2023/24 - The Race For..................

[Westmorlandspur]

Utd are quietly going under the radar now that they have a fully fit squad again.

Think it will be a shootout between us for 4th.

We are on track for around 76 pts, average 2 pts per game. Our last 9 lge games have been W6..D2..L1
9 games = 20 pts. If United win 10 and draw 4 of their last 14 games they will have 75 pts.
Not a cat in hells chance they can do that without Martinez and now Shaw is out as well.

 

[HNIM]

All it takes is one match like Chelsea and it all goes tits up again. Some of you don’t seem to imagine anything going wrong.

One match at a time.

 

[Stamford]

I can see us winning the rest of our games. I’m glad we are still yet to play all the big teams again as it means we get 3 points closer to them after we beat them.

Definitely cant see that. Getting fourth for me is a good season considering my expectations at the start.

 

[spurs mental]

Definitely cant see that. Getting fourth for me is a good season considering my expectations at the start.

I think he's being a little optimistic. But it's that type of optimism and mentality we need to carry to every game from now on.

We need to believe in these players. They've shown what they can do with the crowd behind them.

 

[Cochise]

I also feel like teams are wising up to our system and starting to find ways to counter it, which is normal. I can see us losing at least five of the remaining fourteen.

The one thing we might have going for us is that our last two games are against Burnley and Sheffield UTD, two teams that likely won't have anything to play for by that time of the season.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I also feel like teams are wising up to our system and starting to find ways to counter it, which is normal. I can see us losing at least five of the remaining fourteen.

The one thing we might have going for us is that our last two games are against Burnley and Sheffield UTD, two teams that likely won't have anything to play for by that time of the season.

We really need a big win to start to put fear in opponents that when they have a go at us they can get ripped apart. Right now teams look at us and think there are opportunities to score against us without worrying too much about us battering them.

Every team thinks they are in with a chance against us, while teams just lie down for City, Liverpool and Arsenal. We are at such an early stage in our process but we’ll get there.

 

[rossdapep]

We play City, Arsenal and Liverpool in a row at the end of the season, just need to pick up as many points as we can before then because that run is the potential stumbling block. Champions League and set ourselves up for next season, that's all we need.

United have all those games too and City, Newcastle and Chelsea

 

[rossdapep]

6 points and +15 in goal difference is a pretty good gap at this stage of the season when we don't have any games against United left.

We are 7 points after Liverpool and we are not realistically thinking about a title race. Most people think that Sheffield United and Burnley are gone, but they also have 7 points up to safety.

Of course it's doable for United, but they would need a 4 out of 5 end to the season (or better) AND we would need to have a 2 out of 5 end to the season (or worse).

With the squad getting back to better fitness I would expect us to have enough to finish above them.

You touched in something really key here.

First 10 games = 26 points
Last 10 games = 20 points

4 game sandwiched between that = 1 point

But as we all know that was a truly desperate situation and something highly improbable.

So if you combine those 2x 10 game periods and look for an average its = 23 points

That would put us on 70 with 4 games to spare.

United would need 30 points from 14 games. So they can't drop points in more than 5 games.

Considering they have to play Newcastle, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and are away to Brighton last day, It will be very tight for them to do that.

And we still have 4 games outside of average points per 10 games (where we have not been severely depleted).

The next 5 games give us a great chance to create a good gap before the last 9.

 

[stevespurs]

It’s actually a great season, with multiple teams capable of winning the title, and a handful in contention for CL and European spots, with relegation battles too.

Im excited to see how it unfolds, and love the position we are in. We need that early season crowd energy to help our home games. And stop the neg on any of our own.

COYS

 

[ohtottenham!]

It’s actually a great season, with multiple teams capable of winning the title, and a handful in contention for CL and European spots, with relegation battles too.

Im excited to see how it unfolds, and love the position we are in. We need that early season crowd energy to help our home games. And stop the neg on any of our own.

COYS

Yes, it's good to see that it's so competitive. Don't think there's that much difference in difficulty of remaining fixtures with those of our challengers. We're just hitting our rhythm now with the return to fitness etc., of so many of our key players. We have no cup distractions. Think we're favored for 4th, and if things go our way, could even get 3rd.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Let’s just take it one match at a time and try and enjoy it.

 

[ItsBoris]

We play City, Arsenal and Liverpool in a row at the end of the season, just need to pick up as many points as we can before then because that run is the potential stumbling block. Champions League and set ourselves up for next season, that's all we need.

Haha didn't realize that - we might decide who wins the title then.

Or we just beat all 3 to win it ourselves

 

[Mattspurs1982]

United also have two very winnable games coming up, away to Luton (who have improved though) and home to Fulham. Which means we will need to win our next two home games to maintain that 6 point gap from them. They then face city away prior to 3 more favourable fixtures against Everton (H), Sheffield U (H) and Brentford (A). Bit similar to us, they then face a tricky April against a couple of top teams. Point is - we must capitalise on our more favourable fixtures coming up because if they smell blood, you know what that club are like, despite how crud they maybe be playing….

 

[carpediem1906]

Most of the current top 8 have to play one another still

City has now won their last 5, Arse last 4 and Man U last 3 while we are unbeaten in 5, putting us 4th in the form league

i still believe we can finish above arsenal though

 

[NEVILLEB]

Looking at goal difference the top 3 are a level above. Also we’ve conceded 7 times in stoppage time.

I think we’ll do well now we’ve got players back but think we’re heading for fourth on current form.

 

[Shanks]

The news articles would have you believe 4th is United to lose now!

 

[CookieYiddo]

Taking 6 points from the next two games will put us in a very good spot heading into the home straight.

 

[spurs mental]

Looking at goal difference the top 3 are a level above. Also we’ve conceded 7 times in stoppage time.

I think we’ll do well now we’ve got players back but think we’re heading for fourth on current form.

This conceding late goals thing needs to be looked at in more depth for context

Burnley - 1, the game was over, we were 5-1 up.
Palace -1, we were 2 up and it came from a blatant handball by Ayew that somehow VAR didn't overturn.
Chelsea -2, against 9 men, in a game we probably deserved a point out of even with 9 men.
Wolves -2, probably our worst performance of the season and we almost kept them out, with Davies and Dier at CB.
Newcastle -1, we were 4 up, the game was done.
Everton -1, unlucky to concede the way it comes off Romeros head into their players path.

3 of them didn't effect the result, 2 of them were vs 9 men chasing a game.

 

[philll]

The only thing that concerns me is that the first 3 of our last 5 games are City (H), Arsenal (H) and Liverpool (A), all back to back. I can see us doing Arsenal at home obviously but if we're still in and around 4th/5th/6th (ie Villa are still hanging around like a bad smell and United have made up ground), it could be a pivotal run of games.

Anyway, we're as well-placed as we could hope to be after the trauma the team's been through. After the Chelsea match, I remember being convinced we were going to drop down the table like a stone.

 

[Adam456]

Let’s just take it one match at a time and try and enjoy it.

The purpose of this thread is to do the opposite and discuss the season's progress, our rivals and possible outcomes

If you don't want to do that then you should really just ignore this thread and go to the individual match threads no ?