The battle for 4th place

[supercity88]

What a generalisation. There's no such thing as fate and I don't known single other City fan who believes in that mumbo jumbo neither.

Yeah you're right I mean our history doesn't suggest we've ever been a club that likes to do things the hard way. We certainly didn't get relegated the year after winning a title. Or score and concede over 100 goals in a season. We definitely don't seem to prefer to make life hard for ourselves and I'm pretty sure the QPR game never happened and that we weren't miles behind the rags at one stage. And I don't remember us losing at Anfield to almost end our chances of winning the league...but then winning it.

 

[BlueMojito]

Depends which City team turns up I guess when we play the arse at home. Still think we could get 3rd, but not if we play anything like we did last night.

 

[kismet]

I predicted 4 points from our last two games and now predict -

Stoke H - win this is a very important match, anything other than a win then we are in big trouble and fourth is in serious doubt.
Saints A -draw will be tough but need to grind it out. A point here would be vital.
Arsenal H - win especially if they cannot make second
Swansea - win as they will have nothing to play for

My only major concern is the Arsenal game. If United win all their remaining games we would do them on goal difference. Unlikely United will win all five remaining -

Palace - both have cup semi's coming up
Leicester H - will Vardy play
Norwich A - fighting relegation
West Ham A - tough to repeat earlier win there
Bournemouth H - they will win that.

Should never have got to this position, incredible.

 

[CityForever45]

We need 10 points to be sure, maybe 8 if Arsenal or Utd slips up. Really unbeliveble to be in a position like this with the team that we have. Manager has been poor, but the players with all the money they earn should take an hard look at themselves

 

[Pam]

Will limp over the line, with any luck. Very disappointing. Wish it were over with, tbh.

 

[blueinsa]

We will get top 4 stop flapping.

5 point gap, as good as 6 points with the GD.

If it was flipped, those saying we wont get it would be saying that there is no way the Rags are going to blow it.

Have some faith because as shit as last nights performance was and it was dog shit, we still gained another point.

 

[CityPar]

Chill we'll be fine. Never expected 3 points against Chelsea so 4 from those 2 is ok. Expect United to beat Palace but you never know, then they have Leicester who are in a title race and Norwich away who are fighting to stay up, add West Ham away as there last game at Upton Park...I see all those games being difficult and United are not that good.

Us yes we will need to pull out a result but really all the games are winnable, Arsenal at home probably the toughest.

Have faith blues!!

Not just United we need to think about. Liverpool, West Ham, Arsenal are all in the mix and last nights performance did nothing but encourage them that we're there for the taking. No passion, desire, commitment shown by us. Misplaced passes, hopeful long balls and complete absence of guile in our build up play. Sums up our season in general. I just hope Nasri or Silva are back for Saturday. We need one of them at least otherwise Stoke will repeat their win last year at Etihad.

 

[bellsouth]

No margin for error now, must win next 3 games and that will make the last game probably somewhat meaningless, though of course we all know that's not the City way

 

[geoff clipp]

we beat PSG, and Wigan beat City at Wembley and Wolfsburg came close v Real Madrid

I'm not saying we can't win it. I'm saying we're the outsiders. I know outsiders can win. I'm saying we should not prioritise our champions league fixtures ahead of our league ones. Of all the seasons to possibly drop out of the competition, next season can't be it. It would undermine the work we've put into bringing Guardiola in and also hamper the substantial rebuild we require. As for us getting past PSG, that doesn't tell me a whole lot about our prospects of getting past any of the remaining teams in the tournament as I always quite fancied our chances against PSG.

 

[kismet]

I'm not saying we can't win it. I'm saying we're the outsiders. I know outsiders can win. I'm saying we should not prioritise our champions league fixtures ahead of our league ones. Of all the seasons to possibly drop out of the competition, next season can't be it. It would undermine the work we've put into bringing Guardiola in and also hamper the substantial rebuild we require. As for us getting past PSG, that doesn't tell me a whole lot about our prospects of getting past any of the remaining teams in the tournament as I always quite fancied our chances against PSG.

This post absolutely nails it for me, spot on. For me the Stoke game is just as important as the Madrid one.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

We will get top 4 stop flapping.

5 point gap, as good as 6 points with the GD.

If it was flipped, those saying we wont get it would be saying that there is no way the Rags are going to blow it.

Have some faith because as shit as last nights performance was and it was dog shit, we still gained another point.

Game in hand renders that most likely a 2 point gap......

 

[blueinsa]

Game in hand renders that most likely a 2 point gap......

I know that mate but they have to win it first.

Far too many take it for granted we will lose games whilst everyone else will win theirs and this season has shown that a few sides apart, the inconsistency bug has hit everyone, us, Rags and Arsenal included.

Its still a gap if they do win tonight that is effectively 3 points with the GD and we have to believe we will get over the line although any more nights like last night where Mangala and hart aside, the rest where abysmal as far as I'm concerned then of course it wont be easy.

I'm still angry about last night!!

 

[Inter Me Nan]

The rags have a semi final looming so hoping they do a City tonight.

 

[Marvin]

The rags have a semi final looming so hoping they do a City tonight.

But so do Palace. And palace don't have anything else to play for and don't have Utd's squad.

Even though Utd have not been convincing it would still be a surprise if they failed to beat palace

 

[Inter Me Nan]

But so do Palace. And palace don't have anything else to play for and don't have Utd's squad.

Even though Utd have not been convincing it would still be a surprise if they failed to beat palace

True, weirder things have happened this season though.

 

[Healdplace]

Game in hand renders that most likely a 2 point gap......

Which from this weekend United will have to the end, because they do not play West Ham away now until final Wednesday. Because of the switch that is West Ham's last ever game at their ground. You know that if United need to win that to go ahead of us and mean they get fourth by winning at home to Bournemouth they will have a much better chance than if it was on the original date of this weekend and West Ham were not playing the occasion as well as United.

They are getting lucky breaks like that (Vardy likely not playing for Leicester due to a finger wag is another). We need to not lose another game and win three to be sure and thwt is a tall ask if our mind were 100% focused on league. Which we all know for the next two games it will understandably not be.

Though we got our share of fortune last night with that idiotic offside not given. So we cannot really complain.

If Newcastle are relegated by less than two points they certainly will have every right to do though.

So we should count that as a bit of a let off and a point gained. For now. But it has to be a wake up call. If it isn't we will be playing Thursdays next season I have no doubt.

We just have to hope that some departing players and Pelle are motivated enough to want fourth if it will not be them getting the benefit. Perhaps a late bonus offer for getting fourth might be needed. If it gets them fired up and secures CL next season it will be money well spent.

Staying or going I think we can expect all these players to respect money.

 

[Pam]

We shouldn't have to be worrying about this. Pathetic.

 

[geoff clipp]

Though we got our share of fortune last night with that idiotic offside not given. So we cannot really complain.

If Newcastle are relegated by less than two points they certainly will have every right to do though.

Newcastle don't get to pick and choose which incorrect refereeing decisions changed the outcome of that game. If they want the referee to have got everything right then we'd have had a penalty too so it's a moot point really.

 

[tedmak]

Hi
on the subject of prioritising Europe over the Champions League, must say I see the CL as the priority.
At the end of the day, we want to qualify for the CL so that we can actually win it.
As it stands, we have a better chance of winning the CL in 2016 than we do in 2017, whether we finish in the top 4, or not.
We have given ourselves a job to do, but can see 3 wins out of the remaining games which should be enough.
Stoke are on the beach as are Swansea. So a win at Southampton or against Arsenal will be enough IMHO.

 

[coleridge]

Newcastle don't get to pick and choose which incorrect refereeing decisions changed the outcome of that game. If they want the referee to have got everything right then we'd have had a penalty too so it's a moot point really.

I have to congratulate all the officials for the consistency of their incompetence which rendered any potential benefit to either team completely null and void. Good work.