Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

[dagraham]

Fuck it. Being in the Europa didn’t stop Arsenal signing good players in the summer, and being in the CL 3 years straight hasn’t exactly seen us attract the world’s finest footballers.

If players want to leave rather than play in the Europa for us, let them go, and sign players who want to be here. You never know, but if we take it seriously, we might even stand a chance of winning the thing.

Sorry, what is this winning thing you speak of?

 

[andy00900]

Fuck it. Being in the Europa didn’t stop Arsenal signing good players in the summer, and being in the CL 3 years straight hasn’t exactly seen us attract the world’s finest footballers.

If players want to leave rather than play in the Europa for us, let them go, and sign players who want to be here. You never know, but if we take it seriously, we might even stand a chance of winning the thing.

I agree with trying to win the Europa League but a lot of it depends on who drops down from the CL.

If ITK is to be believe how often do we hear we won't sign X because agent won't talk to us, assuming this is because of money, we need the Champions league money to attract players. All the interviews with players they talk about the club going in the right direction and always improving. If we stop improving why should they stay? No significant incomings will cause a decline in results meaning big departures right?

Admittedly it's easy being pessimistic, but it's just so sad imagining what this team could've been right now if we have build on it better last 2 seasons.

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

Fuck it. Being in the Europa didn’t stop Arsenal signing good players in the summer

Nope. It's all about wages. The whole 'must be in the CL to get good players' argument is a total myth.

However, since we don't pay big wages either, we are screwed.

 

[austinfh]

Not sure why everyone now thinks we've fucked it after a very narrow loss to Liverpool at Anfield (where basically everyone in their predictions of our run-in predicted we would lose anyway). Chelsea were extremely lucky to win at Cardiff (!) and as people have posted, our run-in is actually quite kind. I think top 4 should still be fine. Finishing above Arsenal is a different matter, however.

 

[bloodzeed]

you seen some of arsenals away trips they wont win them all wolves everton Leicester chin up lads win midweek and the mood changes

 

[Pimp_Spur]

Yep! We'll finish top 4! Just need some of our injured players to get back and hopefully go on a nice run now that the stadium is open.

We’ve been saying that all season

 

[SugarRay]

Not sure why everyone now thinks we've fucked it after a very narrow loss to Liverpool at Anfield (where basically everyone in their predictions of our run-in predicted we would lose anyway). Chelsea were extremely lucky to win at Cardiff (!) and as people have posted, our run-in is actually quite kind. I think top 4 should still be fine. Finishing above Arsenal is a different matter, however.

It was a good performance but it’s the manner of the defeat, all our own doing, in a game we should have probably won. We lost in a comical fashion today. One of them ‘only at Tottenham’ type moments. That last minute goal might have killed our recovery before it began.

Our run in looks kind, but in our last few games we’ve failed to beat Arsenal, who are crap away from home, gifted victory to Chelsea and now Liverpool but much worse, we’ve been beaten by Burnley and Southampton. Two shit teams. The only game I am confident of winning in our run in is Huddersfield.

 

[panoma]

Is it really that important to finish top4? We not signed anyone we could not attract with EL football for years, we dont invest any of the CL money in the team and core players like Eriksen and Toby still leaves.

Maybe I'm just looking to soften the blow if we finish outside top 4, but I feel so apathetic towards it this evening.

 

[L-man]

Is it really that important to finish top4? We not signed anyone we could not attract with EL football for years, we dont invest any of the CL money in the team and core players like Eriksen and Toby still leaves.

Maybe I'm just looking to soften the blow if we finish outside top 4, but I feel so apathetic towards it this evening.

Because obviously we want to see our club play the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona rather than Dynamo Dildo

 

[austinfh]

It was a good performance but it’s the manner of the defeat, all our own doing, in a game we should have probably won. We lost in a comical fashion today. One of them ‘only at Tottenham’ type moments. That last minute goal might have killed our recovery before it began.

Our run in looks kind, but in our last few games we’ve failed to beat Arsenal, who are crap away from home, gifted victory to Chelsea and now Liverpool but much worse, we’ve been beaten by Burnley and Southampton. Two shit teams. The only game I am confident of winning in our run in is Huddersfield.

'Only at Tottenham' even though Everton, Palace, City have made mistakes/missed opportunities against Liverpool which have gifted them points.

We played much much better today than we did in the last 4 games. I know we really should never have lost against either of those teams but Burnley and Southampton have taken points off of our rivals as well this season. We have 5 home games against very beatable opponents left. I can still see us winning 6/7 of our remaining games. Who knows what boost the new ground will have.

 

[Darth Vega]

Is it really that important to finish top4? We not signed anyone we could not attract with EL football for years, we dont invest any of the CL money in the team and core players like Eriksen and Toby still leaves.

Maybe I'm just looking to soften the blow if we finish outside top 4, but I feel so apathetic towards it this evening.

Agree to an extent. The mismanagement of the squad over the last few windows means that, even if we do finish in the top 4, we'll need to sign 3 to 5 players to really compete (not including replacements for Alderweireld, Eriksen, or even Lloris). Unlike sides who've dropped out in recent years - the likes of United or Chelsea - we don't have the status or the money to attract quality players, but when we do qualify, we don't buy anyone anyway.

We're stuck in the cycle of modern football - it's all money. Money = victory.

 

[Shadydan]

Is it really that important to finish top4? We not signed anyone we could not attract with EL football for years, we dont invest any of the CL money in the team and core players like Eriksen and Toby still leaves.

Maybe I'm just looking to soften the blow if we finish outside top 4, but I feel so apathetic towards it this evening.

I think I read this season we could earn up to £80m playing in the CL alone, money I suspect goes back to paying off debts so we need to be in this competition, not to mention the fact that you want to be progressing and not falling behind, CL represents that.

 

[RichieS]

It was decent second half, should take some comfort from that I guess... fyi I’m the biggest fucking pessimist when it comes to spurs

I read the van Gaal interview that came out last weekend and something that stood out for me was he said that the media (and by extension, fans) engage mostly in result analysis rather than performance analysis. I checked the match thread just before Liverpool's second goal and every post was talking about how the second half had been our best performance for weeks, and it certainly seems as though we were playing well. As you say, there is definitely scope for optimism based on that.

 

[RichieS]

Nope. It's all about wages. The whole 'must be in the CL to get good players' argument is a total myth.

However, since we don't pay big wages either, we are screwed.

Winnered the first part of your post. The second part however I disagree with because I believe one of the purposes of the new stadium is to increase turnover to make the paying of big wages sustainable. The new contracts dished out last summer were the first stage of this. What we're not going to do is start massively net spending.

 

[coys200]

On paper it’s ours to lose still 4/7 bookies favourites:

Spurs: Palac h Hudd h City a Bright h West H h Bourn a Evert h Arsenal: Newc h Evert a Watf a Palac h Wolv a Leic a Bright h Burn a United: Wolv a West H h Evert a City h Chels h Hudd a Card h Chelsea: Bright h West H h Liver a Burn h United a Watf h Leic a

 

[Stamford]

Is it really that important to finish top4? We not signed anyone we could not attract with EL football for years, we dont invest any of the CL money in the team and core players like Eriksen and Toby still leaves.

Maybe I'm just looking to soften the blow if we finish outside top 4, but I feel so apathetic towards it this evening.

Arsenal without champions league have signed quality forwards. Even if we do nothing in the market (highly likely) we need to keep chelsea and arsenal out

 

[Guntz]

I have us finishing 4th on GD using this predictor

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...r-league-predictor-manchester-united-15888838

 

[austinfh]

I have us finishing 4th on GD using this predictor

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...r-league-predictor-manchester-united-15888838

Arsenal 3rd and United level with us?

 

[Guntz]

Arsenal 3rd and United level with us?

Yup

 

[slartibartfast]

Chelsea and Man U both look shit lately but just keep picking up points.
Hopefully we stop gifting goals, start taking some of these chances and they drop more points than us.
Christ what a collapse