Topic: The Top Six Mini-League Thread... Sponsored by TENA

[JackWard33]

Does your prediction model take into account them playing 5 games in 14 days? All of them likely to be intense.

Yeah that will be tough for them for sure

[jillcwhomever]

Haha - you want to split that ppg into first half of the season vs second half?
You could also take a look at our expg in the last two months vs our opponents or our shot totals.
We haven't been playing well and we need it to change (or we need to get lucky - that'll also work)

Well let's see what the game on Monday brings. What we could do with is rediscovering our goalscoring form. A good win there, could really give us some momentum going into the last games.

[SerbianScouser]

Haha - you want to split that ppg into first half of the season vs second half?

Then don't say recent level.

We won't need elite performances for these last 4 games. Palace is easily a level above them form wise.

[Trendisnotdestiny]

I'm the one who points out we have a world water shortage and we should use better analogies.

[Crosby Nick]

Does your prediction model take into account them playing 5 games in 14 days? All of them likely to be intense.

They'll need their marquee signings for those games

[andy07]

City and United will drop points in their remaining games.

City, Arsenal, United and ourselves will all drop points,  but who will drop the least?

[Caston]

I think Liverpool will win the next game and that's all I want to think about right now!

Exactly. 1 game at a time, table will become clearer week by week.

[jillcwhomever]

Klopp's PC tomorrow will be interesting. Let's hope he has some good news concerning Lallana and maybe even Sturridge.

[Crosby Nick]

Would be great if we could keep winning so that United go to Arsenal and/or Spurs really needing to win rather than just parking the bis knowing a point would be decent. Woukd go against all Mourinho's instincts in how to approach big away games.

[andy07]

If United win the Europa League and finish 5th we will have 5 English teams in the CL next season.   But would we still have 3 in the Europa League or would it drop to 2?   Quite significant if the likes of Watford and Southampton are in a battle for 8th place.

[JackWard33]

Then don't say recent level.

We won't need elite performances for these last 4 games. Palace is easily a level above them form wise.

Well ppg follow underlying numbers but not over short runs of games. We haven't been playing well or dominating teams for a while including recently
Winning 4 in a row in the league at any point is tough. We don't need elite performances but we also need some things to break our way

[kingz]

Win against Watford and we will finish in the top 4.

[SerbianScouser]

Utd are absolutely battered and down to bare bones with numerous injuries and suspensions. Mourinho is still intimating they'll prioritize EL, and he'll have to save some vital players for the semi-final. Considering their record this season against the dross at OT it really wouldn't surprise me if they slipped up against Swansea.

[killer-heels]

Utd are absolutely battered and down to bare bones with numerous injuries and suspensions. Mourinho is still intimating they'll prioritize EL, and he'll have to save some vital players for the semi-final. Considering their record this season against the dross at OT it really wouldn't surprise me if they slipped up against Swansea.

Them saving players still involves a lot of good players getting games.

[Jayo10]

Man United

Swansea (H) Win
Arsenal (A) Draw
Spurs (A) Draw
Southampton (A) Win
Crystal Palace (H) Draw

United will get at least 9 points here I feel leaving them on 73 points. I have a feeling that Celta Vigo will dump them out of europe however. People think Arsenal and Spurs will be the beneficiaries of United having one eye on silverware but I think it will be Celta taking advantage of some demanding performances in London.

Arsenal

Spurs (A) Draw
Man Utd (H) Draw
Southampton (A) Win
Stoke (A) Win
Sunderland (H) Win
Everton (A) Draw

Arsenal will get at least 12 points I think leaving them on 72 points

Liverpool

Watford (A) Win
Southampton (H) Draw
West Ham (A) Draw
Middlesboro (H) Win

We will get 8 points from the last 4 I reckon, it should be enough for 4th leaving us on 74 points. We haven't scored against Southampton this season I don't expect that to change seeing as Puel seemingly has our number. Not looking forward to playing a relaxed West Ham side who have nothing to play for either.

Man City

Middlesboro (A) Win
C Palace (H) Draw
Leicester (H) Win
West Brom (H) Win
Watford (A) Win

City will get 13 points from last games securing 3rd place with 78 points.

Its going to be incredibly tight either way.

[PeterTheRed ...]

Good result tonight, with both Man City and Man Utd dropping 2 points. Middlesbrough and Swansea will be anything but a walk in the park for them over the weekend. Of course, we have to win against Watford.

[jckliew]

Not a good result for us last night

[killer-heels]

Good result tonight, with both Man City and Man Utd dropping 2 points. Middlesbrough and Swansea will be anything but a walk in the park for them over the weekend. Of course, we have to win against Watford.

Utd and City will both win comfortably.

[woof]

Arsenal

Spurs (A) Draw
Man Utd (H) Draw
Southampton (A) Win
Stoke (A) Win
Sunderland (H) Win
Everton (A) Draw

Arsenal will get at least 12 points I think leaving them on 72 points

You reckon the Bluenoses will leave us a draw? They may field their U18s to lose this match just so we can't get to CL

[alvaro]

Utd and City will both win comfortably.

You mean Utd and City are both big favorites to win their respective games.

[mrantarctica]

Good result tonight, with both Man City and Man Utd dropping 2 points. Middlesbrough and Swansea will be anything but a walk in the park for them over the weekend. Of course, we have to win against Watford.

Can't really see the relegation teams defeating either Manc club. Man Utd at home to Swansea should be a comfortable win for Man U, and I think City will probably get a draw at worst at Middlesborough. They barely score at home and it'll be more a case of if they can stop City from scoring which I think is unlikely. Boro I think will be resigned to going down - very unlikely that they will stay up given their remaining fixtures and Swansea's remaining fixtures. We shot our chances in the foot by our terrible performance against Palace, and then poor home performances against Bournemouth and Swansea, and away at Sunderland. We let it slip with late goals against Bournemouth, Swansea and Sunderland and that cost us 6 points. This would have virtually guaranteed a top 4 finish.

The key fixtures for our hopes now are:
Our 4 remaining games, of which we need to win at least 3 of 4, if not all 4.

AND

Spurs vs Arsenal
Arsenal vs Utd
Spurs vs Utd

For which we need Spurs to beat both teams, and for Arsenal to draw with Utd. That'll mean Utd can end up on 74 at best, and Arsenal on 73 at best. This will mean that if we can get 3 wins (taking us to 75) then we should be either 3rd or 4th depending on what happens to City. If Arsenal or Utd overturn these fixtures and claim points then we might finish as low as 6th. We have to do our part first which is to win as many of our remaining games as possible.

[KopThat]

If we don't win the 4 remaining games do we really deserve to fall over the line for a CL spot based on other results?

 That's assuming Yernited won't get maximum points.

[Giono]

Why are people so sure that we won't get a result against West Ham? Are they suddenly good? Or without a manager that is dead man walking? And they have nothing to fight for. I just don't see us stumbling there.


Southampton will be the much tougher match for us.

[Lycan]

Utd need a miracle.

The 4 games in 10 days will kill them off. 2 EL semi legs plus Spurs and Arsenal away, all in 10 days. Good luck with that.
I can see them dropping points elsewhere too. They just draw too many games and have done all season.

Will we do enough to take advantage of that though? I guess we'll have to wait and see. We've been our own worst enemy at times this season. Let's just hope we can string 4 wins in a row together. We should be more than capable of doing it. You just don't know with this lot though.

[Lolo]

.................

Spurs vs Arsenal
Arsenal vs Utd
Spurs vs Utd

........we need Spurs to beat both teams, and for Arsenal to draw with Utd. That'll mean Utd can end up on 74 at best, and Arsenal on 73 at best. This will mean that if we can get 3 wins (taking us to 75) then we should be either 3rd or 4th depending on what happens to City.

THIS

[sms1986]

Not a good result for us last night

Why?

[Anfield89]

Why?

Probably because they will both be above us by the time we play Monday. Not the worst it could have been but not a good result.

[Lycan]

I'd have preferred a City win, but they both dropped points so a draw isn't the end of the world. None of it will even matter if we don't win our games though.

[jckliew]

Why?

Means Yernited is still hard on our tails

[GinKop]

Why are people so sure that we won't get a result against West Ham? Are they suddenly good? Or without a manager that is dead man walking? And they have nothing to fight for. I just don't see us stumbling there.


Southampton will be the much tougher match for us.

How did we stumble at a shocking Sunderland? Or a Hull side who couldn't buy a win? Or a Leicester team which had looked like relegation fodder for the season until they played us? A Bournemouth side who we had a 2 goal advantage against with minutes left of the game?

Because of our poor defense and frail mentality, teams do not fear us in the slightest. The remaining fixtures we have this season are exactly the type of games we are likely to drop points in. I would rather have a run of games against the top 6 sides.

We can take solace in that neither of our competitors can win every game but we bloody well better make sure we hold up our end of the bargain.

[jillcwhomever]

Means Yernited is still hard on our tails

They have a huge pile up of fixtures and are missing players to both injuries and suspension, say nothing of having to play games close together. The other problem is there having difficulties winning at home. It is why I have a feeling Swansea can nick a point on Sunday. They will be confident after a crucial win and vitally have everything to play for. We just need them to have a real go at United.

This is not going to be as straight forward as people think. We just have to make sure we win our games.

[Tiz Lad]

I would have been worried about Utd but thankfully those midweek games which are likely to be intense will play a major reason in them dropping pts against Spurs and Arse - probably lose at least one if not both.

They've not lost for 24 games, so who says Mourinho doesn't go there like he did at City, get 2 draws and win the other 3, then we need 10 points - Anybody really sure that will happen?

[TepidT2O]

They've not lost for 24 games, so who says Mourinho doesn't go there like he did at City, get 2 draws and win the other 3, then we need 10 points - Anybody really sure that will happen?

They're due a defeat then...

[Anfield89]

They have a huge pile up of fixtures and are missing players to both injuries and suspension, say nothing of having to play games close together. The other problem is there having difficulties winning at home. It is why I have a feeling Swansea can nick a point on Sunday. They will be confident after a crucial win and vitally have everything to play for. We just need them to have a real go at United.

This is not going to be as straight forward as people think. We just have to make sure we win our games.

They haven't got this huge pile up of fixtures that everyone keeps going on about. They got through December, January and February with much worse. Spurs and Arsenal can hopefully do us a favour.

[Caston]

They haven't got this huge pile up of fixtures that everyone keeps going on about. They got through December, January and February with much worse. Spurs and Arsenal can hopefully do us a favour.

They have 7 games in 3 weeks. What are you on about?

[harryc]

They've not lost for 24 games, so who says Mourinho doesn't go there like he did at City, get 2 draws and win the other 3, then we need 10 points - Anybody really sure that will happen?

Well that's it they will never lose again.

People losing their heads here!

[Anfield Kopite]

How many times do you want to post that they've drawn a lot of games? In most of the games they've drawn against the dross they've been really unlucky - it's been hilarious but it's also more likely they'll win their games against the dross than not.
It's going to be very tight - most of the prediction models have us as a favorite but those are using our performances across the season not our recent level. It looks like a total coin flip between us and united

Twice. Ive mentioned it twice. That ok hun ?

[sms1986]

They haven't got this huge pile up of fixtures that everyone keeps going on about. They got through December, January and February with much worse. Spurs and Arsenal can hopefully do us a favour.

Have you seem their fixtures? At one point they're playing every three days.

[Anfield89]

They have 7 games in 3 weeks. What are you on about?

Yes the usual amount of games for teams in Europe. 2 games a week madness.

[bobadicious]

Think its ourselves and Arsenal we need to be worried about. Think Manu are done. Fixture pile up, injuries, tough away games, theyre toast. I can see Arsenal being more a threat but if we get at least 9pts i think / hope it will be enough regardless.