Santa - City can win title

[Ted Hughes]

Fine, if you would like let's put a bet on it.

I will bet you £1000 that the winner of the league this season gets more than 39 points at home.

I should imagine we will get more than 39 points at home. Anyway betting is the Devil's work & your Aunt has a dick so I'm banning you from my Amish community on the site. May God go with you.

[ronk]

if our home form is anything like last season and our away form stays good then I'll start to believe - if we win away at Villa and take a top four scalp at their place then we can start to dream the impossible dream I reckon

There's another delusion, we lost a third of our home matches last season, if we want to actually get anywhere we need to lose about 6 less games at home.

We won a lot of games though; enough for a title challenge if our away form had been top 4 standard. That's what it's about now; how many games we win. If we win more than the other top sides we win the league irrespective of losing the odd game.

....

Our home form was one point better than Arsenal's. They were 28 points off the title.

The rags got 9 points more than us at home. If we got to the same away record as them (a phenomenal achievement, if it happens), we'd still be 9 points off their pace last season. Only good enough for 4th.

Obviously the totals change each season, but we have to consider the task. Part of the reason for this is about managing expectations. Breaking into the top4 would be a big achievement this year and is a high target. There are plenty of people who'd be quick to lay into us. There are plenty of people on the board who'd be calling for Hughes' head if we set the bar at winning the league and don't achieve it. Not everyone can.

[Ted Hughes]

if our home form is anything like last season and our away form stays good then I'll start to believe - if we win away at Villa and take a top four scalp at their place then we can start to dream the impossible dream I reckon

There's another delusion, we lost a third of our home matches last season, if we want to actually get anywhere we need to lose about 6 less games at home.

We won a lot of games though; enough for a title challenge if our away form had been top 4 standard. That's what it's about now; how many games we win. If we win more than the other top sides we win the league irrespective of losing the odd game.

....

Our home form was one point better than Arsenal's. They were 28 points off the title.

The rags got 9 points more than us at home. If we got to the same away record as them (a phenomenal achievement, if it happens), we'd still be 9 points off their pace last season. Only good enough for 4th.

Obviously the totals change each season, but we have to consider the task. Part of the reason for this is about managing expectations. Breaking into the top4 would be a big achievement this year and is a high target. There are plenty of people who'd be quick to lay into us. There are plenty of people on the board who'd be calling for Hughes' head if we set the bar at winning the league and don't achieve it. Not everyone can.

None of the top 4 are sure of winning the league but they all think they can & they all tell everyone they can. If we're to be a genuine top 4 team we have to have the same aims, even if we don't achieve them. Three of the top 4 will also miss out, perhaps some will miss out by 20 odd points. Still doesn't stop them from expecting to challenge. I don't think the present board are into calling for manager's heads whatever, in fact I now think Hughes is here to stay even if we don't get top 6. He's been involved so deeply in the planning behind the scenes that I don't think Khaldoon or the Sheikh will sack him without giving him several years to see it through.

[sky_blue_stew]

To echo the earliest posts on this thread, the first step to winning a title is believing you can do it. Being overamibitious is probably the most desirable sin anyone associated with City could commit. Yes, we have to believe we can win every game as that game is contested. We're not going to win them all, but believing you will is half the battle. And yes, home form is critical ,becuase anyone outside the top 8 will start treating all matches away to us with a point as a target, meaning we'll have o be at our imperious best to break them down and claim the 3. It's not defeats that stops teams winning titles, it's draws. The gulf between winning and drawing is huge compared with drawing and losing. There is not going to be an occasion when we shouldnt be gambling to get the 3 points and risking dropping the 1.

[ronk]

To echo the earliest posts on this thread, the first step to winning a title is believing you can do it. Being overamibitious is probably the most desirable sin anyone associated with City could commit. Yes, we have to believe we can win every game as that game is contested. We're not going to win them all, but believing you will is half the battle. And yes, home form is critical ,becuase anyone outside the top 8 will start treating all matches away to us with a point as a target, meaning we'll have o be at our imperious best to break them down and claim the 3. It's not defeats that stops teams winning titles, it's draws. The gulf between winning and drawing is huge compared with drawing and losing. There is not going to be an occasion when we shouldnt be gambling to get the 3 points and risking dropping the 1.

We didn't draw at home last year. I agree about focusing on wins but it's still perfectly possible to draw games without decreasing your chances of winning. We're going to need every point we can get. We lost 18 games last year. We could easily have finished higher by drawing some of those games.

Really what's more important is how the team responds to going down. This season we're much better at it. Now when we fall behind the game isn't over, we're able to create chances and we don't lose our shape entirely.

[Slim]

If we'd turned 3 of those losses into draws or one of them into a win, we'd be playing in Europe tonight.

[Rag_hater]

I think while we are still in all 3 comps were in we should be aiming for the treble.

[john68]

Raggers,
I have no doubt that while we remain in all three competitions, we ARE aiming to win all three.
I am quite certain as we prepare for each game, we prepare to win it.

[mcfc1632]

I was watching the Fulham game last night and I had the clear thought of - thank fuck we are not in / distracted by that - for me it was clear that I want CL - not this competition that has been totally devalued by UEFA in their attempts to support the coffers of the 'top' clubs

Makes me think that I am getting ahead of myself and that I am failing to manage my expectations all of a sudden

Also makes me think that when one of the Sky4 are knocked into that competition - there are going to be some very very disappointed fans