We finished 3rd: PL 2019/20

[Siorac]

At last, someone speaking sense! The current TV deal means that all 20 PL teams are in the top 30 in Europe, in terms of income. That means that the bottom half clubs have been able to strengthen their squad and that the gap between the top and bottom clubs, in terms of income and points accrued, is less than in SAF's time.

This doesn't even stand up to the most basic scrutiny. The very top teams routinely break points records these days: City's 100 point season was followed by Liverpool and City getting 97 and 98 points, respectively, and now Liverpool are on 96 with a game to go. Literally couldn't be clearer that the gap between top and bottom is greater than ever

 

[fps]

reminds me of that time Spurs finished 3rd in a 2-horse race

Isn’t that a put down of them for finishing third when they could only seemingly finish first or second? How is that relevant here?

 

[Zarlak]

When it comes to slamming the team, no thought is given to anything. When it comes to praising the team, people start doing mental gymnastics to excuse themselves from saying something positive and just find infinite reasons as to why it's 5 separate teams fault for collectively blowing it or the league being weak etc. Funny how none of our league finishes when we were winning were down to our opponents blowing it every season and losing some games at different times.

 

[Lj82]

We should be third with a 6 points lead. We'd be fecked if both chelsea and leicester hadn't screwed up twice!

That requires us to have won every match since the restart. The very fact that you have such high expectations is testament to the progress we have made

 

[Adisa]

Hope the thread is still viable come Sunday night.

 

[Sunny Jim]

we are 3rd and after recent results its feels like a loss.
Had we beaten Southampton we would have been in CL already.

 

[Judas]

We're 3rd and it just feels like a lie, even when I look at the table. It makes no sense. Meaningless if we're 5th come Sunday evening anyway.

 

[roonster09]

We are 3rd but it doesn't feel like it, maybe because so much is left to play on the last day. Hopefully we will win that and finish 3rd, will be such a confidence booster for next season.

 

[Berbasbullet]

Agreed. The match thread was an absolute joke tonight.

Usually I agree but we were absolutely turd last night, barely created anything, only one team looked like winning and that is really worrying.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

Is this the lowest points total for 3rd? I remember a few hitting 69, but a maximum of 66 feels like cheating.

You've had seasons where 70-75 would get you 5th at best.

 

[romufc]

Usually I agree but we were absolutely turd last night, barely created anything, only one team looked like winning and that is really worrying.

I am really worried for Sunday, the ease that we let other teams play and pass is a joke.

 

[MiracleInMadrid]

If we can't muster atleast a draw against Leicester on sunday, we have no business being in the CL.

 

[Berbasbullet]

I am really worried for Sunday, the ease that we let other teams play and pass is a joke.

Honestly it looked like West Ham at first wanted to park the bus and then they quickly realised that we’re not all that and just started dominating us and keeping the ball really well.

Very worrying and I’m not optimistic for the weekend.

 

[romufc]

Honestly it looked like West Ham at first wanted to park the bus and then they quickly realised that we’re not all that and just started dominating us and keeping the ball really well.

Very worrying and I’m not optimistic for the weekend.

This is West Ham, I do not care what their form is, they are near relegation. They played like Barcelona. We let them pass the ball, honestly it looked like they had an extra player.

 

[Siorac]

Is this the lowest points total for 3rd? I remember a few hitting 69, but a maximum of 66 feels like cheating.

You've had seasons where 70-75 would get you 5th at best.

The last time the 3rd placed team finished with less than 70 points was in 2007 (Liverpool, 68). The average points total for 3rd placed teams in this period was 76 points, ten more than the maximum we can achieve. So yeah, this season is very much an aberration.

 

[Samid]

If we win our last game, we will finish 3rd.

Team is 3rd before the final game will finish 3rd if they win the final game? Cheers Michael Owen.

 

[Berbasbullet]

This is West Ham, I do not care what their form is, they are near relegation. They played like Barcelona. We let them pass the ball, honestly it looked like they had an extra player.

Yep! I am concerned Sunday now, hopefully we nick a point

 

[Pretzels81]

And we will remain third with a draw against the fox and Chelsea being devoured by the wolf.

 

[Bestietom]

Very shaky performances of late, but hope we can pick ourselves up and win on Sunday.

 

[Redlyn]

Hopefully we can make them chase the game and then go for the kill. Somehow we do better against teams that come to play.

 

[Berbasbullet]

Hopefully we can make them chase the game and then go for the kill. Somehow we do better against teams that come to play.

Do we? Southampton and West Ham came to play.

 

[redshaw]

Our heads are above the pararpet once again. Last time we reached third we got shot down immediately.

 

[the chameleon]

Chelsea will lose and we'll play a scrappy draw where Leicester hit the post on 3 occasions.

If we struggle next year and continue with this poor run of Ole running our players to the ground, the Ole-in crowd will remind us of how we took us third.

Great if we finish 3rd but next year Ole will need to learn his lessons of not players to the ground, using subs. I still say, he was partly responsible for that Rashford injury. Next year, Arsenal and Chelsea will be stronger. 3rd place will require 75 points at least.

 

[Bebestation]

The obsession with points totals are mental. Modern football. Couldn’t give a feck if we had less points than when Derby were relegated if we’re finishing 3rd compared to 6th that’s serious progress.

Its really weird isnt it? If it's less points to me; it means that points have been spread across the league more and the league is there for more complex - especially the middle to lower placed clubs.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Do we? Southampton and West Ham came to play.

Southampton did. West Ham didn’t. They only started to play when they realised how little threat we were going to pose.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Westham didn't create one single cut clear chance all game. We just gifted them a penalty. Southampton were much better than Westham were. I thought Southampton were the best team I have seen at OT this season, including Liverpool n City who neither were fantastic the day they played us.

 

[Withnail]

It is possible to be happy to get in the top four this year, whilst not being happy that we’re not challenging for the title again.

For the club to get anywhere near the title over the next few years, we simply have to get in the Champions League this season. Especially given the financial circumstances. It’s the difference between signing Jadon Sancho +2, or £75 million on 3 players.

This 'I'm just paraphrasing people's opinions on Mourinho's 2nd place' straw man has to go.

Some people weren't happy with Mourinho coming second. Perhaps that was due to playing style, his horrible demeanour or they felt it was the highwater mark.

Are those the same people that are happy to let Ole continue because they can see the right players are coming and that things seem to be moving in the right direction?

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't but it's an over-simplified way of looking at things and doesn't really add anything to the conversation

 

[RedRonaldo]

Team is 3rd before the final game will finish 3rd if they win the final game? Cheers Michael Owen.

If we win we will finish 3rd
If we draw we will finish 4th
If we loss we will finish 5th

Yeh there will be lots of drama in last day of the season, if you get the point.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Southampton did. West Ham didn’t. They only started to play when they realised how little threat we were going to pose.

That's true. They didn't press our back 4, let us have the ball in midfield knowing that we were shot shy, not hitting any crosses in from the flanks and making errors in possession.

They came for a point but realised they could get 3

 

[Inigo Montoya]

If we win we will finish 3rd
If we draw we will finish 4th
If we loss we will finish 5th

Yeh there will be lots of drama in last day of the season, if you get the point.

Let's hope Utd do

 

[cyberman]

Chelsea will lose and we'll play a scrappy draw where Leicester hit the post on 3 occasions.

If we struggle next year and continue with this poor run of Ole running our players to the ground, the Ole-in crowd will remind us of how we took us third.

Great if we finish 3rd but next year Ole will need to learn his lessons of not players to the ground, using subs. I still say, he was partly responsible for that Rashford injury. Next year, Arsenal and Chelsea will be stronger. 3rd place will require 75 points at least.

What the hell is an Ole in crowd? Can a fan not see progress and decide to give the manager more time?
This fecking obsession with categorising fans into groups has wrecked this place.
If Ole gets 3rd, potentially wins the EL and has inproved our forward play, while attracting big names like Sancho which fans on here said he couldn't do, what basis would being part of the Ole in crowd be frowned upon?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That's true. They didn't press our back 4, let us have the ball in midfield knowing that we were shot shy, not hitting any crosses in from the flanks and making errors in possession.

They came for a point but realised they could get 3

Nev called it pretty well. They were happy to let our fullbacks (especially Williams) have as much ball as they want, knowing they wouldn’t hurt them. So they could sit deep and narrow, which made it incredibly difficult to play through the centre for Bruno et al. Feels harsh calling out a kid like that but it does feel as though a lot of our recent problems started the moment that Shaw twisted his ankle.

 

[Massive Spanner]

It is nuts that we can actually get top four with 64 points. The league is shocking this year.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Nev called it pretty well. They were happy to let our fullbacks (especially Williams) have as much ball as they want, knowing they wouldn’t hurt them. So they could sit deep and narrow, which made it incredibly difficult to play through the centre for Bruno et al. Feels harsh calling out a kid like that but it does feel as though a lot of our recent problems started the moment that Shaw twisted his ankle.

I agree. Having a right footed LB takes us back to the days of Ashley Young. Always cut back to his right and momentum lost. Watching Robertson hit crosses on the run into danger areas last night just showed how slow we were to cause any threat. TFM was even worse on the right which compounded our lack of invention

 

[Skåre Willoch]

This is West Ham, I do not care what their form is, they are near relegation. They played like Barcelona. We let them pass the ball, honestly it looked like they had an extra player.

West Ham beat Chelsea only three weeks ago. And no, they didn't play like Barcelona at all. We dominated posession for huge parts of the game, and until Pogba decided to play goalie, we were by far the better team. We also created enough to finish them off, but couldn't do it.

I agree we should beat West Ham thoroughly every time, but you can't ignore form, rest, and the fact that they also have had a lot to play for recently.

 

[Davie Moyes]

Nev called it pretty well. They were happy to let our fullbacks (especially Williams) have as much ball as they want, knowing they wouldn’t hurt them. So they could sit deep and narrow, which made it incredibly difficult to play through the centre for Bruno et al. Feels harsh calling out a kid like that but it does feel as though a lot of our recent problems started the moment that Shaw twisted his ankle.

Yes Shaw has been a massive miss. He was playing well too making lots of forward runs and giving us good balance. The only thing missing is the final ball at times but he gives everything else you would want in a modern fullback and defensively is strong. I wonder if there is any chance he can make Sunday?

 

[romufc]

West Ham beat Chelsea only three weeks ago. And no, they didn't play like Barcelona at all. We dominated posession for huge parts of the game, and until Pogba decided to play goalie, we were by far the better team. We also created enough to finish them off, but couldn't do it.

I agree we should beat West Ham thoroughly every time, but you can't ignore form, rest, and the fact that they also have had a lot to play for recently.

West Ham did beat Chelsea. Even though they lost the game, they dominated the game alot better than we did. We conceded possession to West Ham whereas V Chelsea they could only play on the break.

Just to show you the two games match stats:

https://www.premierleague.com/match/46969

https://www.premierleague.com/match/46924

Chelsea had 70% possession we had 57%

Again, West ham had 270 passes V chelsea compare to 441 V United.

So no, we did not dominate that game at all, even shots on goal tell you when West Ham had more than United.

I disagree on we were better, I thought if there was a team who will win the game it would be West Ham. They came to play for the draw, if they wanted the win, they would have won that game.

 

[sewey89]

I thought this was going to be a positive thread

 

[Skåre Willoch]

West Ham did beat Chelsea. Even though they lost the game, they dominated the game alot better than we did. We conceded possession to West Ham whereas V Chelsea they could only play on the break.

Just to show you the two games match stats:

https://www.premierleague.com/match/46969

https://www.premierleague.com/match/46924

Chelsea had 70% possession we had 57%

Again, West ham had 270 passes V chelsea compare to 441 V United.

So no, we did not dominate that game at all, even shots on goal tell you when West Ham had more than United.

I disagree on we were better, I thought if there was a team who will win the game it would be West Ham. They came to play for the draw, if they wanted the win, they would have won that game.

But we got 1 point, Chelsea got 0. Chelsea domiated the game better than we did, but lost the game. We didn't dominate the game the same way Chelsea did, but still did infinitely better points wise. Which is the kind of run and results since January that have put us in the position we're in.

 

[Robertd0803]

Im not sure how this even happened all things considered but doesnt Chelseas result now give us the option of qualifing depending on their result Sunday as well now?