Race for the Top 4 - 2017/18

SUIYHA · Dec 24, 2017

The thing that I've noticed throughout this season is how often us, Liverpool and Arsenal have fluctuated between "champagne football" and "complete crisis". Literally every week it seems the balance shifts slightly. We're still only 7 points off second place, and if you remember we were 7 points off Arsenal who were in 2nd when we lost to Man Utd in December last season and then ended up finishing in 2nd ourselves, 11 points clear of them. I'd be amazed if a Mourinho side collapsed that hard, but if we're anywhere near as consistent in the second half of the season as we were last year then we'll finish top 4 minimum.

I am more worried about Liverpool than Arsenal, especially as Ozil and Sanchez may well get "mysterious injuries" after signing a pre-contract with someone else in January, and also they may decide that their best chance of getting CL football is through the Europa League. Even still, both sides clearly have major weaknesses - they've both conceded as many goals as Brighton so far. Yes, Brighton and Hove Albion.

longtimespur · Dec 24, 2017

slartibartfast said:
To those who went into meltdown recently after the City game, you know who you all are, please take note of results from last 5 games in photo below and look at results of those around us.
Oh and in particular look at Arsenals recent form. Shiiiitttttt lol.
Put your dummy back in and keep it in next time we lose please.
Excluding City its only us and Utd with 3 wins out of last 5!!!
We beat Stoke 5.1 week before and you still came out with crap like 'Disaster. Sack Poch. Alli is shit. Winks is shit. Trippier is shit. Rose is shit. Dier is shit. Etc etc.'
You're an embarrassment.
View attachment 34873

I sometimes wish I didn't have certain people blocked :LOL:

Obviously not you @slartibartfast

Colonel_Klinck · Dec 24, 2017

I’m not worried about top 4. Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all have problems. Maybe Chelsea could solve theirs in Jan window but I doubt it. Liverpool need a whole new defence, keeper and their midfield is mediocre. Arsenal may be weakened further in Jan if Sanchez leaves. Can’t see anyone paying to take Ozil though. Even ManU aren’t great. It’s just Mourinho doing his usual boring safety first setup to grind out results.

Westmorland · Dec 24, 2017

With Wanyama back soon and Toby to follow in about a month we are looking good. That was potentially a very hard game yesterday but we were far too good for them. Kane and Alli are back on form . I am confident of top 4 .

shelfboy68 · Dec 24, 2017

Colonel_Klinck said:
I’m not worried about top 4. Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all have problems. Maybe Chelsea could solve theirs in Jan window but I doubt it. Liverpool need a whole new defence, keeper and their midfield is mediocre. Arsenal may be weakened further in Jan if Sanchez leaves. Can’t see anyone paying to take Ozil though. Even ManU aren’t great. It’s just Mourinho doing his usual boring safety first setup to grind out results.

Funnily enough there is only a point between us and Liverpool despite the fact we have lost 3 games more than them who are having the problem we had the last couple of years with too many draws.
Those 3 points for a win do help keep you in touch despite a loss or two so if the team can find a run of form which they are capable of then anything is possible.

Colonel_Klinck · Dec 24, 2017

shelfboy68 said:
Funnily enough there is only a point between us and Liverpool despite the fact we have lost 3 games more than them who are having the problem we had the last couple of years with too many draws.
Those 3 points for a win do help keep you in touch despite a loss or two so if the team can find a run of form which they are capable of then anything is possible.

I don’t understand Klopp. He knew their defence was shite last season and did nothing. You can’t out score every team every week. It well cost them again this season.

SpursDave88 · Dec 24, 2017

I still think as things stand we are the outsiders for the top four, if we make up more ground on our rivals over the next 3-4 games I will change my mind, but yesterday's performance to me was as much a reminder of how below par we've been in the majority of games this season. We need to get back to that level week in week out.

coys200 · Dec 24, 2017

SpursDave88 said:
I still think as things stand we are the outsiders for the top four, if we make up more ground on our rivals over the next 3-4 games I will change my mind, but yesterday's performance to me was as much a reminder of how below par we've been in the majority of games this season. We need to get back to that level week in week out.

“Make up more ground” we are 1 pt behind? The massive advantage we have over Liverpool is our defence. If Liverpool “fab 4” don’t click they don’t win simple as that. We can have an off day and win 1-0. I just can’t see Salah keeping this up all season.

shelfboy68 · Dec 24, 2017

Colonel_Klinck said:
I don’t understand Klopp. He knew their defence was shite last season and did nothing. You can’t out score every team every week. It well cost them again this season.

Agree I never understood why he bought the ox when his back four and keeper were not up to it, I think your notion of his view that they would try to overwhelme the opposition his true but it can be suicidal as we have witnessed frequently with his team.

Streetspur77 · Dec 24, 2017

coys200 said:
“Make up more ground” we are 1 pt behind? The massive advantage we have over Liverpool is our defence. If Liverpool “fab 4” don’t click they don’t win simple as that. We can have an off day and win 1-0. I just can’t see Salah keeping this up all season.

The salah hype is pissing me off, Kane had to score for 20+ goals for two seasons before people started to take him seriously but then Salah goes on a good run for 10-15 games and suddenly he's the messiah

I reckon he'll drop off, he's never scored at this rate before, especially not in the best league in the world

bubble07 · Dec 24, 2017

Salah is a wing forward which is why he is getting the praise he deserves

If we had him we would be clear in second

Tit&Ham · Dec 24, 2017

Is IT just me or did we have our intense pressing game back yesterday? God I have missed that, and we are almost unbeatable when doing so... COYS!

Shadydan · Dec 24, 2017

He's getting praise because he's 'exciting' and 'dynamic he's a Messi type and a bums of seats player which is the fashion. Kane being a traditional English striker was seen as a flash in the pan because a guy named Harry from Walthamstow with a lisp couldn't possibly be a very good football player.

Japhet · Dec 24, 2017

Colonel_Klinck said:
I don’t understand Klopp. He knew their defence was shite last season and did nothing. You can’t out score every team every week. It well cost them again this season.

He tried to tap up Van Dijk and got caught.

SpursDave88 · Dec 24, 2017

coys200 said:
“Make up more ground” we are 1 pt behind? The massive advantage we have over Liverpool is our defence. If Liverpool “fab 4” don’t click they don’t win simple as that. We can have an off day and win 1-0. I just can’t see Salah keeping this up all season.

Yes, we are still currently behind them. When we are joint 3rd and chasing 2nd I'll be confident.

Pellshek · Dec 24, 2017

People always forget around this time of the season how much a run of results can change things, for better or worse.

Every season a mid-table team loses 3 or 4 on the bounce and are are suddenly drawn into a relegation scrap that nobody saw coming only a few weeks earlier. Watford and Bournemouth are good examples of this at moment.

Same at the top; go unbeaten in 5, winning 4 of them, and suddenly you can close points gaps that seemed insurmountable shortly before.

Our form has been patchy this season, so we may be due a good run. Win our next 3 winnable games and I think we'll see a tightening between our current 5th and United in 2nd.

Japhet · Dec 24, 2017

Pellshek said:
People always forget around this time of the season how much a run of results can change things, for better or worse.

Every season a mid-table team loses 3 or 4 on the bounce and are are suddenly drawn into a relegation scrap that nobody saw coming only a few weeks earlier. Watford and Bournemouth are good examples of this at moment.

Same at the top; go unbeaten in 5, winning 4 of them, and suddenly you can close points gaps that seemed insurmountable shortly before.

Our form has been patchy this season, so we may be due a good run. Win our next 3 winnable games and I think we'll see a tightening between our current 5th and United in 2nd.

The pattern in recent seasons has been our competitors being less consistent than us. Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Utd. are all perfectly capable of screwing up a good position. We've done well IMO to keep within touching distance being as we've played evry match away this season. A nice little run of results would put us right back in the mix.

Mullers · Dec 24, 2017

chinaman said:
Can see us getting back to 4th if we win all 3.

Even if we win those games, there is still a long way to go. We have to play Arsenal, Chelsea, United, City and Liverpool.

WiganSpur · Dec 24, 2017

Streetspur77 said:
The salah hype is pissing me off, Kane had to score for 20+ goals for two seasons before people started to take him seriously but then Salah goes on a good run for 10-15 games and suddenly he's the messiah

I reckon he'll drop off, he's never scored at this rate before, especially not in the best league in the world

To be fair to Salah it's not just his goals, he's just a world class player. For a player that's not even a 9 his rate of scoring is ridiculous.

WiganSpur · Dec 24, 2017

coys200 said:
We really should comfortably win next 3:

Southampton: they have quite a few injuries, van djik saga and are pretty toothless.Will set up very negative.

Swansea: big advantage because of West Ham postponement we have a weeks rest and a game we should win anyway. Hopefully no new manager bounce.

West Ham: The 48 hours rest should go in our favour. They will prioritise WBA game massive relegation game for them. Plus they have a small aging squad. 48 hours turn around won’t suit them.

Problem with the West Ham game is that it's West Ham. We never take that game as seriously as they do.

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