The table is getting a lot closer round us, Liverpool's game in hand could take them above us. 1 Manchester United 25 15 9 1 55 24 31 54 2 Arsenal ............... 25 15 5 5 54 27 27 50 3 Manchester City ....26 14 7 5 42 22 20 49 4 Chelsea ................24 13 5 6 46 21 25 44 5 Tottenham Hotspur. 25 12 8 5 35 27 8 44 6 Sunderland ............26 9 10 7 32 31 1 37 7 Liverpool ..............25 10 5 10 33 31 2 35 8 Bolton Wanderers ....26 8 9 9 36 37 -1 33 9 Stoke City ............25 10 3 12 31 32 -1 33 10 Newcastle United ....25 8 7 10 40 38 2 31 Our next five games are pretty tough too. Spurs H Everton Arsenal Liverpool H Man City So. what's the feeling? Personally if we had won today, I would have been a bit more confident going into these matches.
I'm feeling a bit pessimistic TBH. The next 5 games are really tough. I would hope that we can get something out of the 2 home games, but the 3 away games? Everton away is traditionally a bogie game for us and if Man City turn up like they did today, it's going to be difficult. Funnily enough, I feel a little more optimistic about the Arsenal game! They are vulnerable at times (as they showed today) and are beatable on their own turf. So out of the next 5 games, I think we would be doing well to get 7 of the 15 points available. I just hope that the back to back defeats have not dented the teams confidence too much!
I don't think Liverpool will get much from Chelsea tomorrow - not on what we saw on Tuesday anyway. But next week, we play Spurs while Liverpool play Wigan. We'll probably lose our sixth place then or shortly afterwards. I think we'll regret that Stoke result at the end of the season.
liverpool is going to be a real crucial one, although its only 3 points it could make the table look completely different, wonder how our friends in ne1 would celebrate if the ponytailed wonder was to score? after all that has been said about him lately,
A few thoughts from me. First I just cant see Liverpool getting more than a draw today. Second we always play better aginst the better sides and I thing our new formation and players will thrive given more space. Thirs, who would have thought we would be having this conversation, more used to, if we dont get the results right we will be dragged into the bottom three.
its now important that we try to take at least a point each from the next 5 games. just to keep the points total ticking over Also if we were to loose say the next 2 thats 4 straight defeats and god knows what that wouldl do for confidence. i know we wouldnt have been expected to get much out of the four games from chelsea onwards but 4 straight losses is a massive kick in the balls.
We all knew we had this run of tough games coming up and it's very likely we will drop a league place or two. But the run-in should see more heartening results and a recovery of fortunes. It was interesting to hear Jimmy Armfield saying that "Sunderland have a big squad. A very big squad." Don't know how he thinks that in comparison with the teams above us. Maybe he was relating SAFC to the Blackburns and Stokes of the PL. It's better than last season, no doubt, and has helped to ease us into 6th and maintain that position despite the injury list. The point is that we are holding up well, so no reason to think that will not continue. Just no more injuries until the others return. Isn't it absolutely fantiastic to be in a race with Liverpool, ffs! In another month, Sess and Muntari will have settled in. With Welbeck and Catts back I think we are every bit as good as them. Really looking forward to the Spuds game.
I always thought before the Chelsea game, that the next 7 games were our toughest run of games of the season, anything from these games are a bonus. We played quite well against Chelsea considering there 2nd half performance was them at there best. And yesterday was a absolute con. At least by the time our "easier run in" (last 7 games) Muntari and Sessegnon will be settled in and Welbeck, Catts, Turner will all be back. I hope our fans dont start complaining to much if the next few games dont go according to plan.
I'm feeling quite optomistic with these games coming up, they are all footballing sides that will allow us to compete by playing football as opposed to the thuggery of yesterday. Don't think we'll win them all but i fancy us against Spurs and Liverpool at home and if we can pick up points at say Everton and City.
