Top Four Race 2018/19

[Changeisgood]

Can't see us finishing top 4 unfortunately. I know it's still early in the season but we are too inconsistent and we will continue to drop points against the smaller teams, while Spurs and Arsenal are flat-track bullies so I would expect them to finish ahead of us.

We have not hit the 10 game mark in the season. Things can change around pretty quickly in the next 9 games. I would love to see this current Arsenal form as permanent but I have some doubts mainly defensively. Spurs look rather uninspiring but they have pulled off the results so far with some players being unavailable. Liverpool look good, but I feel Salah has come back to earth and they will drop points. Chelsea kinda drift in and out of matches like we do and for my money they are too reliant on Hazard.

I still see Man City as future champions. There is not a game I see for them where I expect them to lose, but the next spots are open imo.

 

[Powderfinger]

You have to go back to 2006/2007 to find a team that was 7 or more points off fourth after Matchweek 9 and ended up finishing in the top four (Liverpool was 9 points off fourth at that point after a disastrous start).

Generally speaking, we find the pattern because teams as talented as Manchester United almost never start a season so poorly. If you're 7 or more points behind after 9 matches, its because you're not very good and you realistically probably never had much hope for top four, which clearly isn't the case for the current United team. So I think there is good reason to believe that United could catch up. But one shouldn't pretend like 7 points behind after a quarter of the season is nothing or that clubs make up that kind of deficit frequently.

 

[Klopper76]

You have to go back to 2006/2007 to find a team that was 7 or more points off fourth after Matchweek 9 and ended up finishing in the top four (Liverpool was 9 points off fourth at that point after a disastrous start).

I remember us getting comprehensively beaten away to Everton, Arsenal, United and Chelsea early on that season. We were finished before we'd even started. No idea how we clawed it back.

 

[SalfordCitizen]

Having someone who wasn't Bailly v Brighton or Jones v Spurs though would have made quite a big difference to our start. We certainly wouldn't be talking about 14 points or being 7 off the top 4. United have always been built on a reliable defence but right now, and for a good 5 years, this is no longer the case. It is where we are weakest. United under Fergie towards the end and Liverpool right now show that even if your midfield is lacking, or your attack is out of sync, having a solid base compensates for this. Even the chap at City only got his team firing properly once he finally settled on his back line, after spending 100s of millions to get it.

2013/2014
Most Goals Scored
Manchester City (102)
Liverpool (101)
ManUnited (64) 5th most (38 from top)

Least Goals Conceded
Chelsea (27)
Manchester City (39)
Everton (39)
ManUnited (43) 4th Best

2014/2015
Most Goals Scored
Manchester City (83)
Chelsea (73)
Arsenal (71)
ManUnited (63) 4th Best (20 goals from top)

Least Goals Conceded
Chelsea (32)
Southampton (33)
Arsenal (36)
ManUnited (37) 4th Best

2015/2016
Most Goals Scored
Manchester City (71)
Tottenham (69)
Leicester (68)
Arsenal (65)
West Ham (65)
ManUnited (49) 10th Best (22 goals from top)

Least Goals Conceded
ManUnited (35) Joint Best with Tottenham

2016/2017
Most Goals Scored
Tottenham (86)
Chelsea (85)
Manchester City (80)
Liverpool (78)
Arsenal (77)
ManUnited (54) 7th Best (31 goals from top)

Least Goals Conceded
Tottenham (26)
ManUnited (29) 2nd Best

2017/2018
Most Goals Scored
Manchester City (106)
Liverpool (84)
Tottenham (74)
Arsenal (74)
ManUnited (68) 5th Best (38 goals from top)

Least Goals Conceded
Manchester City (27)
ManUnited (28) 2nd Best

 

[ErranMorad]

I don't know why you are citing Liverpool as untouchable. Spurs have finished above them in eight of the last nine seasons, including the last four seasons.

They won't this season.

 

[ErranMorad]

You'll probably have to compete with those three in the EL as well. And inspite of our league form, winning the EL is still Arsenal's best bet to get into the CL.

I think you'll win it too. Emery is bit of an Europa expert.

 

[Mick321]

7 points when the rest only seem to drop points v each other and no one else is a tough ask. We need to beat all the crap and get wins at places like Anfield or City. It’s highly unlikely we suddenly turn it on and beat all the crap and win tough aways, if anything I expect the gap to widen.

 

[ariveded]

Utd still has 3 head to head games with the top 4 rivals in the 1st round. So make whatever you want of it. A brilliant opportunity to get back into the race or a deadly set of fixtures to lose more ground

 

[Damien]

Up to eighth now - just five points behind fourth (or six if Spurs beat City tomorrow). Our goal difference is quite far off the top four though.

 

[Klopper76]

Up to eighth now - just five points behind fourth (or six if Spurs beat City tomorrow). Our goal difference is quite far off the top four though.

Your fixtures don’t look nice. Bournemouth and City both away next two I think?

We play Arsenal next so that’s a plus for everyone else.

 

[Raw]

5 behind 4th isn't insurmountable, we just need to keep some consistency. Bournemouth will be tough.

 

[Adisa]

Bournemouth and City away next. Can't see us win both.

 

[Damien]

Your fixtures don’t look nice. Bournemouth and City both away next two I think?

We play Arsenal next so that’s a plus for everyone else.

Yeah. Our problem is the results against Brighton and West Ham (among others) earlier in the season. Should have done better.

 

[Dumbstar]

Bournemouth and City away next. Can't see us win both.

Hopefully you beat City. These two PL wins in a row will get Jose motivated.

 

[Minimalist]

Despite a much needed win today, big improvement needed for us to even have a chance. Might not look like much in terms of the table but we're far too inconsistent. 0 GD at this stage is fcuking laughable really.

How Mourinho is still in a job is beyond me.

 

[FootballHQ]

Could need another 60 points this season to guarentee top 4. Didn't Arsenal miss out the other year on 75 points?

 

[cyberman]

5 points behind 5th after City's comfortable win tomorrow.
How are we that close after the run we've had?

 

[Klopper76]

5 points behind 5th after City's comfortable win tomorrow.
How are we that close after the run we've had?

Your league record looks similar to ours from early on last season.

Same problem with conceding goals too.

 

[FootballHQ]

5 points behind 5th after City's comfortable win tomorrow.
How are we that close after the run we've had?

You've won 5 out of 10 this season? Top teams can't win every single game they play this season. It's hardly Newcastle or Huddersfield form. You're also counting cup games probably.

Actually 3/5 at Old Trafford is pretty much par. It's away from Manchester where things get more dodgy.

 

[WensleyMU]

How often has GD played a part in deciding the outcome in the league? Handful of times?

 

[cyberman]

You've won 5 out of 10 this season? Top teams can't win every single game they play this season. It's hardly Newcastle or Huddersfield form. You're also counting cup games probably.

Actually 3/5 at Old Trafford is pretty much par. It's away from Manchester where things get more dodgy.

Just seems strange with all the doom and gloom.
If Spurs manage a win tomorrow then we could go into the Manchester derby in 2 games time with the chance to get within 3 points of them.
And City had a great start to the season!
Things can change so quickly.

 

[FootballHQ]

Really to get properly back in control Man. United need to have 5-6 winning run in the league like Arsenal have recently done. Spurs have also quietly got back on track since those defeats at the start of September.

Good win today but can you back it up at Bournemouth or will it be another negative away display like at West Ham and Brighton? Even if you win there I think it's very unlikely you'll win at Etihad despite last season's success.

So that's the problem, 1 point from next 6 and you'll likely fall 7-8 points back from top 4. Unless you have SAF as your manager giving teams like Arsenal and Spurs 7 point head starts isn't a good idea anymore.

 

[Andycoleno9]

I am not worried yet and i think that we will finish 4th. But the fact that all our rivals winning(ugly) in small games is not looking good.

 

[IAmAWinner]

Only 5 points behind 4th place, it's on.
Think we will beat both Bournemouth and Man City. I'm optimistic.

 

[el3mel]

Next week Liverpool beat Arsenal and we defeat Bournemouth, and we'll be 3 points behind Spurs and 2 behind Arsenal.

...... Then we lose to City and everything return to square one.

 

[breakout67]

Next week Liverpool beat Arsenal and we defeat Bournemouth, and we'll be 3 points behind Spurs and 2 behind Arsenal.

...... Then we lose to City and everything return to square one.

It's a derby, anything can happen. Like them losing 3-2 in a game that would have won them the title

 

[FootyGirl88]

We do have a chance - Spurs and Arsenal still look shaky

 

[Adisa]

Next week Liverpool beat Arsenal and we defeat Bournemouth, and we'll be 3 points behind Spurs and 2 behind Arsenal.

...... Then we lose to City and everything return to square one.

Such is life.

 

[haram]

We will finish in front of Spurs and Arsenal.

 

[reddaz71]

City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal
Spurs
Utd

Then the Barmcakes will want Poch....

 

[MrBest]

Next week Liverpool beat Arsenal and we defeat Bournemouth, and we'll be 3 points behind Spurs and 2 behind Arsenal.

...... Then we lose to City and everything return to square one.

Would much rather arsenal beat liverpool

 

[VanGaalEra]

Give me 4 points from our next two games right now.

 

[peridigm]

We will finish in front of Spurs and Arsenal.

No we won’t.

 

[haram]

No we won’t.

We are only 4/5 points behind both.

 

[royboy16]

We lose next week were doomed,we win next week it's on.
Too early to say at the moment,we've had easy fixtures compared to our top four rivals.

 

[peridigm]

We are only 4/5 points behind both.

10 games in and we have 0 GD. We’re not finishing 4th with form like that. Granted things could change but there really hasn’t been much sign of that has there?

 

[Dumbstar]

Would much rather arsenal beat liverpool

Spoken like a true Everton fan.

 

[SalfordCitizen]

These top four threads are really old now, it was exciting under Van Gaal because that was the best United could hope for under him. United have one of the best managers that's ever lived in his third season (irregardless of what you think of him now) and here we are probably finishing sixth again and wondering whether United will get into the top four. We have De Gea, Pogba, Sanchez, Lukaku in our team and United are finishing sixth. Forget finishing above Sheikh, Flop and Roman this year. Arsenal will rack up the wins against the poor sides more than United, highly unlikely United are finishing above them now. Tottenham are the ones we could overtake given they look quite poor. So fifth at best, probably.

 

[haram]

10 games in and we have 0 GD. We’re not finishing 4th with form like that. Granted things could change but there really hasn’t been much sign of that has there?

Arsenal have won how many games in a row and they are only 5 points ahead of us? They wont keep that form up. Spurs really have not been that good this season either.

 

[DRM]

We are only 4/5 points behind both.

We play B'mouth away and city away next two games. The deficit will undoubtably widen!