The race for CL spot

[13021J]

Focussing on the league we have the chance to finish in a top four spot and potentially gain a CL place. This will enable the owners to continue with their business plan and the club will continue to move forward so despite all emotional longings for a pot this has to be the priority. I also think it looks the hardest challenge of the three comps at the moment. Here is how I see the league run in:

Chelsea D
Sunderland W
Liverpool D
Spuds D
Blackburn W
West Ham W
Everton L
Stoke W
Bolton W

18 points will see us finishing on 71 points. Last season that would have got 4th but will it work this season?

[Diggerman]

We have to beat at least one of Chelsea and spuds in my very humble opinion

[Blue Blood]

We have to beat at least one of Chelsea and spuds in my very humble opinion

We beat Spurs we qualify, we lose to Spurs they qualify.

It really will be down to that I reckon.

[13021J]

And if we draw? I can see Spuds getting 22 points from their run in with draws at Anfield, Chelsea and our place. Other than that they have some easy games.

[Diggerman]

Our goal diff is +20 now, theirs is +7, that would be real tension if it came down to that on the last day at Bolton.

[Mark Garrett]

I think realistically we are not going to finish 3rd now, those dropped points especially at home to Fulham and away to Birmingham will cost us that.

As said earlier in this thread, it will come down to Tottenham game at Eastlands.

I have done the predictor on the BBC website and have City to finish on 70pts incl. a win agst Spurs and for them to be on 67pts.

I think we'll lose to Liverpool and Everton, draw at Chelsea and Bolton and win the other matches. As for Spurs, can't remember all their games but had them down to lose at Chelsea, City and Liverpool and draw at home to Arsenal.

If we get to the FA Cup Semi-Final, god knows when the Spurs game will be - obviously a week night but sometime in May I would imagine ala last season.

[ant london]

Once we play Spurs I think we should know how we'll finish more likely than not. Spurs is home but before that we have to go to Stamford Bridge and Anfield.

Tottenham themselves have tough away trips to both these above grounds AFTER they've played (as well as the small matter of Arsenal visiting them at home) us so if we can go to Chelsea and Liverpool and come away with 4 points and beat Spurs at home I think we'll be well on our way.

Each of the three teams have three "tough" games to teams in the current top 6. The difference is that Chelsea have 2 of these at home and one away whereas City have 2 away and one home and Spurs 2 home 2 away.

The balance of each teams run in is:

Spurs
West Ham (home)
Wigan (away)
Stoke (home)
City (away)
Arsenal (home)
West Brom (home)
Chelsea (away)
Blackpool (home)
Liverpool (away)
Birmingham (away)


Chelsea
City (home)
Stoke (away)
Wigan (home)
West Brom (away)
Birmingham (home)
West Ham (away)
Spurs (home)
United (away)
Newcastle (home)
Everton (away)

If I was a betting man I'd wager we'll get 4th spot, Chelsea 3rd and Spurs in the waffa spot

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Five wins as long as one of them is Spurs and chuck in a couple of draws and it will make it tough for them to reel us in. They'd need 23 points from 9 games. Cant see it meself.
This should have been more or less done and dusted ages ago.

[Original Dub]

Focussing on the league we have the chance to finish in a top four spot and potentially gain a CL place. This will enable the owners to continue with their business plan and the club will continue to move forward so despite all emotional longings for a pot this has to be the priority. I also think it looks the hardest challenge of the three comps at the moment. Here is how I see the league run in:

Chelsea D
Sunderland W
Liverpool D
Spuds D
Blackburn W
West Ham W
Everton L
Stoke W
Bolton W

18 points will see us finishing on 71 points. Last season that would have got 4th but will it work this season?

Jesus, I hadn't even thought of that. Lets hope we get top four!

[Goaters 103]

If, and its a big IF, we get past Reading the Spurs home game will again be pushed way back to the end of the season. Worth noting.

[DoomMerchant]

Focussing on the league we have the chance to finish in a top four spot and potentially gain a CL place. This will enable the owners to continue with their business plan and the club will continue to move forward so despite all emotional longings for a pot this has to be the priority. I also think it looks the hardest challenge of the three comps at the moment. Here is how I see the league run in:

Chelsea D
Sunderland W
Liverpool D
Spuds D
Blackburn W
West Ham W
Everton L
Stoke W
Bolton W

18 points will see us finishing on 71 points. Last season that would have got 4th but will it work this season?

Jesus, I hadn't even thought of that. Lets hope we get top four!

Interesting.

Cheers

[Original Dub]

Focussing on the league we have the chance to finish in a top four spot and potentially gain a CL place. This will enable the owners to continue with their business plan and the club will continue to move forward so despite all emotional longings for a pot this has to be the priority. I also think it looks the hardest challenge of the three comps at the moment. Here is how I see the league run in:

Chelsea D
Sunderland W
Liverpool D
Spuds D
Blackburn W
West Ham W
Everton L
Stoke W
Bolton W

18 points will see us finishing on 71 points. Last season that would have got 4th but will it work this season?

Jesus, I hadn't even thought of that. Lets hope we get top four!

Interesting.

Cheers

Every day new shit comes to light. Some of that shit I don't remember, some I do.

I will remember this particular new shit that has come to light.

[Ted Hughes]

Imo none of the top 5 teams are of the same quality of the top 4 from a few years ago. At that time, it was something of a shock when one of them lost but now ,even the rags have slipped to a level where they look like they could drop points every week. Chelsea got a boost last night but if Adam & DJ Campbell had played, I recon Blackpool would have got at least a draw, they were the better team for large parts of the game.

Now, it's impossible to predict accurately how any team will do against any opposition & as the teams just below, like Liverpool Everton, Sunderland etc aren't very good either, almost any combination of results is possible. Imo the final order of teams will depend on who fucks up the least, as all of them will fuck up a fair bit. Us winning or losing to Spurs won't matter as much if they lose to Wigan for instance & that's very very possible. Spurs could finish above us Chelsea & Arsenal or below Liverpool imo.

The rags' home form will probably be the decisive factor in the actual title race. If they maintain it they'll win, if it goes, they may collapse completelyas they're a mid table team away from home.

[john@staustell]

I believe the Chelsea game will be key. We will find it better than playing these 'park the bus' teams at home, where there is no space behind them to cut through.

Everyone has sussed that you just stifle Chelsea through the middle, they have no width. Then hit them on the break into the space, like Sunderland did at the Bridge.

Plus we now have players who are in many cases technically superior. I fancy our chances in that one.

[Ted Hughes]

I believe the Chelsea game will be key. We will find it better than playing these 'park the bus' teams at home, where there is no space behind them to cut through.

Everyone has sussed that you just stifle Chelsea through the middle, they have no width. Then hit them on the break into the space, like Sunderland did at the Bridge.

Plus we now have players who are in many cases technically superior. I fancy our chances in that one.

So do I. Not convinced by Chelsea at all I'm pleased to say.

[john68]

For those of you worried about our potential to drop points, it's useful to note just how many our rivals have dropped too, especially since the halfway point of the season. Only Arsenal have held up and apart from that, it's been much of a muchness with all the rest of us.

Since game 20:
The Rags....played 10 games and dropped...11pts...(lost 3 and drawn 1).
Arsenal......played 9 games and dropped only 6pts...(drawn 3).
City..........played 10 games and dropped...12pts...(lost 2 and drawn 3).
Chelsea......Played 9 games and dropped...10pts...(lost 2 and drawn 2).
Spurs........played 9 games and dropped...12pts....(lost 2 and drawn 3).

The next couple of weeks see us with 4 games, ending with Chelsea (away). I think that game will be crucial and we must at least get a draw to keep chelsea from opening a gap. Both Chelsea and Spurs have only 2 games each (out of FA Cup).

Get through that period and we have an international break where with only 1 game (hopefully) and maybe a few pulling out, a number of our squad will get a rest. From then on...it's a sprint to the finishing line.

[ashton287]

we beat chelsea and spurs and dont fuck up too many times along the rest (liverpool/everton) and were third.

Chelsea have done fuck all to worry us into thinking we wont get third. They beat blackpool and all the sudden were fighting for fourth and there gonna win the league. FUCK OFF. We are better then chelsea and have been pretty much all season.

Am i right in thinking the semi final will be on the weekend of the spurs game so thats going to be PP.

Chelsea and spuds will drop points so we can afford a few draws along the way to third.

[ayrshireblue]

Done the BBC predictor. Ended up with Arsenal winning the league, us level on points with Chelsea but coming 4th on goal difference. Blackpool, West Brom and Wigan to go down. We would finish on 72 points.

[aaron bond]

Done the BBC predictor. Ended up with Arsenal winning the league, us level on points with Chelsea but coming 4th on goal difference. Blackpool, West Brom and Wigan to go down. We would finish on 72 points.

I've given up doing the BBC predictor. Every time I've filled it in for the season, my predictions are proven wrong the next weekend!

[CityGer]

Most bookies have us at 1/5 to finish in the top four and every pundit you here says we'll finish top four. I wish I shared their confidence, those odds are seriously short.

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/eng ... p-4-finish