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Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

Where will we finish in the league ?


  • Total voters
    423
  • Poll closed .

luRRka

Well-Known Member
Jul 27, 2008
3,500
15,155
It's a bit like how Andy Murray was in the same generation as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Had he been born 10 years earlier he would've hoovered up grand slams.

Surely we have the record points tally for a 3rd place team at this stage in the season, a points tally that would usually have us comfortably top of the league.
I went back every season to 2009 using https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/premier-league
And with 60 points at this stage we would have been league leaders in all but 2 seasons (city last year with 72 points and United in 2013 with 65 points)
 

Primativ

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2017
3,229
12,486
I went back every season to 2009 using https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/premier-league
And with 60 points at this stage we would have been league leaders in all but 2 seasons (city last year with 72 points and United in 2013 with 65 points)

It really doesn’t mean much though. People do this every year. Our points tally is only relevant to the season we are in. Every season is different with different teams, squads and form etc


We’ve got loads of points but so have two other teams which indicates this season the crap teams have been very beatable. Also the rest of the top 6 have accumulated loads of points too as they aren’t miles away.

So whilst we have done really well, brilliantly points wise, saying it would be enough to be top in most other seasons means nothing really.

All it indicates is that there are clearly three superior teams in this league so far, but seeing as we still have to go to City, Liverpool and Chelsea, with a NLD at home, that’s 12 points we could easily drop away from Liverpool and City into the best of the rest pack.

I’m confident about Chelsea away actually and Arsenal at home.
 

luRRka

Well-Known Member
Jul 27, 2008
3,500
15,155
It really doesn’t mean much though. People do this every year. Our points tally is only relevant to the season we are in. Every season is different with different teams, squads and form etc


We’ve got loads of points but so have two other teams which indicates this season the crap teams have been very beatable. Also the rest of the top 6 have accumulated loads of points too as they aren’t miles away.

So whilst we have done really well, brilliantly points wise, saying it would be enough to be top in most other seasons means nothing really.

All it indicates is that there are clearly three superior teams in this league so far, but seeing as we still have to go to City, Liverpool and Chelsea, with a NLD at home, that’s 12 points we could easily drop away from Liverpool and City into the best of the rest pack.

I’m confident about Chelsea away actually and Arsenal at home.
I was answering @Timberwolf question
 

scat1620

L'espion mal fait
May 11, 2008
16,280
52,487
It really doesn’t mean much though. People do this every year. Our points tally is only relevant to the season we are in. Every season is different with different teams, squads and form etc


We’ve got loads of points but so have two other teams which indicates this season the crap teams have been very beatable. Also the rest of the top 6 have accumulated loads of points too as they aren’t miles away.

So whilst we have done really well, brilliantly points wise, saying it would be enough to be top in most other seasons means nothing really.

All it indicates is that there are clearly three superior teams in this league so far, but seeing as we still have to go to City, Liverpool and Chelsea, with a NLD at home, that’s 12 points we could easily drop away from Liverpool and City into the best of the rest pack.

I’m confident about Chelsea away actually and Arsenal at home.
Exactly. Position trumps points every single time. Looking at points tallies in isolation leads to patently daft conclusions, like the time when a portion of SC were trying to convince people that AVB getting 72 points and finishing 5th in 2012/13 was somehow better than Redknapp getting 69 points but finishing 4th the year before.
 

Primativ

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2017
3,229
12,486
Exactly. Position trumps points every single time. Looking at points tallies in isolation leads to patently daft conclusions, like the time when a portion of SC were trying to convince people that AVB getting 72 points and finishing 5th in 2012/13 was somehow better than Redknapp getting 69 points but finishing 4th the year before.

Absolutely. I was going to mention the AVB points tally. I lost count the amount of arguments I had with AVB fan boys on From the Lane for years and years about this. They were convinced that the 72 points we got with AVB indicated he was a great manager and did a better job than Redknapp who actually got us into the CL. When I said all it indicated was that the AVB season was a weaker league with less competitive teams as there were still four other sides better than us.

Basically, it’s rubbish.

On a side note, that AVB team was the epitome of a one man team. Bale scoring worldies every week. We were never that good a side IMO. We just scraped by and relied on Bales magic.
 

1882andallthat

Well-Known Member
Feb 2, 2009
2,821
4,157
In parallel with Man Utd in 2016/17 there may become a time in March when both Chelsea and Arsenal consider that their best hope of CL qualification lies in winning the Europa League, and they begin to prioritise this over the league position.....it's a gamble that could backfire for one or both of them and I would have no sympathy for either or both of them if it did, but as bad as both can be at times they have both shown in the very recent past that they are capable of winning cup competitions...
 
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RichieS

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2004
11,916
16,436
In parallel with Man Utd in 2016/17 there may become a time in March when both Chelsea and Arsenal consider that their best hope of CL qualification lies in winning the Europa League. and they begin to prioritise this over the league position.....it's a gamble that could backfire for one or both of them and I would have no sympathy for either or both of them if it dud, but as bad as both can be at times they have both shown in the very recent past that they are capable of winning cup competitions...
Arsenal will definitely go after it - Emery had a very good record in the competition.
 

newbie

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2004
6,051
6,342
I actually think he'd gladly halve his wages to not be miserable anymore. We would definitely be concerned about injuries though.

I think he'll follow Ronaldo and try his luck in Italy next (although at one of the Milan clubs).

I’m afraid the ship has sailed and sunk. I think it would be a step backwards.
 

walworthyid

David Ginola
Oct 25, 2004
7,059
10,242
I still can't quite believe where we are. We've played pretty poorly for most of the season, had injuries to just about every key player, the world cup hangover, the loss of Son, the stadium, the list goes on. Yet somehow we have kept on winning. In reality, had we not been so plagued with injuries, the only games we would have lost were Watford, pool and city. No way do we lose to wolves, the scum or utd with a full squad and the rotation that it allows.

Our away form is astonishing.

We may not be as good defensively as we were, or as able to control the midfield as we did last season, but we just keep on going. I think that city and pool have both been far better than us this season, yet the league tells us that we are very close. Very close indeed.

We are more than capable of winning every game until the end of the season. But I think we will win 8 or 9. Top 4 is all but wrapped up. It would need a collapse of biblical proportions for us to miss out.

Next season, in the New stadium and with a couple of new players, then we will be in a position to go all the way.
 

worcestersauce

"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
Jan 23, 2006
26,890
45,039
Liverpool have only lost one game this season but it's worth remembering that they have drawn five so I understand it when people say it's unlikely they will suddenly start losing games but it would be equally surprising if they stopped drawing them.
 

arunspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,807
35,543
It really doesn’t mean much though. People do this every year. Our points tally is only relevant to the season we are in. Every season is different with different teams, squads and form etc


We’ve got loads of points but so have two other teams which indicates this season the crap teams have been very beatable. Also the rest of the top 6 have accumulated loads of points too as they aren’t miles away.

So whilst we have done really well, brilliantly points wise, saying it would be enough to be top in most other seasons means nothing really.

All it indicates is that there are clearly three superior teams in this league so far, but seeing as we still have to go to City, Liverpool and Chelsea, with a NLD at home, that’s 12 points we could easily drop away from Liverpool and City into the best of the rest pack.

I’m confident about Chelsea away actually and Arsenal at home.

My view is slightly contrarian here. Our 86 points 2 yrs back could have won the league in 6 or 7 times. Over the period of last 4 years we have been the most consistent team. Every season we have been disadvantaged one way or other. Last 2 seasons with stadium move, injuries, transfer situation etc... By law of averages, if we keep this level of results for next 2 , 3 seasons , there will come a season, stars could align for us with favourable external factors and that could help us towards a title. Without splashing of money , its the consistency that will help us for a title. Who knows, moving into new stadium gives that enough push next season for a real title challenge
 

db1

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
1,119
697
It's precisely because those freak losses are out of the way that I can see them getting maximum points from here on. There's clearly been a reaction since then, their minds are focused, and De Bruyne has returned to full capacity.

Even fixture congestion can't really hurt them, unless they got injuries to 7 or 8 key players, given their depth.
The key from memory is fernandinho getting injured. They lose half of their strength when he is out as reflected in those results when he didn't play. The dirty little player is amazingly effective for them.
 

db1

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
1,119
697
More importantly.... we only need 1 point for relegation to me a mathematical impossibility.
Ah the memories of the 90's.. was it the magic 46 or 42? Something like that. Reminds me to never grumble now :)
 

Timberwolf

Well-Known Member
Jan 17, 2008
10,328
50,217
My view is slightly contrarian here. Our 86 points 2 yrs back could have won the league in 6 or 7 times. Over the period of last 4 years we have been the most consistent team. Every season we have been disadvantaged one way or other. Last 2 seasons with stadium move, injuries, transfer situation etc... By law of averages, if we keep this level of results for next 2 , 3 seasons , there will come a season, stars could align for us with favourable external factors and that could help us towards a title. Without splashing of money , its the consistency that will help us for a title. Who knows, moving into new stadium gives that enough push next season for a real title challenge
Hopefully Guardiola buggers off sooner rather than later. He generally doesn't stay anywhere too long but it's hard to see where he'd go post-City unless he just sails off into the sunset and quits football for good.

With him at the helm and their absurd squad/wages I find it hard to see us winning the league in the next few seasons.
 

worcestersauce

"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
Jan 23, 2006
26,890
45,039
My view is slightly contrarian here. Our 86 points 2 yrs back could have won the league in 6 or 7 times. Over the period of last 4 years we have been the most consistent team. Every season we have been disadvantaged one way or other. Last 2 seasons with stadium move, injuries, transfer situation etc... By law of averages, if we keep this level of results for next 2 , 3 seasons , there will come a season, stars could align for us with favourable external factors and that could help us towards a title. Without splashing of money , its the consistency that will help us for a title. Who knows, moving into new stadium gives that enough push next season for a real title challenge
Ah yes but you are forgetting the Gypsy curse.
 

CoopsieDeadpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2012
18,257
70,419
Yes we were fortunate against Fulham and Leicester in that respect, but we were incredibly unfortunate not to beat United, that was far more one sided than the two aforementioned examples.


I was going to use the United game as a response to @Timberwolf post about us being lucky that teams haven't put their chances away.

Not a dig at him, more the press & opposition fans.

How come we've only won because our opponents couldn't put chances away, and it's nothing to do with some great saves from Lloris. Yet that United result was, according to press & opposing fans, all down to DeGea being the best 'keeper since the dawn of time and nothing to do with some pretty shabby finishing from ourselves?

As many have said, we literally battered them. DeGea did have a great game, but our finishing on the day was pretty sub-standard at best.
 

easley91

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
18,717
53,767
I was going to use the United game as a response to @Timberwolf post about us being lucky that teams haven't put their chances away.

Not a dig at him, more the press & opposition fans.

How come we've only won because our opponents couldn't put chances away, and it's nothing to do with some great saves from Lloris. Yet that United result was, according to press & opposing fans, all down to DeGea being the best 'keeper since the dawn of time and nothing to do with some pretty shabby finishing from ourselves?

As many have said, we literally battered them. DeGea did have a great game, but our finishing on the day was pretty sub-standard at best.
Narratives and agendas spring to mind. We were clinical vs Leicester and they weren't, not vs United and Rashford was on that occasion. That's why we won and loss respectively.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,679
104,956
I haven’t a clue what’s going to happen but history has told us to rule nothing out. Clubs sometimes throw away big leads but it’s not that much of a regular occurrence. What seems to happen is that two teams pull way and then one eventually pulls we’ll clear in the end and wins the league by 9/10 points. It’s very rarely close in the end.
 
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