The Palace and Southampton games really annoy me, totally winnable games that we fecked up. Win those games and we're 4 points behind 4th, still not a great chance based on quality of performances compared to the other top teams but there'd still a level of optimism about our chances.
Top Four Race 2018/19
- Thread starter Damien
- Start date
Thanks! Might get beaten this year, but still early.
Wembley isn't much of a problem anyway. Below is the points from start of last season including this season. You can see your total point percentage is higher than Chelseas but lower than Arsenals. This includes your bad start at Wembley dropping points in your first 3 PL games. Putting it another way. In 2018 Tottenham dropped points in 4 Home Games. Arsenal have dropped points in 5 games and Chelsea have dropped points in 8 games. For me, the fact that you're managing to drop very few points Away is why you'll get 3rd (actually think you'll run Liverpool/City very close).
Tottenham:
All Home Results
Games: 25
Points: 55
Point Percentage: 73%
Top 6 Home Results
Games: 8
Points: 12
Point Percentage: 50%
-------
Chelsea:
All Home Results
Games: 28
Points: 58
Point Percentage: 69%
Top 6 Home Results
Games: 9
Points: 15
Point Percentage: 56%
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Arsenal:
All Home Results
Games: 28
Points: 67
Point Percentage: 80%
Top 6 Home Results
Games: 8
Points: 9
Point Percentage: 38%
Interesting, Spurs will probably also get dumped out of CL and not have to worry about those fixtures.
It's possibile that you will need more than 80 points to finish in the top 4 this season, as all the top 5 has more than 2 points per game.
Was crunching a few numbers this morning and found something a little interesting, it demonstrates how tough the Top 4 Race is this season. If you combine the top 5 clubs points after 16 games have been played then you get the following:
187 ¦ 18-19
186 ¦
185 ¦
184 ¦
183 ¦
182 ¦
181 ¦
180 ¦
179 ¦
178 ¦
177 ¦
176 ¦
175 ¦ 11-12
174 ¦
173 ¦
172 ¦ 17-18
171 ¦ 16-17
170 ¦
169 ¦
168 ¦
167 ¦ 07-08
166 ¦
165 ¦ 05-06
164 ¦ 13-14 / 04-05
163 ¦
162 ¦
161 ¦ 18-09
160 ¦ 14-15
All other Seasons from 04-05 to present if not mentioned are below 160 points.
187 ¦ 18-19
186 ¦
185 ¦
184 ¦
183 ¦
182 ¦
181 ¦
180 ¦
179 ¦
178 ¦
177 ¦
176 ¦
175 ¦ 11-12
174 ¦
173 ¦
172 ¦ 17-18
171 ¦ 16-17
170 ¦
169 ¦
168 ¦
167 ¦ 07-08
166 ¦
165 ¦ 05-06
164 ¦ 13-14 / 04-05
163 ¦
162 ¦
161 ¦ 18-09
160 ¦ 14-15
All other Seasons from 04-05 to present if not mentioned are below 160 points.
That's pretty amazing.
1. City
2. Liverpool
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal or Spurs
Think we will be in 6th/7th place at best. Mourinho getting sack now could maybe help us with fight for 4th. Lose tomorrow and it's gone. We are gone backwards this season and Players are not responding to him.
2. Liverpool
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal or Spurs
Think we will be in 6th/7th place at best. Mourinho getting sack now could maybe help us with fight for 4th. Lose tomorrow and it's gone. We are gone backwards this season and Players are not responding to him.
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Every chance of finishing closer to the bottom 4 than the top 4 but lets not forget that if the slide continues into next season whoever the manager then if it hastens the eventual sale of the club and departure of the Glazers then our suffering is for the greater good!
City
Liverpool
Spurs
Arsenal/Chelsea
Is how I see it with us narrowly missing out unless we get a decent striker in Jan. Chelsea has done least amount of rotation and we may face fatigue issues in second half of the season as we progress through Europa knockouts.
Liverpool
Spurs
Arsenal/Chelsea
Is how I see it with us narrowly missing out unless we get a decent striker in Jan. Chelsea has done least amount of rotation and we may face fatigue issues in second half of the season as we progress through Europa knockouts.
Wonder if your chairman would put up with missing out on the top 4 without sacking your manager. I think Arsenal would give their manager another go for the following year but it'd be interesting to see if the two teams of the 'big six' that miss out on the top 4 sack their manager for the failure.
I think point total should be a major factor. If you get 85 points and miss out on top 4... Then firing the manager would be an insane decision.
85 points isn't the measure anymore, not since a 100 point season has just been achieved.
If current trends continue, then Liverpool and City will get somewhere close to 100 points this year and there may ieven be 4 teams with 90+ points by the season's end. So, in this modern world 85 points would be embarrassing to any club claiming to be in the mix to win it or even to get into the top 4.
Depends on the club's belief in the squad they've assembled. If at the start of the seaon you've enough belief that the squad you've assembled is good enough for a title, then if a manager fails to even just make top 4 he should be sacked. As harsh as it might be.
I think Emery is pretty much safe for the next 2 seasons unless we start losing 15 games in a row. Even Chelsea should not sack Sarri if he doesn't get it.
If the level stays the same,this season is going to be ridiculously hard and nobody deserves the sack in the top 5
Irrespective of how the table reads at the end of the season, no top six manager deserves the sack, other than Mourinho even if he manages the improbable feat of finishing in the top four.
While Chelsea always has been a trigger happy club, top manager candidates are narrowing down. Partly because we have gone through so many I think we may stick with Sarri for a while especially since he toes the club line and is pretty non-confrontational. Dude has played down all of ADL's jibes since leaving Napoli too.
Personally, I thonk most fans are waiting for Sarri to be allowed a chance to buy his kind of players before judging him. Football has been very good so far even though results are inconsistent. I hope he gets a chance to play a good team post-Hazard era before being judged.
Spurs now 5 points clear of 5th place.
Could Arsenal now implode? 
Getting relegated. I'd take 1 defeat in 4 months. You can't go unbeaten for top long.Could Arsenal now implode?
Wow, mkhitaryan scored twice and Arsenal lost 
Brilliant result. Well done Southampton.Could Arsenal now implode?
Played really well and deserved the win.
Just want United to beat the scourers and the whole mood will be lifted (cross fingers).
True, I think there's some truth to what Keane said though, and that although you can say 'so far so good' that has been true for many teams coming into December. You had 34 points after 17 games last season as well, it's up to the players to show that they can keep the performance levels up all season.
edit: I'm wrong, that was the season before when you had 34 after 17 games. My bad, last season you had 30
I think watching us play, it's clear Jose has given up on top 4 and set a target of 6th. He wants us to make Europa spots and claim it is an overachievement to protect his reputation before leaving. Might as well forget making Top 4.
Our defence is relegation form. Cardiff, Fulham, Burnley and Southampton have only conceded more.
Top 5 is a no go at all.
Top 5 is a no go at all.
We may as well close this one, lads. 6th is the best we can hope for. Europa League is about our level TBF.
We will finish further from the top 4 than we did under Moyes. Let that sink in.
We're a worse side than we were under Van Gaal. We're worse than we were under Moyes.
No chance United make top four. Why the board can't see this is beyond me.
No chance United make top four. Why the board can't see this is beyond me.
Miserable.
We might be worse on points to date, but there's no way this is true.
We lost about 7 games at home in the league in the Moyes season, and got spanked 3-0 by Pool and City (lesser versions than now) at home over a couple of weeks!
We've lost maybe one league game at home this season is it? No way we're anywhere near as bad.
Moyes kept breaking records, first lost to xxx in 25 years, 30 years. Dreadful
We desperately needed a win today, we knew that as the other results were already in and we played for a draw. I mean that alone should get the guy sacked let alone all the other stuff.
And on top 4, yes it's totally over now, not even a new manager can rescue this mess unfortunately, we could go on a great run but gaining 12 points on a decent Chelsea side in 21 games is just not going to happen which is a disgraceful position to be in really.
And on top 4, yes it's totally over now, not even a new manager can rescue this mess unfortunately, we could go on a great run but gaining 12 points on a decent Chelsea side in 21 games is just not going to happen which is a disgraceful position to be in really.
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Posted it in the title thread but very relevant here too. Chelsea have absolutely gotten away with injuries so far this season. Emery had a full pre-season with his squad but still copping a fair few injuries. Man City quite affected too but Spurs especially so and unsurprising its the contingent involved in the final weekend of the WC that have been most affected. Big achievement to still be up there imo.
Most of our injured players weren't even at the WC, tbh. We have improved our medical staff compared with the last seasons though. I still remember players getting injured for nothing and taking a lot of time to recover.
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Top four race is in the football forum.
I may be wrong but we were in the top four comfortably for all of last season, right? I can't remember us ever being outside it. Now this season with the way things are going we're probably going to finish 15+ points off top four. I'm going to miss us being in the CL next season, feck the Europa League we've been there and done that. Depressing times.
We have been playing for 2 years in the Europa League. You can get used to itI may be wrong but we were in the top four comfortably for all of last season, right? I can't remember us ever being outside it. Now this season with the way things are going we're probably going to finish 15+ points off top four. I'm going to miss us being in the CL next season, feck the Europa League we've been there and done that. Depressing times.
Have Chelsea ever had an injury crisis in recent years? They always seem the best of the top clubs in keeping their key players fit so they play 90% of the season.
Was the same under Mourinho ironically.
Some clubs just seem to collect more injury prone players than others.
Was the same under Mourinho ironically.
Some clubs just seem to collect more injury prone players than others.
Nope. They are basically injury-free. It's the opposite to us
Finishing 5th for us would be a success imo.
We have an excellent medical staff, but it does seem weird how lightly we get off. Maybe we scout for tough bastards.