Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

[tommo84]

Sadly I don’t foresee ‘wheels coming off’ for Liverpool. They (not unilike ourselves) have already won some games where they’ve rode their luck a bit, and crucially they’ve had some moments where they’ve had a big stroke of luck at the perfect time (Mahrez missed pen at Anfield, freak goal vs Everton).

Also, 14 teams in this division are shit. Capable of the odd good performance but generally crap and liable to miss golden opportunities while gifting goals to the opposition - Bournemouth have been a prime example of that all season. So I don’t see Liverpool having a big wobble like we’ve seen from them in the past.

 

[Mr Pink]

Think City will get their angry heads on now.

It's a night game against the Dippers, and I think they'll beat them.

 

[$hoguN]

Think City will get their angry heads on now.

It's a night game against the Dippers, and I think they'll beat them.

City will end up either crumbling or start handing out some absolute beatings in the next couple of games imo. I think the latter is more likely given what they have be doing the last two years but we will have to wait and see I guess

 

[dirtyh]

Think City will get their angry heads on now.

It's a night game against the Dippers, and I think they'll beat them.

hope you're right mate.

unfortunately when we expect teams to do us a favour they usually crumble. city simply have to win but got a feeling the dippers will run riot. i've got more expectation of them dropping points at brighton for example than away at city.

 

[Giovanni]

The hope is that as they continue to progress unbeaten will the pressure take its toll and cause them to tighten up and almost play not to lose rather than to win? Of coarse klopp is not going to start going 5 at the back but as you get to the stage where 'a draw would be a fine result' you can start to lose that killer edge.


Just noticed...with the season ending earlier than normal in the pl it means that currently pools second leg v bayern is just 1 month before the pl ends? This seems strange to me. That means that their is just 4more pl games after bayern and we will still have the quarter finals, semis and final at the very end?

 

[Mr Pink]

hope you're right mate.

unfortunately when we expect teams to do us a favour they usually crumble. city simply have to win but got a feeling the dippers will run riot. i've got more expectation of them dropping points at brighton for example than away at city.

Hopefully City win comprehensively, and plant a seed of doubt.

 

[luRRka]

The hope is that as they continue to progress unbeaten will the pressure take its toll and cause them to tighten up and almost play not to lose rather than to win? Of coarse klopp is not going to start going 5 at the back but as you get to the stage where 'a draw would be a fine result' you can start to lose that killer edge.


Just noticed...with the season ending earlier than normal in the pl it means that currently pools second leg v bayern is just 1 month before the pl ends? This seems strange to me. That means that their is just 4more pl games after bayern and we will still have the quarter finals, semis and final at the very end?

2 months, 8 games. Season finishes 12th May. Bayern second leg is 13th March.

 

[Shadydan]

Hopefully City win comprehensively, and plant a seed of doubt.

Can't see that happening unfortunately.

 

[Giovanni]

2 months, 8 games. Season finishes 12th May. Bayern second leg is 13th March.

Apologies, google wasnt clear at all....showed the 13th as their last game

 

[Mr Pink]

Can't see that happening unfortunately.

Mate, it's still Man City... Let's not forget the squad they have just because they've lost a few games.

Complacency won't be allowed to continue under Pep, no chance.

Personally I think it's all coming together beautifully for City to be playing like men possessed against the Dippers.

 

[easley91]

People saying it'll take a lot to catch Liverpool and City and will take a while, we just caught and overtook the so called best premier league team ever in a few days. Nobody saw those two defeats coming, especially back to back. Anything can happen in this league. If Liverpool go far in CL you think they'll still be all guns blazing on both? One of those will drop off for the other. They rest a player or a few in the league then opposition takes advantage.

It's only December, and their next two are the two they could drop points in. Arsenal on their day can do damage, Auba is in good form at the moment. If they actually turn up like they did for us they could well get a draw. Pep will no doubt get them back on the training ground now and kick them up the ass for getting complacent. They'll be wanting to gain 3 points on Liverpool as much as we do.

If both those games go our way we could be within 3 points at most of Liverpool by the following weekend.

Remember we play first in both rounds of fixtures too, meaning we should close it to 3 before the Arsenal game. Pressure starts to mount. Let's see how it pans out shall we. I'm just going to enjoy the ride whatever happens.

 

[kmk]

Out of our remaining 9 away games, only the matches v Chelsea, City and Liverpool are tough.

The rest are against Cardiff, Fulham, Burnley, Southampton & Bournemouth who shouldn't be too difficult.

Our toughest home games are against United & Arsenal who we have all beaten regularly under Poch.

 

[easley91]

Chelsea away doesn't worry me. They really are not all that under Sarri. Even Watford could have got something last night. Only two that worry me are City and Liverpool. But, I would love to be the team that beat them and at Anfield to go above them in the league too. The salt would be glorious.

 

[Jaddas]

This title race seems reminiscent of the Leicester one. What we need to hope for is Liverpool to slip up which Leicester didn't really do and we need to then capitalise. We were always behind in that race.

Hopefully Arsenal and City can both take points off them and we can narrow the gap. I think when the gap gets smaller then they may start to feel the pressure. Unlike Leicester, they are also still involved in Europe and I can see them easily getting past Bayern to the quarters.

Also, we've had to cope with numerous injuries which they haven't. Surely, they can't be that lucky and remain injury free?

 

[Shadydan]

Mate, it's still Man City... Let's not forget the squad they have just because they've lost a few games.

Complacency won't be allowed to continue under Pep, no chance.

Personally I think it's all coming together beautifully for City to be playing like men possessed against the Dippers.

Will Fernandinho be back by then?

 

[Primativ]

People saying it'll take a lot to catch Liverpool and City and will take a while, we just caught and overtook the so called best premier league team ever in a few days. Nobody saw those two defeats coming, especially back to back. Anything can happen in this league. If Liverpool go far in CL you think they'll still be all guns blazing on both? One of those will drop off for the other. They rest a player or a few in the league then opposition takes advantage.

It's only December, and their next two are the two they could drop points in. Arsenal on their day can do damage, Auba is in good form at the moment. If they actually turn up like they did for us they could well get a draw. Pep will no doubt get them back on the training ground now and kick them up the ass for getting complacent. They'll be wanting to gain 3 points on Liverpool as much as we do.

If both those games go our way we could be within 3 points at most of Liverpool by the following weekend.

Remember we play first in both rounds of fixtures too, meaning we should close it to 3 before the Arsenal game. Pressure starts to mount. Let's see how it pans out shall we. I'm just going to enjoy the ride whatever happens.

Unfortunately I can see Arsenal getting absolutely battered. Their defence is shocking. Their win over us was a freak performance. Auba scoring a worldie and then a lucky deflection.

 

[Mr Pink]

Will Fernandinho be back by then?

Hope so, and agree that he's vital for them.

 

[Primativ]

Sadly I don’t foresee ‘wheels coming off’ for Liverpool. They (not unilike ourselves) have already won some games where they’ve rode their luck a bit, and crucially they’ve had some moments where they’ve had a big stroke of luck at the perfect time (Mahrez missed pen at Anfield, freak goal vs Everton).

Also, 14 teams in this division are shit. Capable of the odd good performance but generally crap and liable to miss golden opportunities while gifting goals to the opposition - Bournemouth have been a prime example of that all season. So I don’t see Liverpool having a big wobble like we’ve seen from them in the past.

So you’ll think Liverpool will remain unbeaten for the rest of the season? Because I find it highly unlikely they don’t lose at least a couple, which would constitute a wobble. As City have shown, in this league you can lose two games in a week, just like that. To win the league we will literally need to win most of our remaining games, but if won of those is at Anfield, that may be enough!

 

[tommo84]

So you’ll think Liverpool will remain unbeaten for the rest of the season? Because I find it highly unlikely they don’t lose at least a couple, which would constitute a wobble. As City have shown, in this league you can lose two games in a week, just like that. To win the league we will literally need to win most of our remaining games, but if won of those is at Anfield, that may be enough!

Haven’t said anything about Liverpool going unbeaten. However, losing to City and then losing again with 6 games to go would not constitute a wobble. A wobble involves a number of games in quick succession where a team drops points - and I don’t see that happening to Liverpool this season.

If Liverpool are still 6 points clear after they’ve been to City then I can’t see either ourselves or City catching them.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

It's not just that Liverpool have to drop, it's that we really can't afford to lose.

If we assume Liverpool will drop 11 points in this half of the season - so they pick up 46 points - we would only be able to drop 4 points to pass them, which we probably need to do rather than rely on goal differential.

That is a big ask, while competing in CL and League Cup (and potentially FA Cup, if we get past the early stages with a heavily rotated squad).