Chase for the top 4

[Mark M]

We could have almost sealed it yesterday, there was champions league football up for grabs, and they couldn't raise their game on the hour mark, never mind go on and win it. I just can't comprehend that. 

For that reason I think we'll drop out of it. 

 

Yep. We've away games coming against Watford and West Ham where we've done shite over recent season's. The pressures off Watford but watch how Troy Deaney bullies our defence on monday. 

I can't understand how anyone can have faith in this team to go and win 4 games when they just lost to Crystal fucking Palace at home. 

[Gym Beglin]

Dunno.  

 

Just can't see enough clear chances being made by Firmino, Coutinho, Origi.  Without that free kick yesterday, those three were paperweights.

 

I really dislike Coutinho and Firmino as key players.  Far too ineffective at key times, can't influence games consistently enough.  If you asked Chelsea to swap Willian for both of them they'd say no.

 

Coutinho's free kicks mask a very average goal return for someone given that much freedom up front.  Some fans love him, worship him, but I just think we've lowered our standards.  We used to have Torres, Suarez, Fowler, Owen, and now we've got Firmino...

 

Coutinho is just another Luis Garcia.  A 'lovely' player.  You don't win things with lovely players, you win things with bastards.

[Lee909]

Er Garcia's goals pretty much got us to Istanbul

[LFC 6 Times]

Dunno.

 

Just can't see enough clear chances being made by Firmino, Coutinho, Origi. Without that free kick yesterday, those three were paperweights.

 

I really dislike Coutinho and Firmino as key players. Far too ineffective at key times, can't influence games consistently enough. If you asked Chelsea to swap Willian for both of them they'd say no.

 

Coutinho's free kicks mask a very average goal return for someone given that much freedom up front. Some fans love him, worship him, but I just think we've lowered our standards. We used to have Torres, Suarez, Fowler, Owen, and now we've got Firmino...

 

Coutinho is just another Luis Garcia. A 'lovely' player. You don't win things with lovely players, you win things with bastards.

Coutinho is a fucking boss. That free kick yesterday was sublime and something you seldom see players do, he's got what 5 goals in his last 7 and a few assists in there too. He's been scoring of 1 in 3 for Klopp, without taking pens and has had 2 hamstring injuries last season and that terrible ankle injury this. Took him about 6 weeks to get back in the groove. He's a quality player, look at him for Brazil and how important a player he is for them now and the club's he is linked to. Spouting nonsense.

[JustTosh]

75 points will probably be enough for 4th place, and might even be enough for 3rd allthough that's more doubtful.

 

What we should worry about is getting those 75 points. Win 3 of our last 4? Should be possible shouldn't it? Then again with this team anything is possible.

[moof]

Before this weekend I felt we could afford to lose one game. We're now under pressure, but the teams directly below us are more than capable of dropping points themselves. If we win our remaining games, we're there.

[Gym Beglin]

Coutinho is a fucking boss. That free kick yesterday was sublime and something you seldom see players do, he's got what 5 goals in his last 7 and a few assists in there too. He's been scoring of 1 in 3 for Klopp, without taking pens and has had 2 hamstring injuries last season and that terrible ankle injury this. Took him about 6 weeks to get back in the groove. He's a quality player, look at him for Brazil and how important a player he is for them now and the club's he is linked to. Spouting nonsense.

 

He's going missing in massive chunks of the game, especially against the legion of bus-parkers that we face.

 

I don't give a shit about Brazil and them playing Haiti or Bolivia.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Before this weekend I felt we could afford to lose one game. We're now under pressure, but the teams directly below us are more than capable of dropping points themselves. If we win our remaining games, we're there.

Winning our remaining games will be enough I think. Problem is winning them.

[RazorBack]

Can we stop playing of fucking Sundays and Mondays? It's a shite day and usually play shite. Why is that so anyway, we have no EL?!

[LFC 6 Times]

He's the quintessential big game player, needs a proper CF and mane to make runs in behind for him. His record against the big sides speaks for themselves. Scored a against palace, Watford, Stoke, Derby, Everton and hull all park the bus teams.

[stringvest]

He's going missing in massive chunks of the game, especially against the legion of bus-parkers that we face.

 

I don't give a shit about Brazil and them playing Haiti or Bolivia.

 

 

he's just not as good as some on here like to make out.  Great goal yesterday, but his other flashes of 'brilliance' were actually quite crap when it came to it.  The odd drag back before blazing the ball yards over the bar?  Loads of people salivate over the drag back and miss the fact he subsequently fucks it up.   I thought him and the other two were rubbish yesterday - very quickly ran out of ideas and ended up playing into Fat Sam's meaty hands.  And Firmino has to be the most stupid 'intelligent' player ever.  Him and Moreno share the same brain cell I imagine.  

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Er Garcia's goals pretty much got us to Istanbul

" lovely " goals

[stringvest]

He's the quintessential big game player, needs a proper CF and mane to make runs in behind for him. His record against the big sides speaks for themselves. Scored a against palace, Watford, Stoke, Derby, Everton and hull all park the bus teams.

 

Not the really big games though.  

[Gym Beglin]

Burnley (a) - no goals

Hull (h) - 1 goal 

Swansea (a) - no goals

WBA (h) 1 goal

Palace (a) - no goals

Derby (a) - 1 goal

Watford (h) - 1 goal

Southampton (a) - no goals

Sunderland (h) - no goals

Bournemouth (a) -

West Ham (h) -

Boro (a) - 

Everton (a) - 

Stoke (h) 

Sunderland (a) 

Plymouth (a) - no goals

Wolves (h) - no goals

Southampton (a) - no goals

Southampton (h) - no goals

Swansea (h) - no goals

Hull (a) - no goals

Burnley (h) - no goals

Everton (h) - 1 goal

Bournemouth (h) - 1 goal

Stoke (a) - 1 goal

West Brom (a) - no goals

Palace (h) - 1 goal

 

 

I make that 8 goals in 21 games against the shitter sides.  

 

As for assists, he has 6 in the league this season.  So does Mirallas, Matic, and even Payet. He's nowhere near the 13 of De Bruyne, or the 12 of Eriksen, and is even behind Lallana who has 7.  

 

Yes, he's a good player is Coutinho.  But let's have a bit of dignity here, he's not world class in that position.

[Gym Beglin]

" lovely " goals

 

Are you trying to make a point?  Garcia was offloaded the moment we upgraded, which we did quickly.

 

You also want to make a case for Baros, Mellor and Biscan being world class while you're on a roll?

[G Richards]

I think Coutinho is a smashing player. He scores and assists and is a threat when he plays. For me he's not quite at Barcelona level, so if they come in with a big bundle of cash for him I'd be surprised. For the amount they'd have to pay, he'd need to play, or perhaps even be considered something of a key man, maybe even replacing Iniesta as he winds down. It might happen, but I don't quite see Coutinho at that sort of level.

 

Then again, maybe at a team like Barcelona he would look better again, given the movement and talent that would be around him. When I watch him for us, it looks like he tries too many shots and it's borne out of frustration, as the movement isn't fully there in front of him. When we had Mane, Firmino, Coutinho and Lallana all firing earlier in the season, it was a joy to behold. We shouldn't forget that. But in comparison to what I saw yesterday, Coutinho looked a bit frustrated as Origi wasn't making the run he wanted him too, and often Coutinho ended up cutting inside to smash it, usually resulting in a block.

 

The solution is to get a couple more players at the level of what was working so well earlier in the season, so that when inevitable injuries and loss of form come along, we can switch it up and not plummet in our performance level.

 

Coutinho is not a one man force of nature, like some we've had over the years, most recently Suarez. But that doesn't mean he isn't very good indeed. We just need some quality reinforcements.

[LFC 6 Times]

Not the really big games though.

 

I was referencing his record against bus parking sides. He scored the 2 against Arsenal opening day, chip in OT last season, goal against Dortmund, his record against city is incredible, scored 2 in Stamford bridge, scored against Spurs 13/14, scored 3 against the blue shite. He was brilliant against Arsenal at home as well as Spurs and boss at Stamford bridge.

He's a great player.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Are you trying to make a point?  Garcia was offloaded the moment we upgraded, which we did quickly.

 

You also want to make a case for Baros, Mellor and Biscan being world class while you're on a roll?

No idea what you're on about. Where did I say Garcia was world class ?

You cannot see the benefits of a player like Coutinho then you're either being contrary or daft.

That's the point. Garcia was a great little player.

[TheHowieLama]

Put Coutinho in the 2005 team and he is head and shoulders above Garcia - in every way. 

 

His work rate alone makes him a completely different player - Garcia has more in common with Maxi Rodriguez than Coutihno. 

[Allan]

City's remaining fixtures:

 

Manchester United (h)

Middlesbrough (a)

Crystal Palace (h)

Leicester (h)

West Brom (h)

Watford (a)

 

Not inconceivable that City pick up the full 18 points in these last 6 games, though I reckon they'll likely drop at least 2 points, either in the Manc derby or possibly against Leicester. 16 points will give them 80 points and 3rd place.

 

That lot's remaining fixtures:

 

Manchester City (a)

Swansea (h)

Arsenal (a)

Spurs (a)

Southampton (a)

Crystal Palace (h)

 

They've also got their Europa League games against Celta Vigo before they visit Arsenal & Spurs. They're capable of winning all these games, but I just cannot see that happening. I'd like to think that they'd drop at least 6 points in the games against City, Arsenal & Spurs. If we say they do draw those 3 games, and win the remaining 3 games, that gives them 12 points for a total of 75 points.

 

Arsenal's remaining fixtures:

 

Leicester (h)

Spurs (a)

Mancs (h)

Southampton (a)

Stoke (a)

Sunderland (h)

Everton (h)

 

Again, Arsenal are capable of winning these last 7 games, but simply put, they won't. I can see them losing at Spurs, and I reckon at least 1 of Leicester or Everton will take a point off them. Being generous, I reckon they'll get 12 points from these 7 games, giving them a total of 69 points.

 

Our remaining fixtures:

 

Watford (a)

Southampton (h)

West Ham (a)

Middlesbrough (h)

 

All games we should win, but who knows with us at the moment? 2 cracking wins at Stoke & West Brom, followed by that showing against Palace yesterday. Worst case I reckon we pick up at least 8 points from those 4 games, giving us 74 points.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

must win all our games no slip ups for me. Cannot see it.

[Jairzinho]

City will be finishing 3rd.

 

We need to win our remaining four games and hope United drop lots of points in their tough run in. I can see about 50% of these two things happening.

[TheHowieLama]

I cant believe it is over already - seems like it just started.

[FanchesterCity]

City vs United will probably set the tone for the remaining games - whoever wins will almost certainly secure a top 4 spot and whoever loses will be nervous for all remaining games.

 

Both teams would probably settle for a draw.

 

I can't see any of Arsenal, City, United or Liverpool not dropping more points. It's more a question of who will drop the least.

 

My prediction:

 

Chelsea

Spurs

Arsenal

City

[sir roger]

If you think that FC , get your money on the Arse.

 

Odds for top 4 ( William Hill )

 

1-8  City

4-7  Us

6-4  United

11-2 Arsenal

 

Bit surprised at the last three prices, albeit understand United & Arsenal have tougher games ( and more of them ) on paper.