I have gone for a loss in the prediction league (hangs head in shame), but I may change it. . I just see a few players slightly losing form at the same time, which may be due to staleness and tiredness. I'm hoping that having a week off (or rather in training) will rejuvenate them...because the coming games won't. I hope we win or draw this coming game...not just because it is City who are just behind us...but because it will give the players a lift for this tough round of games.
I'm reassured that we the fans will be good for the next two home games. There has to be a positive to not knocking the small club mentality out of us fans and that is that when we play the bigger teams, we do tend to put on a good show!
Not relevant to this thread, but some may be interested. Tickets for our Boxing Day match against Palace will be available from next Monday (with subsidised coach travel £5).
We can draw this game - and stay 2nd. If we don't then (unless we win) it's the fault of the huge international break!
Looking forward to this run of games against the top sides. By the middle of Jan, we'll know where we really stand. If we can get 9 points or more from our next 5 home games, I'll start to believe that top 6 is possible.
[video=youtube;Mk0BxCU1Qk0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Mk0BxCU1Qk0[/video]
Me too, with a very decent points tally already there shouldn't be any reason why we can't take the game to them. Like you say, it will be a good measure of where we are. There's nothing quite like getting the big boys on our own patch.
Perhaps not negative, but probably small club thinking. There is Saints making every effort they can to narrow the gap and join the top 4 [I think that's clear to even the most pessimistic of fan now] and yet certain fans refuse to throw away their old spots. There is growing evidence that top 4 is very possible indeed. Even bookies are giving Saints a better than 50% chance, and bookies don't gamble. They leave the punters to do that. The other factor is that the other teams in the chase are still falling further away rather than catching up. I'm not talking about Man City [how appropriate we play them this weekend], but the others. The gap is growing, not narrowing, and they are also playing the teams we have played against, and doing worse in most cases. How must evidence do certain fans need to believe..? OK, belief is only required in the absence of fact, but as mentioned, there's plenty to suggest Saints might do it. Don't believe me [?], go look.
I saw that as well. He and his guest predict we will get the biggest tanking of the weekend. Seems a very strange prediction for a team currently second playing the team in third!!! This is based on the "fact" that City are world class no doubt!!!! From my point of view I just want us to beat City even more now than then ever before just to make Lawro eat his words. And of course get maximum points against Arsenal and "loveable" Manchester United.
Without clicking on the link, is it to do with Lawro's logic that Saints must lose at some point..? Agreed with Ides. I want us to win even more now too.
Lawro's reasoning is that we have a good defence and are good in attack with Pelle, so we will lose 2-0
Yeah, I couldn't resist. I had to go and find out. OK, his logic has shifted from Saints must lose at some point, to Man City must win against a team that must lose at some point, because they beat B.Munich in midweek.
Was it last season that one commentator called Vic a poor man's Yaya Toure..? I reckon someone ought to whisper it in his ear, when he runs out on Sunday.