[Season 14/15] The race for fourth

[Sandikan]

it's always sh!t losing at home, but we should probably remember this isn't just any old mob, it's a team on a dreamworld season, who have now gone into 3rd themselves.

Obviously need to hit back immediately over the next few games, but all is not lost just yet.

We're still in the top 4! And we're still ahead of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool.

I'd much prefer to be in our position.

 

[thegregster]

8 ahead of Liverpool? You'd better sit down dear.

Once you avoid teams like Leicester City you have a good chance of catching us.

 

[OneUnited24]

Asnl have City and Tottenham in their next 5 games. Liverpool have Everton and Tottenham to come up in the same time. Tottenham have Asnl and Liverpool along with trips in europe and the league cup.

Our run on paper in the next 5 looks more favourable. If we win those we should be in a good position

 

[Silverman]

Time to hope everyone arounds us drops points every game they play

 

[Silverman]

Asnl have City and Tottenham in their next 5 games. Liverpool have Everton and Tottenham to come up in the same time. Tottenham have Asnl and Liverpool along with trips in europe and the league cup.

Our run on paper in the next 5 looks more favourable. If we win those we should be in a good position

That's what makes this result so awful. How great a position would we have been.

 

[Sarni]

With 55% of the league season now gone, you have 2 less points than you did last season following the same/equivalent fixtures.

I've said before that the same/equivalent fixtures is as good a predictive guide as any alternative predictive measure. You'll have to step it up by a fair margin if you want to entertain serious hopes of top 4. And to be fair, so will Spurs, who, by the same yardstick, are doing exactly the same (no better) as last season .

You are such a nonsense poster. How do we have to up our game when we already are in top 4? If we keep performing around the same level as we have so far we will be in top 4 easily because neither Arsenal nor Liverpool are going to match their last season's tally. Reading your blabbering one would think we are seriously off pace. I mean, we need to 'step up by a fair margin to even have chance - what sort of shite is that?

If we go downhill from here we might drop out of top 4. If we keep getting points at similar pace we will be in top 4. But given the accuracy of your predictions (you had us 'effectively 10 pts behind Soton') I am calm.

Unless you believe Liverpool and Arsenal will match their last season tally your post makes no sense at all.

 

[Barney]

Asnl have City and Tottenham in their next 5 games. Liverpool have Everton and Tottenham to come up in the same time. Tottenham have Asnl and Liverpool along with trips in europe and the league cup.

Our run on paper in the next 5 looks more favourable. If we win those we should be in a good position

We've beat Spurs by a total score of 12-0 in our last three matches against them. This should be a piece of piss.

 

[PickledRed]

Today's result actually sees Liverpool further off top 4.

I think Arsenal will have their usual surge and possibly get 3rd. 4th is open.

 

[OneUnited24]

Today's result actually sees Liverpool further off top 4.

I think Arsenal will have their usual surge and possibly get 3rd. 4th is open.

But they are still due their seasonal feb/march collapse

 

[thegregster]

With 55% of the league season now gone, you have 2 less points than you did last season following the same/equivalent fixtures.

I've said before that the same/equivalent fixtures is as good a predictive guide as any alternative predictive measure. You'll have to step it up by a fair margin if you want to entertain serious hopes of top 4. And to be fair, so will Spurs, who, by the same yardstick, are doing exactly the same (no better) as last season .

Its all relative. A team wont need 79 points to reach 4th like last season.

Last season we were 4 points behind 4th after 22 games. This season we are 4th.

 

[VanGaalEra]

You do, but that's not what Glaston said. He said from the equivalent fixtures (ie. you have three points from Southampton home and away this year, you had x amount last year).

Oh the story time table thingy?

 

[Sandikan]

We've beat Spurs by a total score of 12-0 in our last three matches against them. This should be a piece of piss.

It will be if you have the same players who featured in those games...

oh...

 

[Dumbstar]

One look at Arsenal's squad shows how much they are still under performing. They may well have their bottlejob in Feb/Mar but I stand by my prediction from October (and what Pickled says) Arsenal are a shoe-in guarantee for 3rd. Utd have had some seriously lucky results to get to 4th (Stoke, Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool all in a row) which has skewed some fans' views on their current position. I can see today a lot of the same fans are beginning to get back in touch with reality.

Luck gets you so far in a short space of time. But its your manager, players (i.e. prevention of injuries) and most importantly team formation/gelling that sees the job through.

 

[Barney]

It will be if you have the same players who featured in those games...

oh...

We still will have the same players that beat them 3-0 at their place so I'm not sure what you mean!

 

[Sandikan]

One look at Arsenal's squad shows how much they are still under performing. They may well have their bottlejob in Feb/Mar but I stand by my prediction from October (and what Pickled says) Arsenal are a shoe-in guarantee for 3rd. Utd have had some seriously lucky results to get to 4th (Stoke, Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool all in a row) which has skewed some fans' views on their current position. I can see today a lot of the same fans' are beginning to get back in touch with reality.

Luck gets you so far in a short space of time. But its your manager, players (i.e. prevention of injuries) and most importantly team formation/gelling that sees the job through.

I certainly think we're a fair way off where we need to be, but you lot are even further away.

Arsenal will not fall out of the top 4, so it's competing with Southamton for that last place, unless Spurs or Liverpool put a good run together. History tells us Spurs have come top 4 once in living memory, whereas Liverpool are a shadow of last year

 

[Dumbstar]

I certainly think we're a fair way off where we need to be, but you lot are even further away.

Arsenal will not fall out of the top 4, so it's competing with Southamton for that last place, unless Spurs or Liverpool put a good run together. History tells us Spurs have come top 4 once in living memory, whereas Liverpool are a shadow of last year

But are you asking yourself if Spurs and Liverpool are doing enough to redress the balance in the second half of the season? Spurs and us fans are definitely asking if Utd have what it takes to finish 4th and player wise you do. But its the manager who, as we predicted in the summer, then September, then December, that will force a 'philosophy' on you that will come together too late for this season. Rodgers did the same in his first season. And maybe Pochettino is doing this season.

Just saying 'it was all Suarez, innit' is naive and funny. Not that we mind, the less pressure on us the better.

 

[luckyspurs]

You are such a nonsense poster. How do we have to up our game when we already are in top 4? If we keep performing around the same level as we have so far we will be in top 4 easily because neither Arsenal nor Liverpool are going to match their last season's tally. Reading your blabbering one would think we are seriously off pace. I mean, we need to 'step up by a fair margin to even have chance - what sort of shite is that?

If we go downhill from here we might drop out of top 4. If we keep getting points at similar pace we will be in top 4. But given the accuracy of your predictions (you had us 'effectively 10 pts behind Soton') I am calm.

Unless you believe Liverpool and Arsenal will match their last season tally your post makes no sense at all.

Most teams get better second half of the season and this has been an uncommonly low scoring first half of the season for most of the bigger teams.

If you continue you're current rate every team down to Liverpool could finish above you if they scored 2 points a game for the rest of the season.

 

[Sandikan]

But are you asking yourself if Spurs and Liverpool are doing enough to redress the balance in the second half of the season? Spurs and us fans are definitely asking if Utd have what it takes to finish 4th and player wise you do. But its the manager who, as we predicted in the summer, then September, then December, that will force a 'philosophy' on you that will come together too late for this season. Rodgers did the same in his first season. And maybe Pochettino is doing this season.

Just saying 'it was all Suarez, innit' is naive and funny. Not that we mind, the less pressure on us the better.

Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling was a colossal impact last year. You haven't had any of the three in the same way this year.
It was only a couple of games ago you were failing to beat Leicester at home, despite some generous penola decisions.
Sunderland are normally hard to beat at their place, but doesn't help when they go down to 10 so early.

So worrying about you lot is on hold for a while.

What we will have to suck up, is some awful football, and falling over the line with results rather than performances.

 

[Sandikan]

Most teams get better second half of the season and this has been an uncommonly low scoring first half of the season for most of the bigger teams.

If you continue you're current rate every team down to Liverpool could finish above you if they scored 2 points a game for the rest of the season.

hang on, current rate? We've lost for the first time in ages.

 

[thegregster]

But are you asking yourself if Spurs and Liverpool are doing enough to redress the balance in the second half of the season? Spurs and us fans are definitely asking if Utd have what it takes to finish 4th and player wise you do. But its the manager who, as we predicted in the summer, then September, then December, that will force a 'philosophy' on you that will come together too late for this season. Rodgers did the same in his first season. And maybe Pochettino is doing this season.

Just saying 'it was all Suarez, innit' is naive and funny. Not that we mind, the less pressure on us the better.

A few days back you were certain that Rodgers would be gone by seasons end. Now you are back on for 4th. You are so reactionary to a single result its unreal.

 

[Dumbstar]

Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling was a colossal impact last year. You haven't had any of the three in the same way this year.
It was only a couple of games ago you were failing to beat Leicester at home, despite some generous penola decisions.
Sunderland are normally hard to beat at their place, but doesn't help when they go down to 10 so early.

So worrying about you lot is on hold for a while.

What we will have to suck up, is some awful football, and falling over the line with results rather than performances.

We dropped, yes dropped, Gerrard for the Swansea match and cruised past them like they weren't there. That included 30m rated Bony. Next match Gerrard forces his way back in and we play God awful football against Leicester. Rodgers tells Gerrard his time is up and Gerrard pastes his departure notice all over the media because he wants to play every week.

Those two points dropped against Leicester might be the best turning point we've ever had because Gerrard won't feature much in DM for the rest of the season (hopefully). More than Suarez and Sturridge, Gerrard has been our problem this season but not many people have noticed - certainly not Liverpool fans. This issue has finally been redressed (again hoping it has been) and results will hopefully show this (as it did against Swansea and then Sunderland - Gerrard only playing 45 mins in total).

 

[Dumbstar]

A few days back you were certain that Rodgers would be gone by seasons end. Now you are back on for 4th. You are so reactionary to a single result its unreal.

Have you checked my location? I can't explain everything in headlines specially for you. If you can't be bothered to read why I said that then fine. As for fourth, are you saying we definitely have no chance? 'Cos I don't think I did.

 

[Barney]

Gerrard has been our problem this season but not many people have noticed - certainly not Liverpool fans.

Have to stop you here. Gerrard has taken a ridiculous amount of stick off of Liverpool supporters this season and even last season.

 

[Dumbstar]

Have to stop you here. Gerrard has taken a ridiculous amount of stick off of Liverpool supporters this season and even last season.

I rest my case your honour.

 

[thegregster]

Have you checked my location? I can't explain everything in headlines specially for you. If you can't be bothered to read why I said that then fine. As for fourth, are you saying we definitely have no chance? 'Cos I don't think I did.

No realistic chance with your defense.

From another thread.

In the summer though so it's no good for us. Rodgers will be fired too by then ironically when he could have been Gerrard independent.

Now surely if you thought Rodgers would be gone by the summer you must have thought you had no chance of 4th?

 

[Dumbstar]

No realistic chance with your defense.

From another thread.



Now surely if you thought Rodgers would be gone by the summer you must have thought you had no chance of 4th?

And why did I say that? I posted it a hundred times. I'll let you dig up a bit more so this time you know exactly why I said he'd be fired.

 

[royboy16]

One look at Arsenal's squad shows how much they are still under performing. They may well have their bottlejob in Feb/Mar but I stand by my prediction from October (and what Pickled says) Arsenal are a shoe-in guarantee for 3rd. Utd have had some seriously lucky results to get to 4th (Stoke, Arsenal, Southampton and Liverpool all in a row) which has skewed some fans' views on their current position. I can see today a lot of the same fans are beginning to get back in touch with reality.

Luck gets you so far in a short space of time. But its your manager, players (i.e. prevention of injuries) and most importantly team formation/gelling that sees the job through.

I think so too,Wenger's record in getting his teams into the top 4 is not to be ignored.
Were stumbling at the mo and I think we will be battling for 4th with liverpool come the end of the season for 4th.

 

[Sarni]

Most teams get better second half of the season and this has been an uncommonly low scoring first half of the season for most of the bigger teams.

If you continue you're current rate every team down to Liverpool could finish above you if they scored 2 points a game for the rest of the season.

I don't think we are certain for top 4 anymore but if we get around 70 point, which is well probable, we should make it. We definitely do not need to improve drastically to even dream about top 4, this is nonsense.

 

[Jed I. Knight]

Most teams get better second half of the season and this has been an uncommonly low scoring first half of the season for most of the bigger teams.

If you continue you're current rate every team down to Liverpool could finish above you if they scored 2 points a game for the rest of the season.

That's quite literally impossible.

I know what you mean, just pulling your leg!

 

[relx]

I reckon getting at least 38 points out of the remaining 17 games (51 points) should be enough for 4th...

 

[Hed Zitin]

We are scrapping and scraping for this. Are we honestly top four when you looks at games against Villa, Stoke, Saints and QPR?

 

[The Azzurri]

Let's hope Arsenal lose later tonight.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

Lads, we've never been in a race for 4th before... I know it's kinda depressing but I am excited! One of my best mates is an arsenal fan and the race for 4th seems so compelling every year

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I still think we'll finish 3rd. Arsenal 4th.

 

[Ixion]

Did not expect Arsenal to win today

 

[justboy68]

We're top 4 despite having a shaky start and struggling to adapt to a silly 3-5-2 system with players out of position. When LVG gives up on his experiment and reverts to a 4 man defence (which we actually have looked quite good with) and puts players in the correct position, all will be hunky dory. We also have Spurs and Arsenal both at home. Finally the last time we had a 'nightmare' run of fixtures we actually did pretty well and got a better points tally than in our easy run of fixtures at the start. So there you go guys, an injection of positivity.

 

[The Azzurri]

Wow. Who would have expect Arsenal to beat City at The Ethihad? The race for forth just got a bit harder. Arsenal will use this as a spring board to future matches. No room for errors now.

 

[ScarleyUtd]

Lads, we've never been in a race for 4th before... I know it's kinda depressing but I am excited! One of my best mates is an arsenal fan and the race for 4th seems so compelling every year

It's the way it goes isn't it. I'm enjoying this season too bizarrely. But it goes to show what the Champions League has done to the league.

 

[rooney2009]

its going to be tough finishing in the top 4.Arsenal always do and Liverpool and Spurs are starting to hit top form. i think its going to be 1 from Manutd.Saints,Spurs and Liverpol for 4th position.

 

[The Azzurri]

Tottenham, arsenal, Southampton and us are fighting for that remaining 2 CL placing.... Liverpool are too off the pace I think