You guys seem to have tough games littered across the last 10-11 games or so, against good top half teams, but as do we and Liverpool. It's going to be difficult for either Liverpool or us to catch you because we have our own tough run-in to navigate and you have that 6-8 point gap that allows you a few more iffy results without being overtaken.
Top 4 race / race abandoned (or maybe not) / Leicester & Chelsea in the process of bottling it
- Thread starter Andycoleno9
- Start date
Apart from that one freak season with Mourinho where our results far exceeded the quality of our performances, we've been a remarkably consistent team since Fergie's retirement. Between 64 and 70 points each and every season and this one is shaping up to be no different. We've spent over €1b to... keep treading water in the Premier League.
If we get 70 points this season, then Ole's two full seasons will have exactly matched Van Gaal's two league campaigns.
We need to get 4 points before the international break to get the train back on the track.
Plus if you two suddenly do overtake us theres still 1 spot left. Its a different story if Leicester wasnt in freefall.
The reason I think we wil get through is exhaustion. Theres a lot of sides now approaching nothing to play for mode and wont put in the effort. Its why Citys record could get ridculous if they arent stopped shortly.
What is classed as a tough game and what is classed as a easy game?
No such thing this season.
Yeah I think it would be pretty disastrous turn of events if United were to lose out on top from the position you were in a few weeks ago. I don't have you guys certified in the top 4 just yet but I'd rather be in your shoes at the moment than Chelsea's or Liverpool's.
Strong top 10 teams. There are tough games every week, but the degree of difficulty varies.
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Points don't mean shit. League position is everything. Winning the league with 80 points is more impressive than finishing second with 100 points.
Ole could be the first manager in the post Fergie era to make top 4 twice in a row. If he gets a cup trophy on top of this then he's unquestionably the best manager in this era.
We've piled more pressure on ourselves needlessly. We're now drawn into the top 4 race. The Derby is a huge opportunity to create some daylight again but we haven't a chance if we play anywhere close to that shite last night. City on the other hand are flying.
"form goes out the window"... I hope it does!!!
"form goes out the window"... I hope it does!!!
Job still needs to be done and if we miss out on top 4 in an ideal world we would need to sack and sell everyone!
But apart from City the other teams including us look either out of form or completely exhausted, especially those still in several competitions. We will lose points and the gap (to the teams below us) will probably reduce after our game on Sunday. But other teams will lose points as well throughout the season, so I am not worried (yet).
For once I am also happy with the international break coming up, will hopefully give players (especially those not on international duty) some break.
But apart from City the other teams including us look either out of form or completely exhausted, especially those still in several competitions. We will lose points and the gap (to the teams below us) will probably reduce after our game on Sunday. But other teams will lose points as well throughout the season, so I am not worried (yet).
For once I am also happy with the international break coming up, will hopefully give players (especially those not on international duty) some break.
I always found this a bit short-sighted. Certain positions on the table tend to have certain "points ranges". Huge outliers, like our 3rd place finish with 66 points last season, are incredibly rare. Therefore, points totals are a reasonably good indicator of a team's overall level. A team that finishes third with 66 points needs absolutely massive improvement to become a title contender. A team finishing third with 85 points is quite close already. So no, league position certainly isn't everything. And while comparing points totals across very different eras is indeed meaningless, 2015/16 really wasn't that long ago. Football and the Premier League hasn't changed drastically since then.
Also, there's only so much you can do to influence the performance of other teams and league position is very much dependent on that. Thankfully, this past couple of seasons most rivals have been even worse than we are (and we're also quite clinical and have a handy habit of overperforming our xG). But in terms of points, performances, quality of football, we're still just a top 4 contender, nowhere near a title challenge. Nothing has really changed since the days of Moyes.
apologies, I missed 13/14 off, I started at 14/15 as I did it manually as didn't realise you could do it like that on transfermrk
I agree that we haven't been a title challenger(that is a different topic, imo) since Fergie. To be a title challenger you have to have a mathematical chance of winning the title up until round 35 at least.
But top 4 is top 4, whether you get 65 points or 75 points. You could very much argue that the weak teams are stronger than usual in seasons were 65 points is enough to get top 4. That is why it's pointless to look at points in isolation(no pun intended). You need to be better than your opponents, and that's that.
West Ham in Champs league place under Moyes with Lingard scoring for fun, who’d have thunk it?
Liverpools done here, the spark is gone.
If its not us, Chelsea and Spurs then somethings wrong.
If its not us, Chelsea and Spurs then somethings wrong.
Last 5 games form guide:
Don't write Pool off, I think after this they have only one more game all season against another top 6 team. We have 4.
Theyll losing their 5th home game in a row. Theyre losing against everybody. Will we be shocked if Fulham play through them at the weekend? They have Wolves and Arsenal away after that. Leeds and United away as well.
Theyre plummeting down the league
I see no reason to rule Leicester off.
I expect it to be United - Chelsea - Leicester.
Liverpool 5th and Spurs 6th.
The injuries are too much for Leicester imo. Maddisons constant hip problems seems to be chronic at this stage
I think they can make it through considering the form of the teams below them isn't that great either. They have been shitting the bed for a long time now and still 3rd one point away from 2nd and 3 points ahead of 4th.
Spurs will probably need a good long winning run to make it and I don't see it in them.
I guess we will see. By that same logic (last five home games) we will finish on 67 points which will be tight!
Chelsea have a nasty last 4 or 5 games but after their next match against Everton they have some very winnable fixtures coming up. Providing the goals don't dry up I really think they will get top 4.
Top 4 race is squeaky bum time now especially for United whom are trying to find a spark from somewhere.
Second reply to this but Ive just seen their fixtures and holy shit its a savage run.
Its Utd, City, West Ham away, Chelsea and Spurs.
What we saying....two more weeks and we are out of the top 4? Unless we go on a run (which looks unlikely seen as we can’t even get enough shots away on goal) then the chasing pack all have momentum.
I reckon even Liverpool will finish above us this season.
6th or 7th and I don’t think anyone would be surprised either.
I reckon even Liverpool will finish above us this season.
6th or 7th and I don’t think anyone would be surprised either.
Liverpool will win their last 4 imo and the one before that is us away which could go either way. I wouldn’t be ruling them out at all. Leicester have a hard run-in...I think they’ll miss out with their injuries. The Brighton game for them this weekend is massive.
Liverpool have lost FIVE home games on the spin and are eight points behind us with a vastly inferior goal difference. Give your head a wobble
A set of bad results for us. We are well and truly in the dogfight tor Top 4.
Recently I guessed that United, Liverpool, and Spurs would accompany City.
But the fight is really confusing and exciting.
It seems that anything can happen.
It will be hard and unpredictable until the end.
It will be good to see.
But the fight is really confusing and exciting.
It seems that anything can happen.
It will be hard and unpredictable until the end.
It will be good to see.
Whoever gets 70 points will make it, perhaps a point or two less.
Man. United made a mess of last 6 weeks generally but I'd still be surprised if you missed out. Chelsea sacked Lampard at exactly the right time as they'd have dropped many more points in last few weeks, in a very good position now.
Keep on thinking West Ham will drop off but them and Everton have got really good chances to make top 4 as can see same happening to Leicester as 12 months ago with their injuries.
Man. United made a mess of last 6 weeks generally but I'd still be surprised if you missed out. Chelsea sacked Lampard at exactly the right time as they'd have dropped many more points in last few weeks, in a very good position now.
Keep on thinking West Ham will drop off but them and Everton have got really good chances to make top 4 as can see same happening to Leicester as 12 months ago with their injuries.
Everton and Chelsea had a good day yesterday. They are really in fighting for it.
If Everton can beat Chelsea then they have a solid position for sure.
If Everton can beat Chelsea then they have a solid position for sure.
Pleased someone has mentioned this, listening to Dippers spout off and some in the media you’d think they were the only club ever to have players out injured......
If I was a betting man... which I am not haha...I think United and Chelsea will get top four. As for the final place I haven't got a clue.
We've got 1 win in our last 5, everyone else in the top 10 has at least 2 wins, some of those teams also have games in hand over us. We're in trouble.
We and Chelsea will make it. Everyone else is crap. But out of that crap Liverpool will probably get their shit somewhat together and make it as well. Rather rubbish 2nd to 4th place teams this year.
I think we're in a dog fight for top 4, and it's 50/50 whether we end up with a champion's league spot at the end.
7 from 15 is abysmal. Same amount of points from our first 5 of the season and we managed to climb to where we are now. It's baffling how much concentration and mental strength our players lack at times.
For sure we are in the fight for the top four! and this could go either way.
But our position is better than the rest, with only Chelsea looking as a better team at the moment. (Not counting City).
Scoring is a problem but I would be surprise if our strikers don't start scoring for "fun" again. A entire year without a good run by the three strikers just feels wrong.
But... yes, with our team there's always a but.
If the backproblems Rashford struggling with, gets worse, and Cavani keeps on missing half our games. Then we need to trust James ( I kind of never trust him), Martial (whom I love, but struggle to trust right now), and our youngster whom I believe is the one attacker thats been playing the best, but just not been scoring.
Small margins, but I do have faith.
Ole always talks about the small margins and how they impact the results. And he is right, but only because we always are balancing on the fine line of success ore failure. Unfortunately I have that feeling in every game, and even in allot of the things that happens in a game, both attacking and in the defense. (Even the refs lately).
Let's hope the margins fall in our favor and our strikers starts to play the game as a unit. Then we should be ok, or even in the top of the rest with margins.
Let's start with a win on sunday! If we successfully get the three points, I really don't care how we do it! I even celebrate it in a cocky way if its a win because of a wrongly VAR decision.
But our position is better than the rest, with only Chelsea looking as a better team at the moment. (Not counting City).
Scoring is a problem but I would be surprise if our strikers don't start scoring for "fun" again. A entire year without a good run by the three strikers just feels wrong.
But... yes, with our team there's always a but.
If the backproblems Rashford struggling with, gets worse, and Cavani keeps on missing half our games. Then we need to trust James ( I kind of never trust him), Martial (whom I love, but struggle to trust right now), and our youngster whom I believe is the one attacker thats been playing the best, but just not been scoring.
Small margins, but I do have faith.
Ole always talks about the small margins and how they impact the results. And he is right, but only because we always are balancing on the fine line of success ore failure. Unfortunately I have that feeling in every game, and even in allot of the things that happens in a game, both attacking and in the defense. (Even the refs lately).
Let's hope the margins fall in our favor and our strikers starts to play the game as a unit. Then we should be ok, or even in the top of the rest with margins.
Let's start with a win on sunday! If we successfully get the three points, I really don't care how we do it! I even celebrate it in a cocky way if its a win because of a wrongly VAR decision.
It keeps getting tighter at the top (below City).
If we lose tomorrow, Chelsea beat Everton and everybody then wins their games in hand, it could be this after 28 games:
2. Leicester 53 PTS
3. Man Utd. 51 PTS
4. West Ham 51 PTS
5. Chelsea 50 PTS
6. Everton. 49 PTS
7. Tottenham 48 PTS
(so we better beat West Ham!)
If we lose tomorrow, Chelsea beat Everton and everybody then wins their games in hand, it could be this after 28 games
:2. Leicester 53 PTS
3. Man Utd. 51 PTS
4. West Ham 51 PTS
5. Chelsea 50 PTS
6. Everton. 49 PTS
7. Tottenham 48 PTS
(so we better beat West Ham!)