72 points last season can see us getting 75 at the very most this season can anybody seriously think that Liverpool will only get 18 points from 11 remaining games or Arsenal only getting 15 from 11 ... forget about it
The failure to get champions league starts from the day Levy sacked Redknapp for failing to get 3rd. Ever since then every decision has made it harder to get back into the top four. But this year, the blame goes back to the summer and the transfer dealings. Sherwood took over AVB's and Baldinis team, he picked up 16 from 18 points at one stage. You can't blame Sherwood for the fact Liverpool are in fantastic form, scoring for fun and making every game must win, sometimes you just have to accept other teams started the season in a better place and are just a better team.
"The failure to get champions league starts from the day" Arry got into the CL and raised the performance/expectation bar for himself and those clubs Spurs now threaten. With no 2010 beforehand, Arry could not have been rightly disposed of in 2012.
He raised the bar, but as a club we never fully reacted to sustaining top four. The route we went down means we create an realisitic expectation.. If we look at Sherwoods league record. can anyone really have expected much more? fans expect us to win every game. Sherwood has done a great job keeping us in contention but champions league this year looks to be unrealistic as there are four clubs all better setup then us for a variety of reasons but Sherwood is now left to take most of the abuse for Avb and Baldini.
There is still 30% of the season left. A six point deficit to a Liverpool side whom you still have to play and concede goals for fun against poor sides is not insurmountable.
"He raised the bar, but as a club we never fully reacted to sustaining top four." How were the club supposed to react ?? Arry even had leave to ditch the Europa in 2011-12 to avoid the slow grinding halt to the PL campaign the season before suffered due to the CL. "If we look at Sherwoods league record. can anyone really have expected much more?" No. But to see the team playing exactly the same as an AVB side (given he was allegedly the main reason for the dire play this season) , is terrible.
"There is still 30% of the season left. A six point deficit to a Liverpool side whom you still have to play and concede goals for fun against poor sides is not insurmountable." Tis the thought that we will get back in it, only to have yet another game like today, that hurts most as a Spurs supporter.
With Goal Difference, Liverpool are 7 points ahead of Spurs. Spurs will play Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool next month. We beat Spurs ... well thrashed Spurs at WHL and Liverpool dropped onlly 4 points at home all season so the gap will be 10 points between Spurs. Will be interesting to see who will get the Europa League spot, my heart is saying Everton but head is saying United. Spurs finish 6th
Yeah I accept the performance wasn't great but Sherwood was getting slated for playing 442. Now he's gone back to a more workman like setup and we have performed poorly. But we don't exactly have many options. Chadli really is hopeless. Townsend doesn't pass and Eriksen is inconsistent.
Wishful thinking now. Liverpool simply can't stop scoring which means they can get results even when their defence is hopeless.
You all sound like Harry 'It is going to be very difficult' Redknapp. We've got 8 games against teams much worse than us, Arsenal at home and Liverpool and Chelsea away. No reason at all that we cant get 29 points from that lot, if we approach them positively. Not very likely given our current form, I admit.
On sunday morning we had 9 games against teams much worse than us, and the same number of points we have now, and just 3 points behind 4th rather than 6
to be honest it is a miracle that we are so close to 4th spot... we have been battered by city twice, pool once and west Ham once. we got lucky against palace ... particularly at home; against Hull at home and Everton at home. Our problem is that we shipped out players and bought in players and have been trying to make a team ... whereas all our competition have a team...and just for good measure we have swapped managers too. I think 4th is Liverpools to lose...and I can not see us winning 7 points more than Liverpool in the next 11 matches which include Arsenal (h) Liverpool (a) Chelsea (a) and to be honest I would fear for us if we got a CL spot as we are a mess as a team against the top teams We were out played against Arsenal (both times); city (both times); Liverpool; Everton and the 2nd half v Chelsea and think that come the summer we will be getting yet another new manager who will bring in yet more new players so will be starting next season trying to be a team...again
Its not so much our games, its more Liverpool, as if you look at the form since Sherwood took over, its been fairly impressive, hes only lost two league games but this year is liverpools year for top four, similar to when we beat man city to top four under Redknapp. We're doing a good job to even be up there, yet Liverpool are ensuring each game for us is "must win" and when that happens, you just know its asking too much.
To be fair, Liverpool deserve a top 4 spot over us. It's painful to admit but their style of play has been a joy to watch at times and I think I heard they became top scorers in the Prem over the weekend, that's worthy of a Champions League position.
Great, great point! You just made me not want 4th. You are so right, we are not the required quality to enter the competition like we were previously. We are extremely brittle
"To be fair, Liverpool deserve a top 4 spot over us. It's painful to admit but their style of play has been a joy to watch at times" Sure everyone was saying that about Spurs for over half of the 2011-12 season. Didn't help in the end, did it. Get the tally to get a CL slot + evade the Chelsky scenario, or tough.
