 60% probability to win before the game. With hindsight that seems like a steal.
Great that United have turned into a comedy club again  at the moment and it looks like it will continue for some time yet. Give it to Giggsy I say...

Top of the Premier League looks like fun again
  

Archer?

How nice, I thought, you are missing me. Then I checked the date

17/18 Lost 3-1
17/18 Lost 3-0
18/19 Lost 2-0
18/19 Lost 3-1
19/20 Lost 3-0
19/20 Lost 3-0
20/21 Lost 1-0
20/21 Lost 1-0
21/22 Lost 5-1
21/22 Lost 2-1
22/23 Lost 3-1
22/23 Lost 4-1

8th October 2023
23/24 Won1-0
Ralph: "Where's Archer?"
 
  

I heard somewhere that the  team at the top of the league at Christmas has won the title 10 out of the last 13 times.

The team that breaks that provides the exception every time… ??

Apparently those three years the title was won by The UAE 1st team.

Indeed.

13/14
18/19
20/21

And the team to lose out each of those 3 years?

Liverpool.
 

[Haaland.]

I'm keeping schtum.

Anyone seen Archer lately?

Great start for the UAE 2nd team. No doubt top bantz between Sheikh Rashid and  his son-in-law Sheikh Mansour when they meet up for family parties...

Enjoy the hope, entertainment and excitement whilst it lasts. Long way to go yet and  who knows where it will end up. But rather you win it than any of the other usual suspects.

City have won 5 of 6 titles when behind and not bookies favourites at some point during the season.

11/12 - 8 points behind United with 6 games left.
13/14 - 6 points behind Arsenal after 14 games (and then in both Liverpool and Chelsea's hands with just  4 games to go.)
18/19 - 7 points behind Liverpool after 20 games
20/21 -  8 points behind Liverpool after Liverpool had played 14 games and City 13.
21/22 - 5 points behind Chelsea after 10 games.


Haaland.

Haaland makes the difference this time? Or doesn't?

From my perspective he is fantastic.
But such a mixed bag in terms of team performance this season  game to game and within the 90 minutes of individual games.
Add the world cup impact and a brutal congested 2023 schedule, surprises highly likely IMO.

I'm keeping schtum.

Anyone seen Archer lately?

Great start for the UAE 2nd team. No doubt top bantz between Sheikh Rashid and  his son-in-law Sheikh Mansour when they meet up for family parties...

Enjoy the hope, entertainment and excitement whilst it lasts. Long way to go yet and  who knows where it will end up. But rather you win it than any of the other usual suspects.

City have won 5 of 6 titles when behind and not bookies favourites at some point during the season.

11/12 - 8 points behind United with 6 games left.
13/14 - 6 points behind Arsenal after 14 games (and then in both Liverpool and Chelsea's hands with just  4 games to go.)
18/19 - 7 points behind Liverpool after 20 games
20/21 -  8 points behind Liverpool after Liverpool had played 14 games and City 13.
21/22 - 5 points behind Chelsea after 10 games.

Mr Ferguson at his finest makes Klopp look like a pussy cat:

https://twitter.com/slbsn/status/1476992016374714368

Despair seems appropriate.

Norwich have a (marginally) smaller gap to us than we have between us and Guardiola’s paradigm of how to build a functioning football team.

Which means the only real enjoyment to be had from the PL this season is that Liverpool won’t win it.

Always look on the bright side of life

Since 1st December:

Pep     P8 W8 D0 L0  Pts 24
Spurs. P6 W4 D 2 L0  Pts 14
Liverp.  P7 W4 D 2 L1  Pts 14
United   P6 W4 D 1 L1  Pts 13
Chelsea P8 W3 D 4 L4  Pts 12
Arsenal P7 W4 D0 L3  Pts  12

Based on points per game you are the 3rd most in-form team since the 1st December.
And still the CL to play for.

Meanwhile Arsenal fans are buzzing after their "best performance in years" with  7 shots against a subpar City and throwing it away with the same old lack of discipline.

Funny old game.

Edit: Ronaldo was a mistake.

All a bit weird.

Control and domination in away games at  United, Chelsea, Liverpool (mainly) and PSG.

Poor at home against Burnley, Southampton (deserved to win) and Palace.

Not warmed to Grealish and happy he was on the bench at OT. I'm sure he'll come good which is always the way with most new players under guardiola.

Nice recovery , result wise, from the poor start. 
4 wins 2 draws from the last 6 league games and just 3 pts from CL spot. Reasons to be hopeful?

Tough bunch of away games coming up though and they have been the historic achilles heel - Leicester, Liverpool and United.

And it continues...

The thread needs more  gushing  from ralph

Looking good.
Impressed at the Etihad the other week  and totally deserved.
My only frustration was the GK timewasting with the frustration aimed at the ref and not the player.

Big affection for Vieria with his time at City. Great that so far he is doing so well.

Oh dear....

Next up Spurs (a) and City (h).

I'll be staggered if he doesn't revert to a low block, counter attacking plan against City...

Oh dear again....
Not seen anything quite like that before at Old Trafford.
Incredible he keeps his job really.

Looking good for a 3 way title race which should be fun.

City now playing v well. Bernardo and Foden comfortably the standout players so far. 
Foden is special. The only unkown now is his ceiling.

Oh dear....

Next up Spurs (a) and City (h).

I'll be staggered if he doesn't revert to a low block, counter attacking plan against City...

Nice recovery , result wise, from the poor start. 
4 wins 2 draws from the last 6 league games and just 3 pts from CL spot. Reasons to be hopeful?

Tough bunch of away games coming up though and they have been the historic achilles heel - Leicester, Liverpool and United.