The Race For 4th

[StartingPrice]

The reality is we know how good we can be when we focus. Last season I believed we'd fall short as we had a hard run in and I didn't trust our strikers to be able to trouble Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal.

I was wrong, we won the games and Bale shone.

We have the talent and I believe our CL campaign has possibly shifted our attention a little this season.

We'll bow out tonight and then be completely focused for our remaining games. We are good enough to beat all the teams we've got left. Chelsea are the only ones I'd have as firm favourites to beat us.

:clap:

 

[cusop]

If we were to beat citeh to 4th, what would the sheiks do next
Fire Mancini spend another 200 million, when will the bank balance break.
When will they stop buying every bit of talent out there

 

[Liquidator]

What with the oil price hike since the Arab uprisings, the money the Sheik Mansour has spent so far is like you or I losing a quid down the sofa.

Realistically the only way they'll stop spending ££££ is when the UEFA financial ruling kicks in. That is, IF UEFA really enforce it, and depending on whether their accountants can't make it disappear.

 

[dontcallme]

Realistically spending huge will improve a club but they'll only get to the top if they spend it wisely.

Mourinho spent huge at Chelsea but only on players he really wanted, those he saw as having the right attitude and ability.

Chelsea managers before and since have struggled especially when Roman bought players he wanted rather than what the team needed.

Man City have some excellent players but despite their spending are no match for the top teams in the Prem and Europe. A few of their signings have worked well but many haven't.

They won't get to the top until they get the squad mentality right and a manager who has true control over both the players and the board.

 

[full-frontal-nudity]

Why on earth, firstly would we want to replace Harry anyway, even more so if we finish 4th.

Strange statement there FFN, strange

Harrys rubbish.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

If we were to beat citeh to 4th, what would the sheiks do next
Fire Mancini spend another 200 million, when will the bank balance break.
When will they stop buying every bit of talent out there

more impoprtantly will they fcuk off back home, cut thier loses with a fire sale and look for another pet project

 

[YiddoJames]

If we were in 3rd/4th and had to play those teams it would be worrying, thinking it could all go wrong, we'll fall away.

As we are, expectations have been lowered, we are the underdogs. We have to chase it down but nobody particularly expects that to happen.

We should look at these games vs Chelsea and Man C as giving us a chance to catch them - however difficult they may be to win.

Pressure will be on both as much, if not more than us.

 

[Legacy]

Harrys rubbish.

Can't be that rubbish if he'll have guided us to two consecutive top four finishes in his only two full seasons at the club.

 

[spurslenny]

Yeah, that's right, harry' rubbish.

From delegation zone to top 4 in 18 months, and QF's of the champions league.
Our first away win at the goons since god was a lad, an FA cup semi final, wins against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool x2, AC Milan, inter Milan and arsenal x2 etc, etc, etc.

Just imagine what we could have done if Harry was any good! :duh:

 

[Wiener]

It's not entirely in our hands due to our poor goal difference, but given City's inconsistency they are likely to drop some points.

The good news is that Lennon and Bale look up for it, and Pavluychenko is showing glimpses of his ability. Worrying is that Redknapp looks likely to persist with Huddlestone, Modric and VDV in the middle. I would like to see Sandro Huddlestone/Jenas Modric.

Much to play for still.

COYS

 

[nicdic]

It's not entirely in our hands due to our poor goal difference, but given City's inconsistency they are likely to drop some points.

The good news is that Lennon and Bale look up for it, and Pavluychenko is showing glimpses of his ability. Worrying is that Redknapp looks likely to persist with Huddlestone, Modric and VDV in the middle. I would like to see Sandro Huddlestone/Jenas Modric.

Much to play for still.

COYS

It's totally in our hands. Win all of our games and we're there :wink:

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

It's totally in our hands. Win all of our games and we're there :wink:

That's spot on and somewhat lost in the debate. It is actually in our hands just as much as City, though they have a slight advantage atm as they only have to get a draw against us. And they will drop points so as long as we get the results we'll be in top 4 - simples.

Believe!

:hump:

 

[Wiener]

It's totally in our hands. Win all of our games and we're there :wink:

Man City have a better goal difference. We are +8, they are +20.

 

[WhiteStripe]

Man City have a better goal difference. We are +8, they are +20.

But we have 1 extra game to play :lol:

Your serve....

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

But we have 1 extra game to play :lol:

Your serve....

...Tevez out for 4 weeks. Is that an Ace?

 

[WhiteStripe]

...Tevez out for 4 weeks. Is that an Ace?

I think we just won the doubles with an ace down the line Mr Shin :up:

 

[nicdic]

Just because I feel some are still hugely over egging Manchester City, and a great mutlitude could do with a real dose of some realism, I'm going to repost my thoughts on the City run in from a few days ago.

Manchester City haven't won away in any competition since Boxing Day. That includes draws with Arsenal, Leicester City, Notts County, Birmingham City and Aris Salonika. And losses at Aston Villa, Manchester United, Dynamo Kiev, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Whilst Blackburn, Everton and Bolton aren't as tough as Chelsea away and Liverpool away, Everton and Bolton are both better than Villa, who beat them, and more than capable of winning those games. I wouldn't write Blackburn off either, they will be scrapping for any points they can.

That said they could turn it around and win those three games as well. Personally I see them getting three or four points from their three remaining away games. I don't think they'll win more than one of them, and I think they'll lose at least one.

As for the games that's a bit different. They've won 10 of 16 games at home this season in the league, drawing four times and losing only twice to Everton and Arsenal.

First up they have West Ham, who as we can testify are really fighting for points. Yes they have more reason to get up for games against us, but as the games run out and the points become more and more important at the bottom of the table they will go there trying to win. I still think West Ham will lose, but they are capable of picking something up from City.

Then they play us. All season when City have played the top teams they've tried to close the game out. They've hardly attacked, they've played to not concede. I think we have to expect that again this season. I believe that unlike City we can get up for these big games, and rather than being scared of losing, we go in determined to win. I really see us winning this game unless Mancini attacks the game in a completely different way.

Their final home game is against Stoke. Currently, this game is scheduled for the same day as the FA Cup final, which could be between these same two teams. Whilst I don't really want either of Stoke or City in the final, either of them winning their semi final would mean that their league game would have to be rearranged either some time in the first week of May, or in the final week of the season. My real hope is for City to beat United in the semi (though there could be a risk there in that it might galvanise the team) sothat they have the FA Cup final in their minds when they play as it would be the following Saturday, lose to Bolton, then have to play their rearranged league game with Stoke followed by the game away at Bolton. If that happened they'd have to play four games in the last 13 days of the season, and that could help us massively.

That said Stoke will be a tough game regardless. They don't travel well and I expect City to win, but it will be a battle.

I see City getting between four and six points at home.

That would see City pick up 7-10 points from their remaining games, seeing them finish with a total of 63-66 points.

That means that from our remaining fixtures; Arsenal (H), West Brom (H), Chelsea (A), Blackpool (H), Manchester City (A), Liverpool (A) and Birmingham (H), we need to pick up 11-14 points to secure fourth position.

Three wins at home and beating City could be enough.

That's all been worked out on the basis of us beating them at Eastlands. If we draw or lose to them then we'll need to make up the points in the other games.

Winning the next two league games would be a great start for us, it would see us sitting in fourth, three points above them when they travel to Blackburn.

Believe! COYS!

 

[Wiener]

But we have 1 extra game to play :lol:

Your serve....

We are 3 points behind them with one game in hand but a with a poorer goal difference.

Assuming we win all our games and Man City win all their games, except of course their home game against us, we will be on the same number of points. Either they have to drop more points than us or, if they match us, we will need to make up the goal difference.

 

[nicdic]

We are 3 points behind them with one game in hand but a with a poorer goal difference.

Assuming we win all our games and Man City win all their games, except of course their home game against us, we will be on the same number of points. Either they have to drop more points than us or, if they match us, we will need to make up the goal difference.

If we win all of our games, they cannot win all of theirs. If we win all of our games, we will finish above them, regardless of their goal difference, because we'll have three points more.

We're three points behind with a game in hand, and we play them. It's as much in our hands as it is theirs.

 

[TwoSaintsComeMarching]

We are 3 points behind them with one game in hand but a with a poorer goal difference.

Assuming we win all our games and Man City win all their games, except of course their home game against us, we will be on the same number of points. Either they have to drop more points than us or, if they match us, we will need to make up the goal difference.

You've slightly got yourself muddled there buddy. If we win all our games we finish with 74 points. If they win all their remaining games, bar the game against us, they finish with 71 points.

So its in our hands. We win all our games = Top 4. Similarly though, it's also in their hands - they win all their games, then they get Top 4.