Still think Europa is the best bet... top 4 is still out of our hands...
Top 4 race 2016/17
- Thread starter Yorkeontop
- Start date
City is the big one. I'd play Arsenal every weekend until the end of the season if given a choice.
Spurs could be out of the title race and on the beach like last year. We simply don't know.
It's in our hands actually. Tough run admittedly but we're not dependent on anyone else.
The Spurs game will be the last at WHL so they'll be up for it
The title race is more on than the Top 4 race after today's game
Top 4 is in our hands, if we win all out remaining games we leapfrog City. They've played 1 game more and are 4 points ahead, but we have to play them.
Its unlikely we will win all our remaining games but as it stands its still in our hands...
I know about West Ham last season but they had nothing to play for and it built up as an occasion for them on the horizon. If Spurs are in the title race and fall away around that fixture then it's like air leaving a ballon.
I'm not saying it'll be a walkover but we do have an amazing away record and it's not like we can't beat Spurs at their best, I'm just saying the intensity might not be there for them.
Especially if they're in the title race with the last NL derby etc being played. It can get too much.
People say we have a title race on our hands after that result....but let's be real. Lads, it's Spurs.
Yeah, if a couple of the home draws had been wins instead I'd have given us a fighting chance. We can still put pressure on the teams above us if we win away to Burnley followed by a win away to City (would put us above them for a brief period).
Liverpool very well placed with the Manchester derby to come and United with a very tough set of aways coming up. After a tough New Year, Liverpool have become strong again and grinding out some very good results.
It's tighter than a nun's cnut.
I missed the game today but judging by the comments from the post match thread, it would seem that it was our best performance of the season. I'm just asking this question as we've seen glimpses throughout the season where we have played brilliantly only to be bumping 'It's one of the days' thread the very next game.
In terms of the psychological effect, how important was the win today? I think the fact that we've beat 'Champions Elect' will give players the confidence and real belief that we should be higher up the table. We should be challenging for the top places and that ultimately Jose is the only man to take us forward. When you set up a game plan and it keeps failing, I think players can get bogged down and start losing belief in the managers tactics. So in my opinion today's win was much more than just 3 points.
So do you think we will now finish the season strongly or is this another false dawn? We've still have to go to Spurs, City, Arsenal. Also Burnley who have a really good record at home. I had us to draw with Chelsea, draw or loss at City a win at Arsenal and a draw at Spurs. I've hoped to gain 6 points from those 4 games, we already have 3 so a win against Arsenal would set us on our way to possibly finishing in 4th.
In terms of the psychological effect, how important was the win today? I think the fact that we've beat 'Champions Elect' will give players the confidence and real belief that we should be higher up the table. We should be challenging for the top places and that ultimately Jose is the only man to take us forward. When you set up a game plan and it keeps failing, I think players can get bogged down and start losing belief in the managers tactics. So in my opinion today's win was much more than just 3 points.
So do you think we will now finish the season strongly or is this another false dawn? We've still have to go to Spurs, City, Arsenal. Also Burnley who have a really good record at home. I had us to draw with Chelsea, draw or loss at City a win at Arsenal and a draw at Spurs. I've hoped to gain 6 points from those 4 games, we already have 3 so a win against Arsenal would set us on our way to possibly finishing in 4th.
That's the thing with boom-bust cycles. The boom has to happen somewhere too, it's not known as the bust-bust cycle. Thank God we're pulling out these previously unheard of victories.
If we assume Utd are our remaining realistic challenger they have to win all 7 to finish level with us if we win our 5. If they draw one game then so can we, I.e. they win 6 and we only need 4, they win 5 we only need 3, etc.
Even 5 games is a big ask looking at their fixtures. But if we give them that then we need 3 wins and 2 draws really.
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I hope Crystal Palace, West Ham, Leicester, Man Utd, Hull, and Arsenal all feel this way!
Depends, if we win our remaining fixtures and United theirs, City would be the ones pegged back given that the two play each other. Its a tough balancing act for them, the Europa seems the sure bet seen as the competition remaining is less than stellar.
For us personally we should be trying to aim for that third CL spot, guaranteed CL football and I cant be bothered with the ignomy of beating all the top sides and still playing Europa next season.
Will be tough either way
I'm fully expecting us to struggle in CL and being dumped out early next season. That's not the point of finishing in CL spots this season for us. We must finish top 4 to attract the necessary players that will stay with us for 2 or 3 seasons and allow Klopp's football to flourish over the next few years.
I agree finishing 3rd is important. Could really do with not starting our season in June.
That is a tricky run in to be fair. Palace and Leicester are on good runs and you can't gurantee wins against us or Arsenal.
Top four wont make all that much of a difference in our pull for targets, the proverbial rose tinted glasses off will allow you to glean as much truthfully. Fact of the matter is we played our hand short this year and it cost us a title challenge. Klopp spent most of December screaming for a winger in conjuction with Klavan/Lucas playing an inordinately high number of games those two factors hampered us significantly. Ones on the owners, ones on the manager.
This summer he needs backing we need depth in several key areas, and honestly the jury is out for me, its do or die for many supporters and itll get really ugly really quickly if next season follows a similar pattern to the 14/15 season.
We need a CB, LB, 2 CM's, 2 wingers and possibly a striker. Anything less and not of the sufficient quality will render us prone to periods of haplessness akin to the one we witnessed in January.
I'll wait till the City game before getting my hopes up again. This was a sweet win but since City and Liverpool also won, our position in the top 4 race is still the same.
Absolutely. I think our run is a whole lot trickier than the one Chelsea have.
I was just making the point that I would hope all those teams don't take us seriously and their team talks just consist of "lads it's Spurs".
Yep, it's Spurs, the team that since the start of last season has gained more league points than any other Prem team - and by some margin.
At the start of March Chelsea were effectively 11 points ahead of Spurs, now it's 4 points .... looks like a race to me.
And it still hasn't been enough
Just as all the top sides (Spurs included) should be embarrassed that Leicester won the league last season the same can be said that a Chelsea side who finished midtable last season has been able to regroup and overtake everyone
If we beat City, we will be in pole position to finish third, never mind fourth. And if we achieve that along with the League Cup and Europa League, it will be an excellent first season for Mourinho.
We should have faith, Mourinho has shown yet again that he is the ultimate big game manager.
We have now beaten both Chelsea and Spurs - both of whom are title challengers, ranked above Man City. We should be able to beat City if we play like we did today.
We should have faith, Mourinho has shown yet again that he is the ultimate big game manager.
We have now beaten both Chelsea and Spurs - both of whom are title challengers, ranked above Man City. We should be able to beat City if we play like we did today.
no doubt we would beat City if we play like today.
Problem is the physical condition of the squad at that stage. Too many games and not enough strength in depth.
This whole last game at WHL doesn't make sense to me, aren't they just basically moving 10 feet to the left. They'll be on the same site, hence why they have to play at Wembley next season.
Not the same as Arsenal or WHU who moved miles away.
Heart says that we'll beat City, Liverpool will slip up [snigger] and we'll finish third.
Head says we'll draw 1-1 with Burnley.
Head says we'll draw 1-1 with Burnley.
It's not on but it's also not off
If we beat Burnley, which will be probably difficult, we'll face City just one point behind them and equals on games played. A draw away then wouldn't be a bad result for us and would keep us perfectly on the race, even if we have potentially tougher opponents ahead.
It is both on and off until we play our next match.
I can honestly live with that right now, considering the feeling when the lineup was posted.
You took the bait my dude. Obviously Tottenham are a strong team, just taking the piss is all.
Some supporter you are, we haven't even qualified for it yet and you've already got us down to fail, give your head a wobble lad ffs
For me the Europa is the easier of the two. Fail to beat City and I can see Jose just focusing on the semi finals if we make it past Anderlecht.
No need to over think things; 1 game at a time, focus on what's in front of you.
We have a big enough squad to cope.
We have a big enough squad to cope.
All the teams at the top have picked up form at the right time. Guess who is missing 
So....
...if we beat Burnley next weekend, (City don't play) we go into the Manchester derby just one point off City with the same games played. Beat them, we leapfrog them with five games to go each. We'd also be right on the coattails of Liverpool.
Amazed me over the past month to see pundits and fans suggest Europa was our best hope of getting to the CL next year. Liverpool and City have not been better than us this season at all. But we're Man Utd so more is expected of us and most of our fans are negative spoilt brats.
We are practically neck and neck with Liverpool and City in the league, yet we have won the League Cup and are in the very deep stages of the Europa...yet our season is deemed a failure in comparison to theirs?
Liverpool are having a great campaign and we are not? Please! Liverpool had the exact same number of points we have right now with the same games played and were dumped out of each cup early doors. They've had a full week to prepare for every game while we've been parading around Europe...Anyone thinking they have been better than us is deluded.
...if we beat Burnley next weekend, (City don't play) we go into the Manchester derby just one point off City with the same games played. Beat them, we leapfrog them with five games to go each. We'd also be right on the coattails of Liverpool.
Amazed me over the past month to see pundits and fans suggest Europa was our best hope of getting to the CL next year. Liverpool and City have not been better than us this season at all. But we're Man Utd so more is expected of us and most of our fans are negative spoilt brats.
We are practically neck and neck with Liverpool and City in the league, yet we have won the League Cup and are in the very deep stages of the Europa...yet our season is deemed a failure in comparison to theirs?
Liverpool are having a great campaign and we are not? Please! Liverpool had the exact same number of points we have right now with the same games played and were dumped out of each cup early doors. They've had a full week to prepare for every game while we've been parading around Europe...Anyone thinking they have been better than us is deluded.
Personally, I wouldn't say that we have a big chance of getting a top 4 spot. We played wonderful against Chelsea, but we are not very consistent when it comes to winning matches, so a lot of draws in the last matches is a realistic option.
We have not a big chance, but we have one. We are still alive. And momentum is on our side, it seems.
I like that the idea that you must not write off Man Utd. Never.
We have not a big chance, but we have one. We are still alive. And momentum is on our side, it seems.
I like that the idea that you must not write off Man Utd. Never.
I'm hoping we beat Anderlect then we get full points vs Burnley away (that will be tough all things considered) then the City game is a cup final for us. By the way City were very impressive versus Southampton so it's a huge ask. But one we should all relish. We should never be in this predicament but for some absolute horrendous finishing and individual errors in defending (Jones/Fellaini especially) we find ourselves here.
Well it's also about expectations. Liverpool have not won a title in decades and were not expected to be title contenders. Objectively I don't think we are having a worse season and we can make it much better than them. Subjectively, if Manchester United is out of the title race before spring, it will always be a disappointing campaign for me.