Top four finish?

[arunspurs]

Given the above stats, I cannot see United in top4 - even if they bring in Mourinho. United have no strike options & their midfield is one of the slowest with Carrick,Bastian & Schneiderlin. Their wingers Depay, Young arent doing much either.
So, in essence there is 2 vacant spot in top4 with Chelsea & United heading out.

IMO, its us, Leicester, Liverpool or Everton for the 3rd & 4th spot

 

[Ironskullll]

Ladbrokes odds for the PL title 27/12 - third favourites now,

Manchester City
23/20
Arsenal
11/8
Tottenham
12/1
Leicester
14/1
Manchester Utd
20/1

Ladbrokes odds to finish in top four - third favourites here too

Manchester City
1/33
Arsenal
1/33
Tottenham
4/5
Leicester
17/20
Manchester Utd
Evens

 

[RichieS]

Weird as it seems, Watford is a 6 pointer. Absolutely crucial to win games like this and whenever we next play Palace, Liverpool etc.

I wish people wouldn't say things like this. Watford are in extremely good form and that is far more relevant than the fact that it's "only" Watford. It is not absolutely crucial that we win the game, but it is important that we don't lose. People who subscribe to the former view are those that clog up the match threads with negative nonsense as they've set themselves up for a stressful experience.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Injuries and exhaustion will be the key areas.

We've had more injuries than last year, but they have been in areas where we have good cover, specifically the attacking midfield roles, where the players rotate positions routinely already.

Our exceptional consistency so far has been due to our ability to play a settled defensive spine (Lloris, Alderweireld, Vertonghen & Dier) in nearly every match. If any two of those get injured for more than a couple of weeks, we are likely to see a drop-off in defensive statistics and in our ability to control matches. We read a lot about our attacking and pressing football, but the real difference this season is that we have have an effective and reliable defence for the first time since, I suppose, 09/10 and 11/12. Equally important, if more obvious, would be the consequences if Kane were to be out for any length of time.

What also remains unknown is how our young, hyper-fit players will respond to a 50-match season of hard, high pressing and multiple sprints. Which ones will wear down and lose effectiveness? Will Pochettino be quick to replace these players when their form starts to fade? Will those replacements deliver a similar level of performance?

 

[rossdapep]

Match our form over the 1st half of the season and I think we're on. It really depends on how much klopp can improve lollerpool over January, whether United replace van gaal and how long Leicester, Watford and palace can keep up their form. But as things stand I'm confident of fourth. (But let's aim higher).

 

[DanielCHillier]

I wish people wouldn't say things like this. Watford are in extremely good form and that is far more relevant than the fact that it's "only" Watford. It is not absolutely crucial that we win the game, but it is important that we don't lose. People who subscribe to the former view are those that clog up the match threads with negative nonsense as they've set themselves up for a stressful experience.

You've clearly misread my post, I grouped Watford with Palace and Liverpool, because they're doing so well, this is a must win because they'll go level on points with us if we lose. We can afford a loss to City a slip v a relegation side, but these are the crucial games.

 

[Jody]

Hopefully the 3 teams mentioned above retain some sort of form so they're able to take points of our serious rivals e.g. Leicester, utd and pool.

 

[Tit&Ham]

History shows that very few teams can win the title or make top 4 unexpected.
I don't think this is because of quality - example Leicester and watford, but other reasons such as:

Being able to perform After new year When legs and minds are tired
Being able to perform When there is a lot of pressure and something to lose.

Even ourselves are struggling with this.

That's why i believe Leicester, watford and crystal p will fall off. Leicester might be in the fight for top 4 for some time due to their points tally already - and They only need 27 from 20 games to have a serious chance.

So our Main competitors are United, liverpool, Everton, leicester and maybe Even Chelsea.

Don't rule out United as They will spend 1000 billions on new players.

We are favourites for top 4 Spot, but we have to be consistent. We don't have to beat watford, but we have to win 2 for every loss in general.

I just hope we bury the other teams quickly and get in the title mix. Then we can be sad with only third

 

[Lilbaz]

History shows that very few teams can win the title or make top 4 unexpected.
I don't think this is because of quality - example Leicester and watford, but other reasons such as:

Being able to perform After new year When legs and minds are tired
Being able to perform When there is a lot of pressure and something to lose.

Even ourselves are struggling with this.

That's why i believe Leicester, watford and crystal p will fall off. Leicester might be in the fight for top 4 for some time due to their points tally already - and They only need 27 from 20 games to have a serious chance.

So our Main competitors are United, liverpool, Everton, leicester and maybe Even Chelsea.

Don't rule out United as They will spend 1000 billions on new players.

We are favourites for top 4 Spot, but we have to be consistent. We don't have to beat watford, but we have to win 2 for every loss in general.

I just hope we bury the other teams quickly and get in the title mix. Then we can be sad with only third

Think we need to win as many as we draw and lose put together to have a chance.

 

[Bobbins]

Europe will play a massive part I think. It's what will keep Leicester, Watford and Palace in touch and how we, Liverpool and United deal with it will be very important.

 

[WiganSpur]

Given the above stats, I cannot see United in top4 - even if they bring in Mourinho. United have no strike options & their midfield is one of the slowest with Carrick,Bastian & Schneiderlin. Their wingers Depay, Young arent doing much either.
So, in essence there is 2 vacant spot in top4 with Chelsea & United heading out.

IMO, its us, Leicester, Liverpool or Everton for the 3rd & 4th spot

Wouldn't bet on that personally. Mourinho will be eyeing the title never mind top 4 if he comes in over the next couple of weeks and signs one or two more players. No one is grabbing this league by the scruff of the neck at the moment and he could easily transform them.

They're probably the biggest threat to us at the moment. We really need to make sure we beat Leicester in a couple of weeks as I think if we do manage top 4 it will be at the expense of them rather than United.

Arsenal and City are nailed on for top 4, so if Utd get Mourinho in my opinion there is one spot that Chelsea have lost that will be contested by ourselves, Leicester and Liverpool with maybe another surprise team in the mix.

Who knows though, Mourinho could totally flop, but I doubt it as he's still a top class manager regardless of what has happened this season.

 

[whitesocks]

4th place totals:
14/15 - 70
13/14 - 79
12/13 - 73
11/12 - 69 denied
10/11 - 68
09/10 - 70 ***
08/09 - 72

We are on course for 67 points and you have to go back to the lasagne season 05/06, when arguably arsenal were distracted by the CL to find such a low 4th place total.

67 points may well be enough this season with 2 of the traditional CL clubs having a crisis, but history tells us that it could go down the last few minutes of the season on such a low total.
It is going to be exciting - that is the only thing you can say with some certainty.

 

[Mr Pink]

Wouldn't bet on that personally. Mourinho will be eyeing the title never mind top 4 if he comes in over the next couple of weeks and signs one or two more players. No one is grabbing this league by the scruff of the neck at the moment and he could easily transform them.

They're probably the biggest threat to us at the moment. We really need to make sure we beat Leicester in a couple of weeks as I think if we do manage top 4 it will be at the expense of them rather than United.

Arsenal and City are nailed on for top 4, so if Utd get Mourinho in my opinion there is one spot that Chelsea have lost that will be contested by ourselves, Leicester and Liverpool with maybe another surprise team in the mix.

Who knows though, Mourinho could totally flop, but I doubt it as he's still a top class manager regardless of what has happened this season.

I'm not sure about United, I think their squad is incredibly average by their standards.

Mourinho might be apprehensive about that as well given how it went with Chelsea this season too.

I'm sure he'd improve them but ultimately, would I swap their squad for ours? Not a chance.

 

[worcestersauce]

I'm not sure we can predict anything from points this season, so far Arsenal have lost four games and City five games which in previous years would ensure they wouldn't win the title yet this year they are the two favourites.

 

[DaSpurs]

I have to be honest, legitimate hopes of making top four have creeped into the forefront of my mind, and this being the first time I've felt this hope for top four since 2012/13. Despite the disappointments of the past, it's a fun feeling to have back again. I've missed it.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Think we need to win as many as we draw and lose put together to have a chance.

That would mean 10 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses from the remaining 20 matches. Adding on our record to date, that would give us 18 wins, 13 draws and 7 losses, which would give us a total of 67 points.

The average and the median of 4th place finishes from the inception of the 20 team Premiership are both 68 points, so that's usually about right. But for the the past 4 seasons the club finishing 4th has had a higher total than that. And in two of those seasons, the club finishing 5th had more than 67 points, so 67 would not have been enough to finish 4th.

 

[Kilkenny Cat]

4th place totals:
14/15 - 70
13/14 - 79
12/13 - 73
11/12 - 69 denied
10/11 - 68
09/10 - 70 ***
08/09 - 72

We are on course for 67 points and you have to go back to the lasagne season 05/06, when arguably arsenal were distracted by the CL to find such a low 4th place total.



67 points may well be enough this season with 2 of the traditional CL clubs having a crisis, but history tells us that it could go down the last few minutes of the season on such a low total.
It is going to be exciting - that is the only thing you can say with some certainty.

I said here at the end of last season that, having got 64 points under Poch as a first-season manager, we should be aiming for - and might well make, given exponential improvement - 74 points this time around. Whether or not that gets us a CL place, it's a target that's very much on.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

United are a massive threat in my opinion. Only if they ditch LVG sooner rather than later though.

Liverpool are a clear threat, as are Leicester.

Chelsea? No chance. No chance of top four. They simply have too much ground to cover and a lot of very good teams to gain that ground on.

 

[Tit&Ham]

I said here at the end of last season that, having got 64 points under Poch as a first-season manager, we should be aiming for - and might well make, given exponential improvement - 74 points this time around. Whether or not that gets us a CL place, it's a target that's very much on.

74 would be a definate top 4, and almost in the title race to the very end this year...

 

[Sweech]

Wouldn't bet on that personally. Mourinho will be eyeing the title never mind top 4 if he comes in over the next couple of weeks and signs one or two more players. No one is grabbing this league by the scruff of the neck at the moment and he could easily transform them.

They're probably the biggest threat to us at the moment. We really need to make sure we beat Leicester in a couple of weeks as I think if we do manage top 4 it will be at the expense of them rather than United.

Arsenal and City are nailed on for top 4, so if Utd get Mourinho in my opinion there is one spot that Chelsea have lost that will be contested by ourselves, Leicester and Liverpool with maybe another surprise team in the mix.

Who knows though, Mourinho could totally flop, but I doubt it as he's still a top class manager regardless of what has happened this season.

Mourinho wouldn't change much if anything.

He's incredibly similar to LvG. Uses a lot of fear based motivational tactics that piss the team off after awhile and builds from a defensive base and requires class offensive players to make the difference based on their own class. This is exactly what Man U are lacking right now and are why LvG is failing himself.

There won't be any truly class offensive players made available in January to change that.