Can we win our next 8 PL games?

Jaap

Going into the Derby four points ahead would be crazy. Imagine winning the league at their place.

rcoobc

Its very unlikely we will lose any games to the FA Cup.

The FA Cup rounds should be around 9 days earlier this year as European games are also 9 days earlier. We have QPR when the Semi Final should be and Man City when the Final will be (I think)

RedDevilCanuck

There are no automatic three points.

Our home form this season isn't as great as years past.

We have struggled at times against 'easy' opposition.

Need to take it game by game and make sure strong teams are picked.

antohan

Exactly, IMO City will drop ~5-7 points while we won't drop more than 2-3 and we will be ahead when we get to the derby:

West Brom (H) WIN (be careful, in form!)
Wolves (A) WIN (terrible form)
Fulham (H) WIN (they've screwed us before though)
Blackburn (A) DRAW (or we smash them, having dropped with them before we will not underestimate them, this draw is the 1 draw/loss I expect to happen)
QPR (H) WIN
Wigan (A) WIN
Aston Villa (H) WIN
Everton (H) WIN, agent Nev will see to it

City's:

Swansea (A) DRAW (at this point they would stop having a points difference and will start feeling the heat)
Chelsea (H) DRAW/WIN
Stoke (A) DRAW/WIN
Sunderland (H) WIN
Arsenal (A) DRAW/LOST
West Brom (H) WIN
Norwich (A) WIN
Wolves (A) WIN

If they are still ahead by the time we play the derby and win it I guess they would be worthy champions and that's that.

Sean_RedDevil

It's possible but it's very unlikely imo.

I've a feeling that both Manchester clubs are going into the Manchester derby with the same points.

Sean_RedDevil

Btw if Chelsea are beating Birmingham City in the FA-Cup replay tomorrow then Manchester City vs Chelsea is off next week.

So we're possible on pole position for the next weeks and they're having a game in hand.

VII

We'll need the Massives to drop points soon though to pile the pressure on them. Hopefully at Swansea.

sammsky1

Before Mourinho came along and changed the dynamics on what was required to win the PL, the general rule was that to become Chapions of the PL, you needed a25 match run of form where you won at least 20, drew 3 and lost 2, and we consistantly did that in each of our PL wins prior to 2003. Mourinho and the Wengers Invincibles only up the stakes even further.

To win the league in England, the champions have to go on such runs, we are the the begginnings on one right now. To be champions, we have to win at least 60 or 7 of these games. They are all highly winnable, and if our finsihing and ruthlessness in front of goal is like it was vs Spurs, then we will. But we also know of a United that can be extremely profligate in front of goal and miss chanace after chance.

As predicted before when we had chaos in our defences due to decemating injuries, as soon as got some stability in our back 5, we will always be hard to score against. So during these 8 games, I'd say its purely down to Mssrs Rooney, Hernandez, Berbatov and Welbeck (& Nani, Young & Valencia) to convert the many chances that will come their way. A couple of 4-0 wins would do the confidence alot of good.

Yes of course we can win these next 8 games and I hope we do as it will probably deteremine whether we end up champions. And a Championship winning team would be expected to do so.

mjs020294

City have dropped points in 6 of their 13 away games thus far. The pressure is on now and they have a tough run of games. They will be dropping points for sure, plenty of them.

redevil2

Once we surpass them, we will not let slip again. We are too experienced to let it happen so yes, the sooner they drop points, the more likely we are going to stay on top. SAF has mentioned that we are engineered (or words to that effect) to peak from March and April onwards. Let's keep our fingers firmly crossed.

ryan_forlan

1. shouldn't this be in the "Manchester Title Race" Thread?
2. People are talking about Wolves and Blackburn. What about the next EPL game? It is after an European match against a potent Bilbao side, and WBA have been in good form themselves.

Nathan

I wouldnt read to much into the next 8 games. We are coming to the business end of the season and the management and players know what is required. The Manager has gone on record to say the tops teams will drop points, so it is possible that we could drop points, i have no doubt that we will be going all out to win each and every game.

It would put us in a very good position to win as many of the next few games to allow us to no to place special emphasis on the derby match.

mr.suave

Winning 8 consecutive games at this stage of the season would be impressive.

It's a very, very winnable set of fixtures on paper, but this is the Premier League and, on their day, any team can beat another.

Fulham are playing well but their away form is pretty shite. Everton, West Brom and Aston Villa (kind of) are all comfortably mid-table so I doubt they'll be fighting for every ball the way you'd expect teams at risk of relegation to be doing. Even still, I'd fancy our chances against pretty much every side at home, regardless of how 'up for it' they are.

Wigan are Wigan, we've routinely battered them since they came up to the Prem but they're due a win sooner or later. Stranger things have happened in football. As for Ewood Park, well it's always an absolute cunt of a fixture, the dreaded 'up for it' factor will be high, and they'll presumably take heart from their inexplicable Old Trafford demolition job. I think it'll be the biggest test of the lot.

On paper it's as easy as it gets. It's become United tradition to start firing on all cylinders at this point of the season, so hopefully this run of games gives us a chance to pick up some title-winning form.

Sarni

I think we will drop points at Wolves like we usually do (the last two games there were losses) and I don't think we'll beat Blackburn. Other than that we should be able to win the other games.

mr.suave

Shit, didn't even notice the Wolves game. Need my eyes testing...

Yeah, they'll be scrapping for their lives, plus we've not exactly put in the most impressive displays there in recent seasons. Tough game, even if their form's been utter shite for a while now.

Would be fucking typical if they get a good result against us and then revert back to being cannon fodder a week later.

[CLICHE]But this is football[/CLICHE]

Floyd

It can, we "only" have to lead with four points going into that match. Oh, and win it.

Then we're home free.

lysglimt

Personally I fear WBA and Fulham the most...those 2 can be tricky

Sarni

I am not particularly worried about home games to be honest. We're excellent at home and while we dropped points to the likes of Newcastle and Blackburn this season, you need to admit it took a huge amount of luck for them to get anything there.

McLovin

They're going to choke.

teague

Based on the same (or equivalent for QPR) matches last season an accumulator would have been between 11-1 and 29-2 depending on which bookmaker you went to. (Based on pre-kick off odds for each individual match)

Adjusting for the bookies' margin the implied probability is somewhere between 6% and 7.5%.

humdinger

Totally agree with this - we have done brilliantly with these last fixtures.

The 'easiness' of these next lot bothers me though. Here's hoping we learnt from those harsh lessons earlier this season and don't take our foot off the pedal as city have been annoyingly consistent and injury free so are in a strong position.

MUFCgal

Of course we can win all those matches. I will say though, the only two banana skins I can see are the away matches at Wolves and Blackburn. I'd take 6 wins and 2 draws from those 8 matches as I definitely think City will stumble a bit in their run of games.

Varun_Utd

Very winnable run in but i'd be surprised if we won all of them. Dont think we'l get less than 20 either so i think we'l be good anyways.

Pogue Mahone

Absolutely no chance of winning all 8 games. Football doesn't work that way.

Anyone who thinks it's in any way likely should get down their bookies now and stick some money on an accumulator. You could win big bucks.

Sunny Jim

I think i was the only person to expect us to win all games in the hard set of fixtures and apart from unlucky defeat to Liverpool and a defensive brain fart against Chavs we would have won all. Now we are facing much easier opponents - so yes i expect us to win all of these fixtures. Having said that - 21/22 points out of 24 will be a great return.

WR

I don't it's likely in the case that we're expected to do so & any less is disappointing, but doing so would almost certainly allow us ground to slip up against City.

Our 3 away games in the next 8 are against teams in the bottom 5, and our 'hardest' home games are versus mid-table teams with little to play for. I don't think we should expect to cruise all 8 games putting in vintage performances, but if (I know it's a cliche) we take it game by game then it's achievable. Stranger things have happened.

Varun_Utd

Is how we need to approach it and with Sir Alex's and the squad's experience with run ins, thats how we'l do it i reckon.

8 wins on the trot looks tough, but individually, each of them are games we should be winning.

Dont think we'l win them all either but i'd be surprised if we dropped more than 4 points.

Stretch

Bit of a strong statement don't you think? It's not impossible, just improbable. Doesn't mean we can't do it. We have won 12 on the trot in the past and I think Arse has done 14 on the trot. So no, there is a chance.

Though I don't think we will win all 8. I expect us to drop 2 to 3 points in there somewhere.

gooDevil

It's funny how, every year at this time, tons of journalists and players come out and say that the leaders can't afford to drop any points in the run in. And every year points are dropped, usually not where you would expect.

In all likelihood, both United and City will draw and lose before the season is out, at least once each.

Pogue Mahone

If I could predict the future with absolute certainty I'd be a very rich man.

We won't win all 8 games, though. I'm as certain of that as I can be, without a crystal ball to confirm it.

Stretch

Sure, I'm with you on saying that we won't win all 8 but that's not a fact like you pointed out with the crystall ball and all that. Your initial statement said 'absolutely no chance'. That's wrong. It's improbable but not impossible. Pedantic I know but there is a chance it could happen. Just saying like...

Pogue Mahone

I'm the pedantic cnut round here, I'll have you know

Nice location btw.

Stretch

only saw the location thing now. Great quote though hey?

Ramshock

when do we ever win out? it must have been a while. Besides I dont think we will get a 3-0 head start over City again.

Annihilate Now!

The last time we went on an 8 game or more winning streak...

26 December 2008 - Stoke City A 1 – 0 - Tévez 83'
29 December 2008 - Middlesbrough H 1 – 0 - Berbatov 69'
11 January 2009 - Chelsea H 3 – 0 - Vidić 45', Rooney 63', Berbatov 86'
14 January 2009 - Wigan Athletic H 1 – 0 - Rooney 1'
17 January 2009 - Bolton Wanderers A 1 – 0 - Berbatov 90'
27 January 2009 - West Bromwich Albion A 5 – 0 - Berbatov 22', Tévez 44', Vidić 60', Ronaldo (2) 65', 73'
31 January 2009 - Everton H 1 – 0 - Ronaldo 44' (pen.)
8 February 2009 - West Ham United A 1 – 0 - Giggs 62'
18 February 2009 - Fulham H 3 – 0 - Scholes 12', Berbatov 29', Rooney 62'
21 February 2009 - Blackburn Rovers H 2 – 1 - Rooney 23', Ronaldo 60'
4 March 2009 - Newcastle United A 2 – 1 - Rooney 20', Berbatov 56'

11 games in a row...

redevil2

People, we will be on top of table comes derby day... There's no doubt about it. The boss is confident, so we should be too!

SAF: "We've got the experience. We won't get nervous, we're enjoying it"

SATA

I expect us to win all 8, and i think we will

redevil2

"Like"

IhabX7

Wolves away after Bilbao away might be tough.

Kelvin

there are no easy games, I dare not say for certain we win them all, no team is going to rollover for us...the blackburn game was a wake-up call to our players not to take anyone lightly.