We dint have a deep and balanced squad last year and played an unbalanced midfeild in all 4 games unlike we do this year, We dont give enough chances away we dominate midfeild defensively . Only thing is we have to score which can be a problem at times if you dont play well but still we can score atleast 1 goal to take 3 points with these attacking talents.
The next four games...
- Thread starter Irrational.
- Start date
If we have to win the title , and atleast chalenge for it you have to take one game at a time with full focus and take all 12 points out it. Inconsistancy lets you no where.
But the question is what would be 'acceptable'. I disagree with you that anything less than four wins is unacceptable.
Saying that I agree expectations are too low. Watford may not be a stroll as such but we should win it. We should beat Bournemouth. Arsenal away is tricky but we should win. City I wouldn't be surprised if we draw to be honest.
Therefore I would say eight points is the absolute bare minimum, below which serious questions are asked about our direction this season, with ten being satisfactory. I think 12 from that run, regardless of performance level, would be a brilliant return rather than merely acceptable.
You are in for a nice surprize tonight if you think that. Will be far from easy.
Probably this. Some posters are naive if they expect us to just brush aside Watford, in Watford. Have they not seen us all season away from home?
You are in for a shock. We will not win all four games.
I think 10 points should be a minimum if we plan on staying in title race, a draw with Arsenal and a must win vs City
Needs to be maximum points until City, any dropped points before then would just make the game redundant in terms of winning the league.
Taking the league and current situation out of the equation and 8-10 points would be great from those fixtures.
Taking the league and current situation out of the equation and 8-10 points would be great from those fixtures.
Nither will man city.
Realistically I think we should call 6 'Par' - anything lower than that is poor and anything better is good
That's based on;
Watford (A) - Draw
Arsenal (A) - Draw
City (H) - Draw
Bournemouth (H) - Win
Problem is City are such a good side at the moment that they are creating immense pressure and unrealistic expectation
That's based on;
Watford (A) - Draw
Arsenal (A) - Draw
City (H) - Draw
Bournemouth (H) - Win
Problem is City are such a good side at the moment that they are creating immense pressure and unrealistic expectation
I don't understand
People have no emotional control over here.
Think we'll get 4 from our next 3 and then beat Bournemouth. So 7 of 12. Anything more a bit of a bonus.
Think we'll beat Watford, lose to Arse, draw to City, beat Bournemouth.
Think we'll beat Watford, lose to Arse, draw to City, beat Bournemouth.
I predict us getting 8 points from those matches.
I like this. With Jones and Bailly back, 10 points is doable. Let's go for it starting tonight.
3 wins and a draw against City.
Trying to chase the title down in November is a mistake; the idea is to maintain good form so when City lose or draw a few games we can be on their tail in March/April.
City will also have a tough game against Spurs after us, so its not as if they can bounce back to an easy win afterwards.
Trying to chase the title down in November is a mistake; the idea is to maintain good form so when City lose or draw a few games we can be on their tail in March/April.
City will also have a tough game against Spurs after us, so its not as if they can bounce back to an easy win afterwards.
We most probably won't. We just have to hope City don't as well, but I don't think losing any of those games can be deemed acceptable though, if the aspiration is to challenge for the title, given the gap that has already opened up.
Abything less than a win againts City will be the end of our title hopes. A point is not enough.
We need 12 from 12. Time for Morinhuo to win a big game away from home(againts Arsenal), and we must win every home game including City consuderung the major gap between us and them
PessimismCafe.net
You'd think we're fighting for survival reading some threads on here.
You'd think we're fighting for survival reading some threads on here.
I don't know why i wrote 11 points when i meant "9 points and a defeat against them", anyway, a draw wouldn't kill our chances, a defeat would. but if we want to open up the title race again, we have to win.
I'm pretty confident that we'll get the 3 points againt them. it would be like stopping Arsene's invincible.
Yeah, that's the mood around here this year.
Let's get the watford game out of the way, there's no reason we shouldn't win against them tonight. we'll see about the other games afterwards.
Can see us getting 7 points. Ugly win against Arsenal away, draw with City and win against Bournemouth.
So true. People just love writing us off as fashion.
Hmmm... In a title winning season we would want to win the City and Watford games. Which would give us 10 points. No title winning season ever goes to plan, though. So dropped points in one or other of those games would be fine (i.e. 8 points) Less than that and we're falling further and further away from what we need to win the title. Which is, obviously, still not a total disaster but disappointing all the same.
Who cares about the corresponding fixtures from last season. It has no bearing whatsoever on this season, it does not indicate improvement or regression since the level of teams change including their form and overall quality, nor does it impact any of the targets we may have this season. If our aim is to compete for the title, then 10 pts is the absolute minimum return we need out of these 4 games, unless of coure City drop points. If our aim is a top 4 finish, then we can get away with even 5 pts as Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal are all struggling.
id be happy with 8
I think we should expect 8-10 points from the four fixtures. Would be great if we could get all 12, just to stop all the negativity on the forum.
To the posters who 'expect' 12 points and find anything else unacceptable, you are in for a rude shock. We are not there as a team in the evolution cycle. Even a title winning side will get max. 10 points 9 times out of 10 from these fixtures.
To the posters who 'expect' 12 points and find anything else unacceptable, you are in for a rude shock. We are not there as a team in the evolution cycle. Even a title winning side will get max. 10 points 9 times out of 10 from these fixtures.
Yep, decent return on these 4 games.
Most comments in this thread are surprisingly negative, but this one tops the lot.
Could you be any more negative?
Some on here saying we need 4 wins, and that's bang right.
We are already too far behind, we need to win these 4 games, yes some will be tougher than others, but all are winnable. City game is a must win!
Come on. Its one of my most anticipated games. Licking my lips, I am.
Think you've mistaken negativity for realism. Our performances haven't been up to standards the past few weeks and frailties have crept into our defensive side of things.
Watford are coming off the back of beating Newcastle 3-0 away, a hard place to go to as Liverpool found out. They'll raise their game even more as we're in town, a great scalp for them to take this season, they like Brighton are a well drilled side under a great young manager.
Arsenal away at the Emirates, no matter what form they're in are a hard place to go to as well and our previous form isn't fantastic there either. Jose won't want to lose to Wenger even if it means a bore draw.
City at home, need I say more. They've passed every test thrown at them thus far. A must win game suggests if we lose we've nothing else to play for, more negative on your part than mine.
Bournemouth at home, they'll show the resilience that Brighton showed and park the bus and hit us on the counter but you'd expect us to have enough to get past them.
I think we will take 5.
D,d,l,w
D,d,l,w
This is the most realistic scenario. I have no confidence in the team when we play away against the top 6 but at home we are real force to be reckoned with and that's why we'll beat City.
The good thing is it's crunch time. Every game we play is make or break in terms of our title challenge, so it'll be a real test of character for this group of players.
Unfortunately I think our title aspirations will crumble here, as I've not seen enough from Mourinho's group to suggest that we'll rise to the challenge. In fact, I sort of expect us to lose points against Watford tonight.
To answer the question though, nothing less than 10 points is acceptable. Or, put another way, if we come out of the derby more than eight points behind City, we're underperforming.
Unfortunately I think our title aspirations will crumble here, as I've not seen enough from Mourinho's group to suggest that we'll rise to the challenge. In fact, I sort of expect us to lose points against Watford tonight.
To answer the question though, nothing less than 10 points is acceptable. Or, put another way, if we come out of the derby more than eight points behind City, we're underperforming.
10 points is acceptable with a draw at Arsenal. 8 is borderline tolerable depending on whether City drop points elsewhere.
Mourinho has never won at the Emirates.
8 points out of 12 would be a good return.
Sometimes you have to look at the fixtures for what they are and not based on how many points we need to catch up.
Sometimes you have to look at the fixtures for what they are and not based on how many points we need to catch up.
We will beat Arsenal and City.
Do that and we blow the title race wide open.
I understand the logic of your comments and agree with most, but to accept that we wont win all 4 is negative.
We are good enough to win all 4, and have to believe that we will.
First test passed, we dispatched Watford with ease.