The battle for 4th place

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Purely from a footballing point of view, rather than financial and recruitment aspect, disappointing as it would be, it might not be the worst thing in the World to be in the Europa League next season. I think we'd see more younger players given a shot, it'd be a slightly easier transition to a new style of play, and perhaps give Guardiola a season to decide who can really cut it and decide who he needs to bring in.

Champions league preferable of course, but if we miss out maybe not a disaster.
 
Gladstonian Liberal said:
I think some of you guys are half glass empty merchants.

Utd play first away to Norwich. Not an easy game given Norwich are fighting for their lives and made life difficult for us last week.

An advantage for both us and you playing a day later knowing what's required.

Yes, of course Utd are expected to win but should they fail to, say dropping 2 points. With West Ham to play away they are basically dead in the water.

Come on Norwich!!
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We knew the result of the Leicester v Utd game but what did we do - bugger all. So knowing what happens at Norwich will be no motivator for some of our players.
 
Another question.....

If we finish 4th then we go into a qualifying play off, but if Liverpool win the Europa, do they also have a qualifier or do they go straight into the group stages despite not finishing in a top three place?
 
Norwich away has not been a good place for Utd in previous years. Norwich will not be rolling over for them. West Ham may be too strong for the red shite too.
If Pellers gets the tactics right against Arsenal on Sunday and the team sent out plays to their ability then we should beat them.
Swansea should be a dead rubber by the time we get there but that too is a winnable game. Someone said on here a couple of pages ago that the Southampton was the easiest of our last three but i would have thought that Swansea is.

At the end of the day, if we don't end up up the top four = we won't have deserved it!
 
If united drop points at a Norwich we still need 4 points as West Ham can get to 68 by beating Swansea, United and Stoke.

We can't afford to lose against Arsenal, even a draw means united have to drop points against Norwich, West Ham or Bournemouth.

If we lose against Arsenal the West Ham v United match is effectively a 4th place play off.
 
pavelsrnicek said:
If united drop points at a Norwich we still need 4 points as West Ham can get to 68 by beating Swansea, United and Stoke.

We can't afford to lose against Arsenal, even a draw means united have to drop points against Norwich, West Ham or Bournemouth.

If we lose against Arsenal the West Ham v United match is effectively a 4th place play off.
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If we lose on Sunday and the rags and WH both win only a draw between them next week keep us alive realistically. We would most likely need to win at Swansea. We really need to win against Arsenal. With that in mind if we go 2 or 3 down tonight we should withdraw key players for what will then become the biggest match of the season. How did we end up in this potential mess?
 
As I posted earlier to keep it in our own hands on the last day we either must beat Arsenal or see both United and West Ham drop points on Saturday when a draw would then be enough for us to qualify by winning at Swansea.

Lose and it will be out of our hands entirely if either United or West Ham win their games on Saturday.

Sunday is the absolute definition of a must win game for City (assuming we are not very lucky on Saturday with the other two matches).

I just hope they are not mentally and physically drained after tonight and Pelle can find some motivational skill to make sure that the 11 who play know it is do or die.

There are upsides and downsides of any result tonight as far as Sunday is concerned.

Win and we might psychologically think we have a get out of jail card for CL even if we mess up. Lose and we will be very down but have just one shot at getting CL on Sunday.

Either way we will very likely have no margin for error Sunday as if either United or West Ham go to the last game simply needing a win to qualify then we are toast.

Our only salvation then would be a draw between West Ham and United on Tuesday. A game they will both be desperate to win as it would basically put them in the box seat for 4th and all but kill off the other team entirely.

We would have to sit and watch praying for the one result they will both know they cannot afford.

All of this was why Southampton was not a match we should have gambled with. Even a point there would have changed the situation.
 
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Healdplace said:
As I posted earlier to keep it in our own hands on the last day we either must beat Arsenal or see both United and West Ham drop points on Saturday when a draw would then be enough for us to qualify by winning at Swansea.

Lose and it will be out of our hands entirely if either United or West Ham win their games on Saturday.

Sunday is the absolute definition of a must win game for City (assuming we are not very lucky on Saturday with the other two matches).

I just hope they are not mentally and physically drained after tonight and Pelle can find some motivational skill to make sure that the 11 who play know it is do or die.

There are upsides and downsides of any result tonight as far as Sunday is concerned.

Win and we might psychologically think we have a get out of jail card for CL even if we mess up. Lose and we will be very down but have just one shot at getting CL on Sunday.

Either way we will very likely have no margin for error Sunday as if either United or West Ham go to the last game simply needing a win to qualify then we are toast.
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If it goes to extra time tonite then i think we are toast on sunday,he just has to play our strongest team from now on,none of this rotating half the team nonsense
 
Healdplace said:
As I posted earlier to keep it in our own hands on the last day we either must beat Arsenal or see both United and West Ham drop points on Saturday when a draw would then be enough for us to qualify by winning at Swansea.

Lose and it will be out of our hands entirely if either United or West Ham win their games on Saturday.

Sunday is the absolute definition of a must win game for City (assuming we are not very lucky on Saturday with the other two matches).

I just hope they are not mentally and physically drained after tonight and Pelle can find some motivational skill to make sure that the 11 who play know it is do or die.

There are upsides and downsides of any result tonight as far as Sunday is concerned.

Win and we might psychologically think we have a get out of jail card for CL even if we mess up. Lose and we will be very down but have just one shot at getting CL on Sunday.

Either way we will very likely have no margin for error Sunday as if either United or West Ham go to the last game simply needing a win to qualify then we are toast.

Our only salvation then would be a draw between West Ham and United on Tuesday. A game they will both be desperate to win as it would basically put them in the box seat for 4th and all but kill off the other team entirely.

We would have to sit and watch praying for the one result they will both know they cannot afford.

All of this was why Southampton was not a match we should have gambled with. Even a point there would have changed the situation.
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Win, and we'll beat Arsenal. Coz confidence and swagger will be at an all time high. Lose and what you said :)
 
I think we might beat Arsenal despite how shit we have been for the simple reason we almost always do the business in key matches especially when we are favourites.

I can only really think of a couple of games we have messed up in where it was absolutely vital that we must win.

Wigan being the main one. Liverpool in semi, rags in semi and Spurs at home for top 4 being others but three of them are distant. Barcelona of course. We were probably only favourites in two of those.

On the flip side....

Rags at Wembley
Stoke at Wembley
United in the Prem
Newcastle away prem
QPR
Chelsea semi final
Sunderland cup final
Everton semi at home
Everton away in league 13/14
Palace away 13/14
Villa and West Ham 13/14
Roma away CL
Gladbach home - CL
Liverpool cup final
PSG home

That's what I am hoping anyway!!!!!
 
I'm really worried that we slip up in Madrid, then fall by the wayside in the league. I couldn't handle the abuse from the rags at work.
 
FantasyIreland said:
Make your way to the nearest bathroom,find the mirror,and have a word with yourself.
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Just give yourself a Pep talk. If we get CL next season its a bonus. Either way we should become a better team favourites to beat the big teams in Europe not gallant underdogs.

That likely will not happen quickly next season so we might get a tough draw and end up in the Europas post Christmas anyway. Or even post play offs in August given tired players after a busy Summer, trip to China, incomings and outgoings needing to bed in the new squad and a manager with only weeks at the helm.

In some ways being in the Europa group without a qualifier and a winnable competition with a new team unlikely to click fast enough to win CL at first go is not a bad compensation for missing out on CL next season.

Especially as priority HAS to be winning the league and so getting pot one in the next CL season avoiding all the teams in the group we will get if we finish 4th this year!

Upsides to everything when you look to next season and think we can only head one way under Pep.
 
Draw today (advance on PK or away goal)
Draw on Sunday +1 pt
Beat Swansea who already said they will have a number of their first squad sitting to prep for Euros +3 pts.
MCFC finish on 68 pts.
Gunners draw with us and beat Villa, finish on 71 pts. (3rd)
Spurs fall apart in their last 2 against Saints and Magpies but still manage at least 1 points and take 2nd on Goal Differential.

Rags get 4 points from Norwich/Bournemouth and lose to West Ham away, end on 64
-even if the Rags take 6 from Norwich Bounemouth i still see them losing to West Ham and ending on 66 (or crazy they win 2 and draw 1 and end on 67 and we take them on pt diff)

Hammers: not a concern if we draw and win. if we lose to the Gunners, then we'd need them to draw against any of their final 3 (Swans, Rags, Potters)

I think we are fine.
 
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