Chelsea are very inconsistent this year and struggling with the combination of a weak squad and European football, if they go deep in the cups and CL they will probably struggle to make top 3, only thing in their favour is the others also being inconsistent.Imo the only reason Chelsea would finish below them, is if they lose intensity because of us being so far ahead. Otherwise, as you say, they will cruise past the scum before the end of the season. I do think Chelsea will struggle to motivate themselves week in week out though, but so will the rags.
Chelsea dropping points was as big a result than us beating the scum imo. A draw at the swamp would have been ok in regards to the gap with Utd, but the danger is us slipping up in a couple of games & Chelsea winning about 5 on the bounce, which was on for them. But they blew it in game one.
Imo the only reason Chelsea would finish below them, is if they lose intensity because of us being so far ahead. Otherwise, as you say, they will cruise past the scum before the end of the season. I do think Chelsea will struggle to motivate themselves week in week out though, but so will the rags.
Chelsea dropping points was as big a result as us beating the scum imo. A draw at the swamp would have been ok in regards to the gap with Utd, but the danger is us slipping up in a couple of games & Chelsea winning about 5 on the bounce, which was on for them. But they blew it in game one.
Chelsea are very inconsistent this year and struggling with the combination of a weak squad and European football, if they go deep in the cups and CL they will probably struggle to make top 3, only thing in their favour is the others also being inconsistent.
I think Chelsea and rags will pull out the stops to have a really good run now, and pull far enough away from the other 3 that they can focus on trying to get through the CL in the Spring. The rags already have 7 points, Chelsea 4 and if we can beat Spurs tomorrow then that will be 7. I have a feeling we'll have a pretty set top 3 and then Spurs/Dippers/Arse will fight for 4th and it will come down to who gives up on Europe and the FA Cup first. Spurs took Real and Dortmund too seriously to not put their eggs in the CL basket, the Dippers have an easy tie as do Arse, but I don't think Arse will get lucky like the rags with the EL because at least one of Napoli, Dortmund, Atletico will surely make it far enough to come across them.
I think we need spurs arse and the dippers to drop a few more points compared to the rags and Chelsea before they'll feel secure enough regarding top 4 to prioritise anything but the league. Both managers know they'll be out of a job if they don't deliver CL football regardless of how many FA and league cups they win.For me, they have been better than the rags in almost every game they have played, but not had the same breaks. But they are just better.
As I've said elsewhere, I recon if we can just keep up a high win percentage for a bit longer, all the top sides will start to think about the cups for a while as priority mid season.
I think we need spurs arse and the dippers to drop a few more points compared to the rags and Chelsea before they'll feel secure enough regarding top 4 to prioritise anything but the league. Both managers know they'll be out of a job if they don't deliver CL football regardless of how many FA and league cups they win.
I'd suggest that Abramovich won't want to be in the battle for top 4 come that run-in. He'll want Chelsea to be secure. Meanwhile Maureen for all the hype and bollocks finished 6th last season after outspending everyone and really needs to show a top 3 finish to assure the creditors that he's a safe bet to keep CL money rolling in.Yes but the real battle for top 4, never usually starts for real until the run in.
There is usually a period mid season, where teams pick & choose the importance of games week by week & we have seen it ourselves, when our managers have fucked up league games due to CL & Cup selections.
If none of them feel they have a title shot, the league will likely go on the back burner, compared to the CL & maybe even a domestic cup, as they are 'fighting' for 3 top 4 places, rather than one top spot, so it's much more forgiving if you lose a league game.
I'd suggest that Abramovich won't want to be in the battle for top 4 come that run-in. He'll want Chelsea to be secure. Meanwhile Maureen for all the hype and bollocks finished 6th last season after outspending everyone and really needs to show a top 3 finish to assure the creditors that he's a safe bet to keep CL money rolling in.
Where does Maureen go if he gets the sack at the rags though? Conte will have his pick of clubs so you may have a point there.Mourinho, imo, will be after the CL first, FA Cup 2nd & top 4, 3rd, if he concludes the title is over (which is another point or so away).
He doesn't give a fuck about staying at Utd, just his own success. Similar Conte. He might walk anyway in May. Pochettino probably has no qualms about moving on, maybe to the swamp. Klopp is DESPERATE for any kind of trophy.
Then there are the players, who all want to win stuff, not come 3rd.
Wenger wants top 4, but even they usually start their run at the end.
Not Klippety's biggest fan by any means but that's more of a club trait there. Every summer they look back at a 4 or 5 match period where they hit form, extrapolate it to cover a 60 game season, convince themselves (conveniently while there's no football being played) that they have the best footballers worldwide in every position and a messiah as coach and that they're going to win the lot next season. There's even a graph about it floating around somewhere...