The battle for 3rd place

blueinsa said:
I think iirc that so far we have conceded on avg 8 shots per game yet have conceded 34 goals in the league and sadly that points to just poor goal keeping, especially when you look at Bravo's save percentage which is frankly abysmal.

As a side we defend well up to a point and then its just all or nothing with way too often it being nothing and the ball in the back of the net whilst up the other end, yes we are profligate but teams do make us work much harder for the goal and we have to do the same.
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No doubt we have to get in a better keeper than we currently have for the number one spot irrespective of the quality we have in the back three / four positions next year and just as importantly who we have in the middle of the park.

In saying that goals win games and outscoring you opposition on the day is all that matters.

Conceding 34 goals in 30 games doesn't read so bad if we put a penalty past Everton , scored the second against Chelsea at home and taken a different approach to the home games against Stoke , Southampton , Boro etc.

Arsenal have scored one less goal than Chelsea and Manure have conceded as many as they have.
 
mancity1 said:
No doubt we have to get in a better keeper than we currently have for the number one spot irrespective of the quality we have in the back three / four positions next year and just as importantly who we have in the middle of the park.

In saying that goals win games and outscoring you opposition on the day is all that matters.

Conceding 34 goals in 30 games doesn't read so bad if we put a penalty past Everton , scored the second against Chelsea at home and taken a different approach to the home games against Stoke , Southampton , Boro etc.

Arsenal have scored one less goal than Chelsea and Manure have conceded as many as they have.
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No I agree. We have created and wasted enough chances to win virtually every single game this season and its a far bigger issue than our defending.
 
Arsenal are the ones to watch out for.

Every year they go on a run after the last international break and I see it happening again this season.

In regards to United I think we should be thankful of their fixture list coming up. I think had we had that set of fixtures coming up we won't be making top 4.
 
inchy14 said:
Seeing as we only just scraped 4th last season, seeing as we've still had to make do with the same useless fuckers at the back for huge swathes of the season, seeing as Pep decided that improving our forwards this year with young up and coming players, players who wouldn't be available next season so we bought them now, then no i'm not kidding myself. I expected a tough season. Christ even Pep told everyone after the first 10 games we weren't good enough but hardly anyone would listen and said it's all mind games.

Top 3 and a FA cup would be amazing considering the squad we have, especially at the back.

It was always going to take at least 3 transfer windows to sort because too many players are on top dollar and don't want to be shifted so we have had to let contracts run down to get rid.
Next year is the time to judge.
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I take on board what you say,but IF and although we probably will do it,we don't finish in top 4 this season,forget about all singing and dancing next season,it is what happens between now and 15 May that matters,because you can forget the improvement players coming to us without CL football for them,unless they are in the same ilk as Pogba that is
 
DenisLawBackHeel74 said:
True.

I also want our owners to realise that when you don't invest properly or wisely you end up with a 'nearly' team....not quite good enough to win things but generally good enough to compete. I hope the club have this all planned out though and we spend some serious money bringing the players pep wants and we can win with.
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Serious money or not , getting in personnel from the youth teams and getting people dedicated to the club that can spot players who don't cost the earth that will improve the first team and the squad is the name of the game.

Pogba might turn out to be a decent buy for Manure but you have to spend wisely not necessarily big.

This stigma that expensive assembled sides means you win things is just that.

There is usually some correlation but its not the be all and end all and often goes array and in the short term as well.
 
Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
I still think 11 wins in our last 24 matches in the prem is disappointing given the manager and squad we have. My expectations were a bit higher than that.
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There lies the problem. Our defense is void of real quality and Stones cant do it all himself. We need top defenders for next season otherwise its going to be much of the same.
 
Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
I still think 11 wins in our last 24 matches in the prem is disappointing given the manager and squad we have. My expectations were a bit higher than that.
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It is but not totally unexpected.

Having no true leaders on the pitch and a number of players who will not be at the club next season and know it with some running on empty a bit its more likely than not that the results will taper off.
 
meeesh said:
I take on board what you say,but IF and although we probably will do it,we don't finish in top 4 this season,forget about all singing and dancing next season,it is what happens between now and 15 May that matters,because you can forget the improvement players coming to us without CL football for them,unless they are in the same ilk as Pogba that is
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The players will come because they want to play for Pep and to some it'll give them a chance of less games to settle, i'm not one who believes one season out would have a major effect, 3 out of 4 will though.................
 
blueinsa said:
No I agree. We have created and wasted enough chances to win virtually every single game this season and its a far bigger issue than our defending.
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Its not all doom and gloom as some would make out.

I think we can do much better recruiting the title holders of the future both domestically and abroad than we have in the past.

The owners regard loyalty highly but not stupidity or incompetence in your job.
 
citymad said:
There lies the problem. Our defense is void of real quality and Stones cant do it all himself. We need top defenders for next season otherwise its going to be much of the same.
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Signings are a lottery though. No guarantees. I'm sure when we signed Otamendi Bravo Nolito and Mangala we thought they would be good. Crucial this window for us.

The one positive is we haven't been handing New contracts out to players who need to go. This means 5/6 will go this season on a free with Fernandinho and Kolarov the season after.

gives us some leeway on wages.
 
So 8 games left - 5 at home - 3 away. Home - Hull , WBA , Rags , Palace , and Leicester.
Away - Saints , 'Boro , Watford.
24 points to play for.
What do you think ?

PS. Semi at Wembley on Sunday 23rd with the Rags on 27th at home.

PPS.City official website still shows - WBA home 22nd and Wembley semi on Sun. 23rd.
Crap website
 
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Our season has come down to bad refereeing, poor finishing, unfortunate injuries and awful goalkeeping. If we had a decent run of luck and a top keeper think the league would look very different.
 
DenisLawBackHeel74 said:
True.

I also want our owners to realise that when you don't invest properly or wisely you end up with a 'nearly' team....not quite good enough to win things but generally good enough to compete. I hope the club have this all planned out though and we spend some serious money brining the players pep wants and we can win with.
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You've just described arsenal
 
Bluep*ss said:
So 8 games left - 5 at home - 3 away. Home - Hull , WBA , Rags , Palace , and Leicester.
Away - Saints , 'Boro , Watford.
24 points to play for.
What do you think ?

PS. Semi at Wembley on Sunday 23rd with the Rags on 27th at home.

PPS.City official website still shows - WBA home 22nd and Wembley semi on Sun. 23rd.
Crap website
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what i said at the start of the season
1st or 2nd Chelsea and City (obviously Chelsea now)
3rd or 4th Spurs and Liverpool.
5th or 6th Arsenal or United (this is the one I might have got wrong, it could be Everton, Arsenal or United for 5th, 6th or 7th.

If i was a betting my I`d now have a flutter on United coming 7th.
 
Bluep*ss said:
So 8 games left - 5 at home - 3 away. Home - Hull , WBA , Rags , Palace , and Leicester.
Away - Saints , 'Boro , Watford.
24 points to play for.
What do you think ?

PS. Semi at Wembley on Sunday 23rd with the Rags on 27th at home.

PPS.City official website still shows - WBA home 22nd and Wembley semi on Sun. 23rd.
Crap website
Click to expand...

I think we have a real danger of dropping points vs Rags, Leicester and Saints away. There's teams on that list we should trounce, but this time of year it's anyones guess tbh, and the same applies to our rivals games in the lead in.

I've no idea how we'll fare, and am just hoping the 4 point lead is still in tact by the time we play the rags.
 
Thaksinssoldier said:
I think we have a real danger of dropping points vs Rags, Leicester and Saints away. There's teams on that list we should trounce, but this time of year it's anyones guess tbh, and the same applies to our rivals games in the lead in.

I've no idea how we'll fare, and am just hoping the 4 point lead is still in tact by the time we play the rags.
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We know exactly what PEG will do in a couple of weeks , he will park his row of buses hoping and praying to avoid another derby defeat , how times have changed watching the Swampees trying to hang on to our shirt tails , if we win all our home games we will finish top 4.
 
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