The battle for 4th place

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Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
It must have been the stunning performance on Saturday.
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Yeah, I was also completely enthralled by the four clear-cut chances we offered up in the last 20 minutes to the mighty Baggies.

And there is an overriding stench throughout this forum that we are already going through against Paris?

If we do manage to get through, it creates a problem, going forward, anyhow.

And if we don't go through, come Wednesday morning, the situation and failings of this season will be a wake-up call for many.
 
The RAG's losing I think means we will need a massive feck up to not get 4th.

It would make it sweeter getting it at the expense of that lot down the road.
 
Malty said:
The RAG's losing I think means we will need a massive feck up to not get 4th.

It would make it sweeter getting it at the expense of that lot down the road.
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Agree. Its effectively a 5 point gap now with goal difference and with players returning, I think we will have a decent finish to the season.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
It's going to be very tight indeed.

United have three at home on the bounce, perhaps Palace can give them a game, but the Villa fixture is essentially a one-point gap, at any stage, if we don't win all our remaining games.

We need to get a win from one of Chelsea or Newcastle, and cement that with one against Stoke.

That will set up the Arsenal game. My fear is, West Ham might be taking their foot off if they beat United on Wednesday in the Cup, and start to focus about a potential final.

The United loss at home has really left little margin for error us.
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This is assuming the RAG's go on a magical unbeaten run which they haven't done for years. They will drop more points, too. Especially with Rooney Shrek waltzing back into the team to get match fitness for the Euros using them... again.

It's in our hands lad. Relax.

Sounds cliche but we need to win our home games and pick up points away (even draws) can't afford any losses though.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Yeah, I was also completely enthralled by the four clear-cut chances we offered up in the last 20 minutes to the mighty Baggies.

And there is an overriding stench throughout this forum that we are already going through against Paris?

If we do manage to get through, it creates a problem, going forward, anyhow.

And if we don't go through, come Wednesday morning, the situation and failings of this season will be a wake-up call for many.
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Called confidence (there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance). All big teams fans and players have it.

We are now dining at Europe's Elite table. Time to stop acting like a "big club" that we are mate =)
 
Graceyboy said:
I just can't see us losing another game

We will beat Chelsea, Newcastle, Stoke, Southampton Arsenal, Draw Swansea away
Utd will drop more points than us and West Ham will finish 5th.
Utd will win FA cup
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Your post was fantastic until the last line.
Utd will win the fa cup?
What are you playing FIFA16 or something?
 
The key is the next three games. We have to try to stay at least 4 points ahead of United during that period.

The reason is that United do not play on the weekend of 23/24 April (Cup SF weekend) when we play Stoke at home.

So after that they have a game in hand on us to the last week.

In the next 3 games we play Chelsea and Newcastle away and Stoke at home. United have home games with Villa and Palace.

You can realistically only see 6 points for them there so we need six to keep that advantage. Two wins and a draw will increase our lead to five even if United win both.

Though with the caveat of that game in hand they then have making this not a secure lead.

If they drop any points and we do achieve such a run of winning all three then we could all but secure top 4 over the next two weeks and those 3 matches. With a big psychological points edge.

United's game in hand is a tough one (away to West Ham midweek before the final Sunday matches). Though by then West Ham could be out of contention through league places and have focused on the cup final as their best route into Europe.

United also have to play Leicester in the remaining games after these next 2 weeks. Though they could well have won the league by that point if Tottenham slip up and they do not.

Either way we really have to play best team in all of the next 3 matches regardless of the result tomorrow and maximise our chance of not having to get two wins out of Southampton away and Arsenal at home to go into that final week not at risk of letting United overtake us in that psychologically critical last 8 days thanks to their extra game.

If they go into Bournemouth at home on the last day ahead or just one point behind us the balance will shift.

So seven points from the next 3 games, better still 9, and, we can really take some of that pressure off the last 2/3 weeks of the season and give us some leeway in the two games that look likely to be the hardest left - Southampton and Arsenal.

So best team only for these 3 regardless of if we have a CL semi to look forward to.
 
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stablemcfc said:
West Ham's run in:

Arsenal (H)
Leicester (A)
Watford (H)
WBA (A)
Swansea (H)
United (H)
Stoke (A)

Certainly not an easy run in, and 3 (arguably 4 with GD) points off the pace currently; whilst I think they're probably most deserving of 4th to be honest, I think they could struggle now. Can see them picking up 10-14 points most likely.

United's run in:

Spurs (A)
Villa (H)
Palace (H)
Leicester (H)
Norwich (A)
West Ham (A)
Bournemouth (H)

Spurs, Leicester & West Ham obviously not easy, but Villa, Palace, Norwich & Bournemouth are arguably (replace Norwich with Sunderland/Newcastle) the 4 teams you'd hand pick at the moment to play. Have to think there's at least 12 points coming from that run for United; and probably sneak at least 1 point from the other 3 matches, so 13+ would be my guess. Could be relying on Norwich to upset them again (B'mouth have nothing to play for as we saw against us, and Villa are hopeless).

City's run in:

WBA (H)
Chelsea (A)
Newcastle (A)
Stoke (H)
Sot'on (A)
Arsenal (H)
Swansea (A)

We've been almost entirely predictable this season, beat the lower teams, struggle away & lose to any decent opposition. If we follow that pattern we end up with 12-13 points from that run (WLWWLDW). What I would say that could be in our favour is that out of those teams only Arsenal are still competing for anything; and even they may well be safely in 4th & mathematically out of the title race by the time we play.

Luckily our goal difference could count as an extra point over both WH & United, as it wouldn't surprise me if we end on even points with United come the end.
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Why is Chelsea a loss? The are not a top 6 - 8 team. I thought we were good against those.
 
chaddblue said:
Would be even funnier if they pipped us to fourth, then us and the dippers won our euro cups meaning scum had to relinquish their place in the CL
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I think the idea of having to beat Barca in the CL final after the season ends to qualify at all for the CL is not a prospect many supporters would find funny unless it happened. Way too traumatic to even think about that prospect.

We have to focus on earning CL via the remaining matches.

Getting to the final and losing and getting nothing but a place in Europa next season will bring far more hilarity to the rest of football.

We must not let them have that pleasure.
 
Dax777 said:
Why is Chelsea a loss? The are not a top 6 - 8 team. I thought we were good against those.
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They would be top 8 if they had started the season under Hiddink and had the form they have had for months now. They could still finish above us don't forget. Beat them and that will not happen.
 
chaddblue said:
Would be even funnier if they pipped us to fourth, then us and the dippers won our euro cups meaning scum had to relinquish their place in the CL
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might be funny but would do much for my heart, if we had to play barca in final to secure our spot i be hooked up to a life support machine, the old ticker just couldnt take it, :)
 
welsh_andy said:
might be funny but would do much for my heart, if we had to play barca in final to secure our spot i be hooked up to a life support machine, the old ticker just couldnt take it, :)
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Totally agree... The prospect doesn't make me smile either... But if it happened it would be nearly as funny as beating them to the league with two goals in injury time
 
I know you're gonna tell me iv'e thrown my money away but i have just put £5 @ 400/1 us to win the league.
Stranger things have happened
Come on City!!!!!
 
I don't feel comfortable against Stoke. They made us look awful at their place. Maybe one of our worst performances of the season and that's not an easy title to snatch this year.
 
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