Cloud7
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I dunno guys are we sure we don't need a few more points to guarantee top 4?
Ole's first real test
I dunno guys are we sure we don't need a few more points to guarantee top 4?
I dunno guys are we sure we don't need a few more points to guarantee top 4?
I get that you’re probably saying this off the back of xG or whatever, which I don’t entirely disregard, but you’re pretty much ignoring the overall context of the season, our lack of preseason etc.
We’ve lost 6 league games, 3 of which were in the first 6 games where we were clearly miles off the pace thanks to having no pre-season. 2 of the other 3 losses came in a week when we played 4 games in 8 days.
We’ve comfortably been the 2nd best team in the country this season.
Yet all the experts, pundits, managers, people heavily involved in the game, people that actually watch the game and not the stats and online models, would suggest otherwise
that Liverpool were the best side in the league
all this season has proven is our squad depth needs improving and that certain players have dipped in form at similar times, possibly shot from the last few seasons of being and trying to be “all time contender hot”
Two seasons in a row where we've hit Top 4, the season before we missed out narrowly and the season before that we were 2nd. I'd say that's as close to an established presence in the Top 4 as you're going to get in this league, especially considering we've barely bought 4 players to improve the 1st XI in over two years. Give him the sort of backing that Lampard had gotten last summer and I think he'd surprise you.
Point at home vs bloody Newcastle would be enough for Leicester. They bottled it again. How far they were from Liverpool month ago? 10 points?
Why do couch potatoes on a forum just refuse to accept how tiring this schedule was ? The fact that we lost one game outside of the two mad scheduling periods is incredible. Looking at the numbers this has been our best season in a long time. I understand people want to be right more than United to win but you surely can't debate that the schedule is affecting things. Pool nearly drew with west brom and city gone done by Brighton this week. It is a mad time, use your brains
These claims mean nothing really. If Chelsea win the CL I'd even say they have a claim to have had the best season of all English teams. The only certain fact to conclude from this season is that Utd will have had the second best domestic season, which gets you nothing. Everything else is just a snapshot and can change in a heartbeat when looking at next season. If I had to decide right now whether they'll finish first or second in the league next season, I'd say no.As always there's a middle ground but I would say the eye test leans more in my direction than it does "clearly the second best team in the country".
I’ll use mine and look at the table, we’re second. Since we reached the final and guaranteed our Champs league place at Villa our form has gone out the window, well I’ll use my brain again there I think."Liverpool nearly drew with West Brom because of the tiring schedule" - they've taken 20 points from last 24 available, they actually not nearly drew with West Brom in December and got humped by Villa earlier in the season.
"City got done by Brighton because even they're tired" - City took 1.66 points per game to the start of December and 2.43 points per game since then.
Use brains you say?
Likewise, I think you're being a bit disingenuous too. That narrow third place came as a result of us being unbeaten since January in the league, and only dropping points in 4 games. That's title contending form, and it's form which we've by and large sustained into this season too, despite the numerous issues we've had. We've certainly done a better job of sustaining it than the clubs around us.I think you're being a bit disingenuous only adding qualifiers to those where you weren't successful, for the season you narrowly missed out see last season where you narrowly made it thanks to chasing down a complete collapse from Leicester.
The narrative this season is a Leicester collapse when this season looks like prime Tiger Woods levels of composure from them compared to last season to let you in.
19/20 Leicester took 17 points from their last 17 games
This season they have taken 27 points with one game to play from their last 17 games.
So if the narrative is that x or y are going to benefit because "bloody Leicester the bottle jobs" then United's top 4 spot last season stands for little credit in terms of counting towards being established.
See above. Very unfair and I would say inaccurate to say they are bottling it.
The Chelsea fans on here love to pretend Utd are average and that Chelsea can easily get past us when the reality is we have finished above them two years in a row and frankly have a better team than them. These were the same debates I had last summer after they spunked all that money away. There’s a fair bit of arrogance from the chelsea fans on this board which means I’d happily see them lose the champions league final and drop out the top 4.
Anything less than a win is a disaster for Liverpool it would mean wins for Chelsea and Leicester on last match day they are out and Leicester are at home against Tottenham.Even a draw isn't disastrous for Liverpool tonight. They'd still be likely to get in with Leicester away to Spurs.
It has to be a loss to put the heat on.
I think you're being a bit disingenuous only adding qualifiers to those where you weren't successful, for the season you narrowly missed out see last season where you narrowly made it thanks to chasing down a complete collapse from Leicester.
The narrative this season is a Leicester collapse when this season looks like prime Tiger Woods levels of composure from them compared to last season to let you in.
19/20 Leicester took 17 points from their last 17 games
This season they have taken 27 points with one game to play from their last 17 games.
So if the narrative is that x or y are going to benefit because "bloody Leicester the bottle jobs" then United's top 4 spot last season stands for little credit in terms of counting towards being established.
See above. Very unfair and I would say inaccurate to say they are bottling it.
Why do couch potatoes on a forum just refuse to accept how tiring this schedule was ? The fact that we lost one game outside of the two mad scheduling periods is incredible. Looking at the numbers this has been our best season in a long time. I understand people want to be right more than United to win but you surely can't debate that the schedule is affecting things. Pool nearly drew with west brom and city gone done by Brighton this week. It is a mad time, use your brains
Spot on.Why do couch potatoes on a forum just refuse to accept how tiring this schedule was ? The fact that we lost one game outside of the two mad scheduling periods is incredible. Looking at the numbers this has been our best season in a long time. I understand people want to be right more than United to win but you surely can't debate that the schedule is affecting things. Pool nearly drew with west brom and city gone done by Brighton this week. It is a mad time, use your brains
That's the best case scenario for us. I can only hope !!Got a feeling Liverpool will drop points to Burnley tonight and Leicester will beat Spurs at home in the last game of the season.
Why do couch potatoes on a forum just refuse to accept how tiring this schedule was ? The fact that we lost one game outside of the two mad scheduling periods is incredible. Looking at the numbers this has been our best season in a long time. I understand people want to be right more than United to win but you surely can't debate that the schedule is affecting things. Pool nearly drew with west brom and city gone done by Brighton this week. It is a mad time, use your brains
These claims mean nothing really. If Chelsea win the CL I'd even say they have a claim to have had the best season of all English teams. The only certain fact to conclude from this season is that Utd will have had the second best domestic season, which gets you nothing. Everything else is just a snapshot and can change in a heartbeat when looking at next season. If I had to decide right now whether they'll finish first or second in the league next season, I'd say no.
I don't know if it was you or another opposition poster who said it but they can keep finishing second in a league for a very long time for me if it means they keep Ole on board.
Rogers decision to not start Iheanacho yesterday is one of the worst I have seen for a very long time, and may have cost Leicester a CL place.
Vardy is totally finished, deceiving the people by sprinting full pelt at any and everything but isn’t a goal threat. Favouritism towards him showed weakness in Rogers for me.
Likewise, I think you're being a bit disingenuous too. That narrow third place came as a result of us being unbeaten since January in the league, and only dropping points in 4 games. That's title contending form, and it's form which we've by and large sustained into this season too, despite the numerous issues we've had. We've certainly done a better job of sustaining it than the clubs around us.
In 2015/16, Tottenham finished 3rd and Leicester won the title. That cued the "3rd in a two horse race" and "bottle jobs" tropes, saying that we'd "bottled the title".
Compare that to what you've put:
- Spurs won 10, drew 5, and lost 4 of the final 17 games; in fact, with one to play, it was won 11, drew 5, lost 3. That's 38 points from 17 games (11 more than Leicester)
- At no point were Spurs top of the league. At game 20, spurs were 4th and Arsenal top. By game 28, spurs were 2nd and Leicester top. Leicester were clear and away leading, and spurs were only 2nd by virtue of Arsenal's collapse
So, it's a complete paradox to define 'bottling' by "failure to take something that was never held" over "(potentially) falling out of the top 4 where you've been all season".
So I don't think it's inaccurate - I'd say it's spot on, by the above measure.
I will watch. I would love a Burnley win, but I know I will turn off the TV knowing we need a win against Villa. Liverpool have a team that can score.
Burnley are on the beach. They will get utterly obliterated tonight
Would still mean Leicester would have to win by at least 3 against Spurs assuming Liverpool only managed 1-0 vs Palace as well.From a purely entertainment stand point, a 1-0 Liverpool win tonight would make for a cracking last day.
Would still mean Leicester would have to win by at least 3 against Spurs assuming Liverpool only managed 1-0 vs Palace as well.
If Liverpool win both they'll make it.