in the Premier League because arguably,
this is absolute chaos because Liverpool
and Man City, a first and second
Chelsea is sitting pretty comfortable in third, but there
is a just Almighty battle to finish. Fourth. We have Arsenal
Manchester United, West Ham, Tottenham,
maybe even wolves are still in the conversation.
But Nick Mandela, who do we think is going to finish
in fourth place? Because
we all agree, right, top three years.
It's pretty much.
Sealed. But who do you give the edge to in this top for race?
Because this huge teams there and again not very much between
them. So today today. I'm giving it to Arsenal and
I still think Tottenham is the best team of the bunch in terms
of their best 11 in terms of their manager, but I'm going to
stick with something because it's also the reason that
I think, man city has an edge over Liverpool. There are less
New pieces being wet it into the organization, right? So
So I think next year, right? With cannot a next to Van Dyke and
Diaz bedded in all the sudden. They're competing with Man City
in an even better way. And possibly even Superior. I look
at Chelsea that consistency of their system, them trusting
a manager has them in 30, even though we don't always trust
what
he's doing, especially with Lukaku
and Arsenal system under arteta. We're now seeing him
the last game, right? 322 was a little wild but they had it in
hand and never really felt like they were going to blow it. And
if they would have, if it would have ended three
Three. We'd have all been like
that is. That's not how it was supposed to go,
but we've seen them also win enough 11 Nils.
And that's why
I still put the asterisks next to Tottenham because I think
Conte is that much of a winner and that good of a manager, but
it's why man united won't make it. It's a new boss. It's been
new bosses. It's players who aren't really there for
the right system. And I just don't see any of The
Underdogs for lack of a better term, which is funny
considering how much money has been invested in some of these
teams. He's being able to get past any of them. So I'm going
to go with Arsenal for now with that giant spur size Asterix,
because I really do think they have made
almost All the Right Moves. Personnel-wise since Conte,
took over
Andy, as our resident told them expert. Do you agree that you
think it's going to be down to the to North London clubs?
Battling it out for that full spot
many night. It'll still be in there. I think they will.
They'll fall into luck in to be handed enough results. I think
to keep them there in the All the way. It's just it's
the reality of what it is is we can look at these three teams and
say
okay Spurs on their day. They are absolutely brilliant on not
their day. They are absolutely putrid and so I think that's
kind of the story with them is which team is going to show up
from game to game. They have
played down to some competition and been beaten, they have
played up to, you know, the the preeminent competition in
the world and beaten them. And then they did what they did to
Everton on Monday as
well. So you don't quite know what you're getting from them
game to game. Mmmmm, I'm Conte.
It's interesting. You called him a winner there. Nick.
Obviously he has, he's won a lot in this career, but one of
the things that I've kind of seen out of him and just
listening to his press conferences, as well as
interviews. Is
he hates losing so much more than he likes to win. He is
he is. So just he, I think it,
you know, he takes it as a personal slight when his team
loses a game and and that's that's a tough way to exist.
I think probably as a person and a human, but as a manager, It's
no wonder. He's gotten the results out of some of
the teams and some of the players that he
has over the years. And so he is a bit of an X-Factor for them.
But again, Nick, I think you hit it right on the head,
the fact that Arsenal have the consistency. They have the plan
in place. They have the familiarity there. Just at
a different point in their project now than wear, Spurs
are sparse or have them. Do a little bit of rebuild
the same way that arsenal were having to do a few years ago,
when Spurs had Harry Kane and Deli Ali, and all the young
players coming through and they had a new team that was
blossoming together. The Arsenal team is blossoming
together. So this might be their season. But it sets up
really. Well, I think for North London, long term and what that
rivalries going to become.
I totally agree with that. I
honestly into exhaustion was well purely because that sets
old like Nick says defensively. They've been solid all season
long. Only issue of Arsenal is, can they score enough goals?
Obviously, they got rid of it by me and which seemed to help
the collective and the group,
but lacazette. Can you really rely on him right now, to get
another seven, eight goals between now and the end of
the season to help push them over the line.
Yes, odegard. Sack
Martinelli Smith, rural chipping in. And that's great.
As that young group. You talked about Andy, but I just feel
like they might just come up short and Tottenham with Harry
Kane because yes key and so on the relationship they're
building an attack. They can blow teams
away as we've seen in recent weeks against Everton and lead
to score of fours and fives and on their day. Tottenham can
demolish teams. Manchester United's a weird one
been to a lot of their games recently and they have
the Superstar talents changed. Sancho Ronaldo, Rushford
Fernandez, others
happy to get over the line and get this done but
I don't have any
real.
I don't have any positive vibes about them on a consistent
basis to say they're going to do it because I don't think
they are happy with Ralph rang. Nick being there on interim
charge. I don't know who's coming in next. There's a lot
of uncertainty, a
lot of big Egos and that dressing room.
They are not pushing together in the same,
the same way and
jumping on You know, either because I know you have some
strong feelings. Yeah, I know. I think that's the point right
there is, it's a collection of really talented individuals and
it's not a team. It doesn't fit together. Tactically. It
doesn't seem to fit together personality wise and
just kind of what the the collective mentality of that
team is. And so, it's from game to game. They're waiting on one
of those individuals. Save us do something, brilliant, go win
the game for. It's not a
you know, replicable plan that you can put in place for 38
games and finish where you want to finish,
what? We'll check for West time. That's what I'm Let's say
I'm looking at the schedule now, we'll see. They've got
points on the board. They've got ten games to go but they do
have to play
top them and Arsenal remaining. So if they win those two games
and take care of this against the likes of Burnley, Norwich
and Everton that they have
just don't write them off. Because even though they had
a few struggles in recent weeks and you know, Declan rice has
been missing and Boeing's gone down with injury. They still
they're still hanging in there. And
I think there's some of the be said about everyone's focusing
on the Giants, but Westham I've caused so many upsets this
season and last season that I still think there's a little
bit left in this campaign for them. Wolves have gone a few
weeks ago. I thought they could do it the way they're playing
defensively,
but they've had that horrible run of
three straight defeats. So, I think they're done and dusted,
but it's still a lot to play for quickly on the European
push. Nick, did we see any teams may be pushed into Europa
League or maybe into the top four that we
didn't expect and a bit of a late season
surprise package because there's always, A bit of
a third, right? From one team, that they're somehow in the I'm
going for a super surprise package. A lot of this is for
everyone's entertainment out there. Okay.
I'm not going to say Newcastle or Everton,
but
if you could tell me today
that Brendan Rodgers wasn't going to
prioritize Europa League. He's getting West Befana back. He's
getting Johnny Evans back arguably as much as I like to
bag on him because I'm not a huge fan of his
for van.
How often did? I personally talked about him last year? He
was my guy to bring up. I think he's a Difference Maker and if
he's fit, they have matches in hand, and if you actually look
at their fixture list, they would need
a lot of teams to slip up,
but could I see them
getting into seventh?
I could,
I'm starting to turn the corner a little bit on Villa to, but
wolves have dropped away, bright and still needs another
forward.
Southampton does have that togetherness that we talked
about earlier. So I do think there's a very legitimate
chance that there is a surprise team,
but I also think West ham is really starting to Rally around
each other. I've loved the way that they've not that this is
supposed to be a motivational tool, but I love the way
they've reacted around, you are malenko
as so many teams have kind of impressed us
the way they've rallied around their
Ukrainian teammates. So
I think this is going to be maybe as fun, although not as
high profile as the other races
and of course full of that matters.
Kind of depends on who wins the FA Cup, obviously Europa League
of a conference League spots moving down. So, right seventh.
Eighth. It could be really interesting. They like you said
some teams who,
you know, even brighten.
Villa Southampton, those teams with
slumping a little bit.
They get. No, I'm not going to say, Southampton
realistic. I didn't know.
I didn't know if we had to say it or if you would get there.
Eventually, Joe your thoughts on the Three? Lions in
December,
never gonna win anything ever. Okay.
I'm just saying. In there is late season. If you start
looking now at the fixtures and things I have to play, there
are some teams there in the middle middle of the table,
have a favorable, Runner games, and
could make a big late season, push, especially with wolves
and others struggling a little bit.