Top 4 Race 19/20 | duffer: "We [Chelsea] are getting 3rd. Despite what the lunatics in here think, Man United are not all that."

WeePat said:
Context matters. Chelsea performing to the same level as last season with a rookie manager, having lost Hazard and serving a transfer ban is incredibly commendable.

Also, as a general exercise, comparing results to the same teams last season ignoring the context those games were played in is pretty flawed.
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Go on?

Oh and no reason to be so salty when I said nothing negative about your beloved
 


FiveThirtyEight like Chelsea and see something in United from performances this year. Their model suggests 60 points could get top four this year.
 
Liverpool, City and Chelsea are a cert. United wont be in it (with Ole not to be sacked for quite some time). Spurs and Arsenal look average at the moment as well. If Leicester can keep going...
 
I think the current top four will pull away as they seem to have a plan of what they are doing.
 
Great chance for Leicester you'd have to say.

They're pretty good at getting wins in games you expect them to, won away to Sheffield and won home games v Newcastle, Burnley and Bournemouth.

Also took 4 points off Chelsea and Spurs so I'd say if they can avoid injuries to the obvious big players I can see them finishing in the top 4.
 
Based on what I’ve seen so far, Liverpool, City, Leicester & Chelsea is my early top 4 prediction. Arsenal, Spurs & Utd are not good enough.
 
Can see Leicester 3rd if they keep their big players fit for majority of games.
 
Leicester have been one of the league's form teams going back to last season.

Still seems a real mixed bag behind City and Pool though. I don't have much confidence to pick two teams out of Chelsea Arsenal Spurs and have some doubts about Leicester towards the end of the season.

We saw last year a real poor bunch throwing away their chances in the second half of the season. Will be interesting to see if Leicester can keep this up and chisel out a solid third place while the rabble behind play musical chairs for fourth place.

Hard to see United taking part but perhaps a strong second half with some good Jan signings, players slowly coming together and playing for Ole or dare I say another new manager bounce.
 
Shaping up. The top 4 are relatively close to each other with almost 10 point gap between the 4th and 5th place, depending on the result tomorrow.
 
At the Moment I see Leicester in 3rd at the end of the season.
 
RedRonaldo said:
Are we back in?

Yes I think we are!
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I'm sceptical. We're 5 points off Chelsea in 4th but also 5 points above Newcastle in 11th. We're as close to top 4 as we are to the bottom half.

I don't think we're finishing in the bottom half and I don't think we're getting top 4.
 
We win tomorrow and we’re only two points away from top 4! We’re definitely back in it! I would love it if we broke into the top 4 by the start of the new year!
 
Even if we break in it by Christmas. We are playing 4 away games in 14 days and looking at our terrible away record this season I am not getting carried away.
 
Man. United going to be 4th very soon, very odd season so far. Reminds me a little of 14/15 when you had a terrible start and then improved a bit mid season but never looked wholly convincing.
 
Redplane said:
What a weird fkin season this is turning out to be.
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Is it though? Don't forget we were no where near the Top 4 when Ole came in last season and then he got us into it (and then swiftly out of it again)

Far too many inconsistencies for everyone outside of Liverpool for anyone to feel secure in their league position

I still doubt a top 4 finish will happen but we've never been out of it either
 
FootballHQ said:
Man. United going to be 4th very soon, very odd season so far. Reminds me a little of 14/15 when you had a terrible start and then improved a bit mid season but never looked wholly convincing.
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Nah I think this is completely different. Completely.
 
FootballHQ said:
Man. United going to be 4th very soon, very odd season so far. Reminds me a little of 14/15 when you had a terrible start and then improved a bit mid season but never looked wholly convincing.
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Define wholly convincing? Because in 14/15 we had some great performances as has been the case this season as well
 
charlenefan said:
Define wholly convincing? Because in 14/15 we had some great performances as has been the case this season as well
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You got hot mid season as from memory RVP had a last hurrah with a nice scoring run. That pretty much got you top 4.

After January you had stuff like 3-0 v Spurs, 4-2 v Man. City and the 2-1 at Anfield which were obviously terrific performances but also had 1-0 loss at home to Southampton, 2-1 loss at Swansea, 3-0 defeat at Everton, 1-0 defeat at home to West Brom.

Actually finished that season with one win in last six games which surprised me so a little like the run in last year.
 
charlenefan said:
Is it though? Don't forget we were no where near the Top 4 when Ole came in last season and then he got us into it (and then swiftly out of it again)

Far too many inconsistencies for everyone outside of Liverpool for anyone to feel secure in their league position

I still doubt a top 4 finish will happen but we've never been out of it either
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It's wierd in that Chelsea were looking very good, scoring goals for fun with Pulisic in great form and they then lose 3 out of 4. Could understand it if they hit a fixture list of Spurs, Arsenal, Man. City all in a row but they've lost to three teams who've had the worst form in the league (Norwich have been in better form than likes of Everton and West Ham recently).

But you have to take the chance when teams above hit some issues and certainly home games v likes of Everton and Newcastle are very winnable for Man. United. Watford away aswell. 7 points from those 3 and you'll be in top 4 for new years.
 
I Am Zlatan said:
We win tomorrow and we’re only two points away from top 4! We’re definitely back in it! I would love it if we broke into the top 4 by the start of the new year!
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It's actually nice to look forward to a league game which actually means something. Not had this feeling for ages.
 
For once, I actually hope we take advantage of one of the teams above us dropping points.

Seen it far too often when teams above us drop points and it presents a perfect opportunity for us to either close the gap or leapfrog them in the table, we end up dropping points ourselves as well.

Hopefully that changes tomorrow!
 
RedDevilRoshi said:
For once, I actually hope we take advantage of one of the teams above us dropping points.

Seen it far too often when teams above us drop points and it presents a perfect opportunity for us to either close the gap or leapfrog them in the table, we end up dropping points ourselves as well.
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It’s ever been thus.
 
Been debating with people on here for like a year now about the way this race goes. People keep talking about rivals when it comes to player targets and saying how ‘they can offer CL football’ and I always maintain that no PL team can guarantee CL football beyond the next season when they sign a player. Be that City, Liverpool, United or anyone else.

Personally, I think we can finish above City this season. At elite level sport, you drop 5-10% you are in big trouble. Especially in this competitive league. For me, I have my doubts as to how they will react when, inevitably, mid season they find themselves changing their scope from a title race to a CL race. That wasn’t the target, and I predict some of the fire, hunger, intensity or whatever will go when they find so much of the season left and no realistic prospect of fighting for the title (if that is what happens).

With us, approaching from the outside, it is different. The closer we get to the top 4, the more galvanised we are likely to be. This is because this was our original goal, and if I’m touching distance, it will motivate us. City dropping to 4th or something is the opposite, them getting further from their goal. Not easy to motivate and go again mid season, not without a change of manager.

If we can cut the gap between us and them to like 5 points by New Year, I’d back us to finish ahead of them.
 
Our result was a reality check, we not in the title race, but we have to remember we fighting for CL spot. Spurs hitting very good form and will probably get in, you guys, it depends if you can become consistent against the weaker teams.

We can drop to a 1.5 points per game average and should still be top 4. Mid table form.
 
Fox_Chrys said:
Our result was a reality check, we not in the title race, but we have to remember we fighting for CL spot. Spurs hitting very good form and will probably get in, you guys, it depends if you can become consistent against the weaker teams.
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Spurs in very good form and yet we're the after thought in your mind?
 
Not a great result for United today but Chelsea play Spurs next. if Spurs win that and we beat Watford then it's really getting tight (a point or two difference i think). I expect Wolves to get some points too.
 
Spurs will make it at a canter, simply because they have extra goalscoring ability.
 
A lot depends on January, and Pogba. Pogba needs to stay for for the who second half of the season, and we need to sign both Haaland and someone in midfield. Those 2 signings and Pogba back would give us a huge chance to push on in the Europa League and the league.
 
Chelsea are In 4th with 29 points from 17 games. That’s such a pathetic points total. The team who end up 4th are gonna have a similar points tally to Eveton in 2005.
 
If we win more often than not against the lesser teams, we will get top 4. Nothing indicates that it will change though.

I can't stand another season of watching us in the Europa league though.
 
This is an unbelievable season. So if you putting Man Utd in top 4 race, please Sheff Utd, Wolves, Arsenal, Palace. Most teams are struggling when its pressure time, so I expect the at least few of the lesser teams listed to do well and be in the Top 4 race in latter season....
 
It's like last season never ended when you think hardly anyone was winning in the run in, Chelsea finished 3rd with one win in final six games I think.

Spurs probably favourites now but they've got a tough run of home games in second half of the season so wouldn't expect them to win all those games. Winning like they did at Wolves will give them loads more confidence than just putting 3 or 4 past Burnley or Bournemouth.
 
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