The race for the Top 4 - RUNNERS UP, a game to spare

[supercity88]

Re: The race for the Top 4

It's the same as the old "they're too good/big to go down". It's a game so anything can happen. If we play with the same lack of commitment and if we get the same poor decisions (which have played a part in the last two games - though we didn't deserve to win yday anyway) then we can finish out of the top 4. The top 3 is what we want anyway. I just hope the FA Cup is enough of a distraction for Liverpool and Arsenal to see them slip up and for us to finish third. I'm not accepting excuses for us finishing below third yet.

Arsenal play; Chelsea, Hull, Swansea, Rags, Sunderland, West Brom. They are 5pts above us with a potential to drop 6-7pts there depending on results. Chelsea will be doing everything to avoid defeat when they play Arsenal. The league's in the bag then (if it isn't already).

Rags play; Chelsea, Everton, West Brom, Palace, Arsenal, Hull. They are 4 points above us with the potential to drop 9pts or so with those games. They are the team we can still finish above. They're not invincible and Chelsea and Arsenal will be confident of dealing with Young and Fellaini the way we should have (and exposing Valencia at right back).

We play; West Ham, Villa, Spurs, QPR, Swansea, Southampton. West Ham should be nothing but a win. Villa and QPR scrapping for their lives so will be tough. Spuds look like they are ready for the summer, Swansea too and Southampton will depend on what is at stake. On current form you'd say 2 wins, 2 draws 2 losses from those which wouldn't be enough. Liverpool can go 4pts behind us if they win tonight with games then against West Brom, Hull, QPR, Chelsea, Palace and Stoke. For me they will drop 6pts from that lot with the FA Cup distraction (if they make the final players won't want to be injured for it - though perhaps they play harder for their place in the team...). Either way we need to be winning 4 of the last 6 for Top 4 in my opinion. For top 3 we need to win 5 and draw 1.

 

[manimanc]

Re: The race for the Top 4

We'll get third, might even sneak second as the others will be taking points off eachother. No probs. No worries.

what your secret, and can i buy it over the counter.

we`ll struggle to stay in the top six.

And I'll have a pint of what you're having....
Struggle to stay in the top 6?
Jesus wept.

 

[bluegoal]

Re: The race for the Top 4

We are in a hell of a fight now to finish 4th. Just can't see these players being up for the fight at the minute.

Shocking second half of season expect a big reaction from upstairs.

 

[Sergio Picasso Aguero]

Re: The race for the Top 4

What you on about mate. We have been wank all 2015, on saturday 10th January we were 2 points behind Chelsea, 10 ahead of United, and 14 ahead of Arsenal (although they had a game in hand).

We have been an utter disgrace this year.

Why has it now suddenly hit home, why didn't it hit home before that pathetic, abject, lazy, passionless performance yesterday??

We have the 1st or 2nd best squad in the league? We are scared of southampton because we have lost 6 games in 8 mate. What have you been watching? Look at the points I put above, look how they have changed. Get your head out of the sand.

We got beaten by Burnley, Palace, United, Liverpool, and scraped a draw at home to Hull with those same world class players.

I'm not fucking blind. We have been poor this year but we've also had a lot of bad luck like 2 offside goals against United, the ball that fell to Ashley Young's could have gone anywhere, Palace's 1st goal was offside, denied a stonewall penalty for handball, Zaba denied a stonewall penalty against Burnley. If we had a bit more luck or if referees did their job we win against Palace and go into the Derby with confidence but when you don't get the luck it's hard to build up any momentum. All we need is a win to get us going and as bad as we've been, a game against West Ham is as close to a guaranteed 3 points as you're gonna get.

That famous City support lol. No wonder the Etihad has such a shit atmosphere.

Ha! I'm perfectly content with my support thanks mate.

Oh, ok, we just need a win to kick start things? Like a win against West Brom - did a proper good job of kick starting things didn't it.

Yep, we have had some poor decisions, but when you are on the kind of form we are on, to blame decisions is the ultimate of cop outs.

I'm not blaming refereeing decisions for the odd result here and there, what I'm saying is that they can be the difference between a team building up momentum or being stuck in a rut. The win against West Brom is the perfect example, as soon as we get a win and a good performance we had a 2 week international break immediately after.

This season is a mirror image of Mancini's last season, the players lost their motivation after winning the title and we didn't build on the title win by adding a world class player that improved our team. However, we have enough quality to finish in the top 4, you don't go from being Champions scoring 157 goals to finishing behind Southampton.

I know 2015 hasn't been encouraging but have some faith.

 

[dancity19]

Re: The race for the Top 4

I'm not fucking blind. We have been poor this year but we've also had a lot of bad luck like 2 offside goals against United, the ball that fell to Ashley Young's could have gone anywhere, Palace's 1st goal was offside, denied a stonewall penalty for handball, Zaba denied a stonewall penalty against Burnley. If we had a bit more luck or if referees did their job we win against Palace and go into the Derby with confidence but when you don't get the luck it's hard to build up any momentum. All we need is a win to get us going and as bad as we've been, a game against West Ham is as close to a guaranteed 3 points as you're gonna get.

That famous City support lol. No wonder the Etihad has such a shit atmosphere.

Ha! I'm perfectly content with my support thanks mate.

Oh, ok, we just need a win to kick start things? Like a win against West Brom - did a proper good job of kick starting things didn't it.

Yep, we have had some poor decisions, but when you are on the kind of form we are on, to blame decisions is the ultimate of cop outs.

I'm not blaming refereeing decisions for the odd result here and there, what I'm saying is that they can be the difference between a team building up momentum or being stuck in a rut. The win against West Brom is the perfect example, as soon as we get a win and a good performance we had a 2 week international break immediately after.

This season is a mirror image of Mancini's last season, the players lost their motivation after winning the title and we didn't build on the title win by adding a world class player that improved our team. However, we have enough quality to finish in the top 4, you don't go from being Champions scoring 157 goals to finishing behind Southampton.

I know 2015 hasn't been encouraging but have some faith.

We haven't invested in players well - entirely agree with that. It was the problem after the first title win, and we have done it again (although we were restricted to how much we could spend).

Don't get me wrong - I think it is unlikely we will finish behind Southampton. But it isn't impossible, and it is a worry. I can't see us winning our next 6 - that was my point. We have lost 6 of our last 8 - if that trajectory continues....

 

[Phil1]

Re: The race for the Top 4

We'll get third, might even sneak second as the others will be taking points off eachother. No probs. No worries.

what your secret, and can i buy it over the counter.

we`ll struggle to stay in the top six.

And I'll have a pint of what you're having....
Struggle to stay in the top 6?
Jesus wept.

Your optimism is admirable, in fact a lot of your posts are of the positive "we'll be ok, we're City" type (which is better than some of the shite posted) unfortunately they don't tally with what's been taking place on the pitch for the last 4 months..
Make no mistake, if we don't address the serious underlying problems in the squad there's a real danger we can finish 5th. The only reason we won't drop any further is because we're running out of games to be caught by 6th/7th.

 

[Sergio Picasso Aguero]

Re: The race for the Top 4

Ha! I'm perfectly content with my support thanks mate.

Oh, ok, we just need a win to kick start things? Like a win against West Brom - did a proper good job of kick starting things didn't it.

Yep, we have had some poor decisions, but when you are on the kind of form we are on, to blame decisions is the ultimate of cop outs.

I'm not blaming refereeing decisions for the odd result here and there, what I'm saying is that they can be the difference between a team building up momentum or being stuck in a rut. The win against West Brom is the perfect example, as soon as we get a win and a good performance we had a 2 week international break immediately after.

This season is a mirror image of Mancini's last season, the players lost their motivation after winning the title and we didn't build on the title win by adding a world class player that improved our team. However, we have enough quality to finish in the top 4, you don't go from being Champions scoring 157 goals to finishing behind Southampton.

I know 2015 hasn't been encouraging but have some faith.

We haven't invested in players well - entirely agree with that. It was the problem after the first title win, and we have done it again (although we were restricted to how much we could spend).

Don't get me wrong - I think it is unlikely we will finish behind Southampton. But it isn't impossible, and it is a worry. I can't see us winning our next 6 - that was my point. We have lost 6 of our last 8 - if that trajectory continues....

6 wins is a bit optimistic, that's why I said 3 wins 3 draws is a possibility. I can see why people are so pessimistic when you look at the form table it's hard to see a team who has lost 6 out of 8 winning a game but most teams who lose 6 out of 8 are fighting relegation and don't have players like Silva and Kun to pull them out of it. I just think this bad run is partly to do with bad luck and partly to do with players feeling sorry for themselves because the title race was over. That is a sad thought because it suggests a lack of professionalism and not putting in 100% effort but I just can't see this squad of players letting this carry on for much longer.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

Re: The race for the Top 4

If we carry on the way we are we will finish 6th. We are in free fall. Something needs to change DRASTICALLY to stop this happening. We are simply shite!

I think people need to wake up to the fact that these players have gone. Forget what they've achieved in the past, they've psychologically gone!

As crazy as it seems that we could finish as low as 6th, "but we've got Silva and Agüero", "but we're the champions", "but but but...", forget it...these players have GONE!

I think the manager has to go TODAY to make this drastic change we need. Otherwise some people are going to be in for a huge surprise if they don't think we'll finish 6th.

 

[Damanino]

Re: The race for the Top 4

First thing lets hope Newcastle wont lose tonight. That would be a big help.

Right now I trust our rivals' opponents more than Pelle to come up with the needed points.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Re: The race for the Top 4

First thing lets hope Newcastle wont lose tonight. That would be a big help.

That would be a miracle.