Top 7 Remaing Fixtures Against Each Other: Home And Away

[mad4city]

Our biggest problem won't be our away fixtures, per se. Our biggest problem is that it's very difficult to stuff a team, twice.
The fella who was routinely skinned five times at the Etihad will suddenly be the all action, not-on-my-watch full back, in the return game.
I've seen it happen umpteen times, in any number of sports.
If we're to win this league (and we will!), we'll need to grind it out on a lot of grounds, not just those cited in the (excellent) original post.
Some of those will fall away, inevitably. Also, places like Southampton, Selhurst Park and Hull will have an influence on where the trophy goes .

Why do we have to stuff them?

Yeah, I know. That's kinda my point.
The fact that we have embarrassed a few already will make those steel themselves in the return game.
I'll stop now because I'm repeating myself like Gooner2 - and that can't be a good thing!

 

[BLOOMUEN]

Cool.

The glass is half full scenario:

We could conceivably take maximum points from our home games and win half of our away games.

All away games are potentially tricky and Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool et al will drop many away points irrespective of who they play. They will not, however, win all of their home games.

Not worried!

 

[Cobwebcat]

Its the teams fighting relegation that pose problems.Second half of the season every game is a cup final for them. We have to follow that line and play with the same intensity.

That's just one of things people like to say like its harder to play against ten men.

Statistically it isn't true. The teams fighting relegation are there for a reason. They are worse sides and they are easier to beat at every stage of the season it's just that people remember the upsets more.

 

[Gabriel]

I rather like MP's approach: focus exclusively on the next game, talk only generally about the schedule, and avoid being drawn into making controversial 'mind-games' statements.

 

[Sleeping_Easy]

Doesn't worry me. If we manage to keep the core of the squad fit we're good enough to beat them all away.

The only two who worry me is arsenal away and liverpool away.

 

[citytill1die84]

Rather play the bigger teams away ouf players will give them more respect.

 

[Statt0]

Ignoring Everton away (which is the last away game of the season and hopefully we have it tied up by then :) ) our record from the last 2 seasons for the equivalent fixtures is pretty good.

2011/2012

Spurs (a) W
Chelsea (h) W
Rags (a) W
Arsenal (a) L
Pool (a) D

So, W3 D1 L1


2012/2013

Spurs (a) L
Chelsea (H) W
Rags (a) W
Arsenal (a) W
Pool (a) D

So again W3 D1 L1

Tough fixtures indeed but we have had the upperhand the last 2 years and why not again this season?

IMO the banana skin games are the weaker teams away from home and we obv have fewer of those games to play.

 

[Sleeping_Easy]

Rather play the bigger teams away ouf players will give them more respect.

Don't think the problem has been respecting the top clubs. Its more so them respecting the smaller clubs and putting in the same performance they do against the top clubs.

 

[citytill1die84]

Rather play the bigger teams away ouf players will give them more respect.

Don't think the problem has been respecting the top clubs. Its more so them respecting the smaller clubs and putting in the same performance they do against the top clubs.

That's my point mate we play better against the top teams because we respect em more.

 

[Damanino]

I hoped we could build some gap on the top in the first half the season because we had the advantage to play most big games at home apart from Chelsea game. We didnt build any gap, we arent even top, certainly the hardest away matches are coming up next months.
Pool away, Everton away, Arsenal away, not many times we won these places since the takeover...
(And we werent regular winners there before that either.:D)

But since the unreal losses like Cardiff, Villa, Sunderland games we know away form and results have to improve a lot if we want to win the title. We maybe started it as we won at WBA and Fulham recently, but we see some of our rivals going to Swansea and win also going to Newcastle and win like Arsenal today, we have to do the exact same thing.
January will be huge, 3 away league games and only one at home. 10-12 points is what I really hope. Maybe its too much to ask at places like Swansea, Newcastle, Spurs and home vs Cardiff, but this is the way to go unless we want to give the title to Chelsea or Arsenal.