Top four finish?

[thinktank]

I know no game is a given and if this season has taught us anything you don't assume anything. But regardless of what happens in Dormtund, or who plays for that matter, I think we're going to rip Villa a new one after our frustration this week.

I hope so. We need to make a proper statement and kick off another run. Would be a perfect time to up our prem confidence as well and boost us into the last few fixtures.

Villa are the ideal launchpad.

 

[L-man]

Think we should be hoping that Liverpool beat United in the Europa League. We play them the weekend before the first leg of the quarter final. If they get a tough draw they may look to rest players and focus on the Europa League if they have pretty much nothing to play for in the PL and no FA Cup

 

[Spurger King]

Chelsea
S'ton
Stoke
B'mouth
Swansea
Watford

Could all cause them problems.

It's going to be a phenomenally intense - and extremely interesting - run-in imo. Loads of twists and turns yet to come.

We are now having to learn to raise our mental toughness that one level higher to deal with pressure right at the top with hounds all around you snapping at your heels.

If we come through it with a CL place I think it may well be the start of us gracing that comp. and being in the mix for the title for years to come, with that invaluable experience in our pockets.

It makes me laugh when people point to our results against Spam and Arsenal (always difficult fixtures) and say "we bottled it".

What exactly are we 'bottling'? The chance to win the title? Our aim has always been a top 4 finish. Winning the title would be well beyond our expectations. If we lose a top 4 spot by going into a massive slump then yes, that would be bottling it. However, putting ourselves into a position to win the title, then not winning it, is hardly bottling it. The fact that we are aiming for that is the biggest evidence yet that we have jumped up a level in terms of our mentality.

We believe we can still win it, and that's why if we fall short we'll still be in the top 4.

Loving this season so far. As you say, there will be more twists and turns ahead, but we play so consistently, and with such a sense of team unity, that I just can't see us falling apart. Just keep going, keep pressing, keep believing, and we'll have a successful season.

 

[stevenurse]

There really is no point in looking at teams or league positions and predicting results this season. Villa are one of the worst teams in premier league history but have taken points off the leaders and City this season.

People are claiming that Leicester, Liverpool et al have easy run ins but its exactly these types of games that its easy to drop points in. Arsenal at home to Swansea, United today for example. Leicester got incredibly lucky yesterday and it took a wonder goal and several woeful finishes from Ighalo for them to get the win.

Im extremely confident of getting a result at Villa as they are gash but they were shit last season and we needed a debateable red card and that free kick from Kane. We need an early goal or two to settle any nerves we've had in our previous games.

 

[thinktank]

It makes me laugh when people point to our results against Spam and Arsenal (always difficult fixtures) and say "we bottled it".

What exactly are we 'bottling'? The chance to win the title? Our aim has always been a top 4 finish. Winning the title would be well beyond our expectations. If we lose a top 4 spot by going into a massive slump then yes, that would be bottling it. However, putting ourselves into a position to win the title, then not winning it, is hardly bottling it. The fact that we are aiming for that is the biggest evidence yet that we have jumped up a level in terms of our mentality.

We believe we can still win it, and that's why if we fall short we'll still be in the top 4.

Loving this season so far. As you say, there will be more twists and turns ahead, but we play so consistently, and with such a sense of team unity, that I just can't see us falling apart. Just keep going, keep pressing, keep believing, and we'll have a successful season.

We won't fall apart but here is a level of grit and inner strength you need at this stage of the season right up near the summit and it's a totally new experience for us and a brand new milestone to reach.

It's a very intense leaning period for us is what I'm trying to say, I suppose.

Irt bottling it - Arsenal.

Their fans will be doing their nut. Manure, spam and liverpool now on their arse as well . The pressure on them now must be unbearable and the emirates is the most toxic I've ever seen it, so they will be dreading home games.

Bet they were relieved to play that game at the lane.

 

[Spurger King]

We won't fall apart but here is a level of grit and inner strength you need at this stage of the season right up near the summit and it's a totally new experience for us and a brand new milestone to reach.

It's a very intense leaning period for us is what I'm trying to say, I suppose.

Irt bottling it - Arsenal.

Their fans will be doing their nut. Manure, spam and liverpool now on their arse as well . The pressure on them now must be unbearable and the emirates is the most toxic I've ever seen it, so they will be dreading home games.

Bet they were relieved to play that game at the lane.

The inner strength thing is purely psychological. Assume that we'll beat Villa and Birmingham and we'll probably drop points. Focus entirely on the next game and all the other stuff becomes irrelevant.

We need to be grounded and focussed. Fortunately that's exactly how Pochettino is coming across.

 

[thinktank]

The inner strength thing is purely psychological. Assume that we'll beat Villa and Birmingham and we'll probably drop points. Focus entirely on the next game and all the other stuff becomes irrelevant.

We need to be grounded and focussed. Fortunately that's exactly how Pochettino is coming across.

Naturally.

 

[Larryjanta]

If we can get 5 more wins, losing 4 times, West Ham would have to win 7 and draw 1 and United would need to win 8. Even if we only win three times and lose 6, United would and West Ham would need to perform at a good level to get the required wins.

I think people are over analysing this week and thinking it's the start of a slump whilst ignoring the face we were playing our two rivals in a run of 4 games in 10 days.

 

[Spursidol]

If we can get 5 more wins, losing 4 times, West Ham would have to win 7 and draw 1 and United would need to win 8. Even if we only win three times and lose 6, United would and West Ham would need to perform at a good level to get the required wins.

I think people are over analysing this week and thinking it's the start of a slump whilst ignoring the face we were playing our two rivals in a run of 4 games in 10 days.

The fact that this thread has re-opened is probably because too many posters (and the media) were assuming that we only needed to turn up to probably beat Wham and Arsenal - and everyone was expecting on the back of the Wham match that we'd go top.

No surprise then that there was a total over reaction on SC to not getting 6 points.

Sure there's a very good chance, even a probability, that we'll finish in the top 4. But we still need to earn the points to get there.

However lets not allow people to take all the results for granted - still a few ups and downs to go.....and hopefully we'll get more ups than downs...but lets not fall into the trap again of assuming all the matches will go our way.

 

[Phomesy]

For who...for them or their opponents!?? Spam are a tough opponent when they are on their game and they are playing well at the moment and will cause anyone a big problem. I honestly hope they cause Arse, Leicester and Utd to drop points, and I hope by the last game of the season CFC are a point or a win away from 4th spot!

A string of draws in all those games would be perfect.

 

[UpTownSpur]

The big worry I have is that we're where we are because we had a run of games where we met a lot of out of form teams and our elevated position is a little artificial:

From our 8 out of 11 wins, 4 were against Norwich and Watford, and 1 against Palace, and they've all been on losing runs. We caught Southampton and City at good times when they'd both been very inconsistent, and add Swansea to that. Against in form teams in Leicester and West Ham we didn't do so well. Our next biggest tests, assuming we beat Villa, are Bournemouth and Liverpool, both of who have hit a bit of form, and I think we'll know a lot more after those two games.

 

[glacierSpurs]

fact was we practically outplayed our every opponents, even against citeh we had a mature performance..

leicester was a blip, pure bad luck.. spammers were poor in the first half but we tried in the 2nd.. arse was a pain, some lapse in concentration, but that was a NLD afterall and we did not lose the match..

other than these I thought we got back to our mojo in vast majorities of the matches played so far in the league.. so that is really a credit to the team, and not so much of others falling short IMO.. we prevented them from playing more than them not turning up.. our GD especially backed this up.. we seldom scraped through 1-0s like the pricks above us do..

 

[worcestersauce]

Are we really worried about Liverpool now? If we win four more games they will have to win eight of their last ten to even draw level with us on points never mind our twenty one goal advantage so unless we start playing like Villa and they start playing like us there is no problem.

 

[Shadydan]

The big worry I have is that we're where we are because we had a run of games where we met a lot of out of form teams and our elevated position is a little artificial:

From our 8 out of 11 wins, 4 were against Norwich and Watford, and 1 against Palace, and they've all been on losing runs. We caught Southampton and City at good times when they'd both been very inconsistent, and add Swansea to that. Against in form teams in Leicester and West Ham we didn't do so well. Our next biggest tests, assuming we beat Villa, are Bournemouth and Liverpool, both of who have hit a bit of form, and I think we'll know a lot more after those two games.

What do you make of our rivals facing out of form teams and winning as well, are their positions artificial as well?

 

[tototoner]

Are we really worried about Liverpool now? .

No, we're 11 points ahead of them, a superior goal difference of +21 with only 9 games remaining.

I cannot see us losing 4 more games even if Liverpool win all their's, which they will not.

 

[longtimespur]

I'm just worried about losing the game against Liverpool. We can't, in reality, afford to lose any games from now on.
But having said that I'rather win 1 and lose 1 than draw 2.

 

[Shanks]

We can't really afford to lose any games now, however, there is a bloody good chance we will, considering we've got to go to Anfield and Stamford Bridge.

However, we have a few decent games in between those - I'd expect us to pick up a further 6 points from the next two games (tough it will be, considering we have Dortmund in between), however, provising we can get those 6 points, we know that after those 2 games, there are 8 remaining games, and a points gap of a maximum of 5 to close (hopefully less). This will further increase top 4 chances as well.

Next 2 games are huge, to secure CL football next season, which will still be a great achievement.

 

[longtimespur]

We can't really afford to lose any games now, however, there is a bloody good chance we will, considering we've got to go to Anfield and Stamford Bridge.

However, we have a few decent games in between those - I'd expect us to pick up a further 6 points from the next two games (tough it will be, considering we have Dortmund in between), however, provising we can get those 6 points, we know that after those 2 games, there are 8 remaining games, and a points gap of a maximum of 5 to close (hopefully less). This will further increase top 4 chances as well.

Next 2 games are huge, to secure CL football next season, which will still be a great achievement.

Only 9 left in the league atm. You're right about the importance of winning the next 2 though.
All we need to do is take one game at a time, play the next then think about the one after.

 

[Shanks]

Only 9 left in the league atm. You're right about the importance of winning the next 2 though.
All we need to do is take one game at a time, play the next then think about the one after.

Even better then, 7 games remaining after the next two, less points.

That part of looking over our shoulder lessens, and it's literally down to chasing, would be a good position to be in to be honest with you.

 

[Don_Felipe]

Suspect title won't be coming anywhere near North London now.... Top 4 should be very do-able, just don't want to curse anything now....