The programme showed the next few fixtures for those in the title race, apparently it's just Manc 1 & 2. I'm not saying we are in the title race, but I wonder if others thought that was a bit premature from BBC?
As much as I honestly see you struggling to finish top 4 come the end of the season, I actually agree with you in that it is far too pre-emptive of them to exclude your team considering current form, points & position. Especially with City on the slide.
Its because you've naer made a challenge of any kind whatsoever, if you do this season then next year if ye are near the top they may include you, top 4 is a successful season for spurs but I'd be excited about te position right now, they say city are in unknown terrority, what does that say for spurs
Yeah ridiculous. Spurs are potentially just three points behind and in better form. The title could well be on its way to White Hart Lane and it'd be better deserved than if Mancini's bores nicked it. January transfers might shake it up but at the moment my money would be on Tottenham.
As opposed to Man City and their many years of being title contenders I don't think we will win the title and we may fade away but as it stands we are in with a shout.
Of course it's premature. But, that's why they call themselves pundits, I suppose. We don't have the depth of squad, nevermind the resources, of Citeh. So,a lot will depend on keeping key players fit, and a bit of clever rotating from Harry - when he feels he can afford to give some players a rest. We are in with a shout. We'll need a bit of luck, some results to go our way, but never say never.
Of course there right! when you have teams like Blackburn & Sunderland who have no chance of taking points from them what chance has anyone other than the Mancs got. Obvious!
Cheers for replies guys. I can understand MOTD's position, but the fact they didn't even mention us at all, and simply presented it as a 'matter of fact' that it was a two team race, after both teams had just lost, not great from the BBC I think. Almost certainly we have to beat West Brom for us to be taken seriously as title contenders, but if we do then I think, however briefly, we have to be seen as in the mix.
Providing we win our game against West Brom tomorrow night and the game in hand against Everton on the 11th, we must be in with a shout at the title. We've then got Wolves, Citeh, Wigan, Loserpool, Newcastle, The Goons and Manure. Who knows? If we were to maintain current form and string together a few decent results anything could happen. The crucial matches are Citeh, Manure and the Goons. I don't think that the goons are in for a shout at the title but write them off at our peril. They would love to spoil our party. Citeh's have an awful run of fixtures coming up, Loserpool, only two days after their defeat to Sunderland, then Manure in the F A Cup, then Loserpool in the Carling Cup semi first leg, Wigan, then Spurs, then Loserpool again in the second leg of the Carling Cup. It now starts to get difficult for Manure who've had it easy since their defeat to Citeh, they have Newcastle, Citeh, Bolton, Goons, Stoke, Chavski and Loserpool. Come mid Feb we should have a better idea of who are title challengers.
Spurs are in the title race, that's typical of MOTD. I agree with some that it may go a bit wrong but credit where due they are there at the moment.
The way the league was shaping up a few short weeks ago you had to be within a handfull of points of City to be in the title race as they didn't look like losing. Now with the way both Manchester sides have dropped points it looks like becoming the more open league, with everyone capable of beating everyone, that we're used to. As it stands I think anyone within 10 points is in the title race and I wouldn't rule out Chelsea as they have a decent amount of silly money to chuck about too. No disrespect to Liverpool but with Suarez out for almost half of the remaining games I think it's a tall order to take them seriously for higher than 3rd/4th.
I wouldn't take them seriously for 3rd or 4th at the moment. Unless the Chavs spend a fortune in Jan, I can't see them being in the mix, either. The way it's shaping up, the top 4 will likely be Utd, Spurs, Citeh, Goons - in no particular order.
The weird thing for me is why the MOTD pundits think the next few fixtures matter more than usual. We are exactly half way through the season, so by definition everyone has the same run in (apart from our game in hand). The only conceivable difference is home versus away fixtures at the bigger teams and I really don't think this is a big deal. As I said on another thread - if we win our game in hand and beat Man U and Man C then 'all we have to do' is get the same set of results against everyone else as they do. Our best team is quite capable of this, but if we lose Adebayor or Bale or Modric we don't have their strength in depth. I reckon 87 points will be enough: so we need another 48. Fifteen wins, three draws and two losses should be enough. We've never come close to that sort of form for many years - apart from the last 16 matches of course which would put us almost exactly on target. I would still think third is the most likely with fourth of fifth having a similar chance to first or second especially if we run into injury problems.
Always remember than in 1997-8, MOTD said it was better for Man Utd to have played the games and got the points than being in Arsenal's position of having three/four games in hand and being six points behind. Frankly, if any comment deserves derision over a decade later, this one deserves it more than Hansen's "You won;t win anything with kids" comment.
Shearer didn't even think about it, instant no...from the man famous for relegating his hometown club.
I disagree LDL, the heading was clear and stark 'The Title Race' - and it featured just Manc 1 & 2. There was nowhere near enough mention of Spurs or anyone else, in fact there was none. A two team race was presented as a bald 'fact'.
Tell you what. We'll carry on taking points where we never would have before and playing attractive football doing it. If we are not put under pressure by being in a title race even better. Still think on the balance of probabilities Citeh will do it, but we could split them and ManUSA.
I don't really care if the pundits don't think we are in the title race. The aim or Spurs this season is the same as the aim for Man City last season; to get in the top 4. Anything above that is a bonus. Finish in the top 4, build on our team in key areas (Striker) and next season Spurs should mount a title challenge.
