Top 4, Yay or Nay?

[Torvald Utne]

It's that Fulham, palace, man u, Everton, Brighton, arsenal, forest, Leeds, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, wolves, palace, Bournemouth, Chelsea, arsenal game why we will fall short

[an tha]

5 wins from 17 away games.....

 

[mike23]

8 minutes ago, bizzle10 said:

its that  bournemouth game why we will fall short

It felt like that Bournemouth game really impacted on the games after it as well. It just completely sucked away all the momentum from the United win and the mini run of improved results before that. No surprise we lost at City - getting anything there is tough even when we're good - but 2 points from the Chelsea and Arsenal games just weren't enough. The performance at Chelsea was absolutely dreadful, too - especially when you look at all their other recent games. It seemed to take Xhaka kicking off with Trent to finally prevent our players from just sleepwalking through the rest of the season. 

 

I think we're just going to fall a bit short even if we win the last 3 games. Newcastle just had too much of a lead and United's run-in is too easy. Swap Newcastle's and United's remaining fixtures and there might have been a real chance. As mediocre as United are, they've been good at home and in beating the bad teams this year. 

[Freddo]

What a stupid cunt of a penalty from Bostock. Unprofessional doesn’t even cut it 

[redheart]

Top 4 is over.

 

The run in for Man Ure is too easy with 3 home games. If it was away we might have had a chance

[El Rojo]

If we don’t get it, as looks likely, I don’t think it will impact massively on the budget for the summer.

 

Massive kick in the stones not to be playing in the European Cup, so we’ll just have to win the Europa League in Dublin.

 

On the Thursday/Sunday thing, Arsenal actually did brilliantly all season in that regard until Sporting knocked them out and have probably lost more league games since then.

 

Anyway, the players need to suck it up. If you beat Man United 7-0 and then go out and lose to Bournemouth, the Europa League is even more than you deserve.

[Ne Moe Imya]

22% now on Fivethirtyeight.

 

At this point, we need to win all of our games, and have one of Newcastle or United pretty much have all the bounces go against them.

[Megadrive Man]

4 hours ago, El Rojo said:

If we don’t get it, as looks likely, I don’t think it will impact massively on the budget for the summer.

 

Massive kick in the stones not to be playing in the European Cup, so we’ll just have to win the Europa League in Dublin.

 

On the Thursday/Sunday thing, Arsenal actually did brilliantly all season in that regard until Sporting knocked them out and have probably lost more league games since then.

 

Anyway, the players need to suck it up. If you beat Man United 7-0 and then go out and lose to Bournemouth, the Europa League is even more than you deserve.

 

It might actually help us next season.

 

We'll be able to rest the likes of VVD and Thiago in the group stages and focus on the league. 

 

If the United takeover saga drags on they won't spend much in the summer and I don't see Eddie Howe getting much more out of Newcastle.

 

Next season has a sort of 'last dance' at winning the title feel to it. 

[Tenfolder]

4 hours ago, El Rojo said:

If we don’t get it, as looks likely, I don’t think it will impact massively on the budget for the summer.

 

Massive kick in the stones not to be playing in the European Cup, so we’ll just have to win the Europa League in Dublin.

 

On the Thursday/Sunday thing, Arsenal actually did brilliantly all season in that regard until Sporting knocked them out and have probably lost more league games since then.

 

Anyway, the players need to suck it up. If you beat Man United 7-0 and then go out and lose to Bournemouth, the Europa League is even more than you deserve.

 

Yup the Bournemouth loss will be the difference here, that being said 3 months ago i'd have not even harboured thoughts of us finishing 5th and potentially a point behind 3rd/4th spot, really goes to show how shite the league actually has been this season.

[Code]

I cant describe how incredible stupid it is to single out the Bournemouth game.

 

If we lose out with one point, Whats the points looking any further than this?

 

Could it be more obvious?

 

 

[El Rojo]

7 hours ago, Code said:

I cant describe how incredible stupid it is to single out the Bournemouth game.

 

If we lose out with one point, Whats the points looking any further than this?

 

Could it be more obvious?

 

 

People are focusing on the Bournemouth result because we beat Manchester United 7-0 six days previously. In that context, it was one of the most depressing and unacceptable performances I can remember.

[Carra_is_legend]

33 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

People are focusing on the Bournemouth result because we beat Manchester United 7-0 six days previously. In that context, it was one of the most depressing and unacceptable performances I can remember.

I said exactly this in another thread.

 

The attitude of players was unbelievably crap in the Bournemouth game.

[Scott_M]

I just said in the other football thread, the Forest and Leeds results stick in my throat.

 

So does Bournemouth away for the reasons Carra_Is_Legend / El Rojo have said. 
 

Looking at the wider picture, if we don’t make it, can anybody really say we deserved it?

 

Genuinely, how many times have we played well this season? I’d argue as low as 5.
 

Even in this current run, we’ve been grinding out results (which is fine) but the football hasn’t been great. We still look well short of being our old selves. 
 

The fact that of our +25 goal difference, +21 of it came from Bournemouth / the mancs / Leeds tells its own story.
 

In the other 32 games we have a GD of +5 is not pretty. 
 

….and despite all that, if we win our games, we still have an outside chance of qualification. And it would be fucking hilarious. 
 

I know it’s an outside chance, it always has been. Win our games and keep the pressure up. If we don’t win our games, we let the others off the hook.
 

After the Man City defeat, we were 10 points away and finished. Win on Monday and although they have games in hand, it’s 1 point. 

 

It might be too little, too late. It likely will be. Just keep wining and maybe we’ll get some luck.
 

We’re over due something fortunate to dropping our way on the last day of the season . 

[No2]

15 hours ago, Code said:

I cant describe how incredible stupid it is to single out the Bournemouth game.

 

If we lose out with one point, Whats the points looking any further than this?

 

Could it be more obvious?

 

 

Your boy probably would have missed anyway.

[Lee909]

16 hours ago, Code said:

I cant describe how incredible stupid it is to single out the Bournemouth game.

 

If we lose out with one point, Whats the points looking any further than this?

 

Could it be more obvious?

 

 

 

If Salah is t on the pitch vs Bournemouth and Milner or Fabinho miss it you are 100% pointing at that fixture. 

 

Though it's one of many,Konate not bundling the ball over the line vs Arsenal is another. 

 

But the biggest problem in that Arsenal game is Partey doing Diaz. We have Diaz all season and we are comfortable 3rd 

[Grinch]

Was definitely one game and not pretending we were waiting on Bellingham that did it.

[Code]

Very important win for Brighton tonight, they are still in the mix for 4th and should be really up for it against Newcastle on Thursday. 
 

 

[El Rojo]

10 minutes ago, Code said:

Very important win for Brighton tonight, they are still in the mix for 4th and should be really up for it against Newcastle on Thursday. 
 

 

A draw would be good. Brighton win would be excellent. 

[an tha]

Seems Brighton (small squad maybe) struggle a bit when the games come thick and fast, but are better when there are decent gaps between games - they ordinarily only play once a week.

 

Their worst two results of late - getting dicked by Forest and The Shite came in games with shortish turnarounds from last game...They also lost at Tottenham recently when was their 3rd game in a week.

 

They go to Newcastle on Thurs with Newcastle having played over 24 hrs earlier than them this weekend.

 

1230 Sat - Thurs

v

430 Sun - Thurs

 

 

[lebron]

Up to Brighton and Bournemouth to give us a fighting chance now…

We need at least one of those to take points I think.

[Code]

[Simbo]

Still can’t see Newcastle and Utd dropping enough points sadly.

[lebron]

Could get nervy for Utd if they can’t win at Bournemouth… They have been almost as bad as us away from home, and Bournemouth would certainly like one more big scalp in their final home game. Drop points there and they will have to win against Chelsea at home five days later, then again at home against Fulham who will have revenge on their minds after the Mitrovic FA Cup debacle. I still think some of the Manc players look really jaded. Hopefully Rashford remains out for Bournemouth too.

 

Newcastle might be the better bet though. If Brighton can replicate the performance from their Arsenal game, Newcastle will probably have to go to Stamford Bridge on the last day and win there. I take it for granted that they will beat Leicester at home, even if that is probably last chance saloon for Leicester. They just look to inept in defence to keep anyone out.

[Moo]

If I squint really really hard I can just about see a scenario where Newcastle only get 5 points from their last three matches, however we needed another two or three goals tonight to be in a position to take advantage. Unfortunately.

[an tha]

10 minutes ago, Moo said:

If I squint really really hard I can just about see a scenario where Newcastle only get 5 points from their last three matches, however we needed another two or three goals tonight to be in a position to take advantage. Unfortunately.

Would have been handy yeah but only 4 in the GD.

 

I'd be wiling to bet if we take 6 pts from 2 games and they only get 5 from 3 that we'd wipe that out....especially with a game against an already buried Southampton to come.

 

We have scored more too so if GD was dead level we'd be ok.

 

It is still unlikely one of the two above us will fail to get 6 pts from 9 and we win all ours...but as it gets closer to line the permuations gets simpler and all we can of course do is keep winning.

 

Those 12 away games we have failed to win in fucking nark me - just a couple of results in them and things are different.