4th a Realistic Target

I definitely think we've managed to improve on not conceding last minute equalisers, a number a which happened last season. Going on this, I'd be happy with 6/7th, as it's an improvement on what should have been a top 10 finish last season.

 

I'd be more than happy with 6/7th I'd be extremely ****ing happy with 7th, 6th... i mean.... I'd ****ing jizz!!!!

I don't think we can beat Liverpool to 6th but if we did it would be amazing.

 

My aim at the start of the season was survival, given how close points-wise all the teams were last season (hence us dropping 3 places during the final match!) This season however things are a little more spread out aside from the bottom 5 and top 3.

So I would say now, given where we are placed, that 10 or above and I'd be happy. 11 or 12 and I'd be disappointed but not distraught. 7 or 8 and I'd be delighted, and 6th would have me doing cartwheels through my office, but I don't believe our chance of 6th spot to be that high. 4th? Well that's fantasy land, mathematically a possibility, but in all likelihood just not going to happen. It's nice to dream though...

 

Ha, yeah, I think 'happy' was a bit of an understatement actually.

If Liverpool maintain their current form I can see it maybe being possible for us to finish above them.

 

Liverpool's form over 21 games isn't as bad as people state 35 points to be 7th seems a high amount for that position, maybe the reason people think them and Arsenal are underachieving is down to the over achievements of both Manchester, Tottenham and Newcastle.

 

While the table never lies, it's important to remember that we are over performing and they're under performing. In the long run, with our squad, I reckon we're the 7th or 8th best team in the league (various candidates for the 7th, if we're below that - arguments for quite a few teams, including Stoke, Fulham, Everton and one or two others.)

 

I'd be happy with 7th and I believe it's our realistic target.

Absolutely delighted if we pipped any of the clubs above us to 6th.

Anything more with that and I'd be over the moon!

 

I really dont get the whole thing with our fans stating that if we we're 7th then we're overachieving. Really? I'd expect that from some rubbish SkySports or MOTD pundit, but coming from people who are supposed to know our own team, do you REALLY think were overachieving that much?

I'd say 7th is exactly where we probbaly should be, given the amount of money and experiance of the then 6 teams that would be above us. Id say there was a gap behind that...

Stoke spent quite a bit to improve their league position this season, but their brand of football is far too predictable and too rigid to continuously pick up points in my opinion. Everton have been falling steadily over the last few years with near zero backing from their board. Villa and the mackems, as well as probably Fullham are under achieving, but i dont think its completely fair to say we dont deserve to be where we are (or would be if we fell to 7th still).

We're not getting flukey wins agains the top sides, we're just improving on results we got last season and beating a lot of the teams we SHOULD be beating...

 

My point on overachieving wasn't the fact we are 6th or 7th, it's the fact that we have 36 points.

 

I hate the term over performing and over achieving, it's ****ing pathetic.

We have a quality side and deserve our points. Our defense is solid enough, we don't let in many goals, we have quality in midfield and we have a great striker in Ba.

We are around where we deserve to be IMO. Liverpool have some great players, but they aren't picking up results so it doesn't matter.

We have not over achieved, we have simply exceeding expectations and we underestimated ourselves and so did everyone else.

 

Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear. Although Liverpool's tally is high for 7th, they're still underachieving, particular Mandy.

 

Agent Mandy is doing a fine job.

 

Actually the point I was making was more at Nick's post than yours. Though for me the fact Liverpool have 35 points proves they are on track for about 65 points this season, which is more than they have got in either of the last 2 seasons.

 

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I think the top 4 is a big ask but stranger things have happened. Will be a great remainer to the season and as long as we are still fighting towards the top at the end of the season i will be delighted. Really think we can push liverpool all the way as they are very hit or miss at the moment and am waiting for RVP to pick up his usual injury and then you will see arsenal struggle. Chelsea i think are a little bit too strong in terms of squad so closing the 4 points on them will be a big ask. Lets see how the season pans out if we can beat the teams around us who knows where we can finish

 

Its surprising actually when you look, there is very little difference between this year and previous years. Last year was the only real difference because the league was so tight.

After 21 games:

2011 - Sunderland were in 6th on 30 points
2010 - Villa were in 6th on 36 points
2009 - Everton were in 6th on 35 points
2008 - Everton were in 6th on 35 points
2007 - Portsmouth were in 6th on 35 points

So it would seem this year is just back to normal.

Liverpool and Arsenal have underperformed for me relative to their squads. They are probably both about 6-9 points off where I'd expect them to be. Arsenal have serious defensive problems. Only the bottom 5 have conceded more goals and they have conceded more away goals than anyone in the league. That is incredible by their standards but they did concede 8 of them at OT. Massively underachieving but that's due to a close season of upheaval. Liverpool like Arsenal have undergone a fair few changes in the last 18 months. Two new managers, two new styles of play, numerous bought and sold. I think next year will be a better one for them, and I think this year they may be vulnerable if we maintain form.

 

I see it as more the fact that Man City, Man Utd and Spurs have had amazing seasons rather than Arsenal and Chelsea under performing that much. These 3 could easily get high 80's to low 90's points wise with the rest getting into the 70's and maybe 60's for us! Standard season with 3 teams just leaving the rest for dead rather than 2.

 

I hate people who say without Ba's goals you would be doing badly, or Newcastle shouldn't have drawn at Old Trafford. The fact is we have Ba's goals and we got the penalty. Why doesn't anyone say if David Luiz would have got sent off, Newcastle would most likely be above Chelsea right now and in 4th postion

 

Arsenal and Chelsea have underperformed so far based on their previous years. Typically at this stage after 21 games they would have somewhere between 42 and 51 points. There are exceptions where Arsenal had as high as 50 points in 2007-08, or as low as 36 back in 06-07. One interesting thing stands out on Chelsea though. This year and last year their points total have been at the lowest they've been in recent years. I would suggest they are in decline due to an ageing squad so maybe they are not underperforming and are simply not as good as they were. Of course they will come again through transfers but there will be a transition with that.

 

So they have about the points that 6th normally have. Also it is worth remembering that only Villa in 2010 continued going at that rate of points, where as Liverpool traditionally don't do worse in the 2nd half of the year.