johnola
Mauricio Taricco
I agree, both making Wenger sweat it and finishing above united both good reasons to carry on backing the lads.
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Fourth - who are we going to beat to it?
- Thread starter Pirate55
- Start date
I agree, both making Wenger sweat it and finishing above united both good reasons to carry on backing the lads.
Despite us winning today I'm even less confident of top four and I already was writing us out of it (but I like to keep the slimmest of hopes where possible).
We have grinded out so many wins this season it's ridiculous, to the extent that we aren't actually 'grinding them out' per se, they are just the way we win football matches and I'll be honest, I f**king hate it. I'd much rather we won two games 4-3, lost two games 4-3 and drew one 4-4 in a run of five than win three 1-0, draw one 0-0 and get slammed by five or six.
Let's face it, even if we do somehow get in to the Champions League next season we are ill prepared for it. How many CL quality players do we have? Few I'd suggest.
I still hope we get 5th FWIW. Give me Europa League football and a cup to play for over no Europa League football and a cup less to play for anyday.
We have grinded out so many wins this season it's ridiculous, to the extent that we aren't actually 'grinding them out' per se, they are just the way we win football matches and I'll be honest, I f**king hate it. I'd much rather we won two games 4-3, lost two games 4-3 and drew one 4-4 in a run of five than win three 1-0, draw one 0-0 and get slammed by five or six.
Let's face it, even if we do somehow get in to the Champions League next season we are ill prepared for it. How many CL quality players do we have? Few I'd suggest.
I still hope we get 5th FWIW. Give me Europa League football and a cup to play for over no Europa League football and a cup less to play for anyday.
Good post.
We're in no way ready for it. We would be ripped a new one. Whats wrong with the el. Its our level like it or not. If the ****ing pitch's got sortefd out I'm all for it. I remember as a kid when we got in via the cups and was over the moon. We're spoilt these days sadly.
New younger fans thinking we have some GHod given right.... **** you sky
Well said. Plus next season's Europa League is a viable route into the Champions League. With a favourable draw perhaps winning the EL is more attainable for us in the short term than finishing top 4. Qualifying for next year's EL is a worthwhile goal.
Hidden
Luke Young
The prediction is one step closer. However, still rather far away.
Upcoming NLD can become the most important in recent seasons.
I understand Lilywhite's position about not reaching the CL because it will be difficult for such team even to make the knock-out stage, but to face a top-5 stagnation is not a good thing as well. Another time we'll likely see our best players being sold during summer transfer window and the League in the next season could be even tougher.
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metalgear
Nayim
we're inching ourselves into top 4...look at this way: we're still in it despite a managerial and system change.
come next campaign we have a number of new talents who have gained a year's experience and with a proper pre-season, would be instrumental in our next campaign.
the worry is how to keep the likes of verts and loris, who want to (and deserve to be) competing in the CL. maybe a big name coach is on the cards, and with baldini now fully understanding the epl, we just might get that balance in the squad so desperately lacking in the last few years.
come next campaign we have a number of new talents who have gained a year's experience and with a proper pre-season, would be instrumental in our next campaign.
the worry is how to keep the likes of verts and loris, who want to (and deserve to be) competing in the CL. maybe a big name coach is on the cards, and with baldini now fully understanding the epl, we just might get that balance in the squad so desperately lacking in the last few years.
Kingdawson
Banned
Ah well maybe next year.
My concern is that if we do change manager at the end of the season half the players bought last summer will be gone becuase they weren't "his" signings and all we'll have is the same old same old of "new manager, new players, new system, lots of promise" but no continuity leading to us discussing this matter again next year.
Gazza Dazzla
Chris Perry
Still think you'll win the league Luda?! Your boys starting your customary slump in feb / mar.
firefly
Ricardo Rocha
I don't share this view. Our players are good enough for the Champions League, certeinly not good enough for winning it but good enough for finishing 2nd in the group. I mean, have you seen what kind of teams participate in this competition year in year out?
And then you shouldn't underestimate the importance of denying one other team Champions League football. Liverpool need it to keep Suarez, Woolwich need it to buy better players in summer. It would be a great advantage for us in the years to come if we could finish above one of these two this season.
Luda2013
Jamie Redknapp
It won't be easy next year if we get there. We'd have to invest in the squad and even then we'd be stretched with so many important games. United and Liverpool or Arsenal would focus primarily on the league and would be a sure fire bet to get back in the top four next year.
In order to stay there we'd need to ride a tough period and grow our commercial revenue base significantly
In order to stay there we'd need to ride a tough period and grow our commercial revenue base significantly
The only way you get CL quality players it to either qualify for the CL or buy players young enough and watch them develop (eg Sandro) however that takes time. Usually if you sign a EL standard player, such as Dembele, he'll remain as such, unless he's young enough and improves
Also, if we dont qualify for the CL then the small number of our CL standard players which we do have (eg Lloris, Verts, Sandro etc) will leave which leaves us with mroe rebuilding to do
I'm not saying that we will qualify for teh CL this year however we're only 6 points behind two teams in the top 4 and still have to play them both (and **** arent looking anything like the team which they were earlier this year)
Daisuk
Les Medley
I can't see us getting 4th. I know I'm a bit of a pessimist, but don't think we have that great a chance with our current form versus our competitor's current form. We can always hope for someone dipping in form, but with Liverpool only having the Premier League to play for, I can't see it happening to them unless they get someone important out injured (Suarez or Coutinho). Chelsea have a big squad, seem to grind out results at will, and seem to have the easiest remaining fixtures. City are too good, and Le **** seem to edge us with the fixtures they have left.
Here's my rather pessimistic prediction. I know I'm possibly being overly "optimistic" about the other teams results, some of them are going to have slip-ups, but the general sense I get from the remaining fixtures are that we are going to come quite a few points behind the current top 4, unfortunately.
Liverpool
ManU (A) - 1p
Cardiff (A) - 3p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
Spurs (H) - 3p
West Ham (A) - 3p
Emirates Marketing Project (H) - 1p
Norwich (A) - 3p
Chelsea (H) - 1p
Palace (A) - 3p
Saudi Sportswashing Machine (H) - 3p
Total - 83 points.
Spurs
Chelsea (A) - 0p
**** (H) - 1p
Southampton (H) - 3p
Liverpool (A) - 0p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
WBA (A) - 1p
Fulham (H) - 3p
Stoke (A) - 1p
West Ham (A) - 3p
Villa (H) - 3p
Total - 68 points.
Gooners
Swansea (H) - 3p
Spurs (A) - 1p
Chelsea (A) - 1p
Emirates Marketing Project (H) - 1p
Everton (A) - 1p
West Ham (H) - 3p
Hull (A) - 3p
Saudi Sportswashing Machine (H) - 3p
WBA (H) - 3p
Norwich (A) - 3p
Total - 81 points.
Emirates Marketing Project
Villa (H) - 3p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
Hull (A) - 3p
Fulham (H) - 3p
Man United (A) - 1p
**** (A) - 1p
Southampton (H) - 3p
Liverpool (A) - 1p
West Brom (H) - 3p
Palace (A) - 3p
Everton (A) - 1p
West Ham (H) - 3p
Total - 85 points.
Chelsea
Spurs (H) - 3p
Villa (A) - 3p
**** (H) - 1p
Palace (A) - 3p
Stoke (H) - 3p
Swansea (A) - 3p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
Liverpool (A) - 1p
Norwich (H) - 3p
Cardiff (A) - 3p
Total - 89 points.
----
1. Chelski 89
2. Emirates Marketing Project 85
3. Liverpool 83
4. Gooners 81
?. Spurs 68
Here's my rather pessimistic prediction. I know I'm possibly being overly "optimistic" about the other teams results, some of them are going to have slip-ups, but the general sense I get from the remaining fixtures are that we are going to come quite a few points behind the current top 4, unfortunately.
Liverpool
ManU (A) - 1p
Cardiff (A) - 3p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
Spurs (H) - 3p
West Ham (A) - 3p
Emirates Marketing Project (H) - 1p
Norwich (A) - 3p
Chelsea (H) - 1p
Palace (A) - 3p
Saudi Sportswashing Machine (H) - 3p
Total - 83 points.
Spurs
Chelsea (A) - 0p
**** (H) - 1p
Southampton (H) - 3p
Liverpool (A) - 0p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
WBA (A) - 1p
Fulham (H) - 3p
Stoke (A) - 1p
West Ham (A) - 3p
Villa (H) - 3p
Total - 68 points.
Gooners
Swansea (H) - 3p
Spurs (A) - 1p
Chelsea (A) - 1p
Emirates Marketing Project (H) - 1p
Everton (A) - 1p
West Ham (H) - 3p
Hull (A) - 3p
Saudi Sportswashing Machine (H) - 3p
WBA (H) - 3p
Norwich (A) - 3p
Total - 81 points.
Emirates Marketing Project
Villa (H) - 3p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
Hull (A) - 3p
Fulham (H) - 3p
Man United (A) - 1p
**** (A) - 1p
Southampton (H) - 3p
Liverpool (A) - 1p
West Brom (H) - 3p
Palace (A) - 3p
Everton (A) - 1p
West Ham (H) - 3p
Total - 85 points.
Chelsea
Spurs (H) - 3p
Villa (A) - 3p
**** (H) - 1p
Palace (A) - 3p
Stoke (H) - 3p
Swansea (A) - 3p
Sunderland (H) - 3p
Liverpool (A) - 1p
Norwich (H) - 3p
Cardiff (A) - 3p
Total - 89 points.
----
1. Chelski 89
2. Emirates Marketing Project 85
3. Liverpool 83
4. Gooners 81
?. Spurs 68
Robbo
Les Ferdinand
I can guarantee you we will not see both Chelski, City, Liverpool and **** all go unbeaten for the rest of the season. All teams will have slip-ups, like **** this weekend.
Agreed with your top 4 prediction though, just not the points total. I'm guessing neither **** nor Liverpool will make it to 80 points.
metalgear
Nayim
Hopefully Baldini and Levy are there to ensure continuity. And they take that into account with the new (supposed) manager.
By now I imagine Levy feeling vindicated that the hierarchy works given that weree still competitive despite the managerial change.
As for player transfers, it's bound to happen. We can hope that it plays out to a larger club masterplan than to a managers' whim.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Fapatalk
Wow, you posted this mid-January and it looks like exactly the type of scenario that is unfolding.
Could be the first time the Daily Fail has ever done anything right.
Daisuk
Les Medley
Yeah, I know that's not realistic. They won't all go unbeaten. But generally, I think the remainder of the season will go something along those lines. More or less all the teams are going to have slip-ups, and the point tallies I came up with are far too high, but in terms of probability of match results, I think the predictions are pretty good. There will always be some variance, of course, but the point is just that I think we'll have a very hard time reaching that 4th spot, unless some of the teams above us slip up a whole lot, which I cannot see happening right now.
Robbo
Les Ferdinand
Yeah, I know that's not realistic. They won't all go unbeaten. But generally, I think the remainder of the season will go something along those lines. More or less all the teams are going to have slip-ups, and the point tallies I came up with are far too high, but in terms of probability of match results, I think the predictions are pretty good. There will always be some variance, of course, but the point is just that I think we'll have a very hard time reaching that 4th spot, unless some of the teams above us slip up a whole lot, which I cannot see happening right now.
Agreed on that - we don't look anything like top four contenders at the moment, and I think we should be happy if we manage fifth, really. Both Manu and Everton are capable of overtaking us.
I guess the only hope is that we miraculously click as a team, like we've very rarely done this season. I think our squad is mostly very talented, but we've struggled to play together as one unit. 11 good players running around with no purpose, doesn't make a good team. Sadly I don't think that will happen either.