Citeh, Arse or a draw?

This result was not what we wanted, but as a wise man once said, you concentrate on yourself and nobody else. We are still three clear of arsenal , we keep on picking up the points, and they will have to too. Its in our hands, feet.

 

It was undoubtedly a bad result for us...now we're in the uncomfortable position of having to cheer for a Spurs win in three weeks time.

That said, if we're feeling a bit nervy, Manchester United must be positively panicky. With their difficult run in, they really need to open a gap in the next few weeks...15 points in their next 6 must feel like the minimum necessary to be in a viable position when March rolls around.

 

Hey, I'm pessimistic about England, but they give every reason to be so, and for just as long as Saints. But we stopped around July 2009. Didn't we finish 2nd in the first division only 3 seasons ago..?

And btw, I'm easily old enough to remember the real time we did, when first division meant Division One.

 

Disagree. Any result today was fine. The teams just had to play each other and get the result sorted. A draw would have been best, but however you look at it, it means that Saints can take advantage. It just depends on whether you look at it from a positive stance or a negative one. I'm sure Koeman will be happy with today's result, if he is even bothered at all.

 

But taking advantage of City's slip ultimately means less than taking advantage of one by Arsenal. City's going to finish in the top four, barring an absolute meltdown, and a better shot at the top four is far more meaningful right now than a marginally better chance at 2nd or 3rd.

 

Tough call between a Spurs win or a draw being my favoured result from that one. Even though I'd rather they both dropped two points, I might yes now have to go with a Spurs win.

Not only are Arsenal a much greater danger (better team, more experience, closer to us in the table, no Thursday-Sunday schedule etc), but also we do some degree of control over Spurs through our home game against them. But what Arsenal do from here on in is totally out of our hands.

Moreover, Spurs are involved in some of the many head-to-heads that are coming up in the last three or four games, so on paper should be more likely to drop points:

Liverpool v West Ham Jan 31st
Spurs v Arsenal Feb 7th
West Ham v Man Utd Feb 8th
Liverpool v Spurs Feb 10th
Saints v West Ham Feb 11th
Spurs v West Ham Feb 22nd
Saints v Liverpool Feb 22nd

 

I'm not interested in the slightest where ManC end up, but if there's the chance of us finishing above them then I want that chance. As you say, they will probably finish in the top 4, so if we finish higher that means 3rd at the least.

Ultimately, I'd like everyone else to draw their games against each other, for obvious reasons, then we'll have a good opportunity to be Champions, though that is stretching hope a little too far.

 

I imagine he was not bothered. You can only control your own results after all.
If we win our games we qualify regardless of how the other teams do.
It may be an overly optimistic stance when looking over the course of 16 games. But for each game as it comes it is the best one to take

 

My arsenal supporting flatmate is getting very annoying after they just won. He has been saying all season that we will choke. Please lets prove him wrong.

 

Exactly..! Win every game and Arsenal can win everyone of theirs, and they won't catch us. Personally, I don't have an awful lot of faith in their ability to keep things gong. Today was the first time this season that I've seen Arsenal play like they should be playing, and that was more to do with ManC being inept than Arsenal being great.

 

I suppose we wanted an Arsenal loss...if we don't think we can catch City. We are in the driving seat...they are playing catch up.

 

Cracks me up some people on here saying the City were **** n Arsenal aren't all that, but for me that was very similar to last Sundays 4PM ko... and the same people moan when it's said we only win cos the other side was poor.

 

Whether we can or can't catch City really doesn't come into it for me. The difference between finishing 2nd and 3rd is negligible in my view.

There is a slightly bigger difference between 3rd and 4th, I accept - because one gives automatic CL qualification, and the other requires you to enter the final qualifying round. But even with that in mind, I'm really not fussed between 3rd and 4th either (though I might be in a couple of months time, should we find ourselves well clear of 5th).

Fundamentally the difference lies between finishing 4th and 5th. Only the differences between 1st and 2nd, and 17th and 18th, are bigger. So if you accept that Man City are going to finish in the top four - and this is surely a near certainty, and definitely something which the majority expect - then I really don't give a monkies about them and where they finish within the top four. It's all about ensuring that we're in the top four as well, for me. Whether that is above or below City, I really do not care.

 

I like a gap opening. We will still be top 4 should we lose to Arsenal...just a bit of breathing space. Would have been great if they lost more ground.

 

Arsenal were good but City played poorly. They hardly created anything.

 

And that differs from United last week how?

 

Umm we have played Arsenal twice?

 

We played briliantly instead of good, but United were poor.

 

I think you'll find we've already played them twice Fran.

The reason why I'd like us to finish 2nd is for several reasons. 1] It's perfectly possible. 2] being in 2nd place is way better than 4th [you don't have to play an extra qualification game. 3] I'd love Saints to finish as high as possible anyway. First would be fantastic, but even I don't see that realistically happening [and I'm hugely apologetic to the Lads if one of them reads this and thinks I'm limiting my support].

One of things I'm quite enjoying is that I can have a conversation with posters on here about potential Champions League place attainment, whereas if I'd have brought the subject up a month or two ago I would have been laughed at. Still, I suppose some people are less observant than others.

 

I actually meant if we lose and Arsenal win....don't know what my fingers were doing.