You have to play every team in the league at some point (obviously). This seasons fixtures has pitted us against all the big boys towards the end. Hence all the "pundits" writing us off, and many of us supporters looking at our remaining games with dredd. Maybe I'm clutching at straws and/or looking for hope in places were it might not be in other peoples eyes. But for me there's no better time to face these sides than now. They have played a lot more games than us and based on recent results their tiredness are showing and their results goes to show excactly that. Below is our most "feared" opponents amount of games played when we play them: Tottenham 49 (We'll have played 38 games when we face Spurs) Chelsea 55 Stoke 54 Manchester City 54 When we play Spurs they have either won or lost an FA-cup semi final the week before (same applies to Chelsea), this can def go both ways re confidence before we meet up. The combination of many games, poor form and buckling under the pressure can be nothing but good for us imo. We then face Chelsea five days after their second leg against Barcelona, I think we all know who's going to be the winner of that tie. Hopefully they will be even more knackered and lacklustre than they look now by the time we face them. Stoke, what can we say about them? Gonna be a tough and hard game sure, but just look at the amount of games they will have racked up by the time we face them! They still go out and get results, all credit to them for that. But they have a pretty slim squad of "first team" players that have played more games individually than the likes of Chelsea, Spurs and City who have a broader range of quality to choose from. Manchester City would normally be near impossible (like United), only this time they will have played their last "competetive" game before we come to visit as United are already crowned champions by then. They too will have accumulated a vast number of games by now and their players minds will be at their respective holidays and the Euros, no one want to be getting an injury before the summer and they might not give 100%. Which is something I expect from our lads if their "livelyhoods" are at stake. All of this combined with the fact that we do far better against the teams in the upper half of the table (we've only beaten Stoke, Wigan and Wolves in the bottom ten) definetely makes me a glass half full kind of a guy. This will of course count for nothing if we don't beat Swansea on wednesday though. We can do this, we WILL do this, C'MON YOU R'S!
We're staying up Norway. It's just part of a nervous process to get to where we need to be. We'll get there in the end, there's no need for anyone to panic. Stand firm.
Hope you are right Norway! I am a bit doubtful about Chelsea, having played Barca a few days before they may find us a walkover in comparison, and they ought to want to beat us bad after we set in process the wrecking of their PL season back in the autumn! I suppose Tottenham and Chelsea will be looking for top 4 points as well.
Me too; the last few games have demonstrated that there is a hardcore of self belief and resilience in the team that even without Derry will have the nous and steel to cope with the challenges of the next six games, even if tomorrow's game doesn't yield three points.
Welcome to the believers club Norway. One thing is for sure though, we do need at least 4pts over next 2 games. If we don't beat Swans then we need to beat WBA.
