The Race to the Title

[Lilbaz]

Agreed, apart from one thing, which ties in with what I've highlighted. I think it safe to assume that we know the top 4 teams now. But we don't know the order of them.

39 points left. We can't assume anything. Some top four teams will drop points this weekend and utd have sunderland. They win that they are back in the mix.

 

[yido_number1]

No one 'consolidates' second. Stop being a scaredy cat.

We have a target and like it or not, it's not consolidating second.

Agree, you only do that if 1st isn't mathematically achievable. We need to make sure United can't catch us and the only way to do that is to win the league or at least aim to do that.

As Bill said: "It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

39 points left. We can't assume anything. Some top four teams will drop points this weekend and utd have sunderland. They win that they are back in the mix.

To a certain degree, you are right. However, if we look at PPG, it will take drastic changes to average PPG for big changes to happen for league positions. Take United. Our present PPG is approx. 0.3 higher than theirs. To catch up with us, they would have to fetch approx. 0.54 points more than us per game. Have you seen anything of late that truly suggests it is likely?

 

[thebenjamin]

It's not about targets. It's about strategies.

Try and win the next game is the only strategy.

 

[Riandor]

The way I see it is we have earned the right through all our work to be part of the race heading into the final third.

That in itself is an achievement. We're not discussing how to scrape up from where we are to 4th or where we might be in a positive fight for EL qualification ere the end. We are legitimately able to discuss a realistic involvement in the outcome of the title.

Yes, 13 games to go and cups to boot, it's still a mammoth task, but we have earned the right to discuss it and let's just enjoy that for as long as it lasts.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Try and win the next game is the only strategy.

Of course. But you need to know why you want that. What purpose does it serve. What are the likely implications if you fail that?
Are there any alternative outcomes that can serve us both short and long term?
Think about it, all of the sudden beating City now becomes infinitely more important than calculating the likelihood of overcoming Leicester in the future.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

You lot are such knobs. All this title talk and not one of you has it in you to say we're going to do the double

 

[Riandor]

You lot are such knobs. All this title talk and not one of you has it in you to say we're going to do the treble

Let me fix that for you...

 

[Lamelad]

Im quite happy we have City away then a break from the premierleague for couple of weeks instead of having Europa League games inbetween premierleague games.

In the worst case scenario, we lose at city, try and forget about the league a bit in the Europa and Fa cup and kick start again against Swansea at the Lane.

 

[CowInAComa]

You lot are such knobs. All this title talk and not one of you has it in you to say we're going to do the double

a '16 double winning side has a nice symmetry to it.

But have you given up on Europa?

 

[millsey]

Agreed, apart from one thing, which ties in with what I've highlighted. I think it safe to assume that we know the top 4 teams now. But we don't know the order of them.

There's no way the top 4 is decided now! Anyone celebrating champs league qualification? Lose on Sunday there will be 2 points in it!

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

There's no way the top 4 is decided now! Anyone celebrating champs league qualification? Lose on Sunday there will be 2 points in it!

Hmmm ... No. I still think it's 4th or better for us.

 

[Shadydan]

There's no way the top 4 is decided now! Anyone celebrating champs league qualification? Lose on Sunday there will be 2 points in it!

?

 

[ILS]

I still feel if you finish above Arsenal this year, you will win the league. Once they are knocked out of the CL to Barca, they will pretty much be in the same position as Leicester, playing Sat to Sat.

Although I am surrounded by Leicester fans bigging it up at the moment and fair play to them, I always said they will struggle when the lower half teams come to the KP and sit in. The problem has been pretty much every team including Stoke who Leicester have played since mid December believe they are better then them, therefore fall into the trap of attacking them. Arsenal on Sunday will be no different however surely Wenger will not make the same mistakes the others have done?

On paper March looks a very good month for Leicester but if my prediction comes true it could reel them back in to the pack.

 

[alexis]

Fair thread, we are currently in thr title race even if some of our fans are top scared to admit it.

It scares me, it scares the living shite out of me to just think it, but I know we are in it and I love it. It's the FA Cup run x 1000000

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

a '16 double winning side has a nice symmetry to it.

But have you given up on Europa?

No, just not being greedy

 

[onthetwo]

if we beat man city away, I will start to believe.

Me too - the setup seems very similar to the year that we went there and lost 3-2, Bale scored a cracker and Defoe narrowly missed a tap-in. Think it was the 'mind-the-gap' year under Arry so with that in mind, im not getting excited about any potential achievements until mid-March at the earliest.

 

[C0YS]

To a certain degree, you are right. However, if we look at PPG, it will take drastic changes to average PPG for big changes to happen for league positions. Take United. Our present PPG is approx. 0.3 higher than theirs. To catch up with us, they would have to fetch approx. 0.54 points more than us per game. Have you seen anything of late that truly suggests it is likely?

Let me take you back to the 2011-2012 season. At this stage that year we were 10 points clear of Arsenal. Need I remind you what happened?

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Let me take you back to the 2011-2012 season. At this stage that year we were 10 points clear of Arsenal. Need I remind you what happened?

Not every history is alike.
Did 3 large teams fail that season?
Do we have a manager who desires the English national team job this season?
De we make it to 2nd late that season?
Did we loose as few matches as now that season?
Did we defend as well that season?

 

[glospur]

I'll enjoy the ride as we are light years from 18months ago, and imo not even close to hitting our potential ceiling.

This. History tells us that we're unlikely to keep the squad together in the coming years but you get the feeling that if we do keep the squad together, with this manager then they could really achieve something special in the near future.

What a day of football Sunday will be, so excited

Likewise, but I'm also incredibly nervous! It goes without saying but Sunday will be pivotal on a number of fronts. When was the last time a single matchday could mean so much?