Race for top 4 | Finito.

wolvored said:
Last week or the week before it was in the press the 6 VAR mistakes that an independant (VAR?) panel judged on. Heres the Sky sports report. Link
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Yeah, read a couple of articles on it now. Oddly none of them explain why it was apparently the wrong decision. Clear foul where the ref had the opportunity to re-watch it and got it right second time. Exactly how VAR should work. Can only presume the pros on that panel were Keown and Dixon.
 
KjaAnd said:
They have been doing great so far, that’s for sure. However, if you look at their starting 11, they really have no business in the Top 4 and I would expect them to drop off over the course of a season.
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Not big names, but they are very well coached, well prepared and don’t concede.
 
CM10 said:
They're doing well but we're 2 points behind them with a game in hand and they're facing Arsenal away next. It's possible they finish top 4 but there's no chance they go on and win the league this season.

Saint-Maximin was good against City but he's traditionally been the type of player to only turn up for a handful of games each season anyway. He doesn't really change their fortunes much.

I think it's only a matter of time before Liverpool get it together and go on a run as well. They can't continue playing as badly as they have.
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We are level with them now. They don’t concede which is important. Not saying they are a lock for top 4, just saying they are a good side that will beat bad teams and give top 6 problems
 
Doracle said:
Yeah, read a couple of articles on it now. Oddly none of them explain why it was apparently the wrong decision. Clear foul where the ref had the opportunity to re-watch it and got it right second time. Exactly how VAR should work. Can only presume the pros on that panel were Keown and Dixon.
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Yes agree. The original rule book says the refs decision is final. It should be changed to the ref and/or VAR decision is final and not revisited weeks later.
 
charlenefan said:
Come on Palace, do us a favour and take some points off of Spurs tomorrow please
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Spurs are not our competition at all. In fact, we should probably hope that Spurs win enough to gain the confidence required to take points off City, Arsenal and Newcastle when the time comes.
 
erikcred said:
Spurs are not our competition at all. In fact, we should probably hope that Spurs win enough to gain the confidence required to take points off City, Arsenal and Newcastle when the time comes.
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you may be onto something....
 
Spurs have NLD next which they tend to get up for at home. Then in-form Fulham in between the City games. Wouldn't be surprised if Conte outsmarts Pep again.
 
The fourth spot comes down to either Newcastle or Liverpool. Spurs will hang around but fourth is effectively out of reach for them.
 
Van dijk is supposedly out for a month in which they face brighton and Chelsea
 
We'll have to win them two games, no doubt. If we do then good luck. The leviathan, will eat them too dirt bag clubs up like soup. We are ready. ETH is starting something here and we aren't going away.
 
lex talionis said:
The fourth spot comes down to either Newcastle or Liverpool. Spurs will hang around but fourth is effectively out of reach for them.
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If Newcastle keep up there form then I think they’ll make it. Liverpool have lost their best CB and they have a donkey up front that can’t finish.
 
Our postponed fixture vs Crystal Palace has now been sandwiched between the City and Arsenal games. Wednesday 18th January.
 
The next 6 or so weeks looks utterly rammed.
If we did make the league cup semi and final for instance it's going to be insane.

You hope they recognise another body up front is absolutely critical. We can't just play Martial for 60-70 each game and hope he puts in a rare 10 game spell without a knock.
 
Sandikan said:
Because an absolutely rammed schedule when you have a very definite best 11 but not huge reserves below it could utterly tax our squad?
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City Saturday, Palace Wed (they play Sunday), Arsenal Sun really isn't that bad. And it could have been worse for us later on as I said.
 
Doracle said:
Because it now means we have three tough matches in 7 days, two of which are against the top 2 teams in the league, when we would ideally want a fully rested team?
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If we beat Barcelona we've probably got 2 important games a week for the rest of the season. There's no free midweeks.
 
BluesJr said:
Because we do not have the squad for 3 such intense games in a week. We absolutely needed prep time for the Arsenal game.
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Palace won’t be that intense.
We’ve been rotating for last few games and will rotate v Charlton, I wouldn’t worry about it
 
Next two games are two cup finals for us. With two wins we are in title race. With two defeats, we are out of top 4.
 
Ridiculous scheduling. The dumbasses from the PL cancelled the game for no reason and now we cannot fully rest our team for the two best teams in the league.

Why couldn't we have played this game the week after Arsenal?
 
charlenefan said:
Thankfully neither of those two statements are true
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If we win vs City and Arsenal we are 6 points from Arsenal and point from City.
If we lose both we will slip on 5th position.

Ah i see now; i didn't meant that we will not make it to top 4. I was just presuming how table will look like after next two games
 
Andycoleno9 said:
If we win vs City and Arsenal we are 6 points from Arsenal and point from City.
If we lose both we will slip on 5th position.
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The latter entirely depends on what other teams do and at the moment they're all shite, Spurs for example would need to beat Arsenal and City to go above us
 
I don't think people appreciate how packed the rest of the season is for us if we beat Charlton and Barcelona. (I said at the time it was a disaster not topping the Europa group)
 
Leftback99 said:
I don't think people appreciate how packed the rest of the season is for us if we beat Charlton and Barcelona. (I said at the time it was a disaster not topping the Europa group)
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Well, that's why we need reinforcements. We'll be out on our last legs by March at this rate.
 
Unlike most, I am comfortable with our squad depth. Wan Bissaka has shown that even sitting on the bench for months he can still come in and at least give us a positive performance, he is still premiere league quality. That was my biggest worry, not his technical acumen so much as being able to come in after long spells of inactivity and provide adequate cover against any premiere league team. Wan Bissaka - Dalot-Shaw-Malacia..comfortable with all of them. Same with Varane-Martinez-Lindelof, and we can use Shaw as CB and play Malacia if necessary.

Casemeiro-Eriksen-Fred....comfortable with all, McSauce is a physical specimen who we can use 3 or 4 games in a row in quick succession with little worry, as long he's doing mostly defensive work and not asked to do more than he can technically.

Yes we are light up front. If Rashford or Martial went down, we can still use Bruno in a more advanced role, we still have plenty of wingers. We're down Van de Beek, who I have little faith in anyway, and Jadon may come back with more focus hopefully anyway. I trust De Gea in big game spots all day long. We will be able to rotate and not lose too much with our alternate players.

And I think Arsenal will come back to the pack somewhat. I certainly like our chances against them, and I think City will beat them twice. They are still quite a young team, maybe lack some necessary experience? Think we're a better side than Spurs, though they'll improve once Kulusevski and Bentancur return. At the time of this writing, after consecutive maulings by City, I think Chelsea are done for this year.

Biggest thing that would slow us down is a mauling by City, I see it affecting our confidence greatly. Liverpool will go on a run for 2nd part of year, no doubt and I think they'll be in top 4 at end. Don't believe in Newcastle at this point, even less depth than we have....

Honestly, I see City, Liverpool and us up there at the end, Arsenal/Spurs fighting for 4th....
 
giggslover said:
Unlike most, I am comfortable with our squad depth. Wan Bissaka has shown that even sitting on the bench for months he can still come in and at least give us a positive performance, he is still premiere league quality. That was my biggest worry, not his technical acumen so much as being able to come in after long spells of inactivity and provide adequate cover against any premiere league team. Wan Bissaka - Dalot-Shaw-Malacia..comfortable with all of them. Same with Varane-Martinez-Lindelof, and we can use Shaw as CB and play Malacia if necessary.

Casemeiro-Eriksen-Fred....comfortable with all, McSauce is a physical specimen who we can use 3 or 4 games in a row in quick succession with little worry, as long he's doing mostly defensive work and not asked to do more than he can technically.

Yes we are light up front. If Rashford or Martial went down, we can still use Bruno in a more advanced role, we still have plenty of wingers. We're down Van de Beek, who I have little faith in anyway, and Jadon may come back with more focus hopefully anyway. I trust De Gea in big game spots all day long. We will be able to rotate and not lose too much with our alternate players.

And I think Arsenal will come back to the pack somewhat. I certainly like our chances against them, and I think City will beat them twice. They are still quite a young team, maybe lack some necessary experience? Think we're a better side than Spurs, though they'll improve once Kulusevski and Bentancur return. At the time of this writing, after consecutive maulings by City, I think Chelsea are done for this year.

Biggest thing that would slow us down is a mauling by City, I see it affecting our confidence greatly. Liverpool will go on a run for 2nd part of year, no doubt and I think they'll be in top 4 at end. Don't believe in Newcastle at this point, even less depth than we have....

Honestly, I see City, Liverpool and us up there at the end, Arsenal/Spurs fighting for 4th....
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Spurs have dropped 21 points in 18 games. Arsenal 7 in 17. So, no.
 
Unfortunately, Barcelona will probably want the inconvenience of the Europa League less than us. There’s going to be no rest and look what trying to go for the quad last year did to Liverpool. Their squad has gone from being on the verge of becoming the GOAT to SHITE.
 
Leftback99 said:
That will be 1st leg league Cup semi if we beat Charlton.
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Ah yeah. Fair enough. I’d almost prefer playing it the same weekend as the Reading match and hope that our reserves could sneak through the Cup in all honesty. Something has to give somewhere and it can’t be in the league.
 
Judge Red said:
Unfortunately, Barcelona will probably want the inconvenience of the Europa League less than us. There’s going to be no rest and look what trying to go for the quad last year did to Liverpool. Their squad has gone from being on the verge of becoming the GOAT to SHITE.
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That's largely age and lack of investment in their midfield though. They just don't have the legs to play their game plan.
Andycoleno9 said:
Next two games are two cup finals for us. With two wins we are in title race. With two defeats, we are out of top 4.
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Agree two wins in with a title chance, stringly disagree with out of top four with two losses. All the top 6 or so teams have tough games the next month. Aside from city and arsenal we are best equipped points wise to absorb two losses. That said we are not losing both!
 
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