Can we count Liverpool and Villa out?

[LongsightM13]

City and Spuds both have to play the rags and Arsenal. Our respective results in those games are likely to be decisive. If we both lost both games, it could let the dippers in by the back door

 

[lennon>SWP]

Can't count Liverpool out, certainly not. As for Villa, you can't count them out either, they're still a good side. City are favourites at the moment, and you're in the driving seat, certainly after yesterday's results. Liverpool have to keep winning though, and if they drop points today, it is massive for both us and City. Add to that we both then have played a game less.

Perhaps I'm being optimistic but I can see Spurs getting something from both Chelsea and Arsenal at home, and City doing something against United. Chelsea will beat Liverpool too when they play them. But I still refuse to rule them out. It could well come down to the last game of the season, and 3/4 of the teams have away games, and all three will potentially be fighting for survival. I haven't particularly fancied Burnley away as our last game of the season at all, but after seeing what your team did last night, I fancy it a bit more. For Liverpool, Hull away, Hull aren't the greatest team, and for City, West Ham away, never the easiest place to go, but they're fucking crap this season, and if they're down already, then they'll love nothing more then rolling over and helping your team to 4th.

However, I hope, really hope, that it comes down to the game between City and us, on the 5th of May. That would be a special night for either club, and it would be fitting for the winners of that game to clinch 4th.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Can't count Liverpool out, certainly not. As for Villa, you can't count them out either, they're still a good side. City are favourites at the moment, and you're in the driving seat, certainly after yesterday's results. Liverpool have to keep winning though, and if they drop points today, it is massive for both us and City. Add to that we both then have played a game less.

Perhaps I'm being optimistic but I can see Spurs getting something from both Chelsea and Arsenal at home, and City doing something against United. Chelsea will beat Liverpool too when they play them. But I still refuse to rule them out. It could well come down to the last game of the season, and 3/4 of the teams have away games, and all three will potentially be fighting for survival. I haven't particularly fancied Burnley away as our last game of the season at all, but after seeing what your team did last night, I fancy it a bit more. For Liverpool, Hull away, Hull aren't the greatest team, and for City, West Ham away, never the easiest place to go, but they're fucking crap this season, and if they're down already, then they'll love nothing more then rolling over and helping your team to 4th.

However, I hope, really hope, that it comes down to the game between City and us, on the 5th of May. That would be a special night for either club, and it would be fitting for the winners of that game to clinch 4th.

if it came down to that game im pretty sure we'd lose.

not wanting to be negative or anything but when we've had the opportunity to achieve something in recent years we've always fucked it up.

1 game at a time, what may help is Liverpool's Europa League exploits and the fact you'll have an FA Cup final to worry about(sorry, if you don't beat Pompy you should be made to forfeit 4th spot) so maybe those distractions and a couple of injuries will just see us take it, and if we do, no looking back imo.

 

[stony]

Can't count Liverpool out, certainly not. As for Villa, you can't count them out either, they're still a good side. City are favourites at the moment, and you're in the driving seat, certainly after yesterday's results. Liverpool have to keep winning though, and if they drop points today, it is massive for both us and City. Add to that we both then have played a game less.

Perhaps I'm being optimistic but I can see Spurs getting something from both Chelsea and Arsenal at home, and City doing something against United. Chelsea will beat Liverpool too when they play them. But I still refuse to rule them out. It could well come down to the last game of the season, and 3/4 of the teams have away games, and all three will potentially be fighting for survival. I haven't particularly fancied Burnley away as our last game of the season at all, but after seeing what your team did last night, I fancy it a bit more. For Liverpool, Hull away, Hull aren't the greatest team, and for City, West Ham away, never the easiest place to go, but they're fucking crap this season, and if they're down already, then they'll love nothing more then rolling over and helping your team to 4th.

However, I hope, really hope, that it comes down to the game between City and us, on the 5th of May. That would be a special night for either club, and it would be fitting for the winners of that game to clinch 4th.

If you do clinch 4th, what do you think your chances are of holding onto it the season after ?
If Liverpool fail to qualify this year, without massive investment I think they will struggle to regain a champs league spot in the near future. So there is definitely room for another club at the top table. The big question is, can they stay there ?

I don't think Villa have squad to maintain top 4 without another huge investment from Lerner.

So how do you think Spurs would manage ?

 

[lennon>SWP]

Can't count Liverpool out, certainly not. As for Villa, you can't count them out either, they're still a good side. City are favourites at the moment, and you're in the driving seat, certainly after yesterday's results. Liverpool have to keep winning though, and if they drop points today, it is massive for both us and City. Add to that we both then have played a game less.

Perhaps I'm being optimistic but I can see Spurs getting something from both Chelsea and Arsenal at home, and City doing something against United. Chelsea will beat Liverpool too when they play them. But I still refuse to rule them out. It could well come down to the last game of the season, and 3/4 of the teams have away games, and all three will potentially be fighting for survival. I haven't particularly fancied Burnley away as our last game of the season at all, but after seeing what your team did last night, I fancy it a bit more. For Liverpool, Hull away, Hull aren't the greatest team, and for City, West Ham away, never the easiest place to go, but they're fucking crap this season, and if they're down already, then they'll love nothing more then rolling over and helping your team to 4th.

However, I hope, really hope, that it comes down to the game between City and us, on the 5th of May. That would be a special night for either club, and it would be fitting for the winners of that game to clinch 4th.

If you do clinch 4th, what do you think your chances are of holding onto it the season after ?
If Liverpool fail to qualify this year, without massive investment I think they will struggle to regain a champs league spot in the near future. So there is definitely room for another club at the top table. The big question is, can they stay there ?

I don't think Villa have squad to maintain top 4 without another huge investment from Lerner.

So how do you think Spurs would manage ?

I think we'd manage fine. Levy's not afraid to put money in for transfers, and always backs his manager financially. We'd be able to attract better players, although maybe not on the scale that yourselves could in terms of wages. We might have to break our wage cap to get the players we need to compete in the CL, and also maintain consistency in the league. There is definitely room for another club at the top of the league if Liverpool don't regain that spot. It's just a case of finding the right balance and consistency between competing in Europe and the PL. We've shown already this season that, even with injuries to King, Woodgate, Lennon, Defoe, Modric, Huddlestone, and now Corluka too, that we can deal with those sort of setbacks with the good replacements we have. I do think we're a couple of really experienced players short of getting to the "next level" though. We need a Viera, or a Gerrard. However, Michael Dawson is fast proving that he can be one of those players for us. He's been inspirational for us this season.

 

[lloydie]

People keep harping on about Liverpools experience in getting to the top 4, but maybe my memory is faulty but the only time I can remember them actually being in a real fight for that CL place they lost out to Everton, not that I'm ruling them out, just that I think people are making too much of it especially when they're likely to be distracted by the Europa.

Nice post @ Lennon<swp (username corrected ;-)

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

If you do clinch 4th, what do you think your chances are of holding onto it the season after ?
If Liverpool fail to qualify this year, without massive investment I think they will struggle to regain a champs league spot in the near future. So there is definitely room for another club at the top table. The big question is, can they stay there ?

I don't think Villa have squad to maintain top 4 without another huge investment from Lerner.

So how do you think Spurs would manage ?

I think we'd manage fine. Levy's not afraid to put money in for transfers, and always backs his manager financially. We'd be able to attract better players, although maybe not on the scale that yourselves could in terms of wages. We might have to break our wage cap to get the players we need to compete in the CL, and also maintain consistency in the league. There is definitely room for another club at the top of the league if Liverpool don't regain that spot. It's just a case of finding the right balance and consistency between competing in Europe and the PL. We've shown already this season that, even with injuries to King, Woodgate, Lennon, Defoe, Modric, Huddlestone, and now Corluka too, that we can deal with those sort of setbacks with the good replacements we have. I do think we're a couple of really experienced players short of getting to the "next level" though. We need a Viera, or a Gerrard. However, Michael Dawson is fast proving that he can be one of those players for us. He's been inspirational for us this season.

i've always liked dawson, good, tough, honest CB, can't understand that even though he was playing well those injury prone liabilities woodgate and king took his spot.

imo you have to get 4th, otherwise you wont be able to compete with us in the transfer market.

 

[SWPISHOME]

If Liverpool lose today and then we beat Birmingham next week at home then I think you could count Liverpool out, But if they win today then there definetly still in with a shout.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

It's down to the arithmetic. Liverpool & Villa could get 72 points if they win all their remaining games. Spurs could get 76 and we could get 77. Therefore if we drop no more than 5 points, they are out of it. However, at the moment they aren't out of it by any means as 70 should still be enough for 4th place.

If we beat Villa then they can only get 69, which would involve beating Everton, Brum & Blackburn at home. If we beat Spurs, they can still get 73 but they've got to go to OT and face Arsenal & Chelsea at home. If they get 4 points out of that lot then they can only get 71 at the most, including the game at CoMS.

 

[lennon>SWP]

I think we'd manage fine. Levy's not afraid to put money in for transfers, and always backs his manager financially. We'd be able to attract better players, although maybe not on the scale that yourselves could in terms of wages. We might have to break our wage cap to get the players we need to compete in the CL, and also maintain consistency in the league. There is definitely room for another club at the top of the league if Liverpool don't regain that spot. It's just a case of finding the right balance and consistency between competing in Europe and the PL. We've shown already this season that, even with injuries to King, Woodgate, Lennon, Defoe, Modric, Huddlestone, and now Corluka too, that we can deal with those sort of setbacks with the good replacements we have. I do think we're a couple of really experienced players short of getting to the "next level" though. We need a Viera, or a Gerrard. However, Michael Dawson is fast proving that he can be one of those players for us. He's been inspirational for us this season.

i've always liked dawson, good, tough, honest CB, can't understand that even though he was playing well those injury prone liabilities woodgate and king took his spot.

imo you have to get 4th, otherwise you wont be able to compete with us in the transfer market.

Can't argue against that whatsoever. I wouldn't want to imagine the players City could attract if you do get 4th. If it does happen this season, I fully expect, whoever your manager is at the start of next season, that their minimum requirement would be to challenge for the league, provided he brings in the right players.