Grab a chance when you see one!

Maybe it’s just because I generally despise later season international breaks, but I feel like this could make our run-up far more problematic. The only tangible benefit to our early Europa exit was that it should have afforded us a considerably less condensed schedule, thus making it more and more likely that we could field our ‘best’ 11 for each and every remaining League fixture. If there were no breaks, I can’t imagine that we would be playing 4 matches in 13 days between April 16 and 29th. I guess the one saving grace, so long as no further setbacks occur during the break, (knock on wood) is that this might allow those with nagging injuries or worse, like Saliba, extra time to mend, as we can’t be relying on Holding to get the job done, regardless of the fact he performed rather admirably in Saliba’s absence.

Of course, I wouldn’t be quite so rattled if it weren’t for the fact that I’m totally convinced that if we look this gift horse in the mouth, we might not be in a similar position again. This certainly doesn’t mean that we won’t be playing meaningful late season matches in the foreseeable future, but to think we could have another sizeable lead so late in the season seems at best wishful thinking or at worst rather delusional. The planets have aligned for us in a way few have ever previously encountered, minus LC, and as such if we don’t stake our claim now I believe we will forever regret it.

Man City – will always be in the hunt, if not the presumptive favourites, so long as the ownership and Pep remain fully committed, unless they’re severely punished for their laundry list of transgressions, which I very much doubt.

Liverpool – with Klopp at the helm and attractive football on offer, they will remain a constant threat for trophies. They’ve made some long-game acquisitions over the last 18 months, who should come good next year and beyond, so if they can shore up their midfield and find a consistent CB partner for VVD, the future looks bright.

Chelsea – regardless of the coach in charge, as I’m not convinced Potter will survive the off-season, they will invariably return to prominence, as they have the financial wherewithal to compete with any and all comers. Although the results have not been forthcoming this season, they have done exactly what I had hoped we had done when Arteta was hired, invest heavily in young blue chippers, then allow them to grow with the bevy of talented in-house up-and-comers. They might be two years away from competing for the title, but with the right tactician they should eventually present serious problems for everyone in the PL for years to come.

United – I’m a big proponent of what ten Hag’s brings to the managerial table and I find it difficult to not see his squad make strides every season, so long as they continue to find creative ways to score goals, which means they can’t afford to lose Rashford unless they find a like-for-like replacement. If they’re able to raise some funds through the selling off of some players in the summer, like Harry, Elanga, McTominay, among others, and a new ownership group emerges, who spends anything like Chelsea, I think Hag will be able to acquire his most preferred targets. If these things transpires, they will undoubtedly complete their transition from pretender to contender.

Newcastle – they’re a rather interesting experiment, in that they have the resources, but not the requisite cachet to lure top, top talent, at least not quite yet. I don’t mind Howe, but they might have to make a big splash in the managerial market in order to change this narrative. In the meantime though, they will continue to play good enough defence to challenge for the top 4-6, but they will struggle to find the required amount of goals to turn the proverbial corner, unless Isak continues to stay healthy and score with the kind of frequency he’s displayed since his return from injury.

Spurs – they could be on the outside looking in, especially if they decide to hold a fire sale and offload the likes of Kane and Son. That said, if they do hire the aforementioned Nagelsmann, their downturn could be relatively short-lived, as he’s proven his ability to turn things around in short order, regardless of whatever transpired prior to his arrival.

Furthermore, every season a team or two emerges who vastly overachieves and negatively impacts the aspirations of those who were considered early season favourites; for a perfect example one needs to look no further than the likes of BHA, who not only survived a managerial change, they actually have thrived in it’s wake. If there isn’t a mass exodus of sorts at Brighton, they could be a real thorn in the sides of those mentioned above.

So, we better make hay before this incredibly fortuitous window closes. Not to mention, if we find a way to hold off the likes of City, it just might allow us to shake our almost two decade long mediocrity-laced narrative thereby allowing us to attract the kind of players needed for us to remain relevant over the long haul.

Cheers!