Maybe but you'd have to think the moutinho deal is probably not as key with how Dembele has settled in and Liverpool surely will have to spend on a forward or two. Any which way, I'd still have you to finish above them, in 5th.
Now come on YV i said we accept our position and we accept we are no longer top 4 so whoever has overtaken us(including Spurs)has merited it, my point was/is that given how weak our squad is we're still only 2 points behind you, we've lost less games, we've conceded less goals and have a better goal difference. Which takes me back to my first point, we will strengthen our attack in the january transfer window and hopefully(for us)those many draws will be wins for the remainder of the season.
i think that's fair enough...an alternative view is that we will star to get back our core defensive players such as Kaboul and BAE along with parker and Dembele which we have missed ... the first 3 have been out all season... I think it's equally valid to say we have missed the core of our team for the first 12 matches and yet we are still 2 points ahead... However I think it's probably a mute point as neither of us will get top 4 and all sensible spurs and pool fans hate the booing etc.
There's a number of clubs that are in with a chance of 4th. Arsenal due to the fact that they've never missed out, would have to be favourites, but their quality is questionable this season. Spurs have a good chance, good squad, but a manager who imo is a total clown, so for me they'll fall short WBA - everyone is assuming they'll fall away, they look damned good to me, very well organised with a decent bench to boot. Everton - we've got a first XI that can give anyone a game, but our squad is paper thin & defensively we look weaker this season, so I doubt we're quite good enough perosnally. However, Moyes always pulls a rabbit out of the hat in January & we tend to be far better in the 2nd half of the season, so don't write us off. Liverpool are improving, but still aren't quite strong enough to maintain a prolonged challenge this season. The young lads will tire & be 'worked out' by PL sides as the season progresses & unless they spend big in Jan, then they'll fall short imo.
Fair analysis that Tobes. I'd add that WBA have a sound manager in Clarke too. though it being his first season in charge he might struggle in the run-in come March/April. The fixture list has been kind to Everton this season so far, but if they do decently against Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and City over the next six weeks they'll be in the box seat, and deservedly so. We won't get anywhere near fourth, but I think we'll have a bigger say in deciding who does in the second half of the season. Suarez will need a rest and Sterling shouldn't be playing this many games anyway, so what you say about who we buy (and how many) will be vital in January. FSG seem to have just about the same amount of gob as H&G, if you ask me, so I wouldn't expect too much anyway. That said, the last thing we want is another Morientes/Carroll type, January panic buy. I think Arsenal may spend in January, but we'll see.
I think the results since Dembele has been injured will highlight how it important it is to get another player in who can control the tempo of games. I don't think we'll sign Moutinho as Porto have now sold Hulk and don't need the money but I'll be very disappointed if we don't secure anyone that plays in that area of the pitch. Eventually you did but how many of you thought you'd finish above us last season with all your quality signings, like Downing, Henderson and Adam? Even now you clearly still find it hard to accept the idea that you're unlikely to finish above us. Spending in January doesn't guaruntee anything. There's little value to be had in the window and even if you do strengthen your squad there's no telling how much they'll be able to affect your fortunes. Already, in trying to defend your club, you're relying on the potential signing of an unspecific player who goes on to win you numerous games and as a result winning you points. It sounds like you're running short on reasons that you'll finish ahead of us, aside from that you have less points but a better goal difference
Interesting article. Nice to see that some fans are seeing some positives out of our recent play. We have had tons of the ball but cannot put the ball away whilst conceding a lot. We've stopped conceding so are now picking up points. Would be surprised if we finished above 8th. With signing in January we could scrape 6th, but I could easily see us finishing 10/12th. Would like to be above Spuds, but I cannot see it happening unless they keep crying and sack AVB.
DL, I've got to say this, but I truly believe that your season could very well collapse after that woeful performance against Juve. Don't be so smug as to believe that RDM will not, now, capitulate against some very difficult fixtures that you have coming up.
What you meant to say there is that I am completely right, proved my point and you being a bit dim have no retort. You cannot compare Woy "The Hodge" Hodgson with how you lot have been towards AVB. At least we gave the stupid owl looking bastard till Chrimbo before knifing him!
I concede the injury point I completely forgot about that. You are wrong about your fans expecting 4th and you're lying about it to distract away from it. Don't make me do it but I read most forums including Spurs main ones and I can give you post after post proving me right. The reason I can tell you what your messing up is because I hvae lived through these mistakes myself as a Liverpool after 2008-09 when we started selling our best players, didn't replace them, didn't really have any money, had a ****e bew Manager, but kept our expectations from the 08-09 campaign when we went close for the title under Benitez. It took us 2 seasons to learn that we weren't the team we thought we were any more and only when we accepted this and embraced it, is when things started getting better. the fact we realised the error of our ways is why despite LFC having their worst start basically ever, Rodger's is getting no aggro, booing or even ill will. People can see whats hes doing right and are happy so far. Green shoots. We are accepting, patient and content to put the work in. Spurs fans need to get the same way of thinking before you drive out what could potentially be a young and future successful Manager.
I don't really care enough about Spurs to be bothered if they finsih above us or not. You're not our rivals. You're not Everton or Man Utd. Before the season it didn't bother me and I predicted Spurts 5th and us 7th and that is what I expected. However, after watching all but two Spurs games this season, I don't think you are as good as I gave you credit for. I over-estimated Dempsey and Sigurdsson and your Managers ability to hit the ground running. Before the season I would never of dreamed of us coming above you. However, obviously as many Chelsea fans do going by what I read on here, I don't feel so certain you will finish above us. If you carry on how you have been, and we keep on how we've been doing then it could happen. Especially if you have a Levy style Jan and FSG spend on Strikers. The only difference between Liverpool and Spurs is our lack of attackers for the front 3 positions. If we sort that out, after what I've seen in the first 12 games, I think we can run you close. There is a little difference in the quality of both teams central midfiled and defence, as the season stats show, we just can't score as easily as you. Thats the current difference.
Oh and finally, believe me, FSG will spend at LEAST £15-20m before player sales no problem. They have already basically confirmed this. Their politicians. They know they ****ed up big style in the Summer and have fell out of the good graces of many a Red, which after what they seen the fanbase do to our last owners, terrifies them as they told SOS to their faces. They know they hve a lot of ground to make up in Jan and they will do so long as the players clubs will sell.
Utter horse ****. Think about what your saying ffs. Young kids don't get tired. Jamie Carraghers do. Could you have not come up with a better reason to come up with as to hy you hope Liverpool won't be resurrgent other than that tripe? Deary me.
No, I'm starting to think we could finish above you as you sold your best players without properly replacing them, aren't half as good as you think you are, especially compared to last season, AVB looks lost atm and the pressure the fans are putting on him and the team is only going to exacerbate this and even when your players were fit you didn't look that much better. Alongside this were not as far off as I thought we would be (just 2 points now), Suarez is the best striker in the league currently and scoring for fun, we'll strengthen in January, our performances are improving with each game now and most importantly, our best midfilder, perhaps the best Anchorman in the league is back from injury which will mean even less goals conceded and even more posession for us. When I look at it likes this, as the Chelsea fan said in the OP, its not delusional to think, quite unexpectedly I agree, we could perhaps just nip ahead of you come May. In reality, it will just come down to do two things: 1) How buys better in January 2)Whos best players stay fit and available. The team that gets the rub of the green on these two variables will finish above the other I feel comfortable in saying. I'd actually appreciate a NEUTRAL opinion on all this if its possible (no rival teams of Liverpool/Spurs as their biased obviously).
I'm not lying you daft sod I go to games and I read posts on here and Harry Hotspur and in general 4th isn't an expectation, it's a target. You read other Spurs forums? How sad, we're not even rivals. Whatever. I don't need a neutral opinion to validate what's been said. Anyway this is coming to a dead end, you're not even responding to what I've said. If we're still in midtable by January or if Liverpool have shown they can go on a good winning streak I'll admit that it's a real possibility you'll finish above us until either of those happen I think it's very unlikely and no amount of hypothetical's about January transfer windows will change that.
Only 2 point, better GD blah, blah quickly turns into being closer to the relegation zone than us with a worse GD. I stand by what I said at the start of this thread
I predicted, as soon as Roy Rodgers was made manager of 'Pool, that they would finish in the bottom half of the table. Apart from Goofy, they have a very average group of players, and a couple of outright donkeys. That DL should have predicted, in his OP, that 'Pool would finish above us was either foolhardy or nothing more than a wum. Does anyone, now, honestly believe - hand on heart - that 'Pool will finish above Spurs? If they do, then they've got to believe that they will also finish above Arsenal and, possibly, CFC.
