The Manchester Title Race

expected United to win last night...and they did. I expect us to win our next 3 matches anyway. Everton is always tough and Rooney never plays/plays well against them. I love when we're in the frame of mind at this stage of the season. Fergie has them like the Borg year after year....one mind, one purpose, relentless.

The talk of this player or that, its Fergie who elevates the club above the norm and I dont look forward to the day when he goes.

No20 is within our grasp now. God, I love winning.
 
For all of use that lived through the 26 baron years and watched Liverpool win so much the last 20 years have been amazing. I would have been happy with one title let alone thirteen.
 
Liverpool are finishing their equivalent of our 1989 season. 22 glorious years. They're about to have their worst finish ever behind United (curr 34pts). Theyre closer to relegation than the top.....what are the chances? I i love talking to Liverpool fans...they barely have the wherewithal to whinge anymore.
 
Pexbo said:
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Quick update on this list of fixtures:

City:
Swansea 1 - 0 City
City 2 - 1 Chelsea
Stoke 1 - 1 City
City 3 - 3 Sunderland

FORM: LWDD
For: 6 Against: 6
Points: 5/12

United:
Tottenham - 1 - 3 United
United 2 - 0 WBA
United 5 - 0 Wolves
United 1 - 0 Fulham

FORM: WWWW
For: 11 Against: 1
Points 12/12


To Play:

City
7 Games.
3 Against the Top 5.
4 Against Bottom Half of the Table.
3 Home 4 Away.

United
8 Games
1 Against Top 5.
4 Against Bottom Half of the Table.
4 Home 4 Away
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bump
 
mjs020294 said:
For all of use that lived through the 26 baron years and watched Liverpool win so much the last 20 years have been amazing. I would have been happy with one title let alone thirteen.
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Tell me about it. Basically this entire league is screwed until SAF retires. Who knows when it will end?

I think seeing Liverpool so far off makes it even sweeter. They may never ever get close to us again once SAF decides its over.
 
I'm more relaxed this year. +5 with 7 games to go, not to mention the run in fixture are in our favour (fingers crossed)

It's ours to lose, that much we can safely say.

Let's jsut focus and win this , there's no CL/Europa cup, we can go all out in the league
 
A loss (City?) and a draw and City are back.

My grape juice is still in store...
 
We're firmly in the driving seat now. Let's get the win on Sunday and go 8 points clear.

City then play away at Arsenal later that day, the pressure on them will be immense and I'm not sure they'll handle it. They've lost one and drawn two of their last four matches.

They've still to play away at Arsenal, Norwich and Wolves before the derby.
 
Brilliant performance last night, very happy to have been in the Darwin End with our magnificent away support. The fans stayed with the team all the way despite the frustration. Patience and perseverance from the players, unconditional total support from the fans. Never any sign of panic, United just carried on playing, moving a determined Rovers side about the pitch until they could move no more. Valencia must have delivered 30+ crosses and none of them fell our way until he lashed that one in with ten minutes left. The Darwin End erupted, it was like being on the Stretford End terraces in the 70's again!

I hope Blackburn stay up, not only because they deserve to but because it's such a great away trip despite the mixed results we've had there over the years. 7 to 8 thousand Reds singing their hearts out for the boys. Brilliant night, brilliant result.

But as Sultan says, there are no chickens to count yet. On to QPR.
 
City will never in a million years win at Arsenal, Newcastle, Wolves and Norwich away. Never. I think they'll get 7 points at most from those. Which means we're afforded a draw and a loss in our next four matches and still be 5 in front when Derby Day arrives.

I can see us win every game until the derby now. This and the Fulham-matches were my biggest banana skin-fears, and we've just about passed the exam.

What a fecking time to find our relentless defensive solidity, though.
 
The thing in our favour, and I've said this all along, is that our players are 'United'. They want to play for each other, they want to play for the manager and above all they want to play for Manchester United. The history and feeling of privalige give them that extra impetus to fight out every game until we win the trophy.

It's easy to rack up the wins early in the season as City did - it was always going to happen with the sheer scale of money they spent. But when it came around to the part of the season where they really had to dig out the wins, for the team, for each other, for the joke that Manchester City has become, the easy buck, the cash cow....well those mercenaries just don't have the desire to fight it out. Because they know they will get paid whatever happens, no matter how much they take the piss.... and should they want to they can always leave at some point for a proper club, when they've amassed a small personal fortune and their fancy takes them.
 
Crustanoid said:
The thing in our favour, and I've said this all along, is that our players are 'United'. They want to play for each other, they want to play for the manager and above all they want to play for Manchester United. The history and feeling of privalige give them that extra impetus to fight out every game until we win the trophy.

It's easy to rack up the wins early in the season as City did - it was always going to happen with the sheer scale of money they spent. But when it came around to the part of the season where they really had to dig out the wins, for the team, for each other, for the joke that Manchester City has become, the easy buck, the cash cow....well those mercenaries just don't have the desire to fight it out. Because they know they will get paid whatever happens, no matter how much they take the piss.... and should they want to they can always leave at some point for a proper club, when they've amassed a small personal fortune and their fancy takes them.
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Well said.
 
Win the next four fixtures and I think we'll wrap it up with a draw at the Etihad. One by one I'm very confident we can do this, we really couldn't ask for much more than QPR, Wigan, a struggling and very young Villa side and (a strong) Everton team, albeit at home. We have done brilliantly well to be in this situation now and there is not enough praise we can dish out to the players, the staff and above all, of course, Fergie.

Roll on QPR next. If we beat them City will have a mountain to climb at the Emirates later that day.
 
Form Between Manchester Clubs:

City
WWWWD WWWWW WWDWL

WWDLW WWLWW WWLWD

D


United
WWWWW DWDLW WWDWW

WWWLL WWWDW WWWWW

W



City
D @ Fulham
D @ Liverpool
L @ Chelsea
D @ WBA
L @ Sunderland
L @ Everton
L @ Swansea
D @ Stoke
D v Sunderland

22 dropped points, or about 2 points ever 3 games.


United
D @ Stoke
D @ Liverpool
L v City
D v Newcastle
L v Blackburn
L @ Newcastle
D @ Chelsea

17 dropped points, or about 2 points every 4 games.
 
You're making way too much out if this Everton side, it really isn't that scary fixture. We've beaten them at Old Trafford consistently for the past few years if I remember correctly and they aren't any better than they used to be. They've had a good run recently but their most impressive results came at home, remember that they lost 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield not so long ago.

Sunderland is our toughest fixture outside of the Etihad game and I hope it will be meaningless.
 
Sarni said:
You're making way too much out if this Everton side, it really isn't that scary fixture. We've beaten them at Old Trafford consistently for the past few years if I remember correctly and they aren't any better than they used to be. They've had a good run recently but their most impressive results came at home, remember that they lost 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield not so long ago.
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ya and hopefully theyl have one eye on the cup final :D
 
Nah, it'll be nearly a month before cup final even if they beat Liverpool which is very doubtful seeing as they nearly always lose that fixture.
 
Sultan said:
A loss (City?) and a draw and City are back.

My grape juice is still in store...
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Stop being such a cautious pessimist. Drink freely from the fountain my friend!

SAF will ensure our focus remains til the end. In fact we don't even need SAF: Giggs, Scholes, Rio, Carrick, Evra and Rooney have enough experience between them to keep the dressing room in check and fired up.

In fact, I can see this huge cushion we have built for ourselves really relax the squad now and for us to play some belting football and mete out some severe hammerings. We can play with more freedom in the knowledge that City will drop more points whilst our confidence his sky high.

I wrote before that I expect us to win our last 9 games. I remain with that predication. And that could be wonderful as we would beat Chavski's 95 points record in one season.
 
kf said:
But as Sultan says, there are no chickens to count yet. On to QPR.
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Nah, I just counted 20. We are Champions elect.

Enjoy the run in freely now and apprecatite this season for what it was .... a most remarkable achievement.
 
sammsky1 said:
Stop bing such a cautious pessimist. Drink freely from the fountain my friend!

SAF will ensure our focus remains til the end. In fact we don't even need SAF: Giggs, Scholes, Rio, Carrick, Evra and Rooney have enough experience between them to keep the dressing room in check and fired up.

In fact, I can see this huge cushion we have built for ourselves really relax the squad now and for us to play some belting football and mete out some severe hammerings. We can play with more freedom in the knowledge that City will drop more points whilst our confidence his sky high.

I wrote before that I expect us to win our last 9 games. I remain with that predication. And that could be wonderful as we would beat Chavski's 95 points record in one season.
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I'm being a realist.

Although we're in a great position, I've seen us falter before from very good positions. I also find United are at best when they're focused, and under pressure.
 
Long way to go yet, next 4 games are huge, we have 3 at home and City have 3 away.
 
Lovely to see City cracking up, as predicted by so many of us.

It wont happen again next season, I doubt. Assuming we do go on and win this one, theyll have the experience of being in a title race next season and itll make them more dangerous.

Though if they decide to sack Mancini, replace most of their forward line and splash out on a load of other expensive new players, perhaps they will end up back at square one.
 
Sultan said:
I'm being a realist.

Although we're in a great position, I've seen us falter before from very good positions. I also find United are at best when they're focused, and under pressure.
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That was 1990/91!!!

I don't think we have ever lost the league in such a position. When Arsenal, Blackburn, and Chelsea have won the odd title in the last 21 years, we were never in pole position like we are now.

In fact, since SAFs first PL win, at this stage of the season, I can't remember when we have not finished off the job. Can you give me an example except 1990/91 when injuries and inexperience saw us lose the title as if by magic in the last 5 games.
 
There's little reason not to be optimistic at this stage. City still have Arsenal, Norwich, and Newcastle away and us to deal with. The biggest factor is that our squad have been here before and know how to handle the pressure. City crucially lack this.
 
sammsky1 said:
Nah, I just counted 20. We are Champions elect.

Enjoy the run in freely now and apprecatite this season for what it was .... a most remarkable achievement.
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You counted 20 eggs maybe. They're not hatched yet... five points with seven to play is a lead easily thrown away and we've already seen plenty complacent performances this season. It's not even close to being over.
 
sammsky1 said:
I wrote before that I expect us to win our last 9 games. I remain with that predication. And that could be wonderful as we would beat Chavski's 95 points record in one season.
Click to expand...

I guarantee that if we're named champions before or immediately after the derby we wont win both our remaining 2 fixtures at home to Swansea and away to Sunderland (both games would be tough enough as it is even if there was anything riding on it)
 
mjs020294 said:
I think we will have it wrapped up, ten points clear. They'll lose to Arsenal, and draw one more away game, and United will win their four games.
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thought about that...

felt it would be too optimistic.

Lets just say I would be shocked if we dont win it now.

The confidence I have is the manager and the team are so focused. Yesterday's game was the perfect example of the mind set.

No panicing. They kept at it until Blackburn cracked.

Thats how we will do it.
 
Though it is unlikely, if we had won the league by the time we play at Eastlands, do you think there is any chance they would do a Guard of Honour?

Seems unlikely. Would be nice to see though. Would surely get some of those City tear ducts working.
 
Simon Adebesi said:
Though it is unlikely, if we had won the league by the time we play at Eastlands, do you think there is any chance they would do a Guard of Honour?

Seems unlikely. Would be nice to see though. Would surely get some of those City tear ducts working.
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Mancini does have class. So it is not beyond the possibility.

But the owners and fans will not tolerate it.

So they wont give it. No matter really.

We will celebrate like crazy at Old Trafford.
 
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