The battle for 4th place

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Neville Kneville said:
Nothing wrong with competition.

If other sides improve & become better than us, then it's our job to improve & become better than them. I don't see that as a disaster personally, it's just football. If we were out of the top 4 for years & couldn't afford to compete it would be a disaster. But even then we see the rags a couple of points behind us now, with a nutcase manager & a bunch of shite signings on the edge of the CL due to using their kids. We have loads, better than theirs. So even if we missed the cut several times & lost a fortune we could still possibly find a way back. Imo a team moving forward heading towards the top is far less a disaster & far better to support, than a team full of stars underperforming & going backwards, which is what we have had for the past two years.
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I'm not worried about the competition (despite how my post reads ), but frustrated by the total lack of anything that resembles a succession plan on the playing side. Why has our squad been allowed to grow old without anything being done about it? Why haven't we blooded more of these highly thought of youngsters (I know the rags were forced due to injuries, but they have a couple who can now go straight into first team squad next season). I could go on but won't for everybody's sake.

Like you, I'd be content to slug it out with the rest, and maybe it wont be a disaster to fall out of top 4. But it would be a shame as it is a backward step.

Is it wrong for me to want City to dominate for the next decade, (even if my motivation is so that I can shove it down the throat of all the rags and dippers) and be disappointed that we don't look like we will?
 
Arsenal v WBA. Premiership football on a Thursday night?? What are the chances that Arsenal slip up?

Could happen.
 
Wreckless Alec said:
There are lots of bright lights on the horizon if you look for them. I've found avoiding the media has really helped because, as is well-documented on here, they thrive on sensationalism and love to hype to the nth degree anything bad that happens to us. In the cold light of day, without the background noise, we're well set for many years to come. The rest is on our hands. If we're good enough we'll succeed. If we aren't, we won't. It really is that simple and, as fans, all we can do is support and hope for the best. To re-work a line from a film "Failure smiles at us all. All we can do is smile back".
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You really do have a fantastic outlook on life.

As per your advice I am now officially smiling back .
 
YaYa's Left Peg said:
I'm not worried about the competition (despite how my post reads ), but frustrated by the total lack of anything that resembles a succession plan on the playing side. Why has our squad been allowed to grow old without anything being done about it? Why haven't we blooded more of these highly thought of youngsters (I know the rags were forced due to injuries, but they have a couple who can now go straight into first team squad next season). I could go on but won't for everybody's sake.

Like you, I'd be content to slug it out with the rest, and maybe it wont be a disaster to fall out of top 4. But it would be a shame as it is a backward step.

Is it wrong for me to want City to dominate for the next decade, (even if my motivation is so that I can shove it down the throat of all the rags and dippers) and be disappointed that we don't look like we will?
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Absolutely not wrong at all to want that, no. And I fully expect it to happen. I'm jusy saying that, if it doesn't, it can still be fun as we are in such a good position as a club.

As for the squad growing old, I think that's partly down to their success & a reluctance to change, prices & ffp & the fact neither manager gave a fuck about promoting kids.

If none of our kids are as good as Kolarov, for example. I bet we could have found a kid somewhere who is & use him& Clichy plus a academy kid to cover that spot. But it's easier just to pick Kolarov. Same as it's easier to pick half fit Sterling or Yaya than change the formation & fit a kid in now.

All the 'squad' players should be kids imo except maybe one or two.
 
If Arsenal lose tonight. United are guaranteed a top 4 finish if they win their last 4 games, something i think they'll do despite them having to play Leicester and West Ham. That shows you how poor both us and Arsenal have been this season.

Everyone talks of the poor job Mourinho, LVG, Wenger, Martinez have done this season but Pellegrini has been the most underwhelming manager this season imo when you look at the squad he's had at his disposal. Injuries haven't helped but they are not an excuse.
 
Marvin said:
Arsenal v WBA. Premiership football on a Thursday night?? What are the chances that Arsenal slip up?

Could happen.
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Every chance. Arsenal are doing their usual bottle job

But West Brom have got absolutely nothing to play for and are utter shite, so could be the perfect opponents for Arsenal
 
ninjamonkey said:
If Arsenal lose tonight. United are guaranteed a top 4 finish if they win their last 4 games, something i think they'll do despite them having to play Leicester and West Ham. That shows you how poor both us and Arsenal have been this season.

Everyone talks of the poor job Mourinho, LVG, Wenger, Martinez have done this season but Pellegrini has been the most underwhelming manager this season imo when you look at the squad he's had at his disposal. Injuries haven't helped but they are not an excuse.
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They play West Ham in the last ever match at Upton Park. West Ham and even more so their fans will be well up for this. Can't see the Rags getting a win there
 
Problem is we don't know what team is going to show up we could win all our remaining games and we could easily lose to Arsenal draw against Stoke and the 2 away games wont be easy.
 
A lot depends on how we want to approach the remaining four games. The right frame of mind is needed.

Looking at Norwich, Newcastle and villa away all 3 draws show how indifferent the team can be.
 
dennistueartismyhero said:
yep I cant imagine any team losing their last match at their famous old stadium :)
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Haha I know. What a load of shit that was!

chaddblue said:
Every chance. Arsenal are doing their usual bottle job

But West Brom have got absolutely nothing to play for and are utter shite, so could be the perfect opponents for Arsenal
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They had nothing to play for when we played them and could have easily got something. I don't expect two Arsenal fuck ups in a week though.

The biggest problem for us the is not so simple matter of having to play 5 games in 16 days, 2 against Real Madrid in a competition that the manager is prioritising.

If we just had 4 league games I would be fairly confident but they way I watched De Bruyne shitting out of a tackle near the end of that game the other night and us failing to create anything in the last 20 minutes and actually looking the most likely to lose didn't fill me with confidence
 
supercity88 said:
I don't think you need to worry about missing out on the Top 4 moving forward. I think this season we'll be close but will scrape over the line. We still of course could win the CL so it wouldn't matter if we missed out in any case. The cash from the CL is huge, but the Prem gives huge money anyway and we're sustainable enough as a club to cope financially if we missed out for one season.

I also think you're over playing other sides and down playing City.

We've been poor this season through injury and the decline of our squad largely because of the average age. From transfer rumours it's a clear goal to lower the average age - Pogba and Gundogan are linked and the lack of midfield presence has been our biggest concern. Those two in our current squad remove that issue and we've enough in defence and attack to make the top 4.

The rags could miss out on Top 4 again, the managerial situation is uncertain and though they've a young squad there's no evidence the young players they have will do any better. For every Messi and Ronaldo there's an Ashley Young or Phil Jones. Good initially but it's beginners luck and they then decline to their actual consistent standard. We'll see how Rashford etc cope next season.

Chelsea will improve but again, there's a lot to do and they've been so far off it this year there's a huge issue with the squad dynamic and mentality there that could take more than a year to resolve. Tottenham can improve but Leicester are unlikely to get better. They still won't be able to attract top players because despite the CL they're not as attractive as several other sides. They'll have to compete in an extra competition and that will force them to rotate the squad.

Arsenal still have the Wenger love/hate relationship and the same weaknesses are there that have been since Vieira and Henry left. Plus the injuries and you still can't take them too seriously as a threat. Liverpool can improve but won't be willing to pay top wages so limits to who they can buy.

Meanwhile City with one of the best managers, with a fantastic academy that he will dip into over time, with funds to oversee a big transfer window... we'll be fine! I seriously think this season will be the low point and we'll manage our transition better than other clubs in England have.

The Rags never replaced Giggs or Scholes. They've not replaced Vidic or Wio either. Bacon tried to but failed so retired. Arsenal I've already mentioned... you can add that they've not replaced Adams etc at the back either. Chelsea need to replace Terry, they've missed someone like Lampard this season too with his passion for the club.

We're needing to plan for life without Yaya (which probably needed to happen sooner). Kompany's injuries continue to cause concern so we need to think about that. De Bruyne has arrived so some of the burden on Silva is already lifted. With Pogba mentioned we have a potential Yaya replacement already. The transition would be done and dusted and we can build an even better side to dominate.
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A well balanced and reasoned post. Good read!
 
Chippy_boy said:
I said in another thread, wait for the team sheet on Saturday and if there's so much as a whiff of not giving it 100%, personally I would sack him on the spot.

Playing fast and loose with our top 4 spot as he has been doing is imho a sackable offence.
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Didn't you actually say if he doesn't field the best team that would be sackable (or something along those lines) and I asked how would you decide whether he had or hadn't to which you didn't reply
 
mosssideblue said:
Didn't you actually say if he doesn't field the best team that would be sackable (or something along those lines) and I asked how would you decide whether he had or hadn't to which you didn't reply
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I didn't see your post. It's a bit academic since I am not Sheikh Mansour nor on the board. But it's pretty obvious what he regards as his A team and his B team, isn't it? It is to me.
 
This squad has a mental attitude of "just do enough" right now other than the CL of course.

We will get top 4 of that I've no doubt whatsoever as the players will do just enough to get it.
 
Marvin said:
Arsenal v WBA. Premiership football on a Thursday night?? What are the chances that Arsenal slip up?

Could happen.
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Think even with the annual bottle job they'll get a result tonight. Our hope with them is a slip-up at Sunderland this weekend. Then we have to beat them in two weeks.
 
chaddblue said:
I hear what your saying, but not sure they're like us and have a 'typical West Ham' syndrome
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Put it this way, by that Tuesday I would not like us to be less than 3 points clear of United with a still much superior goal difference.

If we need to depend on them not winning to keep the last day in our hands we then need to win at Swansea (which we could do as their style should suit us) but also be watching events at OT where they would have to not beat Bournemouth, who will (literally perhaps!) be 'on the beach'.

United fans will be dreaming of revenge for that Aguero moment when City can win 10-0 in Wales and they scramble a last minute offside winner to snatch CL.

It is imperative we win the next couple of games and hope United at least draw against one of Leicester or Norwich which would give us a fall back v Arsenal.

Otherwise we are hoping that a partying West Ham who may well be out of CL contention by then do not have more focus on the occasion than a match where United have shown they can win there anyway when it mattered (just last week).

Unless we control our own destiny on the last day we will not get into the top 4. Which is why not winning at Newcastle is (for now) a disaster but becomes possibly the point that matters if we win the next two or United draw one of their next two. That gives us some room for a draw v Arsenal and still probably means it is in our own hands at Swansea.
 
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