Title Race

[Barrington Womble]

5 hours ago, Carra_is_legend said:

I am not confident about winning the next game, never mind next 6. I just cannot see us flicking a switch and start playing well suddenly, it could happen of course but I just cannot see it. The team looks shattered mentally & physically.

we deffo don't look like winning one, let alone 6, but that's football isn't it? If it was just predictable, we wouldn't watch it because the outcome would be clear before we start. there's not one person on this forum who thought we would be within 2 points of city with 6 games to go, so what do any of us know? football surprises us every day. 

 

 

4 hours ago, Carra_is_legend said:

 

Pressure is not off though is it? We are not 6 points behind, we are 2 points behind with a similar (ish) GD to City. The pressure is well & truly on because we cannot seem to be able to score now.

 

I wish I can share your optimism, I just cannot see us winning the next 6 - we have drawn 2 and lost 1 in our last 5 games. 

and to continue that theme - and form changes in a heartbeat. Arsenal looked done after we knocked them out of the cup earlier in the season. every man and his dog were screaming "buy a forward or the title challenge is over". when they came back from the midseason break, they still looked like they needed a forward and their "fix" to the problem was improve on set pieces and that was the cornerstone of their football till they beat us. then they didn't look back and started taking teams to the cleaners and everyone has since forgotten about them needing a forward (well i guess till yesterday, i haven't seen the reaction to their defeat). but nobody would have thought the form arsenal were going into the midseason break they would be leading the league with 7 games to go, scoring for fun. 

 

We have a game on thursday that might prove to be a catalyst. we mightn't even get through, just a couple of players will have some breakthrough moments in getting their form back. and then away we might go again, that's how football is, bad form ends and you move to the next phase, unless you're everton. our job here is to aim for 6 more league wins and push city till the last moment. they probably will win all 6, but again it only needs to be 5 wins and a draw and it could let in either club behind them. we don't have to win well, we just need to win. get those wins on the board and let them chase and see where it takes us. i always felt the 3 aways in 6 days would be what decides the season for us and maybe it still could despite the last 2 games. 

[Code]

2 hours ago, Scott_M said:

 

I can’t believe the chances we’ve missed over the past 2 games. 
 

Stranger things have happened, but, I’m struggling to see how we do it from here.

I can believe it. 

[Carra_is_legend]

19 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

we deffo don't look like winning one, let alone 6, but that's football isn't it? If it was just predictable, we wouldn't watch it because the outcome would be clear before we start. there's not one person on this forum who thought we would be within 2 points of city with 6 games to go, so what do any of us know? football surprises us every day. 

 

 

and to continue that theme - and form changes in a heartbeat. Arsenal looked done after we knocked them out of the cup earlier in the season. every man and his dog were screaming "buy a forward or the title challenge is over". when they came back from the midseason break, they still looked like they needed a forward and their "fix" to the problem was improve on set pieces and that was the cornerstone of their football till they beat us. then they didn't look back and started taking teams to the cleaners and everyone has since forgotten about them needing a forward (well i guess till yesterday, i haven't seen the reaction to their defeat). but nobody would have thought the form arsenal were going into the midseason break they would be leading the league with 7 games to go, scoring for fun. 

 

We have a game on thursday that might prove to be a catalyst. we mightn't even get through, just a couple of players will have some breakthrough moments in getting their form back. and then away we might go again, that's how football is, bad form ends and you move to the next phase, unless you're everton. our job here is to aim for 6 more league wins and push city till the last moment. they probably will win all 6, but again it only needs to be 5 wins and a draw and it could let in either club behind them. we don't have to win well, we just need to win. get those wins on the board and let them chase and see where it takes us. i always felt the 3 aways in 6 days would be what decides the season for us and maybe it still could despite the last 2 games. 

 

I agree Barry, which is why I will be hoping to beat Atalanta 5-0 this Thursday and then Fulham. 

 

Fucking football.

[Trojan1892]

Just play Mac and Baj on Thursday and start all of Jota, Nunez, Diaz and Salah 

[Trojan1892]

5-1 easy.

[Aventus]

22 hours ago, Denny Crane said:

We play twice before Man City play next in the League. Four games in 11 days for them. 

 

 

Hoping Origi has a little bit of magic left in him. 

[Kevin D]

3 hours ago, El Rojo said:

It’s unlikely we’ll even beat Fulham next Sunday, Kev. 
 

I don’t think City will drop anything, but even if they do ourselves or Arsenal won’t capitalise.

The Fulham game won’t be pretty. 
 

The success they’ve had against us, though, might lead us to be more pragmatic from the start. 
 

If we can get an ugly 2-1 win and a lucky 0-1 win at Goodison, the dynamic shifts drastically.

[Dapower]

Benitez says advantage City in title race well that’s just saying an alcoholic is getting pissed tonight 

[Code]

City are obviously favorites now, but they have four away games left in the league.

 

They will be trailing one game behind us as well because of the FA Cup semifinal, they are still in the CL and will have tough games there.

 

If we look at their away form in the league I’d be more surprised if they win them all than if they lose points in one or two of them.

 

We will have to win our next five PL games though.

 

And I’m not worried about Arsenal, I can see them realistically drop points in as many as three more games. 
 

City’s away games in the league this season below, they have dropped points in 1/3 of their away games so far. 
 

 

[Scott_M]

Has anybody pointed out we could all end the season on the same points and it be decided on GD?

[El Rojo]

In terms of momentum and actually rebuilding some bit of confidence, the Atalanta game is now pretty huge for whatever small chance we have left in end league.

 

Best available XI in every game from now on.

 

Trent and Jota should hopefully start showing something soon, and we badly need them to. 

[an tha]

The whole picture and associated narrative is distorted by Abu Dhabi - the cheating bastards.

 

We all know that dropping points is likely fatal so we are despondent when it happens, but the reality is that we and Arsenal too have just simply slipped up in a way that used to be totally normal in a title race.

 

Demento's mancs sides would frequently drop points in "shockers".....This for example happened in April 1997....

 

https://www.premierleague.com/match/2081

 

It was all part of the twists and turns of a title race. What has changed is that mostly the cheats don't do twists and turns as they are pretty much the human embodiment of a cheat code. 

 

Without their involvement this would be a thrilling title race between two of the league's traditionally big and successful clubs where each game carries the risk and jeopardy of dropped points. Abu Dhabi have largely killed that.

 

And that is the real story - but it is one you won't found reported by the media and you won't hear from fans of other clubs who scream the word "bottlers" at us and Arsenal for racking up points totals that would win most leagues in history....We when we lost out with 97 points had a higher total than every title winning side in history bar one at that point......Who? Yes, you guessed it Abu Dhabi the year before.

 

Our 92 pts 2nd would win nearly all leagues down the years - was a higher total than "The Invincibles" and Demento's mancs team rarely if ever got to it.

It will drive us all mad if we allow ourselves to be driven by the Abu Dhabi cheating bastards narrative. We should enjoy the fact that our team has been fucking mostly boss for years now and enjoy fact we win as many games as we do and see where we end up.

 

I heard Palace fans after game on Sunday shouting 'Up The City" etc....Fuck them, the stupid cunts.

 

We all know it isn't fair and it won't be unless the PL's charges are upheld and Abu Dhabi are punished accordingly, which IMHO likely won't ever happen - so fuck them and their tainted titles...It is a bent game we are present at 'losing' whilst trying to do things the right way as much as it hurts and is frustrating is better than 'winning' like Abu Dhabi are.

 

Of course winning against them in the game they have perverted is fucking boss beyond belief and it still could happen and fuck me would it be sweet, but don't let anyone tell you we've bottled it or are failures if the bent game is one we can't win.

[Ne Moe Imya]

I think if we win all 6 of the remaining games we'd probably be about 50-60% to win the title.

 

So that's all we can do at this point. One more game with dropped points and you'd need City to pretty much collapse. Possible, but definitely not likely.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I think its more likely for City to drop points than it is for us to win all 6. Not likely.

[Bobby Hundreds]

19 hours ago, El Rojo said:

In terms of momentum and actually rebuilding some bit of confidence, the Atalanta game is now pretty huge for whatever small chance we have left in end league.

 

Best available XI in every game from now on.

 

Trent and Jota should hopefully start showing something soon, and we badly need them to. 

Yeah he has to pick what he believes is his best 11 and stick with it wherever possible. Keep the back 4 the same no chopping and changing and for me that's putting quansah in because Konate fucking breaks too easily he can be the sub or the cover. No protecting players thinking about games ahead the only thing that matters is the points on the day.

[joe_fishfish]

1 hour ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Yeah he has to pick what he believes is his best 11 and stick with it wherever possible. Keep the back 4 the same no chopping and changing and for me that's putting quansah in because Konate fucking breaks too easily he can be the sub or the cover. No protecting players thinking about games ahead the only thing that matters is the points on the day.

Agree with this, also Konate has been shite when he’s played recently anyway. Atalanta at home for example where he managed to lose about half his duels against Scamacca.

[Leyton388]

Absolutely unbelievable that we've blown the season in a matter of weeks against one of the worst united sides, The Italian chip butty FC and fucking Palace. 

 

 

[Dave D]

It seems surreal that we could actually still win the title (despite our form)

 

This weekend has an end of season feel to it 

[DJLJ]

On 16/04/2024 at 09:52, El Rojo said:

In terms of momentum and actually rebuilding some bit of confidence, the Atalanta game is now pretty huge for whatever small chance we have left in end league.

 

Best available XI in every game from now on.

 

Trent and Jota should hopefully start showing something soon, and we badly need them to. 

Not sure how to tell you…

[Mathewbet1]

We are winning the title I'm convinced, it will go to the last game of the season. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

3 minutes ago, Mathewbet1 said:

We are winning the title I'm convinced, it will go to the last game of the season. 

Impressive levels of optimism/hope.

[Mil-ing Around]

On 15/04/2024 at 11:49, Mil-ing Around said:

 

I think we will win all 6 now actually. Alisson, Trent and Jota are back. 3 quality players. Also the pressure is off now.

 

 

.

 

We will win the next 5

[LFC 6 Times]

Arsenal will drop points in 3 games. I’m just not sure I can see the cheats dropping anything.

[Code]

We could be back in the driving seat already before the games this weekend.

 

 

[Vincent Vega]

Interesting article on fixture congestion from Opta.