I think Martinez deserves a little bit more credit. He's restricted financially every season, but still manages to get the best out of what he has at his disposal and has found some good players on a tight budget, who have moved on to bigger clubs. Kone looks like another decent player; someone who might have benefited us this year! Who knows what he'd been like with better quality around him? Martinez may not deserve a job at a club towards the top of the table, but he certainly deserves a promotion to a mid table outfit, IMO.
we can't rely on Arse/Chels dropping points at this stage of a season, this is usually when they are strong (and we are weak). Win last 5 and we're there. 4 of last 5 likely too. Anything less than that and we're walking a tightrope
We've got 4/5 games that are very winnable on paper (though of course every team is capable of beating us), + the kind of game we never used to win, but which we've won a couple of this year. The squad's in pretty good shape and coming off a big win. If we do drop points against Wigan, Southampton, Stoke and/or Sunderland, we've got nobody to blame but ourselves for missing out on a CL spot. Win 4/5, and it would take really extraordinarily bad luck for us to miss the top 4. Not as extraordinary as the bad luck that cost us a CL spot last year, but... Maybe we need to win 5/5. I've hardly given Chelsea-Southampton a thought but now that I do, it will be interesting, both for what it says about Chelsea and what it says about Southampton. Edit: Chelsea plays Swansea, not Southampton. I don't know if I mixed them up because they both begin with S, or because they're in similar situations and to some extent similar style of teams: talented, play attractive football, and looking pretty solidly mid-table at this point.
I think we just have to be raring to go and go out, score early and win comfortably for at least a couple of games--the way Man U did last time out. All very uncharacteristic, I know, but it seems to me opportunity is knocking for a second time (after Arsenal's draw with Everton put our fate back in our hands). It knocked twice last year, and we had our fate in our hands for a second time for about as long as it took to draw. The first time we had our fate in our hands this year, we threw away our advantage in the minimum possible number of games. We need to do things very differently this time.
Think Arsenal have already played Everton...ended 0-0 a few weeks back. It's Chelsea who have Everton I think. I think that QPR could be tricky...I know it sounds stupid but as they are virtually down they may play with freedom as there is no pressure left
Looking at the table, City aren't out of reach for the three teams below. I'd still back them for second, but if they lose a bit of focus and motivation, well.....
Well the cracks have been showing in City a bit. They seem to do well for a time after a bit of a break then fall off. West Ham visit them next and Lawro has them down for a 3-1 win I think. That's a tad optimistic in my view. They'll have their minds on Wembley so anything can happen. He has us down for a 1-2. Difficult to call but I'm going for a 0- or 1-3.
Chelsea have united and Everton. - tough games! Also like you say, QPR won't be easy. I believe they lost to them last time. - could 'Arry be our hero once again?
Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Naughton; Dembele, Huddlestone, Parker; Dempsey, Defoe, Bale. subs: Friedel, Assou-Ekotto, Caulker, Carroll, Holtby, Lennon, Sigurdsson.
Excellent, exactly the side I wanted apart from Lennon who's being brought back slowly Well so long as he hasn't put Dembele on the right and Dempsey on the left...
I'm happy with that, but I'd have liked to have seen Parker rested for holtby. Demps deserves to start today after a very good second half performance against city. Hopefully we'll introduce Lennon reasonably early to capitalise on legs that are starting to tire. Where the **** is Adebayor btw? Not that I'm bothered...
Can anyone recommend any good online links? Wiziwig is usually crap when we're not being broadcast on TV.
