In the last 8 games (since MP came) we've scored 9 points (2 wins, 3 draws) which would probably be enough. However, I think the team will up their game and do a bit better than that. Importantly, we have a few games against teams near us...must learn to beat teams like that...we can't play City and Liverpool every week
I know this is quip, but there's a serious point hiding here. City and Liverpool were set up to win and our high pressing game knocked them out of their stride. QPR parked the bus and hoped to attack on the counter. Beware of the poorer teams!
Beware of the poorer teams! If MP hasn't taken this on board by now, then we might well find ourselves in big trouble. It does feel like we only have one plan, & when thats not going well we struggle. Chelsea is probably a good game to have next. Feels strange saying that.
Yeah but...Reading will have to go for the win at home. No danger of them "parking the bus", or more to the point trying to kill the game. This is a must win game I can actually see us winning, although even if we're 2 in front with 10 mins to play it'll be a nervous ride.
The danger is that they get an early goal and then they park the bus. Having said that, I don't think Reading would be where they are now if their defence didn't crack under pressure.
Channon couldn't agree with you more. Robbie Savage on 606 last Saturday, said that it seemed like we raise our game against the bigger sides. I think he has missed the point and I agree with yours - teams that expect to beat us have a more positive style of play and get found out. We find it difficult against more negative teams because they aren'y playing to win, its just avoid defeat at all cost with them
The short answer is no, I don't think we will. But being at home to Stoke with Wigan playing Villa is one hell of an insurance policy. Taking into account our superior GD, it means that barring a miracle for Reading or QPR it's in our own hands if we are within 3 points of those two going into the final game, a game which we will be comfortable favourites for.
I was saying this after the QPR game and it's the reason I backed us to beat Liverpool. You can't always pick the lock against teams who play deep and narrow but the annoying thing against QPR is that we did get the one scrappy goal that so often decides games like that, but we got beat because of two quick counters which we are susceptible to because of the high defensive line. Poche needs to work our how to adapt his style against teams that play this way - West Ham strikes me as the game where we will discover whether he has cracked it.
Unless Wigan get 11 points from their last 9 games, far from a foregone conclusion, 37 points will be enough.
Whilst we have had success against top sides, it doesn't mean we will always win against such teams and nor does it mean we will do badly against poorer sides. Not every lower side will have the team to do what QPR did...they have some strong players. I can see us getting results against Reading, Sunderland and West Ham. Not going to predict where the points are coming from (always get surprised there) but sure we will get 3 wins in next 8 games.
assuming QPR and reading are down before the last game as long as we have a better GD then Villa and Wigan and are 1 point clear we are safe, that is all I am hoping for and looking towards.
Think it has more to do with the oppositions style over there league placing. Chelsea is a tough game and Rafas rant the other weeks seems to have settled them down
Three wins doesn't seem a lot, but its almost half of the total victories to date this season. If we look at it statistically using a very crude and probably and hopefully a wrong formula - we win every 4.28 games. Since we have only eight games left we will only win one more!!! Gulp I don't believe that will be the case by the way
I think that the gap between 18th and 15th will be only a few points or so, meaning it'll come down to the last day. On us against the weaker teams, I think it's best to start off with a more solid approach and to not go at them completely, at risk of being counter attacked. I think we would need to bench some of our best attackers, probably 2 of Lallana, Rodriguez, Puncheon and Ramirez to help the balance of the side. This way we have fresh legs and options to come off the bench, and against a tired opposition, we'll be more likely to score as well as the fact that weaker sides tend to commonly leak late goals!
