Many have predicted a top 4 of Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool (in that order). I've done my predictions for the next set of matches and I have the league falling in to that order before the end of January. What is everyone's thoughts on this? Do you all agree with the top seven that I have here? I genuinely think that it can stay this way until the end of the season, but will really depend on if we strengthen and what those around us do in the transfer window too (do you think Traore will give Everton enough to make a real push for 4th?). Our run in is better than anyone else around us (with us meeting everyone in my list other than Utd at home) and I'm feeling tentatively confident about a Champions League position at the minute (no jinx!!). I really hope we beat Everton next Tuesday. If City beat Spurs too then it gives us back the bit of a gap that we lost with the Villa draw...
personally it can go any ruddy way mate. top 4 is in our own hands admittedly having got all the tougher games away out the way, but teams are not that far behind and we did have a 6pt gap on spurs at one point so who knows. happy with where we are, but its quite tight between 4-7 really. its only a 2 game swing really isnt it, and that's nothing now days, some are still saying better than that but we will see, like the confidence if not the reality of it lol hopeful of top 4 finish, but not overlly confident
I know what you're saying about it being in our hands... one game at a time, focus on our own results, yada yada! But I just can't help trying to predict the results of those around us! It's the gambler in me I think! Spurs have City (H), Everton (H) and Newcastle (A) before end of Feb. Everton have us (A), Tottenham (A) and Chelsea (A). Both of those are pretty ****ty months for any team! One or both teams will drop points when they play one another... Hopefully, if we do drop out of the top 4 at some point during the run in, it gives us a kick up the arse and the drive to get back in there!
I don't really... the top 3 are ging to gap the rest very quickly now. the 4 of spurs, lfc, evrton and utd could finish in any order. LFC's mantra must be get it to f'n suarez. the entire team should be set up to get possession and it it to him in good areas... so hacking clearances and pussying with it on our own pen area is pointless.
As MITO says, the top 3 are starting to pull away now, leaving the next 4 to battle it out for 4th. Personally, I think we can go on to take it. Adding 2-3 more quality players in January will pretty sure nail it for us ...
adding 2-3 is a big ask. add one and we can have a chance. we've the games to go take the points but we've got to do a lot better in our preparation and tactics.. then just plain effort. time to push push push IMO
I disagree about the top3. We are the key to there progress. How they perform against each other and US will determine if they can maintain or increase the gap.
why? why us.. i mean yes they play each other but we don't play anyone but arsenal in the next 11 games form the top 3 and that means we are not really in it regarding gap.. not when our consistent points per block figure is 7.8points if arsenal are running at 2.2 points per game that would suggest that per game we drop 0.4points relative to them.. s there's a 6 point gap to 3rd and 8 to first now I can see these sides pull away while the rest fight for 4th. we play everton next. citeh play spurs.. chav land go to fat sam's free points diner.. and arsenal go to southampton. then.. city play the chavs, we play west brom and arsenal play palace. sure anything can happen and in 2 games time the gap could be 6 points not 8. it could be less but over the period i expect us to fall further off the pace and be about 12 points of the top by the end..... i hope.. that would be cl territory i think.
MITO it matters not when those above us are scheduled to play each other. The outcome of those games will effect the points total. Now the effect that Liverpool will have is that we are presently the nearest to them and they all have to visit us. We are the only chasing side that has that luxury and the promise of a rich reward. I am not saying that none of our competitors for 4th spot will not have an effect they will. I am also not satisfied that any side in the league is guaranteed a win either home or away. It is also more likely that both Arsenal and Chelsea will hit a patch of bad form (not sure why I omitted City from that). But I do know that any of them will blow a big sigh of relief if they can come away from Anfield with 1 or 3 points. That's the basis of my comment. Also your 4 match bloc is a neat way of looking at the short term. However, any stats drawn from it are merely illustrative as there is no way tat you can extrapolate those stats across the season with confidence.
Hard to predict... especially not knowing signings that may come. Pretty ruddy close... I think we are slight favourites but there isn't much in it.
I feel if we were to carry on with the same squad, we could get top 4. But that will largely be down to our attack. Add 2-3 to midfield and full back areas and I think we increase our chances quite significantly.
With Lucas out for 2 months and no heir apparent then we seriously need to move in the market. Does anybody know the chapter and verse on M'Villa?
That entire premise is dependent on Liverpool matching the TOP3 results against all the other teams. That is currently not happening. The form table for the last 6 league games is: Cty W6 D0 L0 Chelsea/Arsenal: W5 D1 L0 Liverpool: W3 D1 L2 And given the quality and depth of the TOP3 it's quite likely they will pull away from everyone else IMO I'd still make Liverpool short priced Favourites for 4th though
Apparently we are interested and so is the player - a deal was agreed before Rubin sacked all their staff so it's been delayed. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. Hopefully we can sort it out quickly - get him in training etc and let him start against Everton!
Luckily the league is not decided upon stats but results. There's a lot of twists and turns left in this season and the assumption of the top 3 pulling away is not guaranteed. BTW I'd still be a happy boy if we finished 4th this season
I have very little idea as to which DMs are availble. But people have been talking about him on here. Can you give me a heads-up?
with Lucas out, we're ****ed unless we sign someone. We only had four options for three places in the middle as it was. Of course, you could count Alberto and Coutinho in there but I'm not convinced.
I wonder if Rodgers is thinking of using any of these players in Lucas's position: Kelly, Sakho, Johnson, Flanagan. ie an outright defender playing sweeper? I just don't see Allen being able to cope.
