The race for a Champions League place

[mrlilywhite]

To answer the first part of your post, maybe by spending the extra £50m or whatever CL is supposed to be worth on top quality talent that will improve the squad like Depay and Lacazette.

And can you see Levy splashing that much out on two players, considering the last time he went money crazy? We would all love to have those players, but it is far from realistic.

 

[Phomesy]

That Balotelli goal was the killer.

Draw that game and Liverpool's run hits a snag - both in terms of points AND confidence.

Bastard.

 

[cookiemonster]

Really needed that win, especially after the Cup Final and going out of Europe

Shame every fucker ahead of us won also, how the hell do man utd keep playing shit and winning

Because their defence do not leak goals

 

[cookiemonster]

Not over yet at all, anyone writing us off given our position is being a bit defeatist.

We arn't favourites but our position puts us in the mix.

If we beat QPR and went to OT and won, we'd have every chance - and that isn't exactly talking miracles, they've been poor for most of the season and were poor again tonight - by their standards I'll qualify that with. We'll also have a full week clear to prepare.

So, for me at least, its a tough ask but its nowhere near over yet.

With our defence leaking 2 goals in every game

No chance

 

[DanielCHillier]

I really don't think that's a given. These kind of games where people expect us to win on paper are exactly the sort of games we always seem to come unstuck in. I think we'll do very well to get the three points at Loftus Road.

Hence the "IF"

 

[Mr Pink]

With our defence leaking 2 goals in every game

No chance

Must do better defensively I agree, but nothing is decided yet.

 

[DanielCHillier]

And can you see Levy splashing that much out on two players, considering the last time he went money crazy? We would all love to have those players, but it is far from realistic.

I'd say one is a definite possibility but not both, but we seem to be getting a lot of reports of our scouts being at games watching these big name players so you never know, if he's given the proper assurances and can get a reasonable price it could happen

 

[mrlilywhite]

I'd say one is a definite possibility but not both, but we seem to be getting a lot of reports of our scouts being at games watching these big name players so you never know, if he's given the proper assurances and can get a reasonable price it could happen

Optimistic at best mate, anyway there are more issues that need addressing in the squad than just fwd positions. We can't defend as a unit, and our fullbacks give us cause for concern, that coupled with sloppy defending from our centre halves.

Levy wont sanction serious money on the squad until he gets shot of expensive wage collectors that Poch don't or cant use.

 

[dagraham]

Win at QPR and we're still in the race, but really we're not good enough and never have been this season.

You can't give away so many sloppy goals and expect to win anything or finish top four.

Kane and Eriksen also look a bit leggy to me which is no surprise really when you consider they've carried the team at times and the sheer amount of games they've played already.

 

[DanielCHillier]

Win at QPR and we're still in the race, but really we're not good enough and never have been this season.

You can't give away so many sloppy goals and expect to win anything or finish top four.

Kane and Eriksen also look a bit leggy to me which is no surprise really when you consider they've carried the team at times and the sheer amount of games they've played already.

Agree, but teams around us have also been very poor at times this season so you never know. Your second point is why i'm sort of glad that it's just the PL that we're in for the rest of the season, a full week between games will hopefully do wonders for the pair of them and get them back on form

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Just conceding too many goals to be able to maintain a real challenge imo.

Despite having one of the best keepers in the league/world, as a team we let in 2 many soft goals. Can't expect 2 score or more goals everygame

 

[BK007]

I would be shocked if we got close to 4th. I can't see us being competitive even if we did somehow make it. I mean we have struggled enough this season with just the Europa league, how on earth can we expect to do anything constructive in the CL? Will of course be delighted if we did nick a CL spot.

That is really a moot point though, as I am sure we will not get 4th, too many teams above us in their purple patch now. Personally, I would love a season out of Europa league and concentrate on building an efficient squad, that is capable of competing on all fronts for the next season. Right now, we don't have that, and the European games are causing us more problems than we need.

Berate the EL for CL dropouts, but if we write off the EL because it's not worth our time, we are saying the teams in it are not worth our time. All well and good if we win it every year, but we don't. We lose to the CL dropouts, we lose to non-CL teams and look at this year, had we beaten Fiorentina we would be playing against Roma, second in Italian League and guaranteed CL team next year.

I don't want to tarnish our CL adventure all those years ago, but it seems like I must to remind our delusional posters. Both Milan teams were on the downward spiral and neither have qualified for the CL for years and even missing out on Europe altogether now. So, instead of talking shit about the competition being useless and hoping to compete with teams out of our league, we should every year we are in it, try to win the Europa League, after all, how can more trophies and more European experience, be it against minnows or CL dropouts, be bad? Unless we are actually on target to be ENGLISH CHAMPIONS, there is no other place in the table worthy to stand up against the EL trophy and more European experience.

 

[carpediem1906]

Run In

- 2 games in March, us 3
- 4 games in April
- 4 games in May
- arsenal has one champs league game or more, one FA cup quarter or more
- fools n United have one FA cup quarter finals or more
- Leicester, Burnley, QPR, Villa, Sunderland, Hull fighting against relegation

Spurs - 47 points - 3 Home 8 Away
- QPR away
- United away
- Leicester away
- Burnley away
- Villa home
- Newcastle away
- Saints away
- City home
- Stoke away
- Hull home
- Everton away

Arsenal - 54 points 6 Home 4 Away
- West Ham home
- Newcastle away
- Fools home
- Burnley away
- Sunderland home
- Chelsea home
- Hull away
- Swansea home
- United away
- WBA home

United - 53 points 6 Home 4 Away
- Spurs home
- Fools away
- Villa home
- City home
- Chelsea home
- Everton away
- WBA home
- Palace away
- Arsenal home
- Hull away

Fools - 51 points - 4 Home 6 Away
- Swansea away
- United home
- Arsenal away
- Newcastle home
- Hull away
- WBA away
- QPR home
- Chelsea away
- Palace home
- Stoke away

Saints - 49 points - 4 Home 6 Away
- Chelsea away
- Burnley home
- Everton away
- Hull home
- Stoke away
- Spurs home
- Sunderland away
- Leicester away
- Villa home
- City away

Spurs
- 3 games against top 7
- 6 games against relegation teams

Arsenal
- 3 games against top 7
- 2 games against relegation teams

United
- 5 games against top 7
- 2 games against relegation teams

Fools
- 3 games against top 7
- 2 games against relegation teams

Saints
- 3 games against top 7
- 5 games against relegation teams

 

[carpediem1906]

Run In

- 2 games in March, us 3
- 4 games in April
- 4 games in May
- arsenal has one champs league game or more, one FA cup quarter or more
- fools n United have one FA cup quarter finals or more
- Leicester, Burnley, QPR, Villa, Sunderland, Hull fighting against relegation

Spurs - 47 points - 3 Home 8 Away
- QPR away
- United away
- Leicester away
- Burnley away
- Villa home
- Newcastle away
- Saints away
- City home
- Stoke away
- Hull home
- Everton away

Arsenal - 54 points 6 Home 4 Away
- West Ham home
- Newcastle away
- Fools home
- Burnley away
- Sunderland home
- Chelsea home
- Hull away
- Swansea home
- United away
- WBA home

United - 53 points 6 Home 4 Away
- Spurs home
- Fools away
- Villa home
- City home
- Chelsea home
- Everton away
- WBA home
- Palace away
- Arsenal home
- Hull away

Fools - 51 points - 4 Home 6 Away
- Swansea away
- United home
- Arsenal away
- Newcastle home
- Hull away
- WBA away
- QPR home
- Chelsea away
- Palace home
- Stoke away

Saints - 49 points - 4 Home 6 Away
- Chelsea away
- Burnley home
- Everton away
- Hull home
- Stoke away
- Spurs home
- Sunderland away
- Leicester away
- Villa home
- City away

Spurs
- 3 games against top 7
- 6 games against relegation teams

Arsenal
- 3 games against top 7
- 2 games against relegation teams

United
- 5 games against top 7
- 2 games against relegation teams

Fools
- 3 games against top 7
- 2 games against relegation teams

Saints
- 3 games against top 7
- 5 games against relegation teams

I reckon it's us and Liverpool for 4th actually.. Arsenal should end up 3rd, but looking at fixtures, United really has it tough.

 

[fortworthspur]

F*ck all this "we have no chance". 11 games to play with a game in hand and nothing else to play for. TBH, I feel better about our chances this year than I have since we edged City. On paper Liverpool and certainly Soton are no better and United arent any more settled than us.

 

[shelfboy68]

Just conceding too many goals to be able to maintain a real challenge imo.

Despite having one of the best keepers in the league/world, as a team we let in 2 many soft goals. Can't expect 2 score or more goals everygame

It puts pressure on us to win by three or more every game which wont happen,poch needs to go back to the drawing board with the team Im afraid.

 

[ajspurs]

I have to agree in that we do let in a lot of soft goals. Either directly self inflicted or where an individual really should be doing better.

We have to win on Saturday, that won't be an easy game. Have we won at QPR in recent times? I remember a few very frustrating games there. In the Harry days with Modric/VDV/Bale etc. when Taraabt scored, the time where I think we drew and Adebayor mised a sitter early on. It's a tight ground and I always envision it being tough there.

We really need to be doing what Liverpool have been doing and what Arsenal seem to always do at the tail end of a season and that's put a good run together. We definitely need some back to back wins.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

I have to agree in that we do let in a lot of soft goals. Either directly self inflicted or where an individual really should be doing better.

We have to win on Saturday, that won't be an easy game. Have we won at QPR in recent times? I remember a few very frustrating games there. In the Harry days with Modric/VDV/Bale etc. when Taraabt scored, the time where I think we drew and Adebayor mised a sitter early on. It's a tight ground and I always envision it being tough there.

We really need to be doing what Liverpool have been doing and what Arsenal seem to always do at the tail end of a season and that's put a good run together. We definitely need some back to back wins.

Think we've drawn and lost there the last few seasons, remember watching a frustrating game against them while I was on my own in a pub in Copenhagen. Sandro done his knee and never came back the same player.

 

[Shea]

The odds for top four qualification are interesting.....


Arsenal 1/5

Man U 8/1

Liverpool EVENS

Southampton 6/1

Spurs 6/1


Are the UTD odds correct or has SSN made an error with the Skybet odds?

 

[Shadydan]

I don't think we will make it but for the first time in a long time it sure is fun to be amongst it.