Manuel Pellegrini (cont)

[PragueBlue]

Home games should all be won in theory but we have some very difficult away games at places like Liverpool, Spurs, Swansea, Stoke and Palace. Some of those teams are showing improved form and it wouldn't surprise me to see us drop a number of points against them. Then there is the derby where anything can happen.

I'd certainly much rather be in Chelsea's position right now with the fixtures they have left.

Not got much faith in the players/squad have you?

Personally I don't see Swansea, Stoke, Spurs and Palace as very difficult away games. Not by a long stretch. I'll give you Liverpool, that's pretty much the only one I fear. However with Bony/Toure/Nasri back even with the fact that it's four days after Barca at home, I fancy us.

United away? Hahaha. You're having a laugh. We'll murder them.

I'd rather be in Chelsea's position too because they're 5 points clear ... but in terms of the football/fixtures left, IMO this Chelsea team has already peaked for the season and will comfortably drop another 5 points minimum. Us on the other, as I say, I think we can go the rest of the season unbeaten.

I have a great deal of confidence in the players and of course we can go the rest of the season unbeaten.

I'd be delighted if we won all the rest of our fixtures but going off performances thus far this season, I'd say it is unlikely. I didn't expect us to lose at home to Arsenal, Stoke and Boro or let a 2 goal lead slip against Burnley but it happened. Good teams sometimes lose games against weaker teams.

I identified games where i thought we possibly could drop points. I didn't mean we would drop them in each of the games. A derby can always be unpredictable. We only have to look at the Munich anniversary game to see that. We will be the favourites but anything can happen.

 

[cleavers]

Home games should all be won in theory but we have some very difficult away games at places like Liverpool, Spurs, Swansea, Stoke and Palace. Some of those teams are showing improved form and it wouldn't surprise me to see us drop a number of points against them. Then there is the derby where anything can happen.

I'd certainly much rather be in Chelsea's position right now with the fixtures they have left.

Not got much faith in the players/squad have you?

Personally I don't see Swansea, Stoke, Spurs and Palace as very difficult away games. Not by a long stretch. I'll give you Liverpool, that's pretty much the only one I fear. However with Bony/Toure/Nasri back even with the fact that it's four days after Barca at home, I fancy us.

United away? Hahaha. You're having a laugh. We'll murder them.

I'd rather be in Chelsea's position too because they're 5 points clear ... but in terms of the football/fixtures left, IMO this Chelsea team has already peaked for the season and will comfortably drop another 5 points minimum. Us on the other, as I say, I think we can go the rest of the season unbeaten.

He's not alone, much as I think we could go unbeaten, everything we've watched this season suggests otherwise, we might go 10 without defeat, but there will always be another West Ham, Stoke, Burnley performance in the team. I said yesterday I think we'll end up around the 85 point mark, that could be enough, as I think Chelsea are equally capable of giving away stupid points too.

Its like all the "we'll stuff united" comments I keep reading, its wishful thinking, based on the two squads we should but its by no means certain we will, and I'd rather not tempt fate on that, or the idea of winning 14 out of the remaining 15 games. Right now I'd just like to see us beat Hull on Saturday, and take it from there, because our home form this season hasn't been good enough.

 

[BillyShears]

I have a great deal of confidence in the players and of course we can go the rest of the season unbeaten.

I'd be delighted if we won all the rest of our fixtures but going off performances thus far this season, I'd say it is unlikely. I didn't expect us to lose at home to Arsenal, Stoke and Boro or let a 2 goal lead slip against Burnley but it happened. Good teams sometimes lose games against weaker teams.

I identified games where i thought we possibly could drop points. I didn't mean we would drop them in each of the games. A derby can always be unpredictable. We only have to look at the Munich anniversary game to see that. We will be the favourites but anything can happen.

The obvious differences for me are that we are now entering a period where (touch wood) our best players are coming back into full fitness, and we have the added bonus of Bony joining the ranks. I also think we showed last season that we can finish a league season very strongly. We also have the know how which the Chelsea squad really don't have in a great deal of abundance (with the exception of Terry/Cech not sure how many others have won a PL title).

I think far too many people have bought into the myth that this Chelsea team is somehow special/unbeatable and that Jose is a manager who is better than all comers. I don't think either is the case, far from it. Mourinho's past his best as a manager and a coach. For all the talk of a young, vibrant, attacking, Chelsea side, he has reverted to the same shit, negative, dirty tactics he employed to such great effect at Porto whenever he's come up against a decent side. What possible confidence can his players take from being instructed to play for a draw twice in a week against their two nearest challengers from last season?

Having said all that, yes Chelsea might well go on and win the title - but even if they do I would rather give up watching football than have City ever defend, spit, and stamp their way to a title in the manner in which Chelsea currently are. For me there's a greater pride in trying to stand toe to toe with your footballing rivals than playing %'s in the big games and being a flat track bully.

 

[adrianr]

I have a great deal of confidence in the players and of course we can go the rest of the season unbeaten.

I'd be delighted if we won all the rest of our fixtures but going off performances thus far this season, I'd say it is unlikely. I didn't expect us to lose at home to Arsenal, Stoke and Boro or let a 2 goal lead slip against Burnley but it happened. Good teams sometimes lose games against weaker teams.

I identified games where i thought we possibly could drop points. I didn't mean we would drop them in each of the games. A derby can always be unpredictable. We only have to look at the Munich anniversary game to see that. We will be the favourites but anything can happen.

The obvious differences for me are that we are now entering a period where (touch wood) our best players are coming back into full fitness, and we have the added bonus of Bony joining the ranks. I also think we showed last season that we can finish a league season very strongly. We also have the know how which the Chelsea squad really don't have in a great deal of abundance (with the exception of Terry/Cech not sure how many others have won a PL title).

I think far too many people have bought into the myth that this Chelsea team is somehow special/unbeatable and that Jose is a manager who is better than all comers. I don't think either is the case, far from it. Mourinho's past his best as a manager and a coach. For all the talk of a young, vibrant, attacking, Chelsea side, he has reverted to the same shit, negative, dirty tactics he employed to such great effect at Porto whenever he's come up against a decent side. What possible confidence can his players take from being instructed to play for a draw twice in a week against their two nearest challengers from last season?

Having said all that, yes Chelsea might well go on and win the title - but even if they do I would rather give up watching football than have City ever defend, spit, and stamp their way to a title in the manner in which Chelsea currently are. For me there's a greater pride in trying to stand toe to toe with your footballing rivals than playing %'s in the big games and being a flat track bully.

Amen. You win a title for an afternoon at the end of a season. You usually have to sit through at least 36 games first. And that's why before long Mourinho will be out on his arse at Chelsea too, regardless of what he wins.

 

[BillyShears]

He's not alone, much as I think we could go unbeaten, everything we've watched this season suggests otherwise, we might go 10 without defeat, but there will always be another West Ham, Stoke, Burnley performance in the team. I said yesterday I think we'll end up around the 85 point mark, that could be enough, as I think Chelsea are equally capable of giving away stupid points too.

Its like all the "we'll stuff united" comments I keep reading, its wishful thinking, based on the two squads we should but its by no means certain we will, and I'd rather not tempt fate on that, or the idea of winning 14 out of the remaining 15 games. Right now I'd just like to see us beat Hull on Saturday, and take it from there, because our home form this season hasn't been good enough.

I appreciate your pragmatism in terms of what the future holds for this season - however I don't envisage that remainder of this season to be as erratic as the last few months have been. Taking your three examples (West Ham, Burnley, Stoke) I'd say we dropped points in those matches for very different reasons and they were all games at different points in the team's evolution over the season. My own confidence is premised on the idea that we won't suffer anymore injuries to big players and that the spine of the team stays fit and available between now and the end of the season. If that happens we won't be beaten again this season.

I'm not sure why you think it's wishful thinking that we'll stuff United btw. Nothing, and I mean literally nothing, they have shown so far this season suggests that they have any chance of keeping us out or taking points off us. Of the teams in the top 6 they are comfortably the least dangerous both as an attacking force and as a defensive unit. That's not some sort of arrogance on my part, I've got a family of reds and have seen plenty of them this season. I'm still scratching my head as to how they are in the top 4 when they have been so awful for so long.

 

[richards30]

But will we ever lead the table from start to finish?? We always have to play catchup or come from behind! Would be nice to fire from the start and win the title with games to go

 

[PragueBlue]

He's not alone, much as I think we could go unbeaten, everything we've watched this season suggests otherwise, we might go 10 without defeat, but there will always be another West Ham, Stoke, Burnley performance in the team. I said yesterday I think we'll end up around the 85 point mark, that could be enough, as I think Chelsea are equally capable of giving away stupid points too.

Its like all the "we'll stuff united" comments I keep reading, its wishful thinking, based on the two squads we should but its by no means certain we will, and I'd rather not tempt fate on that, or the idea of winning 14 out of the remaining 15 games. Right now I'd just like to see us beat Hull on Saturday, and take it from there, because our home form this season hasn't been good enough.

I appreciate your pragmatism in terms of what the future holds for this season - however I don't envisage that remainder of this season to be as erratic as the last few months have been. Taking your three examples (West Ham, Burnley, Stoke) I'd say we dropped points in those matches for very different reasons and they were all games at different points in the team's evolution over the season. My own confidence is premised on the idea that we won't suffer anymore injuries to big players and that the spine of the team stays fit and available between now and the end of the season. If that happens we won't be beaten again this season.

I'm not sure why you think it's wishful thinking that we'll stuff United btw. Nothing, and I mean literally nothing, they have shown so far this season suggests that they have any chance of keeping us out or taking points off us. Of the teams in the top 6 they are comfortably the least dangerous both as an attacking force and as a defensive unit. That's not some sort of arrogance on my part, I've got a family of reds and have seen plenty of them this season. I'm still scratching my head as to how they are in the top 4 when they have been so awful for so long.

Yet they sit not far behind us having conceded less goals than we have.

Yes, we should beat them but we have managed to beat them on many occasions when they were the clear favourites. Referees can also play a big part in away derbies.

 

[Ray78]

He's not alone, much as I think we could go unbeaten, everything we've watched this season suggests otherwise, we might go 10 without defeat, but there will always be another West Ham, Stoke, Burnley performance in the team. I said yesterday I think we'll end up around the 85 point mark, that could be enough, as I think Chelsea are equally capable of giving away stupid points too.

Its like all the "we'll stuff united" comments I keep reading, its wishful thinking, based on the two squads we should but its by no means certain we will, and I'd rather not tempt fate on that, or the idea of winning 14 out of the remaining 15 games. Right now I'd just like to see us beat Hull on Saturday, and take it from there, because our home form this season hasn't been good enough.

I appreciate your pragmatism in terms of what the future holds for this season - however I don't envisage that remainder of this season to be as erratic as the last few months have been. Taking your three examples (West Ham, Burnley, Stoke) I'd say we dropped points in those matches for very different reasons and they were all games at different points in the team's evolution over the season. My own confidence is premised on the idea that we won't suffer anymore injuries to big players and that the spine of the team stays fit and available between now and the end of the season. If that happens we won't be beaten again this season.

I'm not sure why you think it's wishful thinking that we'll stuff United btw. Nothing, and I mean literally nothing, they have shown so far this season suggests that they have any chance of keeping us out or taking points off us. Of the teams in the top 6 they are comfortably the least dangerous both as an attacking force and as a defensive unit. That's not some sort of arrogance on my part, I've got a family of reds and have seen plenty of them this season. I'm still scratching my head as to how they are in the top 4 when they have been so awful for so long.

Don't completely right off Tactical Turtle.

 

[PragueBlue]

But will we ever lead the table from start to finish?? We always have to play catchup or come from behind! Would be nice to fire from the start and win the title with games to go

It would be nice, wouldn't it (though probably nowhere near as satisfying)?

 

[aguero93:20]

But will we ever lead the table from start to finish?? We always have to play catchup or come from behind! Would be nice to fire from the start and win the title with games to go

I don't give a fuck really as long as we're top after 38 games, but it should be pointed out here that no squad will perform at peak level for 9-10 months of a season and in the interests of winning silverware we're far better off peaking later in the season.