Things have certainly caught up with West Ham recently.
They did well to get away with Antonio and Rice out. But Cresswell out as well has proven to be a step too far.
Top 4 race / race abandoned (or maybe not) / Leicester & Chelsea in the process of bottling it
- Thread starter Andycoleno9
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
They did well to get away with Antonio and Rice out. But Cresswell out as well has proven to be a step too far.
Antonio always seems to be a massive pain in the arse to play against. He's been their biggest loss I reckon.
I don't know, their run in is:
Fulham (Fulham's cup final)
City
Arsenal
Leicester
Villa (historically their bogey ground; think they went something like 10 years without winning their before Villa got relegated.)
Personally, I see them beating Fulham and Villa but the other games are tough and they will need a minimum of two wins from them with the fixtures of the others. There task is also harder as they have a CL Semi and a FA Cup final to fit in as well.
Leicester 67
Chelsea 66
Liverpool 66
West Ham 66
Spurs 64
Everton 61
3-6 separated by one point according to my predictions - very tight!
Chelsea 66
Liverpool 66
West Ham 66
Spurs 64
Everton 61
3-6 separated by one point according to my predictions - very tight!
A nice win tomorrow, then I want Lawro to say Liverpool can still get second.. my weekend would be complete
Also a case of classic Moyes, will overachieve under the radar but as soon as the attention and expectations are on his team he crumbles.
Villa being a bogey ground was a 00s thing. Our record there since 2010 reads W5 D1 L1.
Fairs. I knew it had improved but not to that extent.
Chelsea 3 points clear of 5th
CAF: its over
Man Utd 11 points clear of 5th
CAF: still need a few more wins
Predictions!
West Ham: 68 points.
Burnley Win.
Everton Draw.
Brighton Win.
West Brom Win.
Southampton Win.
Chelsea: 68 points.
Fulham Win.
Man City Lose.
Arsenal Win.
Leicester Draw.
Villa Win.
Liverpool: 69 points.
United Win. (We'll have one eye on Roma and it's their final chance at top 4)
Southampton Win.
West Brom Win.
Burnley Win.
Palace Win.
Leicester: 70 points.
Palace Win.
Southampton Win.
Newcastle Win.
United Draw.
Chelsea Draw.
Spurs Lose.
Top 4:
City
United
Leicester
Liverpool
West Ham: 68 points.
Burnley Win.
Everton Draw.
Brighton Win.
West Brom Win.
Southampton Win.
Chelsea: 68 points.
Fulham Win.
Man City Lose.
Arsenal Win.
Leicester Draw.
Villa Win.
Liverpool: 69 points.
United Win. (We'll have one eye on Roma and it's their final chance at top 4)
Southampton Win.
West Brom Win.
Burnley Win.
Palace Win.
Leicester: 70 points.
Palace Win.
Southampton Win.
Newcastle Win.
United Draw.
Chelsea Draw.
Spurs Lose.
Top 4:
City
United
Leicester
Liverpool
There is a 0 percent chance Liverpool win every game until the end of the season.
I'd say more like 5%
I presume its a jinx attempt, its utterly illogical to suggest they'll win every game.
I'm still worried that we might blow it for a reason I will never understand.Chelsea 3 points clear of 5th
CAF: its over
Man Utd 11 points clear of 5th
CAF: still need a few more wins
If we beat them next week, we could put them 7 points behind Chelsea with 4 games left. They wouldn’t overcome that.
Very good pointChelsea 3 points clear of 5th
CAF: its over
Man Utd 11 points clear of 5th
CAF: still need a few more wins
This, fans are still predicting the liverpool games as if it's the liverpool of last season's form rather the liverpool of this season where they have struggled to put together 2 wins in a row ever since around november time.
Leicester have Palace (H), Southampton (A) and Newcastle (H) in their next 3 games, before a difficult run in their next 3 games. If they win their next 3 easier fixtures and we beat Pool next week (even if it’s a draw, but we need to win because it’s Pool), then the top 4 race is over. Chelsea probably goes without saying considering their defensive record. They’ll probably beat Fulham (H), Arsenal (H), Villa (A) and if Leicester have top 4 sown up by the time they play (GW37), then they’ll beat them too.
I will give Everton a shout though. They were winless in 5 games before the Arsenal game, but that sort of away win can provide a powerful springboard for the rest of the season. They’re 6 points behind, but they have a game in hand and a decent run in, including games against Villa (home and away), an out of form West Ham, Sheff Utd and Wolves before playing City. They’re key players are all fit again, and at the start of the season when they could field their strongest team every game, they collected 13 points from their first 5 games. I see them winning 4 of those 6 games, and if Chelsea slip up a few times, it becomes Everton’s to lose if they themselves live up to expectations.
West Ham are worthy of a mention having been in the top 4 for so long, but with 3 key players in Cresswell, Rice and Antonio injured, I see them falling off and finishing as low as 8th. Spurs have an easy run in, but also an absolute novice of a manager. I see them finishing 7th, with Kane leaving after somehow still finishing as PL top scorer.
For me, it’ll be:
3) Chelsea
4) Leicester
5) Everton
6) Pool
7) Spurs
8) West Ham
I will give Everton a shout though. They were winless in 5 games before the Arsenal game, but that sort of away win can provide a powerful springboard for the rest of the season. They’re 6 points behind, but they have a game in hand and a decent run in, including games against Villa (home and away), an out of form West Ham, Sheff Utd and Wolves before playing City. They’re key players are all fit again, and at the start of the season when they could field their strongest team every game, they collected 13 points from their first 5 games. I see them winning 4 of those 6 games, and if Chelsea slip up a few times, it becomes Everton’s to lose if they themselves live up to expectations.
West Ham are worthy of a mention having been in the top 4 for so long, but with 3 key players in Cresswell, Rice and Antonio injured, I see them falling off and finishing as low as 8th. Spurs have an easy run in, but also an absolute novice of a manager. I see them finishing 7th, with Kane leaving after somehow still finishing as PL top scorer.
For me, it’ll be:
3) Chelsea
4) Leicester
5) Everton
6) Pool
7) Spurs
8) West Ham
As much it pains me to say but I would rather see liverpool finish in the top 4 if it means Chelsea don't as i don't like seeing any oil rich team prosper.
Chelsea will buy players even if they finish outisde top 4. They have Roman. But for Liverpool it could be a huge blow. Playing europa after 6 seasons and losing funds could be a killing blow for their future.
Quite annoying to watch a United game that has no bearing on Chelsea's top 4 chances.
I've been hearing it for months on how they are sure to start winning again. Do people even watch them. They're shit.
Can't speak for anyone else but for me the concern is/was their experience of winning would have meant they knuckled down and put a run together to ensure they got 4th even if the games were largely tumescent.
The experience and know how to get results count for a lot, in Ancelotti's second season we were absolutely diabolical for most of it yet managed to get 2nd because the players knew how to dig in and get enough results.
We’re 1 win away from confirming our top 4 place by my calculation? Be lovely to get it at OT next week and kill their chances at the same time
Get a win against Liverpool and then Just rest Rashford for League games and start playing our fringe players more to get better sense of where they stand before summer transfer window , I don't care where we finish or how far we finish behind City as long as we make Champions league .
We need to look at the bigger picture here fully rested and injury free Rashford for next season , alongside having better knowledge of how much Van De Beek and Diallo can contribute going forward giving us better chance to succeed next season is worth the trade off I believe.
Leicester are virtually assured now, just two more wins I think. A good achievement for them- top 4 and a cup final.
Leicester probably 5 points away from effectively confirming top 4, United is all but there already. 67 points will likely be the amount that 4th place needs to get, as that means West Ham wins 4 of their last 5 and Liverpool wins 4/draws 1 of their last 5 (both possible but maybe not likely). So 67 I'm looking at like both of their maximums.
Chelsea on 58 currently has: Fulham, City, Arsenal, Leicester and Villa, but they also have to deal with a CL semi final vs Real Madrid, and the FA Xup final vs Leicester. So they could easily slip out of that 4th spot.
Chelsea on 58 currently has: Fulham, City, Arsenal, Leicester and Villa, but they also have to deal with a CL semi final vs Real Madrid, and the FA Xup final vs Leicester. So they could easily slip out of that 4th spot.
Liverpool looking fecked for top 4.
Think it's looking locked for the top four to be as they are right now. Liverpool would have to be perfect and hope for a lot of points dropped around them. Thursday night football for them next season.
Would prefer West Ham over Chelsea but I would be happy with Liverpool, Arse, and Spurs all missing out. A good feck you to the ESL
With Leicester’s win I feel they are safe so there is only 1 place to play for. I would prefer West Ham but I expect it too be Chelsea
Shame too that Everton haven’t been just a little bit more consistent. Winning their game in hand leaves them level with West Ham. They have dropped a few silly points this season but have 5 very winnable games left.
Just 5 points between them and United. If United lose to Liverpool, could see us finishing 3rd.
Funny but realistically it means they get to go full tilt at the league with a returning Van Dijk.
I'd say Leicester City supporters fear of missing out on a top 4 finish for a 2nd season in a row is probably replaced by the hopes of finishing 2nd now and those hopes will be increased if they can win in Old Trafford in a few weeks.
That's all good in theory but does that really work in practice?
Even if you rest the first team during the week much of the squad will still travel and be involved to some degree and all will feel the disruption one way or another.
Although that said this is Klopp so there's no guarantee he won't send the reserve manager out there with the U23 and take training like he's got a free week.
The only way we'd lose 2nd to them is if they beat us, and if they do then fair enough, they'll deserve it. I think they should be more worried about losing their spot to Chelsea.
Weird thought. I doubt they give a flying feck as long as they get CL. They aren’t finishing ahead of us.
A glorious fall from grace for the so called best PL side of all time