[Season 14/15] The race for fourth

[The Azzurri]

So the challenge for the league title is obviously gone. As with last season, our target now is just concentrating on getting that CL spot.

Therefore let us discuss who are our main rivals and how we can overcome them. Fire away.

 

[Cina]

I believe we can overcome our main rivals by getting more points than them, however I'm not an expert on the subject.

 

[ADJUDICATOR]

Everton, Liverpool, Spurs and Southampton.

 

[Getsme]

I believe we can overcome our main rivals by getting more points than them, however I'm not an expert on the subject.

Depends if Liverpool get their alternative table in place by the end of the year.

 

[Natener]

There doesn't seem to be a race on for fourth this year. If anything, looks more like all the tipped contenders are doing their best to steer clear of it.

 

[Woodzy]

It's us or Liverpool, and we both look as bad as each other right now.

Southampton will drop off when the going gets tough, and Everton and Spurs are too inconsistent. Obviously, it sounds stupid considering those 3 teams are doing better than us but we have too much quality I think.

 

[PedroMendez]

Spurs and Everton both look pretty bad and its hard to see how they lift themself to the level to finish in the top4.
We are playing pretty bad as well, but at least we have the individual quality, so there is the chance to step up. Liverpool is really hard to judge. They look dreadful, but once Sturridge comes back, things might change. Obviously everybody expects that the Saints start to drop points; its hard to imagen that they continue with their current form. That said they look much better than we do and they are already 9 points ahead. If the established teams continue to struggle till dec. they might be in a position to sneak into the top4. Its unlikely but not impossible.

pool > saints > tottenham.

Looking at the table its just about ourself. With the current performance we´ll miss the cl-quali, but if we take any meaningful step forward, we´ll easily finish top4.

 

[The Azzurri]

The first 2 spots are already taken: Chelsea and city , so that left us, arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham & soton to fight it out for the remaining 2 spots.

As things stand, we are 10th in the table but are only just 4 pts away from the 4th spot.

Early days I know but we must start climbing up the table.

 

[Dumbstar]

There doesn't seem to be a race on for fourth this year. If anything, looks more like all the tipped contenders are doing their best to steer clear of it.

Spurs and Everton have suffered in Europe for years. We're 'resting' players against Real Madrid. Nobody wants the extra fixtures.

Carling Cup is where its at!

Edit: Its the worst season I can remember for a fourth placed fight. Some would call it exciting. I just think its shit at the moment.

 

[SiRed]

i think its there for the taking. We have shown signs of being a really good team lately and in a way its a shame that we couldnt have had our supposed 'easy' start of fixtures swapped with the fixtures we currently embark on. That being said we have Palace at home and then Arsenal away. I expect us to win both games and go on a bit of a run.
I am absolutley convinced that from this point to the end of the season we can average between 2.3 and 2.5 points per game which is champions for and will be more than enough to qualify for ECL.
I also have a feeling that some unfortunate team is going to be absolutley blitzed by us before xmas where we score atleast 6 goals.

Im an optimist.

 

[Thisistheone]

Still think we have the advantage come the 2nd half of the season with Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton all in Europe.


I also fancy us to actually take points from them this year. No way are Liverpool & Everton getting 6 points each from us this time. (Edit: Everton already have dropped 3 to us I know)

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

We'll finish 3rd. Big talk.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

There's just no fun in conceding already top two places, even top itself. It's football, strange things can happen. On topic, I don't doubt top four in the slightest.

 

[2 man midfield]

We need to do better against the sides around us. Last season we won what, 1 game out of all matches against the top 10? That's awful. We've beaten Everton already, Southampton and Arsenal are just round the corner. It's these games we need to win imo. The draws against the likes of WBA and Burnley will take care of themselves soon enough.

 

[gaz1185]

With more or less 3/4s of the season to go saying Chelsea & City already have 1st & 2nd spot at this stage is just ridiculous (I'm not saying we're contenders btw). But look what happened to Arsenal last season, they were only 1 point worse off at this stage last season than Chelsea are now, and they ended up in 4th - wait until the 20+ game mark before sounding out potential winners.

 

[Kaos]

I still think we can pip Arsenal to third.

 

[iBoss]

We can beat Everton, Spurs, Saints, Arsenal and Liverpool home and away.

I don't expect any of them to beat us anyway.

 

[Getsme]

I still think we can pip Arsenal to third.

Yeah, I'd go with this. Our form is so close to clicking that we will soon be in a position to go on a winning streak.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

We'll get it ahead of liverpool.

 

[Truedevil]

I expect us to get that 3rd spot. Liverpool are too poor for top 4 as things stand and Arsenal always seems to finish 4th. With the squad we have normally i would expect a title chase but after last season's disaster and with a new manager i would be delighted with a 3rd place finish. I believe we will beat Arsenal home and away and Pool home so nothing is decided yet. Hell, in a few days we will be ahead of Pool once again.

 

[Adebesi]

With more or less 3/4s of the season to go saying Chelsea & City already have 1st & 2nd spot at this stage is just ridiculous (I'm not saying we're contenders btw). But look what happened to Arsenal last season, they were only 1 point worse off at this stage last season than Chelsea are now, and they ended up in 4th - wait until the 20+ game mark before sounding out potential winners.

City and Chelsea arent Arsenal though. What you observe there says more about Arsenal than it does about anything else. Theyre chokers.

Of course you are right, on paper anything is possible, but Chelsea and City will be first and second this year, I predicted that confidently before a ball was kicked this season and Ive seen nothing to change my mind about it.

I also said in the summer we would come third. And amazingly that still looks very possible. If we dont get it though I still think we can get 4th. But we mustnt waste this extraordinary gift we've been given, that Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Everton have failed to capitalise themselves.

 

[ivaldo]

Depends if Liverpool get their alternative table in place by the end of the year.

Post=goal?

 

[Getsme]

Post=goal?

Depends who the player was that hit it I think.

 

[Tarrou]

We're lucky the other teams don't look that good yet. We need to get our shit together soon otherwise it's gonna be very tough.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

The Race For Fourth Place: The Which Team is Least Shit Edition

 

[Orc]

With more or less 3/4s of the season to go saying Chelsea & City already have 1st & 2nd spot at this stage is just ridiculous (I'm not saying we're contenders btw). But look what happened to Arsenal last season, they were only 1 point worse off at this stage last season than Chelsea are now, and they ended up in 4th - wait until the 20+ game mark before sounding out potential winners.

Almost everyone (fans, pundits, journalists) that followed football knew Arsenal would crumble last season. They benefitted from a ridiculously easy run of opening fixtures.

I think Chelsea are a lock for top 2 but I don't think City are. Chelsea have already played some of their most difficult fixtures (in theory, anyways). They've gone to the Etihad, gone to Goodison, gone to Old Trafford, and have played Arsenal once. They go to Anfield this weekend so that's another one of the toughest fixtures out of the way. With the squad they have I cant see them dropping many/if any silly points to the really poor sides like they did last season.

I think 3rd is still very much possible for us if we can keep our important players fit.

 

[SirAF]

It's us or Liverpool, and we both look as bad as each other right now.

Southampton will drop off when the going gets tough, and Everton and Spurs are too inconsistent. Obviously, it sounds stupid considering those 3 teams are doing better than us but we have too much quality I think.

I agree with this 100%

 

[Eboue]

You'll finish below us.

 

[Señor]

Yeah, I'd go with this. Our form is so close to clicking that we will soon be in a position to go on a winning streak.

How long have we been saying this though? We're always almost clicking this season.

The team needs to buck up their ideas as the teams around us are now slowly grinding out wins whereas we're not. We've played Leicester, Burnley, Sunderland, City away and got 3 measly points from that. If we don't click soon, the other teams will leave us behind like we saw last season.

 

[Rykker_4united]

You'll finish below us.

I guess that rules anything above 4th out then

 

[Eboue]

I guess that rules anything above 4th out then

Works for me.

 

[adexkola]

Too close to call at the moment. If I was forced to choose, I'd say United and Arsenal make top 4 at the expense of Liverpool and the others. Both teams have the potential to go on long winning runs. I don't see that potential with Liverpool or Tottenham. Everton's defense will be their undoing in the latter part of the season, and I've not seen too much of Southampton or West Ham this season, so I'm proceeding with the lazy line of logic that dictates that they will drop to midtable sooner or later.

 

[Getsme]

How long have we been saying this though? We're always almost clicking this season.

The team needs to buck up their ideas as the teams around us are now slowly grinding out wins whereas we're not. We've played Leicester, Burnley, Sunderland, City away and got 3 measly points from that. If we don't click soon, the other teams will leave us behind like we saw last season.

The improvement is clear to see, however I agree that we need to grind out results in the time being. Having an unsettled team haven’t helped but it can’t be used as an excuse as it’s how we deal with it that will define our season. We will click though, and when we do we will easily get top 4.

By the way, don’t want to dampen your spirits any further but we only got two points from those games you quoted.

 

[Señor]

The improvement is clear to see, however I agree that we need to grind out results in the time being. Having an unsettled team haven’t helped but it can’t be used as an excuse as it’s how we deal with it that will define our season. We will click though, and when we do we will easily get top 4.

By the way, don’t want to dampen your spirits any further but we only got two points from those games you quoted.

Missed out WBA away.

 

[Gannicus]

It's between the ancient rivals for fourth place. With a bit of good fortune we could do third but I don't see Arsenal slipping that badly.

 

[Barney]

First place is taken by Chelsea, the next four could finish in any order though I do think City and Arsenal will both be in there. I think we'll get the final spot (that doesn't necessarily mean 4th though). 6th-8th will be Southampton, Everton and Spurs, again, in any order.

 

[Man of Leisure]

Still early, but how the feck are Southampton in 2nd with 22 pts? That's amazing considering they lost so many key players and their manager. Scored 21 goals and only let in 5. Anyone seen a lot of Southampton this season? Never thought much of Koeman as a manager, but he's obviously onto something.

 

[Barney]

Still early, but how the feck are Southampton in 2nd with 22 pts? That's amazing considering they lost so many key players and their manager. Scored 21 goals and only let in 5. Anyone seen a lot of Southampton this season? Never thought much of Koeman as a manager, but he's obviously onto something.

They were in a similar position last year at this time. They'll fall away once they've played the bigger teams. They've lost to the two they've played so far.

 

[Trizy]

We're 4 points off 4th place and we've already played the only two teams that are better than us IMO (Chelsea and City). The 3rd and 4th spot is wide open but I'm not buying the whole ''we're lucky everyone else has being poor'', with the money in the premier league its just got even more competitive. We'll make top 3.

 

[togg]

Well...we certainly need to start winning games away from home that is for sure.