http://www.premierleague.com/page/FormGuide Since the window closed and we got in Parker, Ade and settled the Luka question, (for the time being at least), our form has been sensational. As I said the other week, title winning form in fact, even more so now. 16 points from 6 games equals a stagggering 101 points over the season, it's been phenomenal stuff of late. Those six games haven't been easy ones either. Four have been away, which we have got, for us, an astonishing ten point haul (we got 6 from the corresponding fixtures last season) and the two home games have seen wins against our two main rivals for the top 4 spot. I don't expect us to win the title, nor even come close. But we are now in prime position for 4th place, though a quick check still sees Pool as slight favourites there. I thought the odds might have shifted to us by now, but for me we are favourites for that 4th spot now. Add in the fact that we've done all this with a massive injury list, topping our Europa Lge group and only going out at Stoke on penalties in the Carling, and it's been an absolutely fantastic shift by our players, manager and coaching staff. Not to mention our fans, especially the away support, who apart from some people being, unbelievably, negative about us, have helped get us where we are.
Forget 4th, I want 3rd. And why not? Win our game in hand against Everton and we're level on points with Chelsea. Who's to say we can't match them for the rest of the season? Who's to say our loss of players through injury wonât be matched by Chelsea's suspensions, or even their own injuries later in the season? Reasons to be cheerful. And forget the Pool's odds. They're skewed.
GH10 This season has defintely got the same feel as 2 seasons ago. Although we stilll have CB issues we seem to have a little bit of steel and fighting spirit that wasn't there previously.
Check out post 119 from this thread: http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/79399-Is-This-Mad-Citeh-Squad-The-World-s-Strongest/page6 Liverpool fans still slagging us off even though they got owned at WHL I think we are well on course to get 4th if we continue. Considering the amount of players that are due back from injury plus the fact we are actually starting to score goals (big problem last year) I think it will be a good season for us
Yeah we've been in great form G10. Brilliant wins over Arsenal and Liverpool. Nice to take the 3 points at the JJB especially as they took all 3 at the Lane last season but the Ewood game was brilliant in my eyes, Blackburn launched loads of aerial assaults and where as admittedly Samba was getting on the end of a lot of them, winning the 2nd ball and the clearances showed that we really are able to perform the gritty side of things when needed, I think Adebayor summed that up with his late block, for a guy who had a lazy-ish reputation, certainly seems ready to put in a shift since he's been here. Like you I don't expect the title, or top two for the record, I think City (not just because of yesterday) are the ones to beat with Utd being the runners up but I honestly don't think there's a reason why we can't aim for third. For a while now we've always talked of fourth and although we finished fifth last year, we've managed to add quality and shift dead wood, where as Arsenal have lost a few first teamers and replaced them with good, but not great players, I feel we have to really aim for their place in the Champions League this year. As for Chelsea, I think they could be there for the taking, they don't seem as dominant as they once were and it feels as if teams don't seem to fear them like they would have done a couple seasons ago, still a great side though. Now don't get me wrong I'm not expecting third, finishing fourth will not feel like a failure by any means, but there's no reason we can't aim for it. A great man once said "It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory".
Fair comments PL, we really are digging in, despite having 4 CBs injured, it's an amazing feat actually.
Yep SA, the post you quote is more classic ill-informed nonsense. How exactly have we overspent like Leeds, when our finances are so healthy? I might suggest that we have spent more wisely than Pool, but I might be wrong on that, what is clear is that the poster doesn't understand football or football finances. There was another Liverpool supporter on another thread who completely misunderstood the amount of trophies won by us, Chelsea and Arsenal. Liverpool is supposed to be a hotbed of football, where the fans know the game, well in some cases this is clearly sentimental nonsense.
It's not worth talking to them fella. Even after three draws at home (in front of the league's "best fans,") and being ripped a new one by us at WHL they STILL think this is their year. Scousers: You've got to love 'em!
HI SOS, I'm glad you realise what a great result and good performance it was to win at Ewood yesterday. The significance and quality of it seems to have passed a lot of Spurs fans by, I'm talking primarily about other sites and forums, not here, BTW. Regarding 3rd, of course we'll be going for it, but I still think it's beyond us. I'd take 4th now, if I could, and far more importantly, I think Harry would too. Blackburn played like a classic Allardyce team, which is ironic to say the least, considering they sacked him apparently, for er, playing like an Allardyce team. Their primary tactic was to bombard us from free kicks, goal kicks, throw ins, whatever, any chance to lump it in the box and create fight balls. It's exactly how they got the goal and they could easily have equalised through their primitive but effective(ish) tactics. Luckily in VDV we have a finisher who is right up there with Greaves in terms of quality, and that made the difference. We also fought really well, and got a few bits of vital luck.
4th is ours to lose, 3rd is ours to win. I hope that Harry can keep the players focused and motivated over the next fews weeks and not permit the players to relax, thinking that the next few games are in the bag. I think that's the mistake that we made last season. Arsenal are putting together a run for the very reason that Wenger, with his weakened squad, cannot take any team for granted. We've got to have exactly the same mentality, and there's no reason why 3rd couldn't be ours.
Oh look it's HB, come over to embarrass himself again. Your obsession with Spurs attendances is remarkably sad and as I showed you up the other week, wrong as well. Which Prem game have we got 24k for? None, every one has been a sell out, or very close to it.
Good positive comments HIAG, but there are 3 very good reasons why we probably won't get 3rd, Chelsea, City, Utd. Two of them have dominated the Prem in recent years, and both have extremely strong squads, while City are even richer than Chelsea these days, and the squad they have is phenomenal. They are sufficiently confident in their ability to finish above us, they have let us have a top striker, Ade, on loan. If we finish within 3 points of 3rd, assuming that gets us 4th, we'll have done brilliantly.
Hammersmith Blue is just the sort of person we should be banning from our board. He does absolutely nothing but post nasty or annoying wums. I wouldn't mind if he was, even occasionally, amusing. But he isn't; he's little more than a tick, and ought to be removed.
All accepted, Ghoddle10, which is why I say that 3rd is ours to win. I think it all depends on how quickly we can get key members of our squad back, especially in defence. With a full (or, at least, fuller) strength squad I think we are easily the match of Chelsea. What let us down last season is that we simply couldn't score enough goals - our defence was as good as any in the EPL. This season, we are scoring goals, but we are seriously depleted at the back, and yet we are winning games. That gives me tremendous confidence for us moving forward.
Good stuff HIAG, but I simply can't see us as the equal of Chelsea until we actually start to prove it on the pitch. Their run of dominance over us in the League has been as relentless as it has been depressing, something like 17 straight seasons stretching back to the last century. I'm not going to do a man for man comparison now, but ATM I think Chelsea are still clear favourites to finish above us, and it goes without saying the odds will reflect that as well. Naturally, I would love it if we do beat them, but there's not the slightest doubt I'll be supporting them v Arsenal this weekend, for me it's all about finishing above Arsenal and Pool ATM to clinch that 4th spot. Should Arsenal win, then I'll re-evaluate my analysis for sure, but to me, Chelsea will win that one.
Awww bless he does love us, doesn't he? I mean he'd rather come on our board to wum than QPR's after the mighty Chelsea saw off their local rivals
Absolutely mate, I certainly wouldn't be disappointed with 4th, just think with the squad we have now there's no reason we shouldn't aim a tad higher. In the future (hopefully near!) I'd like to think finishing 4th would be seen as a disappointment. The Venkys don't really know anything about football in my eyes, Big Sam may not have been a manager who promoted glamourous, exciting attacking football but Blackburn looked a lot stronger with him than without. And if you're to sack a manager due to his footballing tactics, don't replace him with the guy who was working under him and coaching the very same tactics!
