For United, yes - we won't finish higher than 6th.
I think Spurs will run Arsenal close now that they have nothing to do except for training and playing a Premier League game once per week.
The chase for 4th place (not top 4)
- Thread starter Bastian
- Start date
For United, yes - we won't finish higher than 6th.
I think Spurs will run Arsenal close now that they have nothing to do except for training and playing a Premier League game once per week.
Utd are so far behind the top 3. Hell of a climb down from fergie yrs
Top 2 mate.
Chelsea have the easiest run in of all the teams in the top 6 and have dropped Lukaku. They're not getting pulled back into the top 4 race. They'll stay 3rd until the end of the season.
I mean, just look at their next 5 games - Norwich, Newcastle, Brentford, Soton, Leeds.
I see them getting 15/15 from that which will give them 68 points. I only see the ones chasing top 4 getting a maximum of 69 points. However, after their next five they've still got Everton and Watford and of their difficult ones left - West Ham, Arsenal and Utd - the first two are at home, whilst their other one is Wolves at home. Honestly, see them above 75pts with that run in and am confident they'll probably be 78+.
As for the others here are they're current run ins.
Arsenal 48 pts - 13 games left
Leicester (h) - draw
Dippers (h) - loss
Villa (a) - win
Palace (a) - win
Brighton (h) - win
Soton (a) - draw
Utd (h) - draw
West Ham (a) - draw
Leeds (h) - win
Newcastle (a) - win
Everton (h) - win
TBC
Chelsea (a) - lose
Spurs (a) - draw
Finish - 69 points
Utd - 45pts - 10 games left
Spurs (h) - draw
Leicester (h) - win
Everton (a) - win
Norwich (h) - win
Arsenal (a) - draw
Brentford (h) - win
Brighton (a) - win
Chelsea (h) - draw
Palace (a) - win
TBC
Dippers (a) - loss
66 points
West Ham - 45pts - 10 games left
Villa (a) - win
Spurs (h) - draw
Everton (h) - draw
Brentford (a) - win
Burnley (h) - win
Chelsea (a) - lose
Arsenal (h) - draw
Norwich (a) - win
City (h) - lose
Brighton (a) - win
64 points
Spurs 42pts - 13 games left
Everton (h) - win
Utd (a) - draw
Brighton (a) - win
West Ham (h) - draw
Newcastle (h) - win
Villa (a) - win
Brighton (h) - win
Brentford (a) - win
Leicester (h) - draw
Dippers (a) - lose
Burnley (h) - win
Norwich (a) - win
TBC
Arsenal (h) - draw
69 points
Prediction
4th - Arsenal
= - Spurs
6th - Utd
7th - West Ham
It's definitely over. Even if Arsenal collapse they will have enough games and breathing room to secure fourth. Man Utd will lose / draw a number of their remaining games too.
You think 'lads it's Tottenham' will only lose one of their remaining games? madness.
Utd will do them next week for starters, as there is pressure on it. Quote me.
Well, I am not confident enough to put money on it; and I do reckon all the teams will lose more games than I have indicated. However, board brush strokes wise, I see the top 7 falling as I have indicated and as much as I would like to see Utd winning next week, I just don't see it even if it is Spurs.
No chance, Chelsea are a far better side that have gone through a rocky patch but are still 6 points ahead and have 2 games in hand.
Realistically when the games in hand have been played United will be closer to Wolves than Chelsea.
This season is dead to me and the next will be the same until we get an entire new generation of hungry players. We are literally starting again in our climb out of mid table mediocrity.
I’m sure we would even fail on that front and end up 7th with the “coveted” Europa conference league to play for.
Abandon the Top 4 race and go all in on the CL?
Atletico will knock us out
Oh yeah don't get me wrong, United aren't catching Chelsea this season. However, Chelsea aren't City or Liverpool. We have finished above them for the last two years and it isn't inconceivable that we can finish above them next season, providing we bring in a top manager and recruit well.
Good luck. Atletico are running hot atm. Our 1-1 was a fluke already. Can't see us winning against them
Not added up the rest but your maths for Arsenal doesn't add up. You have them winning 6 games so that's 18 points on top of the 48 they already have so that's 66 points. You then have them drawing 5 games so that's 71 points.
No way we will be close to winning the CL. Have you seen our team's mentality. At this rate even Athletico could knock us out.
I take a lot of comfort that the Glazers will have to spend money to get us back to top 4. Ralf will be there to make sure we don’t try to do anything stupid with the money and no Woody 
Ha imagine us going through and getting City in the next round.
We need to focus on getting 5th now and not ending up in the conference.
If we had James and Chilwell fit this entire season we’d be right up there with Liverpool challenging City. In each of the meetings with Liverpool this season we were every bit as good as they were.
Only reason we’re not miles ahead of United like the top 2 are is because we’ve drawn so many games against low block, parked buses that we couldn’t break down. James and Chilwell were instrumental in us blowing those sides away early in the season.
Talent wise you might be as good as us but as a cohesive team we’re miles better.
Even with those two you weren’t creating as many chances as City and Liverpool do against low block sides?
You think you would get to 92+ points with James and Chilwell?
You never know in cup football of course as an average Chelsea showed in 2012 but even if you knock out Atletico I can't see any way you get past Liverpool or Man. City over two legs (would be tighter v Chelsea but would still have them favourites) and Bayern Munich and Real Madrid should have enough to get past you aswell.
Would say PSG aswell but you seem to have a bit of a mental hold over them in CL (at least at Parc de Princes) so that's probably your best chance of a shock if they knock Real Madrid out.
So would take a very kind draw to get you to final.
So what places are for Europa and Conference league after CL?
Top 4 is in the bin, but we can at least still try.
Next 2 fixtures are tough, but we need 6 points!
Next 2 fixtures are tough, but we need 6 points!
I think that your team is more talented than the united team too.
Your keeper is better , your CBs are better , your wingbacks are better , your CM options are better and although tight I would probably take your attacking options over Uniteds too.
Add the fact that your manager is better and I don't think that it's a ridiculous claim that your side would be closer.
I also agree that if your full back options had been fit you probably would be closer to Liverpool at least, you were better than them at Anfield before you went down to 10 and if you had have had James and Chilwell in January you probably would have won that game.
Even ignoring all the other games where you missed out on your fullbacks those 2 alone would have put you neck and neck with a game in hand.
I thought one of your main issues was a lack of goals from the likes of Lukaku and Werner. City don’t have a goal scorer but spread goals throughout their attacking players, and we have the top three goal scorers in the league. Chelsea don’t seem to have either of those?
Theyve been claiming their better than us for years but all they have to show for it is a higher place in the league and no trophies. If we aren’t winning the league I don’t care whether we finish 2nd or 4th. They were so incredibly lucky last year saving points after falling behind. Now that luck has ended they are where they deserve to be.
It was only the beginning of this season they said their squad is better than ours and they would be right up there at the end of the season. Now they can only name 3 players they want to keep.
United are at a really low point right now, but the league table doesn't lie. You won the CL fair enough, but yet no one outside Chelsea would agree that you were the best team in Europe, you just hit form at the right time. The super cup that you won was on penalties against the same team that United lost it on penalties to. As bad as United are, they would have won the CWC, Chelsea were unimpressive while winning it. Even the league cup that you got to the final, you seem to have forgotten that you won the first two rounds on penalties, perhaps it was your luck running out that made you lose the final.
No, if we go with a suicidal press like yesterday. We will be put to knife.
We can still get top 4. Arsenal aren't that great.
I have no dog in the fight so I can say from a neutral perspective that at this moment in time it's not even close.
City are still probably the best team with Liverpool a very close second with the Diaz signing and Chelsea lagging a little behind due to their striking options.
United right now are an absolute mess and probably in need of a full rebuild which is shocking considering the optimism of last summer.
De Gea is fine for a low block team that doesn't want to play out from the back but if the new manager wants a highline or build up from the back he is in trouble.
The fullbacks aren't good enough for a top club full stop, Shaw shows flashes but doesn't have the mentality to do it consistently.
Of all the CBs the only real world class one is Varane and even then he is injury prone.
CDM is a total joke.
Pogba is probably leaving. (Along with Lingard but I don't think that hurts too much)
Bruno needs a strong manager to tame him so that he does the simple things well and also makes him cut out the playacting.
Realistically VDB and Martial are done at the club.
Elanga has potential.
I think Sancho could be a superstar but he needs the right manager to develop into that , something that Rashford missed out on and is now suffering greatly for it.
Cavani and Ronaldo are too old to build the team around and the one who United were planning to build it around is likely never going to play professional football ever again.
Not to mention all the issues in the dressing room and the fanbase.
If they are top 4 next year then whoever came in over the summer is worth his weight in gold.
I don't understand the point of this. It is always one game at a time for Arteta. In the end if the team is good enough then he will get 4th place. If not then so be it.
If we had Sagna and Rosicky not getting injured in Jan 2008 we would've won 2007-08 by a canter
I don't agree that you'd be up there with Liverpool or City. It is yet to be proved that you can reach that level of consistency. In a one off game it is possible for you to pinch a result off of them though.
I see Chelsea as a well organised, functional team. A tough nut to crack. Perhaps next season you guys will change my mind.
As for United, we have some talented players, but many of them don't seem capable of doing it year in year out. There is always hope that a new manager, with time, good recruitment and planning can make us more cohesive, but that all remains to be seen.
Let me say it again because I know no one is taking it seriously but Arsenal are gonna drop points from this points onwards quite regularly. I’m not saying that out of hope or optimism or not liking arsenal, I’m saying that because right now they are getting points due to multiple reasons and them punching way above their weight combined with a touch of luck. They are doing fantastically well at the moment but I can still see the flaws in their game many can’t and after looking at the remaining fixtures I’m convinced they gonna drop like flies starting from Leicester and pool.
Its not a shot in the dark it’s fairly calculated to come to this prediction. If I’m wrong quote me and mock me all you want if I’m right just bow down to my superior football knowledge. Fair game ?
Its not a shot in the dark it’s fairly calculated to come to this prediction. If I’m wrong quote me and mock me all you want if I’m right just bow down to my superior football knowledge. Fair game ?
Last edited:
Get off the fence and just tell us if Arsenal are going to drop points here on.
I know mate I have posted the same shit multiple times so that everyone hears it
.Now that you have quoted me I’m at peace knowing fully well that it’s noted and duly acknowledged. Just repeating myself over and over again either to get mocked out of oblivion from posters like you or to get the rewards of gloating non stop on caf. I’m that sure. Let’s see then.I know mate I have posted the same shit multiple times so that everyone hears it
I quoted you earlier as well. Of course Arsenal will drop points, they aren't a good enough team not to, but neither are Utd & Spurs.
Do you think they are capable of winning 6 games out of 13?
Arsenal are getting 4th comfortably. They have 3 more games to go than us, and you can virtually remove at least one game from our calendar as well (Liverpool away) as we won't get a single point there - probably won't win against Chelsea either. So virtually we are 1 point behind them with 4 games less to play, with only 9 to go for us.
As things stand the top 4 get CL, there is a EL place for the FA cup winners and 5th place in the league and almost certainly ( because Liverpool won the CCup ) EL conference place goes to the team finishing sixth.
But and a big but.
West Ham are still in the EL and Leicester are in the EL Conference still.
Allfour of the English CL teams are still in with a chance of winning and getting back into the competition as a consequence.
It seems that winning the EL conference( which I think Leicester have a good chance of doing) gives you a EL place next season and winning the EL will give you a place in the CL
Put all that together and the answer to your question is …. pass !
To be honest. People have been assuming we will drop silly points for a while and it hasn't come to fruition. We are on a four game winning streak and lost only once this calendar year and that was to City who were lucky. That home performance against City ignited something in this Arsenal team.
I keep hearing from United fans how you have so much quality. Bruno and Ronaldo keep getting highlighted as these amazing players who will guide Man United home. But I dont think Ronaldo cares about finishing 4th, where as our young players many of which have not played in the CL are eager to finish 4th.
No one is appreciating the week to week quality of Martinelli, Saka, ESR and Odegaard. We keep being underrated and looked over. Even though we have played ourselves into a commanding position the pundit class still prefer United, and for some reason, Spurs, over Arsenal in the race for 4th.
You say we will drop points against both Leicester and Liverpool. Well we may, but with the way we are playing it wouldn't surprise me if beat Leicester (winning at home to Liescter wouldn't be a surprise), but Im backing ourselves to throw a spanner in Liverpool's season and get the home win. Were playing with confidence and winning week to week. Sure we will drop points, but will it be as many as you think? And to make another point. whilst Arsenal may drop points, what makes Tottenham and United fans think they can take advantage? I have always felt 4th would be a dog fight, but the last months run of results by United and Spurs have got me thinking we could pull away and get closer to Chelsea, than united and Spurs are to Arsenal.
Naturally im hoping for a draw between you and Spurs this week. But I think the loser of this match is out the race for 4th as its one thing to have one team to catch, but two teams is too much
Good post.
There are a couple of things you say that do have answers however.
1. Arsenal get underrated due to how you've performed over the last ten and especially five years'. Saying no one appreciates your form/players in largely down to this as you've bottled a lot of games consistently in that time.
2. Catching Chelsea, or getting near them is an ask. For instance, the next two games for both Clubs are; Chelsea, Norwich and Newcastle; Arsenal, Leicester and the Dippers. On top of this Chelsea still have a lot of games against the weakest teams in the league. This is also before we touch on how the Dippers have torn you apart consistently for years now.
That said, there is a good degree of truth to your post. Arsenal are in a good position and your form is very good. If you do beat Leicester and then, let's say get a draw against the Dippers', whilst Utd and Spurs draw, then the debate for 4th place will swing heavily to Arsenal as you'll be in quite a commanding position. Not enough to catch Chelsea, but that position should make it one where only a collapse would prevent you from 4th.
Personally, I have you down for 1 point from your next six. This however, is to do with your recent history, rather than your current form.