Chelsea and Manutd, if they end up outside top 4 then its a failure. No amount of mental gymnastics to play down the expectations will change that.
Top 4 Race 19/20 | duffer: "We [Chelsea] are getting 3rd. Despite what the lunatics in here think, Man United are not all that."
- Thread starter Andy_Cole
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Chelsea and Manutd, if they end up outside top 4 then its a failure. No amount of mental gymnastics to play down the expectations will change that.
People really need to calm down! It's one game. When you're playing so many games in such short duration of time, there would be off days due to fatigue creeping in. We're still having easier fixtures than Chelsea and Leicester, and should ideally be finishing in top 4.
There were some positives yesterday as well. In the first 15-20 minutes, when we were put under pressure, we managed to get good chances - Martial 1 v 1 , the Rashford offside goal- which makes me cautiously optimistic about our future. Add to that, the goals we conceded yesterday were due to a brainfart moment, and the second one due to us being down to ten. We managed to retain our defensive shape despite the pressure we were put under.
There were some positives yesterday as well. In the first 15-20 minutes, when we were put under pressure, we managed to get good chances - Martial 1 v 1 , the Rashford offside goal- which makes me cautiously optimistic about our future. Add to that, the goals we conceded yesterday were due to a brainfart moment, and the second one due to us being down to ten. We managed to retain our defensive shape despite the pressure we were put under.
Massively so at this point. But most of us went into the season with low expectations expecting to lose our manager by christmas potentially, not finish in the top 4, things didn't look great. That was then. Now of course its a massive failure of disappointment to not finish to be honest 3rd with how its gone since lockdown, thats where we should be looking to end up.
Lmfao stop the bullshit.
We lost our best player who carried the team last season had a novice manager and a transfer ban.
Difference is we actually werent you only have to visit the opening day thread from the 4 0 game to see what the view on the respected teams were.
No my team is worse, no actually my team is worse.
People forget the fact it was a gamble to rely on Martial and Rashford at start of the season with only a 17yo Greenwood as back up. We invested heavily in the defence as a foundation but left ourselves short in midfield and attacking positions - and look at how many games we have drawn against the smaller clubs.
This season was a transition. Will be gutting to miss out on top 4 now but it was expected to be tough.
We have good fixtures compared to Chelsea and Leicester. If they still end up in top 4 then fair play, they deserve it.
Leicester will be without 3 of their best defenders (Soyuncu, Pereira, Chilwell) and also Maddison is a doubt. They will play against Sheffield United, Spurs and ManUtd. That's very hard fixtures, especially with added pressure.
Chelsea have Norwich, Liverpool and Wolves. They will win against Norwich, other 2 are tough ones, especially if Wolves in their next 2 games, they will have so much to play for against Chelsea.
Can see them dropping points in at least one of the 3 games, if not more.
Leicester will be without 3 of their best defenders (Soyuncu, Pereira, Chilwell) and also Maddison is a doubt. They will play against Sheffield United, Spurs and ManUtd. That's very hard fixtures, especially with added pressure.
Chelsea have Norwich, Liverpool and Wolves. They will win against Norwich, other 2 are tough ones, especially if Wolves in their next 2 games, they will have so much to play for against Chelsea.
Can see them dropping points in at least one of the 3 games, if not more.
Seems our teams have the same mindset when it comes to taking the initiative and finishing fourth.
After you.
Your best players were still Kante Pedro Willian Kovacic Jorginho Azpilicueta Alonso Giroud.
Man Uniteds best were Maguire, Lukaku, Pogba (who didn’t want to be here), Rashford, Martial.
No one knew if Rashford and Martial could step up, Pogba didn’t want to be here. Lukaku was overweight.
It’s funny how much Chelsea fans kid themselves because Lampard is the manager. Gets so much leeway its crazy.
Just because we beat you 4-0 doesn’t mean we had a better team. You must think Sheffield are better than Chelsea then? The fact is Lampard and the coaching staff clearly cant coach your defence, nothing to do with a better squad.
don't suppose you would be kind enough to hold the door open for us again tonight would you?Didn't know CAF set the expectations for every club. Chelsea were in driving seat and looked comfortable for top 4 position, just like Leicester. Not finishing in top 4 is a failure.
If you go by same caf members, people expected us to be in relegation dog fight too.
I've no doubt our rivals will drop points, its pretty much guaranteed with the way they've been playing and their fixtures, its not about them at this point, its all about us now, getting the job done on our end.
Hopefully at least one of kova or kante returns and giroud must start.
Even we shouldnt be able to feck up to norwich.
Fine go check what all the pundits were saying.
Im not talking throughout the season im talking expectations prior.
I agree we should be finishing top 4 with the postion we have ourselves in.
I am absolutely certain that we will end up in top 4, Leicester and Chelsea dropping points is inevitable. I would have liked if we would have beat Saints and went ahead of the other two, but it's ok. Games are coming thick and fast and it's only natural that players feel tired at some point, especially after the fact that there was no football for so long.
We will end up in top 4, it's not a matter of if but when.
We will end up in top 4, it's not a matter of if but when.
I doubt it. The financial hit to the club if we miss CL football for a second consecutive season for the first time ever, will be significant. Couple that with the economic fallout from COVID-19, and our transfer budgets are likely to be squeezed for the next few windows at least. We desperately need CL football next year.
It's obviously a huge disappointment last night but we can still do this guys. Got to believe.
And don't forget we still have our get of jail Europa League card to play so we still have reasons to be positive.
No more slip ups now though. We have to beat Palace and Westham now to take it to the final day. Let's hope Leicester n Chelsea have another wobble themselves.
And don't forget we still have our get of jail Europa League card to play so we still have reasons to be positive.
No more slip ups now though. We have to beat Palace and Westham now to take it to the final day. Let's hope Leicester n Chelsea have another wobble themselves.
Why should I check what Pundits are saying, what was Chelsea fans expectation in their main forum?
What was the expectation when you were around 9 points ahead of 5th placed team and went on a winning run?
I don't understand why fans try so hard to play down the expectations. fecking hell Lampard took over the team that finished 3rd and won Europa league. Yes you lost Hazard but you signed Pulisic. You also had players like Tammy, Mount, Reece James, Tomori returning from successful loan deals.
I didn't think you would finish in top 4 but that's because I didn't know how good these players returning from loan are or how well Pulisic would settle in PL. With how things went in first half of the season or during that winning run, or how comfortable it looked for you and leicester, it would be failure not to finish in top 4. Same for ManUtd too.
Only big team for whom outside top 4 is not a failure is Arsenal. For rest all + Leicester it's a failure. Doesn't mean they all have to sack managers, obviously there are so many positives to build for next season.
I think our only chance is winning the next two games and hoping Leicester drop points in both of theirs. If we have to get any sort of result at Leicester, even a draw, we'll shit the bed and fold a la West Ham away 2016.
But of course if Leicester drop points against Sheffield, then we'll almost certainly fail at Palace... so it's tough.
Bookies give us around an 75% chance of top 4 which looks very optimistic to me.
For reference they gave us a 58% chance of beating both Villa and Southampton which many here seemed to see as a certainty.
For reference they gave us a 58% chance of beating both Villa and Southampton which many here seemed to see as a certainty.
I'm still confident that if we beat Palace and West Ham, we'll go into the leicester game either confirmed top 4 or only needing a draw to confirm it. Last nights result was disappointing, but the result wasn't that bad. The boys need to show a reaction now and hopefully the disappointment of that late equaliser will push them on.
I do think the game showed how thin our squad is though and it's why we absolutely still need 4-5 quality players, to be able to come on and make a difference if we need to change it.
I do think the game showed how thin our squad is though and it's why we absolutely still need 4-5 quality players, to be able to come on and make a difference if we need to change it.
Again. This discussion was about expectations before the season started.
Like i said with how the seasons gone and the situation weve put ourselves in i would be disappointed bitterly if we missed out. But that doesnt negate the fact pre season i along with most chelsea fans gave lampard a free pass and didnt even consider top 4 a possibility.
Players having good season in the championship means they are players good enough finishing in a cl place now ?
Hazard contributed to almost half the clubs goals last season. Lets not understate the player we lost.
Well you are pointing out the expectation on caf, what about the expectations from Chelsea fans in their forum?
The likes of Robbie Savage and Paul Merson might have had us finishing top four (bet they didn't) but the majority of level headed fans on here and most places were in no way confident of a top 4 finish.
But now we obviously should be finishing top 4, finishing below that Leicester side who stopped looking decent in October and a Chelsea team who have somehow stayed so high for so long while looking just average would be tragic.
But now we obviously should be finishing top 4, finishing below that Leicester side who stopped looking decent in October and a Chelsea team who have somehow stayed so high for so long while looking just average would be tragic.
This season was a free hit for frank. That was the majority expectation at the start of the season from chelsea fans. Whether thats the same now with the position we have ourseleves in may not be the case.
There was a poll on Shedend at the start of the season, 212 voted and 106 had us at 5th or lower. So pretty much 50/50 on getting top 4.
Always gotta take those things with a pinch of salt as you get idiots like me voting to win the league for "lols".
On here you had people predicting Man United to win the league, I doubt they really meant it.
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/predict-the-top-6-in-order.449619/
I just rechecked the table to see if Im missing something. I get we didnt play well but its like the end of the world around United fans today. We're still in it right? Southampton played well. The same Southampton that did City a couple of games back. Its not over yet. We can still do this.
Thanks, this is what I was looking for. Fair enough if Chelsea fans gave Lampard a free hit, but with the position you and Leicester were in, you should be in comfortable top 4 position by now.
Like I said, for all 3 teams plenty of positives to build for next season.
Of course we can do it. More worrying than the result was how knackered some of the first XI looked last night - given that they have to play four games in nine days, this does somewhat undermine confidence in our ability to secure the necessary results.
woke up pissed off. I know we're still in with a chance, but so annoying.
So many people put Everton in the top 6. Blows my mind.
Correct. The Meltdown on here is as if we no longer have any chance . Ridiculous, the lads looked a little fatigued against a pretty good side and we had plenty of chances to finish that game off. Leicester and Chelsea are struggling with form so no way theyare both getting a max 9 points from Remaining fixtures. Even if Leicester beat spurs and Sheffield United they play us in what will essentially feel like a cup final on the last day and even if we completely mess the League up ( which I personally doubt , I think the lads will bounce back) we have the Europa league. We are 18 games unbeaten and that was a small blip. We must change the mindset ,now is the time to rise above .
I’m still fuming about the result last night. How shit we played at the start, followed by two genuinely great goals that seemed to scream an eventual 6-2 win, a non-red card, a ridiculously nervy ending, a serious injury to a crucial back up player and then a 96th minute equaliser. fecking annoying all round.
However, when the dust settles it’s clear that we’ve actually gained a point on both Chelsea and Leicester. If we’d drawn on Friday and they’d lost after it wouldn’t be half as bad.
Top 4 is fully in our hands still, we’ve done incredibly to turn it around and get into the position we are since Jan. We can’t afford to lose the remainder and hopefully there’s a reaction on Thursday (as there was after that awful FA cup game against Norwich).
Leicester and Chelsea have just as much pressure, if not more. Glad there isn’t much of a wait till the next game!
However, when the dust settles it’s clear that we’ve actually gained a point on both Chelsea and Leicester. If we’d drawn on Friday and they’d lost after it wouldn’t be half as bad.
Top 4 is fully in our hands still, we’ve done incredibly to turn it around and get into the position we are since Jan. We can’t afford to lose the remainder and hopefully there’s a reaction on Thursday (as there was after that awful FA cup game against Norwich).
Leicester and Chelsea have just as much pressure, if not more. Glad there isn’t much of a wait till the next game!
This sums up my feelings exactly. It's not all doom and gloom as long as we get the reaction and result on thursday.
A 2-2 draw with Southampton in isolation is disappointing but not a disaster. They're a decent team. Context matters though. Chelsea and Leicester both lost this weekend. This was the slip up United had been waiting for. The good form since the restart put you in the position to capitalise in case that happened, and the reaction is more caused by United's failure to do that.
Your having a laugh saying Chelsea, many on here had them 8th losing Hazard and making no signings. I argued against how important Hazard was on here before the season started. But to claim United were not expected to finish above Chelsea or 4th is completely deluded.
I'd definitely say Chelsea and United are in great positions for next season. Wouldn't be surprised to see Leicester drop off the pace, they've been in a bit of a free fall for a while.
Transfer window will be interesting.
Same, I'm still fuming about last night. Every single time. Christ last night was the chance to go 3rd can you imagine if it was going for the title? That's why I haven't got caught up in the hype around this side yet, they've proved nothing yet
This place is a bit negative as of last night. There's no way Leicester won't drop points and they've got three difficult games coming up. Can easily see them dropping points against Sheffield Utd and Spuds, let alone us.
There are no doubts we will comfortably beat Palace and West Ham. After yesterday, guys will be angry and simply devastate those. So, we will have it in our hands even if the opposition also wins, but it is less likely. Most probably, draw against Leicester will be in our favour already
It's not just about the others now though, the trend we saw last season (and feels like seasons before) every time we have a chance to capitalise we turn to shit just like the others. Yeah Leicester may drop points to Sheffield United but do we trust our players to go and beat Palace? Chelsea may drop points to Liverpool but do we then trust our players to beat West Ham? (Ok I'm slightly more confident about that one)