For me: Its Do or Die

[fozzi44]

Was looking at the table last night and noticed that there is a bit of a gap developing between 14th and 11th. Even if we win our next 2 and newcastle lose both theirs, they will still be ahead.

So it is clear that we have some serious work to do and we need to do this right now. In my opinion this is do or die for us now. If we can string to together a few wins now, we head into the christmas fixtures with some confidence. If we can get some results during the festive season we will be right on track for top 8 spot or better over the second half of the season.

I still believe the likes of villa, man city, blackburn and portsmouth will struggle with having smaller squads with less quality so we are at an advantage in this respect.

Our next four league games are critical but all very winable.

25th Nov West Ham (away)
2nd Dec Birmingham (home)
9th Dec Man City (home)
15th Dec Portsmouth (away)

Then....

Arsenal (away)
Fulham (home)
Reading (home)
Villa (away)

....over Christmas

We need to pick up a rake of points from these games, which, lets face it, isnt the most unkind of runs.

Fingers Crossed, coz with a bit of luck and good football a top 6 place is still in our hands. ray:ray:

 

[AngerManagement]

west ham away will be tough (certainly more so than middlesbourgh was) Birmingham game we should win, Man CIty are flying but another game we should win (at home), Pompey away is a tricky prospect to win. Then the Arsenal game is highly unlikely that we will win so the next 5 games are a tough prospect (as far as stringing a run of wins together goes, which is what we need to do right now)

 

[fozzi44]

west ham away will be tough (certainly more so than middlesbourgh was) Birmingham game we should win, Man CIty are flying but another game we should win (at home), Pompey away is a tricky prospect to win. Then the Arsenal game is highly unlikely that we will win so the next 5 games are a tough prospect (as far as stringing a run of wins together goes, which is what we need to do right now)

I firmly believe the next 4 games are very winnable - we just have to do it. I think we are a much better team than our next 4 opposition. Will should be looking 10 out of a possible 12. Big ask but by no means beyond us.

 

[Legend10]

To qualify for Europe via the league this season will be xtremely difficult.

What we have to do is win those 4 home games, if we could then amass 4 points from those away games that would leave us with 27 points from 21 games still massively short of where we need to be to challenge for a european place.

In short we need 2 points a game from here on in to challenge for europe which would normally be enough for 3rd place, so it's a massive ask.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I firmly believe the next 4 games are very winnable - we just have to do it. I think we are a much better team than our next 4 opposition. Will should be looking 10 out of a possible 12. Big ask but by no means beyond us.

I'd be happy with 10 points. We should be looking to win the two away games. A depleted West Ham (lets face it they could start the game with Carlton Cole as the only fit striker) should be a great opportunity to get an away win (I don't care that they won 5-0 away, they played Derby who make Wigan look like Barcelona). If we can get a point at Portsmouth that would be a good haul of points. From now to the end of the season there are a lot of winnable games, but we need to take it one game at a time.

 

[SpurSince57]

As coincidence would have it, we're now two points light of where we were after thirteen games in 2004-2005 and Jol's first game in charge (or his second, there seems to be some confusion as to whether it was Arsenal or Charlton). After losing the next one in 2004-2005, we went on a bit of a rampage, getting 20 points from the next eight. It might easily have been 24 if we hadn't dropped two points against Palace and the goal that never was at OT had been awarded.

Looking at those fixtures and the oppositions' records, I'd say we're perfectly capable of getting full points from the home games and at least a draw against the Spammers, Pompey and Villa. There's no real reason we can't come close to that run of three years ago, or even beat it. The next trick will be to avoid the slump that usually affects us in the New Year.

Ever the optimist, me…

 

[Flatters]

Ledley' back soon though. :dance:

 

[Bulletspur]

I agree its going to be an up hill struggle. The Mancity and Pompys of this world are where they are on merit and its going to be very hard to displace them. We might look better on paper, but that counts for nothing these days.

One thing that is encouraging was during yesterday's match, (all be it against Wigan) I saw our players closing down and forcing the play, not playing or defending as dep as we use to. If we continue to develope and maintaoin this attitude, things can turn around, but it isnt going to be easy.

If Jol was still at the helm I would say no chance, but.................who knows?

 

[Flatters]

We keep playing like we did yesterday, we'll win the league next season. :up:

 

[Netty]

I'd say 10 points from the 1st 4, then possibly 10 or 7 from the next 4.
We'll start to climb the table now, you'll see.

 

[Chuba]

Take into consideration that a lot of the other teams you've mentioned do not have UEFA or Carling Cup games to tend with during the afore mentioned period so whether we can string along a few wins is another question as we are going to have to be really fit.

25th Nov West Ham (away)
29th Nov Aalborg (home UEFA)
2nd Dec Birmingham (home)
6th Dec Anderlecht (away UEFA)
9th Dec Man City (home)
15th Dec Portsmouth (away)
18th Dec Man City (away CCup)

 

[Flatters]

Those games are gonna help us, if anything. Seven wins on the trot there. :up:

 

[SpurSince57]

The converse of that is that qualifying for the UEFA Last 32 is going to give us a nice little psychological boost, and that our UEFA Group Stage games and CC last season coincided with an upturn in league form. Sure, we're going to have to be fit and keep our fingers crossed we stay injury-free, but a lot of it's in the head, and heads seem to be getting right.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Tend to agree with Flatters, we could be on an absolutely barn-storming run by the time the Xmas and New Year games come along. Imagine the confidence we would take into that Pompey game if we get results in the previous 5. Not to mention the fact by then we could have King and Bale back. It always promised to be a good part of the season, especially after the tough string of games we had at the beginning of the season.

 

[saltkjelen]

Let`s take one game at a time

 

[eViL]

We need to go to town on Shitty at the Lane if we want the advantage over them in the cup as they are VERY strong at home.

I'll be honest, I'd rather get the six points from the home games then really put the effort into Cup progression after the start we've had.

 

[Shanks]

Agree, lets take it one game at a time, but we need to qualify for europe, and to do so, we will need maximum points from the next 4 league games.
Also taking points from man city and pompey who are above us, should see us sitting pretty for the xmas period.

Hell, we never know, Chelsea might drop more points

Unlikely, but might happen!

 

[Bingy]

I still have my doubts about our defence....and I have decided to take each game as it comes....afraid to even hope against hope that we will 'suddenly' become unbeatable. I have no confidence, as it stands right now, that we are likely to beat anybody. We are not a good bet against even the bottom 4. That said there is still the 'magic' of the forwards who are managing to 'bang in' their quantity of goals on a regular basis. However, those in defence are off the boil for whatever treason and until there is some improvement there we can forget European football next season. Tough days ahead....COYS!

 

[orkneyspur]

Take into consideration that a lot of the other teams you've mentioned do not have UEFA or Carling Cup games to tend with during the afore mentioned period so whether we can string along a few wins is another question as we are going to have to be really fit.

25th Nov West Ham (away)
29th Nov Aalborg (home UEFA)
2nd Dec Birmingham (home)
6th Dec Anderlecht (away UEFA)
9th Dec Man City (home)
15th Dec Portsmouth (away)
18th Dec Man City (away CCup)

It's why a big squad become all the more important for us over this period. Everyone will get games, even all four strikers. As we have one of the biggest squads, with Bale, Ledders and the other defenders getting fit again, we should have cover in all positions.

Confidence on the pitch, especially with our defence is where the games will be won and lost. Oh, and Berbs playing with a smile on his face.:grin:

 

[TaoistMonkey]

as far has this season goes it wouldn't be a great loss to finish lower than usual. would be friggen amaizng to actually win another cup.