Could we get 2nd place?

Maybe this deserves it's own thread and a poll, but I just can't really think of any stand out candidates to start one.

Was talking with friends about best player, young player and manager of this season, given it we all feel it's been a bit of an off season for the premier league in general. I mean, the combined points total of the relegated three is less than some relegation candidates finished on alone in previous seasons, relegation was sorted by March if not February, Liverpool had the title sewn up due to lack of contenders, and given that Liverpool fans will tell you they're the bestest everything anytime anywhere in any season whether they finish first, second, fifth or fifteenth, it's taken the thrill out of premier league football mostly, aside from maybe the race for Europe.

Player of the year, on paper Salah has the most goals and assists, but again for me it paints a picture of how poor it's been. 28 goals and even Liverpool fans have been commenting on how underwhelming he's been since Christmas, certainly since signing his new contract, almost a third (9 goals) of those have been penalties, no Haaland to push him for it for large parts of the srason, and 18 assists but looks at who else is in the running, Antonee Robinson, a left back at a mid table team with 10, Saka on 10 also who has likewise been injured for part of the season, and Jacob Murphy at Newcastle. The fact that some outlets are supposedly pushing Bruno Fernandes as a PotY is just crazy. I'd have Mbueno, Sels, Isak, so many players before any united players genuinely got anywhere near a nominations for anything other than overpaid mardarse of the year.

Young player of the year, Miles Skelly's name is mentioned but because he's a twat rather than because of anything positive he's done. Has any young player done anything or real note this season? There has just not been the platform. That Murillo at Forest has been excellent but didn't grab too many headlines, is 22 old enough to qualify?

And as for manager of the years normally you'd expect a manager winning the league in his first season to grab it, even if it is with his predecessors' team, but the precedent was set with Pellegrini years back when Pardew got it for finishing, what was it, tenth? So for me it's Nuno and sod the walking adult jelly baby.

So I'd start a threat with poll about this separately but I just don't have any real suggestions, is this an indication that defences have been on top this season, or has the quality just been a bit shit in general?
 
I don't really care... first i want the fa cup trophy, then this world club cup something in summer.... then the rebuild of the team by Pep....
 
Maybe this deserves it's own thread and a poll, but I just can't really think of any stand out candidates to start one.

Was talking with friends about best player, young player and manager of this season, given it we all feel it's been a bit of an off season for the premier league in general. I mean, the combined points total of the relegated three is less than some relegation candidates finished on alone in previous seasons, relegation was sorted by March if not February, Liverpool had the title sewn up due to lack of contenders, and given that Liverpool fans will tell you they're the bestest everything anytime anywhere in any season whether they finish first, second, fifth or fifteenth, it's taken the thrill out of premier league football mostly, aside from maybe the race for Europe.

Player of the year, on paper Salah has the most goals and assists, but again for me it paints a picture of how poor it's been. 28 goals and even Liverpool fans have been commenting on how underwhelming he's been since Christmas, certainly since signing his new contract, almost a third (9 goals) of those have been penalties, no Haaland to push him for it for large parts of the srason, and 18 assists but looks at who else is in the running, Antonee Robinson, a left back at a mid table team with 10, Saka on 10 also who has likewise been injured for part of the season, and Jacob Murphy at Newcastle. The fact that some outlets are supposedly pushing Bruno Fernandes as a PotY is just crazy. I'd have Mbueno, Sels, Isak, so many players before any united players genuinely got anywhere near a nominations for anything other than overpaid mardarse of the year.

Young player of the year, Miles Skelly's name is mentioned but because he's a twat rather than because of anything positive he's done. Has any young player done anything or real note this season? There has just not been the platform. That Murillo at Forest has been excellent but didn't grab too many headlines, is 22 old enough to qualify?

And as for manager of the years normally you'd expect a manager winning the league in his first season to grab it, even if it is with his predecessors' team, but the precedent was set with Pellegrini years back when Pardew got it for finishing, what was it, tenth? So for me it's Nuno and sod the walking adult jelly baby.

So I'd start a threat with poll about this separately but I just don't have any real suggestions, is this an indication that defences have been on top this season, or has the quality just been a bit shit in general?
Pardew got it ahead of Mancini in 2012 and Tony Pulis got it ahead of Pellegrini. Despite it being Pellegrini's first PL season, winning a league and cup double and being the only non British or European manager to win the league in England.
 
Really, we need Newcastle to drop points now to secure second. Their remaining fixtures are Brighton away today, Chelsea at Home, Arsenal away then Everton at home.

Probably the best chance of that is today or the Arsenal game, but I have a feeling that we'll need all 9 remaining points available to us if we're going to do it.

We also need Arsenal to not win two of their final three games, Liverpool away, Newcastle home and Southampton away, primarily due to the goal difference as finishing level on points is probably no good to us beyond the symbolism. Liverpool should be up for giving their supposed closest title challengers a game, so I think we'll really need that Newcastle vs Arsenal game to be a draw, unless Newcastle drop points to Brighton today.

Only one of Chelsea and Forest can get the maximum twelve points, as they play each other final game, that's still not enough to overtake us if we win all our remaining games, but is enough for one to overhaul Arsenal if either went on a 4 match winning run and Arsenal picked up less than 4 points.

Given Chelsea have Liverpool today that would need to be some run that started immediately. If Forest beat Palace away then it may set them up very nicely to do that, given their other games are West Ham and Leicester away before the final game vs Chelsea. Chelsea on the other hand would need to get wins against Liverpool today, Newcastle away, the scumbags at home and finally Forest away.

Will be clearer after this weekends' games are completed, but I think it is between us and Newcastle for second and third, and Arsenal are looking at a fourth place finish and a proper hissy fit that would make my teenage daughter's attitude look like prime Gandhi. If either Chelsea or Forest morph into 1970s Brazil, that could even become a 5th place finish.

Either way, I trust that every team will be reminding Arsenal to stay humble at every opportunity. It's all well and good giving it the big 'un, but at some point you have to back it up.

Given where this season has taken us, to be in a position now where winning two of three remaining games secures us champions league football, or winning all three gives us a great chance at finishing second, I think we can call this latter half of the season for us excellent blotted only by that dire old trafford game, and proof that we have the right people in place to continue being a competitive football club for many seasons.

Is the title on next season? Don't know, quality needed in the summer for sure, but it will be nice to see how Liverpool would cope with some actual pressure on them by the time things start to get serious, and how Slot will cope with the remit of building his actual team rather than playing with Klopp's, given that they may well face a drop off similar to ours if Salah and/or Van Dyke feel that extra year a little more after three games per week.
Refreshing to read a post devoid of raw knee-jerk comments. An excellent anti-dote to the madness of the matchday forums and the various pile-on threads.
 
Really, we need Newcastle to drop points now to secure second. Their remaining fixtures are Brighton away today, Chelsea at Home, Arsenal away then Everton at home.

Probably the best chance of that is today or the Arsenal game, but I have a feeling that we'll need all 9 remaining points available to us if we're going to do it.

We also need Arsenal to not win two of their final three games, Liverpool away, Newcastle home and Southampton away, primarily due to the goal difference as finishing level on points is probably no good to us beyond the symbolism. Liverpool should be up for giving their supposed closest title challengers a game, so I think we'll really need that Newcastle vs Arsenal game to be a draw, unless Newcastle drop points to Brighton today.

Only one of Chelsea and Forest can get the maximum twelve points, as they play each other final game, that's still not enough to overtake us if we win all our remaining games, but is enough for one to overhaul Arsenal if either went on a 4 match winning run and Arsenal picked up less than 4 points.

Given Chelsea have Liverpool today that would need to be some run that started immediately. If Forest beat Palace away then it may set them up very nicely to do that, given their other games are West Ham and Leicester away before the final game vs Chelsea. Chelsea on the other hand would need to get wins against Liverpool today, Newcastle away, the scumbags at home and finally Forest away.

Will be clearer after this weekends' games are completed, but I think it is between us and Newcastle for second and third, and Arsenal are looking at a fourth place finish and a proper hissy fit that would make my teenage daughter's attitude look like prime Gandhi. If either Chelsea or Forest morph into 1970s Brazil, that could even become a 5th place finish.

Either way, I trust that every team will be reminding Arsenal to stay humble at every opportunity. It's all well and good giving it the big 'un, but at some point you have to back it up.

Given where this season has taken us, to be in a position now where winning two of three remaining games secures us champions league football, or winning all three gives us a great chance at finishing second, I think we can call this latter half of the season for us excellent blotted only by that dire old trafford game, and proof that we have the right people in place to continue being a competitive football club for many seasons.

Is the title on next season? Don't know, quality needed in the summer for sure, but it will be nice to see how Liverpool would cope with some actual pressure on them by the time things start to get serious, and how Slot will cope with the remit of building his actual team rather than playing with Klopp's, given that they may well face a drop off similar to ours if Salah and/or Van Dyke feel that extra year a little more after three games per week.
I'm not sure of the permutations (so may be wrong) but the fact that Arsenal could still end up in 7th (and potless to boot) I find hilarious. I've always thought we could catch and pass them ourselves but regardless, we just do us and win the remaining games and let the chips fall where they may.
 
I'm not sure of the permutations (so may be wrong) but the fact that Arsenal could still end up in 7th (and potless to boot) I find hilarious. I've always thought we could catch and pass them ourselves but regardless, we just do us and win the remaining games and let the chips fall where they may.
You're spot on. It would be incredible but, if Arsenal fail to pick up a single point further, Villa win every game, Forest and Chelsea pick up 3 wins each, Newcastle two wins and us 4 points, then yes they could finish seventh.

Actually, two losses and a draw could also do it for Arsenal finishing seventh.
 
Given that Arsenal still have to play Liverpool and Newcastle, I think that if we win our three remaining games, which I don't see why we shouldn't, we will finish ahead of them.
 
Given that Arsenal still have to play Liverpool and Newcastle, I think that if we win our three remaining games, which I don't see why we shouldn't, we will finish ahead of them.
Our recent run of wins is remarkable in terms of how badly we've played (at times).

Friday a prime example. Could easily have gone 2 nil down.

I'd rather we play well, especially in defence and limp home in third. But we could very well win all 3.
 
Maybe this deserves it's own thread and a poll, but I just can't really think of any stand out candidates to start one.

Was talking with friends about best player, young player and manager of this season, given it we all feel it's been a bit of an off season for the premier league in general. I mean, the combined points total of the relegated three is less than some relegation candidates finished on alone in previous seasons, relegation was sorted by March if not February, Liverpool had the title sewn up due to lack of contenders, and given that Liverpool fans will tell you they're the bestest everything anytime anywhere in any season whether they finish first, second, fifth or fifteenth, it's taken the thrill out of premier league football mostly, aside from maybe the race for Europe.

Player of the year, on paper Salah has the most goals and assists, but again for me it paints a picture of how poor it's been. 28 goals and even Liverpool fans have been commenting on how underwhelming he's been since Christmas, certainly since signing his new contract, almost a third (9 goals) of those have been penalties, no Haaland to push him for it for large parts of the srason, and 18 assists but looks at who else is in the running, Antonee Robinson, a left back at a mid table team with 10, Saka on 10 also who has likewise been injured for part of the season, and Jacob Murphy at Newcastle. The fact that some outlets are supposedly pushing Bruno Fernandes as a PotY is just crazy. I'd have Mbueno, Sels, Isak, so many players before any united players genuinely got anywhere near a nominations for anything other than overpaid mardarse of the year.

Young player of the year, Miles Skelly's name is mentioned but because he's a twat rather than because of anything positive he's done. Has any young player done anything or real note this season? There has just not been the platform. That Murillo at Forest has been excellent but didn't grab too many headlines, is 22 old enough to qualify?

And as for manager of the years normally you'd expect a manager winning the league in his first season to grab it, even if it is with his predecessors' team, but the precedent was set with Pellegrini years back when Pardew got it for finishing, what was it, tenth? So for me it's Nuno and sod the walking adult jelly baby.

So I'd start a threat with poll about this separately but I just don't have any real suggestions, is this an indication that defences have been on top this season, or has the quality just been a bit shit in general?
Love the " adult jelly baby". That's got to stick !
 
Love the " adult jelly baby". That's got to stick !
I once was on a stag do and there was a tubby guy with a bald head, but before shaving it he'd been quite blonde so what hairs that were left were barely visible anyway. Think Matt Lucas in the George Dawes days


When he decided to shave it rather than attempt a Bobby Charlton, he dyed his eyebrows darker for definition. On said stag do these were promptly removed, and he gained the nickname the adult jelly baby. If it wasn't twenty years ago it could easily have been Slot.
 
7/2 now.
1/3 Arsenal.
PP.
Yeah, still don't think it'll happen.
But 1 league win in the last 5 is pretty standard form for them this time of the year, and it's conceivable for them to lose 2 of the last 3 given they've got Dippers and Newcastle.
Let's see - given our season it'd be remarkable to finish second in the one horse race ;)
 
The fact it felt like we were in 6th for so long, and a re now just 3 points from 2nd, shows just how utterly dross the teams occupying the top 5 places have been this season.
 
Our recent run of wins is remarkable in terms of how badly we've played (at times).

Friday a prime example. Could easily have gone 2 nil down.

I'd rather we play well, especially in defence and limp home in third. But we could very well win all 3.
We haven't played particularly well recently, but we look to have rediscovered a winning habit; games like Friday night, the Villa game, battling back against Palace, and holding on in the semi-final are games we wouldn't have won earlier this season. As you say, limp home in any of the top five spots; whether we finish ahead of Arsenal or not is immaterial; win the cup and then reset in the summer.
 

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