For calendar year. Though we're doing well now we really need to score more goals as it is likely top four will go down to goal difference and we are well off the pace.
Top 4 race 2016/17
- Thread starter Yorkeontop
- Start date
For calendar year. Though we're doing well now we really need to score more goals as it is likely top four will go down to goal difference and we are well off the pace.
Watford not arsed when 1 down or 2 down. Pulled it back from 4-0 to be 3 behind with 30 seconds to go and suddenly they got the bit between their teeth.
Matchday 20 fixtures
Monday 2nd January 2017
Manchester City V Burnley (15:00)
Sunderland V Liverpool (15:00)
West Ham United V Manchester United (17:15)
Tuesday 3rd January 2017
Bournemouth V Arsenal (19:45)
Wednesday 4th January 2017
Tottenham Hotspur V Chelsea (20:00)
Realistically I can only see us and one of Spurs/Chelsea dropping points. Hope there are surprises in store. Whatever happens, we'll still be in 6th after MD20 unless we score a bucketload and one of Spurs/City get thrashed.
If we want to get into the top 4 we are going to have to do it the hard way. The teams above us wont drop many points to the fodder from 7th place downwards.
You can't see Arsenal dropping points against Bournemouth? I can.
Matchday 20 fixtures
Monday 2nd January 2017
Manchester City V Burnley (15:00)
Sunderland V Liverpool (15:00)
West Ham United V Manchester United (17:15)
Tuesday 3rd January 2017
Bournemouth V Arsenal (19:45)
Wednesday 4th January 2017
Tottenham Hotspur V Chelsea (20:00)
Realistically I can only see us and one of Spurs/Chelsea dropping points. Hope there are surprises in store. Whatever happens, we'll still be in 6th after MD20 unless we score a bucketload and one of Spurs/City get thrashed.
Less than 48 hours to recover so yes, we could drop points. The same thing goes for Liverpool and you though.
Liverpool face a quite bad team though, so I think that they are safer than us and you. Bournemouth and West Ham are quite good teams, that can cause problems for any team when they play at home.
Bournemouth like to play expansive and as a result leave lots of gaps behind which Arsenal will exploit. They are also super efficient at getting the job done vs mid table and bottom feeders and look at their fixtures in January, they'll be much closer to likes of Chelsea by the end than whoever is down in fourth.
We can't do much except win our games, Liverpool game is super important for our season. Can't afford to not get 3 points from it.
We can't do much except win our games, Liverpool game is super important for our season. Can't afford to not get 3 points from it.
Hmm I suppose with Bournemouth having one day more to recover, but last time I watched Bournemouth (against Southampton) they were pretty bad and can see Arsenal having similar success.
I think we have given ourselves too much to do to be honest, we have very little room for error and need to make up ground on multiple teams who don't look like dropping many points. One bad result sets us back weeks and needing to go on another 4-5 game streak.
I'm not too worried though, I think with the form we're showing and the teams left I'm more confident about the Europa League now.
I'm not too worried though, I think with the form we're showing and the teams left I'm more confident about the Europa League now.
Not sure why the consensus is that we're struggling to gain ground on the top 4. Yes, we're only 6th still, but a month ago we were 9 points behind the top 4, we've reduced that gap to 3 points in the space of 5 matches. We've gained 6 points on City, 6 on Arsenal, 3 on Spurs and 2 on Liverpool.The way we've been playing, bar Chelsea, we've been the best team in the league over the 2nd quarter of the season. City are toiling for consistency, Spurs are only Spurs and Arsenal, well they might be experts at getting top 4 but they've never managed it recently without having one or two of their usual top 4 rivals having really poor seasons, and it's not happening this year. I have very few concerns with us not making top 4 if we keep playing the way we are, even if we do drop the odd point here and there.
Can't see Bournemouth getting anything. They're a team that like to play football and aren't solid at the back. Can see Arsenal scoring 3.
Basically, where I'm at. I think our chances of top 4 are as low as 20-30%. While chances of us winning the EL are as high as 60-70%. We've won 5 in a row and barely moved. One slip up, and we'll be needing 3/4/5 results to go our way in consecutive weeks to catch up. Can't see it.
I feel like we've given ourselves a little too much to do, but honestly, we're playing as well as anybody now (bar Chelsea and maybe Liverpool). We've got every chance of finishing the season on about 80 Points which would be enough for Top 4 surely? To do that, we only need to go about two results better in the next 19 League Games when compared with the previous 19.
I just hope that our current form isn't down to us not playing in Europe right now. Need to stay in the running through January, advance in the domestic cups and hope the Europa League doesn't effect our Premier League form too much come February.
Normally, I'm pretty pessimistic, especially given the last few seasons, but I'm quite optimistic we can achieve something this term. We are definitely about as good as City, Arsenal, and Spurs right now.
I just hope that our current form isn't down to us not playing in Europe right now. Need to stay in the running through January, advance in the domestic cups and hope the Europa League doesn't effect our Premier League form too much come February.
Normally, I'm pretty pessimistic, especially given the last few seasons, but I'm quite optimistic we can achieve something this term. We are definitely about as good as City, Arsenal, and Spurs right now.
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I reckon top 4 will end up being us, the dippers, Arsenal and you guys. City look a mess and Spurs are nothing to get excited about.
Arsenal have it easy until February but if you look at their fixtures beyond then they're going to die.
Key is to beat our top 4 rivals. I am only worried about Chelsea home though barring no injuries ofcourse.
Last 10 matches Liverpool have a 7-2-1 record, United 6-4-0. Sorry can't break it down to 9.5 matches
Spurs are hard to beat, I actually think they'll beat Chelsea on Wednesday now as they're in very good form
From a United point of view we could really do with a Chelsea win
It's possible, but our team really seem to hate Spurs with a passion, and Spurs have an absolutely diabolical record against us. About all we can say for sure is its probably going to be a pretty bad tempered match.
I feel Liverpool will lose a couple on the bounce opening up a window for the chasing pack but they will probably finish in the Top 4
I am really worried we may have left ourselves too much to do, we can take a huge number of positives from the season but one slip up and our season is over. I think trying to win the EL is extremely important, we're the best team in it.
Course it isn't.
Someone in the top 4 will definitely have a dodgy couple of games.
Whether we can continue our run is another story.
It looks fairly certain we'll have to win the big face off games v Liverpool, and Chelsea later on.
Jose's speciality.
Whats for sure is the race will go down to the last couple of weeks in the season. Thats worrying considering we play Arsenal and Spurs towards the end. The top teams are dispatching the weaker teams with ease and improving thier goal difference while ours hardly makes a significant rise game by game. If we improve our finishing we have the quality to finish 3rd or 4th. Our shots to goal ratio must be really poor and we must improve that. Im definately more confident now than before but wouldnt really be confident about winning the Europa league. Our european away form is terrible and seeing that our second legs will be away from home doesn't bode well.
With the teams above us rolling over the smaller teams every game rarely dropping points I just feel a loss at this point which is probably the most crucial would be almost impossible to make up, there are four very good teams above us plus City who can beat anyone on their day.
That's why I used the term "the way we've been playing" as I think the 4 points from the 4 draws misrepresents what we deserved from those games.Last 10 matches Liverpool have a 7-2-1 record, United 6-4-0. Sorry can't break it down to 9.5 matches
First rule of C
Well, apart from City at home and Chelsea n Pool away so far
Well Liverpool 'deserved' to beat Southampton. Coulda/woulda/shoulda - the last refuge of an excuse merchant. In truth, the only evidence we can use is what we have, not what we'd like to have.That's why I used the term "the way we've been playing" as I think the 4 points from the 4 draws misrepresents what we deserved from those games.
Still reckon we're chasing Liverpool and Spurs, Arsenal have a great run of games coming up to build up a lead, and I just can't believe City will be as bad as they looked yesterday for very long.
For me Liverpool have by far the worst starting 11 of the top 6, and if they start to wobble then it won't take much for them to drop the required points, and Spurs will always be vulnerable in the long run... I live in hope anyway.
For me Liverpool have by far the worst starting 11 of the top 6, and if they start to wobble then it won't take much for them to drop the required points, and Spurs will always be vulnerable in the long run... I live in hope anyway.
That was before.First rule of C
Well, apart from City at home and Chelsea n Pool away so far
Matchday 20 fixtures
Monday 2nd January 2017
Manchester City V Burnley (15:00)
Sunderland V Liverpool (15:00)
West Ham United V Manchester United (17:15)
Tuesday 3rd January 2017
Bournemouth V Arsenal (19:45)
Wednesday 4th January 2017
Tottenham Hotspur V Chelsea (20:00)
Realistically I can only see us and one of Spurs/Chelsea dropping points. Hope there are surprises in store. Whatever happens, we'll still be in 6th after MD20 unless we score a bucketload and one of Spurs/City get thrashed.
All those draws destroyed us.
1.Chelsea
2.Manchester United
3.Arsenal
4.Liverpool
2.Manchester United
3.Arsenal
4.Liverpool
After 6-7 matches I predicted that Liverpool would win the league, and was laughed at by both united and Liverpool supporters on here. I don't think they will win it anymore, I think it will be Chelsea, but I think Liverpool and Chelsea will almost certainly take 2 of the top 4 spots.
If Arsenal have a Feb/march like they usually do, they will miss out on top 4. City are at risk because they've looked poor and of course Spurs and United are currently outside. Positions 3-6 are impossible to predict. Deep runs in Europe and cups may jeopardise league position, and current 3-6 may learn this the hard way. Chelsea and Liverpool have the luxury not to worry about this impacting league form.
If Arsenal have a Feb/march like they usually do, they will miss out on top 4. City are at risk because they've looked poor and of course Spurs and United are currently outside. Positions 3-6 are impossible to predict. Deep runs in Europe and cups may jeopardise league position, and current 3-6 may learn this the hard way. Chelsea and Liverpool have the luxury not to worry about this impacting league form.
I am also surprised that many are writing off Spurs. They've looked good and recently they have been scoring for fun, and picking up tough points. I expect them to lose to Chelsea, but I suspect that they will be top 4 candidates all season regardless of this.
Arsenal and City would do well not to get complacent.
Arsenal and City would do well not to get complacent.
I am trying to be as realistic as I could and came up with following predicted table. If someone can fix it for me as I don't have the privilege to add images in football forum yet. Spent 10 minutes in drawing that table and then converting it into image
It is very likely that rivals will finish with points tally of high 70s and we could still miss out on Top 4. It could very well be the case that EL is our best realistic route to Champions League Football next year.
That's a soft outlook. Losing Liverpool at home and draw Chelsea at home.? Leicester game should be a win. Make it 83 points.
The top 4 is going to be defined by the head to head games this season more than ever before because apart from ourselves (up till now) there's very few dropped points in surprising games
Everyone is beating who you expect them to beat
Who's making excuses? My original point was concerning our current form, and I was saying how good it's been for a while, irrespective of the results which could have been better. Going forward, form is a bit more relevant to me than the actual results we've had so far. I'd much rather be in the situation we are now than be 3 points better off but be playing last season's football where we create few chances and rely on De Gea to get us out of jail every week. The football we are playing now can sustain good results for the rest of the season.
City were so bad yesterday and their fans must be getting concerned. Pep's great imo but they're a team of mercenaries and always will be and I think a lot of the time their players just aren't that bothered. We at least look to be performing as a team again and showed some mental character yesterday that hasn't been there since Fergie. We'd have lost that under LvG 1-0.