All teams have injuries at one or another, we had far more than City for example!

Leicester at the moment do look good as a team, it is just if they can keep them all together, certainly there are less questions about them as a squad being able to compete for the title, then say Chelsea, City or even ourselves.
So those odds to me look very good.

Yes that is what I meant.

Thank goodness for that, I thought I might have put my foot in it.

Maybe but some suffer from injuries far less than others. Have Leicester had any starter ruled out long term this season, for example?

You're just way too black and white in your thinking

To say there are less questions about leicester next season than City/United/Chelsea is laughable.

Anyhow you said a few weeks ago City wouldn't be favourites (despite everyone disagreeing with you) and now they are, that's all I'm pointing out. I'm no City lover but your bias is laughable. These are facts- they are factually favourites

Celesti makes a valid point though, surely (if we assume United still want to win titals) City are now bigger rivals than Liverpool as they're a better side

From a footballing POV not a petty hate one

Odds are just supposed to reflect the likelihood of something happening. Given the relative chaos that most top clubs have been in its not unreasonable to make the club with the most money who have one of the best coaches in the world arriving shortly the favourites for the title at this very early stage.

I don't care how or why they're favourites. Just they are. When I was questioned by a certain poster for saying they would be bookies favourites a few weeks ago, excuse me for engaging in a bit of " I told you so "

The bookies having Arsenal as second favourites shows the disarray that the rest of the big guns are seen as being in...

They did indeed make a good point but they did misinterpret the post which is what I was getting at.

Indeed, I shouldn't have quoted you in fairness, was more a general comment!


Haha exactly tbh. That said 11/2 is still relatively long odds for them (Paddy Power), bookies pretty much have it down as a one-horse race as of now. Objectively (in the spirit of the thread ) it is hard to disagree, a fully fit City squad with new additions should definitely win the league

Likewise having Man City as favorites; the bookies equation appears to be money + Pep = title without further analysis, of any kind. They've been dire this season and basically need about 8 new players.

I consider Everton bigger rivals than Man United. Might just apply because I'm local though since I'm surrounded by Everton fans. A defeat to Man United is easier to accept than Everton because you'll have to face Evertonians pretty much every day, especially if they're in your family.

Oh, and "our" and "are" are different words. I don't normally correct posts but that was annoying me.

De Bruyne, Aguero and Kompany have missed significant chunks of the season though. And they prioritised Europe from about February when they started slipping away in the title race. It was an outlier season for them. The squad they have now is well good enough to win a league, never mind new signings


Yeah it probably differs between generations and locality and the likes. I'm sure old school United fans would class Liverpool as their big rivals, 1990s-early 00s would have been Leeds, Early-mid 00s Arsenal and now it surely should be City

In a general league match now I'd have thought United fans should be hoping City would always lose v Pool. Pool have come above United once in 15 years

I think the Pool United rivalry is very hyped on internet forums as they're the two predominant English fanbases on most platforms. As you say I'd imagine genuine locals would see City/Everton as their big rivals

Well Man United ARE our big rivals of course, I wouldn't downplay the rivalry in any way. The rivalry is true, but I just consider the rivalry with Everton bigger, but I just think that's more of a local thing. A Liverpool fan not from Liverpool will see Man United as the big rival, which is fine, and part of that reason might be similar to locals viewing Everton as the bigger rival, that being they might know a lot of Man United fans.

I think it just depends on where you live (or are from). Being from Liverpool I view Everton as the bigger rivals, but a Liverpool fan from London will likely view Man United as the bigger rival.

I agree with you Munch. If we get beat by Liverpool then I'm obviously gutted but I don't meet any Scousers on a day to day basis whereas at work there are City fans who can rip the shite out of you.

Interesting re local Liverpool fans seeing Everton as biggest rivals.

That surprises me, partly because they haven't really been competing at the same level apart from for a handful of seasons in recent years, also because it's considered a more friendly local rivalry than others and also because man united and Liverpool are so close and one of them has been been the top club in Englamd for about 25 of he last 40"seasons or so and each wants to better the other in terms of honours , size of support, worldwide appeal etc....

I don't see the animosity between Liverpool and Everton and joy in the other being defeated by respective fans as I see between man united and Liverpool.

United and city rivalry is more intense and divisive than Liverpool vs Everton, I would argue.

It's a strange rivalry. It's intense, yet not hate-filled or anything. On the pitch it's always producing cards, including reds, and both sets of fans get really passionate about it. But at the same time there's some respect between the two. It's an intense rivalry, and you don't want to lose because you'll know about it for ages, but it is a friendly rivalry in that both sets of fans tend to be friends. You'll be surrounded by fans of the other club, you can be a Liverpool fan while your dad is an Everton fan, or your girlfriend, and families and friends can watch the game together in a house or at the pub, which just adds to the horror of a defeat.

I'm not a betting man, the nearest I've been to a betting shop was when I dated a bookies daughter many years ago. However, the odds don't just reflect the chance of something happening, but also the amount of money being placed on something. For example the chances of Leicester winning the premier league next year, won't differ significantly before a ball is kicked, but if lots of bets were suddenly placed on them, then the odds would be reduced.

Utd's rivalry with Liverpool is 100 more intense. The rivalry with City is just more inconvenient because of mixing with them.

My husband is a season ticket holder and is best man to a City fan next year whereas he'd never likely be mates with a Liverpool fans let alone be best man

Fans don't resent local rival clubs - they resent local rival fans. Hence why local fans feel the rivalry with the neighbours far more keenly as they have to live and breathe with them daily. National and international fans will mostly cop stick from the more global rivals so build up a rivalry that way.

That's how I see it at least.

Cool. My whole point was Liverpool vs Everton as opposed to Liverpool vs man United rivalry.

Your point backs up mine but from a man United perspective as opposed to a Liverpool one

Norwich already a goal down at home to Watford. Not the start they needed.

Anyone would think Sunderland gave suddenly morphed into Barcelona the way the media have written off Everton. The visitors have plenty of quality out there despite Martinez. I bet Sky are desperate for an Everton win to make Sunday interesting.

Looks like they will relegate themselves the squad is really poor