Final straight to the Premier League (my prediction, what's yours?)

[Lilbaz]

Don't you worry L, if need be I will do them again. Only this time, I will just have to do slight adjustments

Not meant as a dig. But there will be upsets and twists. A couple of injuries, suarez eating someone. Who knows?

 

[maltahotspur]

Not meant as a dig. But there will be upsets and twists. A couple of injuries, suarez eating someone. Who knows?

I know you are in good faith. I also understand that there will be twists and turns, injuries, suspensions, wrong decisions, dip in form or good form. As such, what I'm trying to do here is to provide a platform of discussion and a bit of added fun.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Although there will be twists and turns, as the season has gone on the odd results have started to reduce and the top 6 have really shown that they are now expected to win against anyone from 10th downwards.

I'm sure there will be a couple of upsets, but if we are to finish 4th I think we'll need big results against the big teams.

 

[maltahotspur]

Although there will be twists and turns, as the season has gone on the odd results have started to reduce and the top 6 have really shown that they are now expected to win against anyone from 10th downwards.

I'm sure there will be a couple of upsets, but if we are to finish 4th I think we'll need big results against the big teams.

That will most certainly have a big say on how things pen out in the end. Therefore, we need to improve on our results thus far against the teams sitting above us right now.

 

[Lilbaz]

I know you are in good faith. I also understand that there will be twists and turns, injuries, suspensions, wrong decisions, dip in form or good form. As such, what I'm trying to do here is to provide a platform of discussion and a bit of added fun.

I am guilty of a 03:00 bbc predictor. I just have us winning the league everytime. Then cry on saturday afternoon when arsenal don't get stuffed 10-0 by palace.

 

[Hoddle&Waddle]

I tend to look at the form league rather than trying to predict individual results. Currently we are 3rd in form table (Arse 4th, Pool 5th) so if we keep up our current form we should make top 4.

 

[eViL]

All I know is that we need to beat Liverpool.

 

[SlunkSoma]

Now that Capoue is in the team I honestly can't see us dropping another point all season.

Agreed, in fact I think we'll get 4pts in some games.

 

[TH1239]

I've always maintained that we'd finish the season with a greater point total than last season. The bottom half of the table is very poor, in my opinion, and I actually expect us to beat virtually any team outside of the top 10.

In fact, I don't think it's unreasonable to think we could win all 9 of the matches against teams outside of the top 6. It's likely we'll drop points somewhere in there, but I think we've got enough depth to go on a huge run until May.

Would 80 points be enough to potentially win the title? Probably not. But it could be enough for 2nd and most likely 3rd.

I like our chances.

 

[SlunkSoma]

Would like to see some analysis of ppg ratios and how they fluctuate in the last 10 games compared to the earlier games. Can't think of massive upswings, only sudden drops (like us)

 

[SlunkSoma]

Relax, people. After plotting in the results of the final games, we actually get 3rd! Arsenal on 4th, and Poo on 5th. Nothing to worry about, and hooray for Tim Sherwood!

And then sack him. Hooray!

 

[RButch]

Chelsea’s :
(H) Everton (W) = 3pt (A) Fulham (W) = 3pt (H) Spurs (W) = 3pt (A) A villa (D) = 1pt
(H) Arsenal (W) = 3pt (A) C palace (W) = 3pt (H) Stoke (D) = 1pt (A) Swans (D) = 1pt
(H) S’land (W) = 3pt (A) L’pool (D) = 1pt (H) Norwich (W) = 3pt (A) Cardiff (W) = 3pt
Total = 28 + 57 = pts = 85 pts (8 W 4 D 0 L) (2nd) 2.33 PPG

Arsenal’s :
(H) S’land (W) = 3pt (A) Stoke (D) = 1pt (H) Swans (D) = 1pt (A) Spurs (D) = 1pt
(A) Chelsea (L) = 0pt (H) Man C (D) = 1pt (A) Everton (L) = 0pt (H) W ham (W) = 3pt
(A) Hull (D) = 1pt (H) N’castle (W)= 3pt (H) W brom (W) = 3pt (A) Norwich (W) = 3pt
Total = 21 + 56 = 77 pts (5 W 5 D 2 L) (3rd) 1.75 PPG

Man City’s :
(H) S’land (W) = 3pt (H) Stoke (W) = 3pt (A) Man U (D) = 1pt (H) A villa (W) = 3pt
(A) Hull (D) = 1pt (H) Fulham (W) = 3pt (A) Arsenal (D) = 1pt (H) S’pton (W) = 3pt
(A) L’pool (W) = 3pt (H) W brom (W) = 3pt (A) C palace (W) = 3pt (A) Everton (D) = 1pt
(H) W ham(W) = 3pt
Total = 31 + 54 = 85 pts (9 W 4 D 0 L) (1st on GD) 2.38 PPG

L’Pool’s :
(H) Swans (W) = 3pt (A) S’pton (D) = 1pt (H) S’land (W) = 3pt (A) Man U (L) = 0pt
(A) Cardiff (D) = 1pt (H) Spurs (W) = 3pt (A) W ham(D) = 1pt (H) Man C (L) = 0pt
(A) Norwich (W) = 3pt (H) Chelsea (D) = 1pt (A) C palace (W)= 3pt (H) N’castle (W)= 3pt
Total = 22 + 53 = 75 pts (6 W 4 D 2 L) (5th) 1.83 PPG

SPURS :
(A) Norwich (W) = 3pt (H) Cardiff (W) = 3pt (A) Chelsea (L) = 0pt (H) Arsenal (D) = 1pt
(H) S'pton (W) = 3pt (A) L'pool (L) = 0pt (H) S'land (W) = 3pt (A) W brom (W) = 3pt
(H) Fulham (W) = 3pt (A) Stoke (D) = 1pt (A) W ham (W) = 3pt (H) A villa (W) = 3pt
Total = 26 + 50 = 76 pts (8 W 2 D 2 L) (4th) 2.167 PPG

I reckon Chelsea + City will be around 4-7 points above the next three, with us, Arsenal and Liverpool being separated by 2-5 points.

 

[Mr Pink]

Sticks in the throat a little when you consider our away form - its title winning form!

 

[Flashspur]

just think it will be close and goal difference will be key and those big losses are going to screw us

 

[guiltyparty]

Because it would allow people to envisage a world in which Liverpool don't make the top four, and the BBC couldn't have that happening.

I want to 'winner' this times 10. Bravo

 

[ItsBoris]

Liverpool have only won 5 away games out of 13 so far. So I don't think that will change that suddenly. They have a propensity to drop points away from home. Luckily, we don't do that much anymore.

Imo, we should win all our games apart from the Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool ones. I'd say losses to Chelsea/Pool away are quite likely, but hopefully we can take points off Arsenal at home.

So if we win our 9 other games, that's 27 points, then 1-3 points in the other matches, gets us 28-30 points in the run in. That would secure 4th for us with 78-80 points, Liverpool won't beat that. So really it's as simple as winning the games we should be winning.

 

[StartingPrice]

Not meant as a dig. But there will be upsets and twists. A couple of injuries, suarez eating someone. Who knows?

This, and for this reason I find it difficult to accept these predictions, even when the predictor is being as objective as they possibly can (which isn't often, pessimism and optimism both skew the results).

Although not infallible, I would prefer to look at present circumstance in a more general way for the teams, and then make a wishy-washy prediction.

TBH, while I would love us to come up on the proverbial outside rail and nick the title, I can't see it. IMHO, Citeh and Chelsea will fight that out. So I am going to treat 1/2 as settled and the real fight between the Goons, LiverScouse and us for third/5th, as I think Everton have shot their bolt and United are too far back - obviously, all this could be proven wrong.

Arrsen*l look a bit tired, to me. Giroud has lost his early season form. They have looked nowhere near as fluid and potent without Ramsay in their team. Their morale has taken a bit of a battering. They still have some distracting involvements. They have the hardest run of games of any team in the top seven, so far as I can see. They have surprised everyone before, and form, good and bad, can alter within a game or two. But, for me, they definitely have the scope for imploding. Most tellingly, they play us, Chelsea and Everton away, and sandwiched between Citeh visit the Scumerates. Anything could happen in the NLD, so leaving that aside, there is scope for three defeats on the bounce, there, which could send them into a tailspin. To their advantage, they have points on the board and by far the most experienced manager. How they cope with the cup games and the NLD could set the tone for the following trio of toughies and decide their fate. I can only repeat, without wanting to predict the score in any individual game, there is certainly the scope their for an implosion.

LiverScouse can beat anyone on their day at Anfield, where their form is generally good - but they can also be lucky to get a draw against Villa, and don't perform so well on the road. For me, the vital issue is whether their form is so good at Anfield that they are clear favourites for our visit and that of Citeh and Chelsea, or whether their home form is slightly deceptive because they have yet to face three of the top five there. I can't see them getting the trot out they got against the Goons with Chelsea, and, as we know to our cost, Citeh could go toe-to-toe with them, concede three goals and score seven. The real acid test will be our visit. If they lose two of those games, and especially if they lose the head-to-head, and at the same time don't improve their away form, they are catchable. On top of which, they have the flimsiest squad - a couple of strategic injuries, like the leadership and experience of Gerard and/or the goals and competitive edge of the Cannibal, could see them in real trouble. On the other hand, they have the lightest schedule (another reason for wanting them to really thump the Goons), and a striker capable of winning any game ATM.

As for ourselves, I'm sorry to sound optimistic, but we have quite a few things in our favour. We have finally started to recover from our injury crisis, during which we managed to keep on the coat-tails. We have several of our Summer signings looking, now, to be adjusting - at just the right time. We have possible the strongest all round squad, and quite a few important players for one reason and another looking fresh. We finally have Kaboul back, which, if he can stay on the pitch, and sorry to say Michael, gives us a far more formidable looking central defensive pairing. And we have a manager who is learning all the time (hard not to, as he is a debutant), and, maybe a little bonus, has captained a title winning side. On the negative side, InterTim is easily the least experienced of the three, the form of our new signings may be a false dawn, (say it quietly) Kaboul could break down again, and there is always the possibility that we have just had an extended honeymoon period.

Obviously, as said, anything can happen in any individual game, but I certainly believe LiverScouse and/or the Goons have the potential for coming a cropper, while I believe our squad is the strongest, freshest and, tentatively, have the most momentum. It won't necessarily come down to the head-to-heads, but for the Goons we have home advantage and a bit of revenge to aim for, at Anfield we will have professionals looking to seriously put something right (okay, didn't work when Citeh visited the Lane). If we can win one or both of them, I believe we will finish third or fourth, otherwise, it is still doable, but quite a bit harder.

COYS

 

[Lilbaz]

SP you should really start your own magazine.
We add your posts together Tolstoy would be jealous.

Love you.

 

[Spurs 1961]

Worried about the impact of the Europa. This season we have lost 4-drawn 1-won 3 of our league games after playing in Europe. That is 4 of our six losses. If this trend continues our very real chance of top 4/3 are gone

 

[Spurz]

Now that Capoue is in the team I honestly can't see us dropping another point all season.

Yup according to many SCers, he was the sole reason why we deserved our last win and all our others wins under Tim were pure luck.