Be honest, if offered 4th at the start of the season, would you have said yes?

[TheHowieLama]

Feyenoord

[TheHowieLama]

Villareal

[Guest]

Juventus were in Serie B for a while. Now look at them.

[TheHowieLama]

Oh shit forgot Sevilla.

[Jim MM]

Look how far Everton have come in just twelve years.

[TheHowieLama]

Exactly.

[stringvest]

I expected us not to get into the top 4, but I wasn't expecting United and Arsenal to drop their trousers quite as readily as they've done this season.  I'm never happy with us appearing to use top 4 as a target, but it is fair to say we have made some progress.  

 

in answer to the initial question, I'd have to say yes. 

[Shitty Arse]

Everyone had us finishing in sixth or seventh at the start of the season. (A few of us didn't). Don't go getting all sniffy about celebrating 4th now it's possible. I was brought up on us winning trophies. I know it's shite. But if we get 4th at the expense of Arsenal and the Manc's it won't just be an improvement. It will be a fucking miracle considering we've made money in the last few transfer windows. Unbelievable we are even where we are with the lack of funding for Klopp.

[Iceman]

Considering how lean the pickings have been, 4th is great but it's the nature of how (if) we get it that rankles. We were sparkling at the start of the season and had a fantastic base to build on. If we had got just a couple of the required players to consolidate that position in January, we could have got into a real dogfight for the title. As it was we ran out of ammo and our position is a reflection of that, so the frustration is there. We should never have let 2nd slip let alone be in a battle for 4th. However, looking at the big picture 4th and CL (if we manage to qualify) would be a good feeling and something for Klopp to build on. Let's hope we get it. 

[Harry Squatter]

I thought we would finish 6th or 7th this season as none of the problems were addressed from last year and we spent fuck all.

[RedPaul]

Would have been very happy with 4th at the outset ( Think I voted 5th or 6th on the other poll).

 

This football supporting lark is a bit strange isn't it ?, if we could swap the 2 halves of the season around we would be thrilled at the moment & foaming at the mouth at the thought of terrorising Europe.

 

So true.

 

Without a doubt, 4th offered at start of the season I'd have been happy with. After the run of results and performances in the first few months my hopes were raised further again that we had something special (a bit like Leicester's unexpected run the previous season), but we were totally unprepared for that as a squad, losing arguably our most effective player to the African Nations and then two of our other other best players to injury.

 

It only took two or three of these setbacks to totally derail our momentum. This is what concerns me for next season with our thin squad at present if we do not strengthen considerably over the summer - can't see our squad being able to play two games a week at the exciting high-paced football level we saw for the first few months this season.

 

I've confidence in the manager, the style of football, we just need the squad strength to be able to keep it up for most of the season.

[lifetime fan]

I thought we would finish 6th or 7th this season as none of the problems were addressed from last year and we spent fuck all.

This.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

Before the

 

Considering our squad in august and the building job Klopp is doing.

 

Champions league qualification (If we get it!) was the natural next step. 

 

My heart says no fuck off I wanted the title at the beginning of the season same as every year and I reckon its 'our year'. My head says i'd have ripped your arm out of your socket for guaranteed 4th place this season. 

 

Simple answer is yes.

 

But after the way we were challenging for the title a few months ago, then it's a big let down to be honest.

[House of Dirk]

Yes, definitely. And working on the basis that we do get it, it will look as we have scraped in. We deserve it more than City and Arselona, both of which have spent considerable money. Factor in points wise, we really should be closer to Spurs than anything, with 3rd place already in the bag. Naturally we need 6 players, plus replacing anyone who leaves to sustain the squad in terms of numbers. But given that we have spent nothing, I would have taken 4th if offered. And if we are stung with Comedy Thursdays, we go for it. We dont fuck about, we go for it.

[Hades]

I didn't expect Spurs to be this good as I thought they'd go far in Europe. Man Utd have been about 10 times worse than expected.

[House of Dirk]

I didn't expect Spurs to be this good as I thought they'd go far in Europe. Man Utd have been about 10 times worse than expected.

 

Agreed. They kept their usual bottle job behaviour for the European competitions.

[Pureblood]

I hope FSG aren't reading this. 

[3 Stacks]

4th is about where we should be finishing. Considering we have a manager with pedigree at the helm, I thought the shouts that we would finish 6th were ridiculous, especially as we had no European football. 

 

I don't think we had the quality or depth for anything higher and anything lower would be a disaster. 

[Razoray]

I think the more relevant question is if you were offered 76 points at the start of the season would you have taken it?

We have only achieved better than that total 4 times since 91 when we last perennial title contenders.

It is not really the teams fault that Chelsea are breaking records or that Spurs will achieve the amount of points that we got in our best ever PL season in 2009. If we improve our points total year on year under the current manager, then we start to compete.

There is the basis of a good team but Klopp seems to understand the shortcomings of the squad given what he has said lately and the transfer links.

We are not in a great place but I'm happy that we are on the road to one.

[Aventus]

I think the more relevant question is if you were offered 76 points at the start of the season would you have taken it?

We have only achieved better than that total 4 times since 91 when we last perennial title contenders.

It is not really the teams fault that Chelsea are breaking records or that Spurs will achieve the amount of points that we got in our best ever PL season in 2009. If we improve our points total year on year under the current manager, then we start to compete.

There is the basis of a good team but Klopp seems to understand the shortcomings of the squad given what he has said lately and the transfer links.

We are not in a great place but I'm happy that we are on the road to one.

You make a good point. It's so competitive at the top that it can skew how we view ourselves.

 

I always feel uneasy with days like today, win and the season is a success and we are optimistic, lose and the entire forum will be calling for the heads of the team mounted on pikes to set an example.

 

We shouldn't compare ourselves to those around us, only to ourselves, our aim should be to better our points tally year on year and see where that leaves us.

 

If we finish 5th next year with 80+ points I'd like to see us remain optimistic so we can push on further the season after, instead of seeing it as a decline and everybody's heads start falling off and we call for players or coaches to get sacked.

[rangers77]

After the great start it is disappointing perhaps 2nd or third for me

 

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

[Fowlers God]

Please

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bjornebye]

Ive changed my mind. 

[Moo]

100% yes at the start of the season, however it was looking better for a while there. I did say, to anyone that would listen, back in December when we were flying that if we didn't strengthen in January we'd struggle to make top 4. And now it's happened I just feel relieved.

[Dr Nowt]

Depends what we do with it.

 

If we squander it, end next season 6th or 7th and go back to the old routine, then I'd have swapped 4th for a trophy any day of the week.

 

If the penny had FINALLY dropped and we acquire some players who will take us up a level, then yes, definitely.