I've been considering the final run in, in the PL for the crucial places as fas as CL qualification is concerned, and have the following (completely unbiased ) view of how things are likely to go! ARSENAL. 3 to play , 1 Home-2 Away. I see 2 wins and a draw for our Gooner friends which will see them on a final total of 72 points. NEWCASTLE. 4 to play, 1 Home-3 Away(including CFC). I visualise 3 draws and a defeat, and thus a final total of 65 points. TOTTENHAM. 4 to play, 2 Home-2 Away. Going through a lean patch but I still see 2 wins -2 Draws, so a total of 67 points. CHELSEA. 4 to play, 3 Home-1 Away. A draw at Anfield and 3 wins =10 points, and a final total of 68 points. So.... Top 6 MAN UTD MAN CITY ARSENAL CHELSEA TOTTENHAM NEWCASTLE Happy Days!!!
I don't get these threads at all. Anyone can come along, pluck a specific set of results out of thin air and then jump for joy over a completely hypothetical and unrealistic made-up scenario. Yeah we have the most difficult set of fixtures on paper, but: http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html We're the number one form team, playing just as well, if not better, than Chelsea, Man City and Everton, so why is there an automatic assumption that we're going to get beaten? Spurs have a horrendous run of form with 1 win in their last 6 games and two defeats in a row now, but suddenly they're just going to turn it around and go undefeated the rest of the season? Arsenal have lost Arteta and Walcott and have RVP in a very dry spell, yet they're going to go undefeated? Chelsea have 6 games in a packed schedule, and have to face Newcastle and Liverpool twice in three games in 6 days, yet you happen to be the team which will pick up the most points out of all of us, despite being 10th in the form table? Meanwhile, Newcastle, the team playing the best out of the lot, with the most lethal attack force of the lot, will happen to be the team which completely ****s it up and goes from 6 wins in row to barely picking up any points. Yeah I just don't get it.
Agreed - it would be more surprising now if Newcastle imploded than not. Spurs have 4 games left against Blackburn, Bolton, Villa and Fulham. Given our form at the moment, I'm realistically assuming we'll get just 1 point from that late (against the similarly dire Aston Villa). If Everton keep their form up (as shown today) then they could well pip us for 6th as I posted above.
For the same reason I said Spurs would drop off in January You've played in the main mid table teams with little to play for, when you play against better opposition I have no doubt you will drop points. All good things come to an end and IMO you won't keep the good form up, especially as there is now expectation on you. With us having 3 home games and 1 away, you having 1 home game and 3 away, your only home game being against the best team in the league I struggle to see why it is so inconceivable to see us picking up more points than you? Newcastle IMO will finish on 70 points and miss out on 4th by virtue of Goal Difference
1. Man United - 90 points 2. Man City - 87 Points 3. Arsenal - 72 Points 4. Newcastle - 70 Points 5. Chelsea - 68 Points 6. Tottenham Hotspurs - 64 Points
Newcastle still have to visit Stamford Bridge and entertain Manchester City at SJP. Those are very hard games... I would not be so confident if I were them. I think we (Arsenal) will drop points as well but we have the added advantage of a 3 pt lead over Newcastle and very few games left to play... I think we will nick 3rd but it will be a very tight scenario. Spurs are out of the running. They have an easy run-in but all is not well there I'm afraid, I can see them dropping more points. Chelsea could still catch Newcastle if they win most of their games and Newcastle stumble in the last three games.
It's just a tad disrespectful really, that even after ALLL of this season, we're still seen as the weak link which is more likely to implode, even though the facts suggest that it's more likely to be a different team. Picking up more points than us is not what I'm bothered about, because you probably will. What I am bothered about is the idea that Chelsea will suddenly pick up 10 points (the most out of all the teams) whilst the current best-form team in the league will pick up a miserable 3. Maybe we deserve a tad more respect than that, all things considered. Better opposition presents a more difficult game, but there are other factors too. For example, the pressure on the better opposition (say Spurs, for example) can result in big losses of form. Similarly, teams fighting relegation can give 150% and prove an incredibly tough. Just look at Wigan currently sitting 3rd in the form table above Man City after dispatching Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal and almost Chelsea. If this season has taught us anything, it's that fixtures and so on are not as clear-cut as they seem. Chelsea have three incredibly important matches in under a single week, Everton may not have anything to play for and Man City could have lost the title by then, also having nothing to play for. There are just far too many potentials here. In fact, to be honest, I'd really rather we were facing better opposition than relegation fighters. You know what to expect vs good teams, and Newcastle tend to play well when we're seen as underdogs. With poorer teams, many top teams vastly underestimate them and assume they just have to turn up to win, and often end up getting beat. Our game against Wigan worries me a lot.
They will be hard games, I do agree. When it comes to Man City, all I'll post is this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16343415, and that was before we even had Cisse! Not saying that the same will happen again. In fact I doubt it will. All I am saying is that no one can predict what will happen.
As do I but I'd rather be playing relegation threatened teams at home than away. Hopefully Wigan beat Blackburn so that they will be in Magaluf by the time we play them.
Chappaz--We have a squad good enough to rotate through this busy schedule! OK --we have Barca this coming week, but after that win or lose, this squad can deal with the remainder! Keep the top squad for Newcastle, and play the reserves /juniors against Liverpool! Mix and match for the Wembley Cup Final!
Yeah they can deal with it, but by having to rotate, it means you aren't playing your absolute best XI in some games. There are only so many games which key players like Mata and Drogba can participate in. I still think you guys will do well, but it's bound to take its toll, so I think it's unfair to assume that you're going to rack up ****loads of points whilst we have a miserable run of results.
What I'm saying Chappaz is that, you've had a marvellous string of results and now you have a run in of games against sides that are buzzing and playing at home! OK its my view--thats all! I'll check it all all out in a fortnight and see how close I came!
Nobody said that. But I would rather have our squad and fixture list over yours. Any neutral would expect us to pick up more points than you given the run-in, same applies for Spurs. The last teams I'd want to face right now are Wigan and City who are your next 2 opponents bar us. Everton at Goodison won't be a walkover either.
We win tomorrow and we will be on a massive high taking us all the way to the FA Cup Final. Only thing we will have on our minds will be the PL after tomorrow no matter what happens, we can still make 4th and I completely agree with District, we are in the better position. 3 home games 1 away!
