Topic: Chasing the Title

[Jm55]

Some parts of Reddy's articles read a bit like club-fed propaganda, but I find them to be thoroughly enjoyable reads and I think she's a much better writer than the vast majority of UK-based football writers, most of whom I find incredibly underwhelming (to put it kindly) compared to their American sports counterparts.

Pretty much my take on it.

Enjoyable read and you get an insight into the club which you won’t get from
Many other journals. Obviously the caveat to that is you only get the things that the club want you to get.

The only thing I’d say about Reddy that I find a bit frustrating (and it’s not visible in that article,) is that she seems to talk as if her opinion is the correct one, I’ve mentioned it before about her on The Anfield Wrap and it’s noticable in some articles. One example being when she lauded Keita as some sort of Makalele, Vieira, Kante hybrid before he’d even kicked a ball and almost left no room any kind of doubt, I’m not sure that kind of thing is helpful and I said it at the time rather than being revisionist now that he’s been a tad underwhelming. That particular article on Keita read as if she was trying to predict his brilliance so she’d look like she has excellent knowledge of the Bindesliga etc, in reality football is never such a sure thing, the example I always use of this is the Mancs with Veron.

Anyway, I digress. A good article and I especially hope the part about the lads being relaxed and determine at the same time is core for. Robbo and Craig on Talking Reds also discusses it.

[Keita Success]

I'm less confident. I can see a world where it's  possible to drop points in 4 of those games (1, 2, 3 & 5). Southampton are a new team after the manager change. Everton are Everton but you can never assume an away win in a Derby. Man United's bubble still hasn't burst under OGS and if they think they can stop us winning the league they will be hugely motivated.

Bit of a ridiculous point. You an drop points at any of the 7 fixtures. The fact is this: we're better than all of them. We, as a fanbase, get so worried about what other teams can do to us and neglect to think about what we can, and will, do to them. We've got these.

[Mozology]

So City play Chelsea in the Caraboa Final. How does this affect their fixtures?

[campioni]

So City play Chelsea in the Caraboa Final. How does this affect their fixtures?

City’s league game at Goodison has to be rearranged.

[ANFIELDGATES]

All we can do is keep winning,nothing else matters. We can speculate as much as we want on how results will go for either us or Them but its largely irrelevant. The cliched "one game at a time" is exactly that,we keep getting 3 points and it wont matter. We also have a manager who knows how to get over the line in managing expectations and getting the job done,doesnt make ie any easier mind on the nerves but jesus how many times have we been in with a shout of winning the league!! Lets just be glad we are in a position to give it a right go and if we come up short so be it.

[Son of Spion]

Bit of a ridiculous point. You an drop points at any of the 7 fixtures. The fact is this: we're better than all of them. We, as a fanbase, get so worried about what other teams can do to us and neglect to think about what we can, and will, do to them. We've got these.

I'm never one to say what we will do, but I'm with you on what we can do.  I'm the cautious type, and hate to tempt fate. 

But yes, I agree that we can worry far too much about what other sides might do to us rather than concentrating on what we can do to them.

I fully understand it, of course. We've seen far too many false dawns over the years, haven't we?

Call it youthful arrogance if you like, but when I was younger I never worried about what other teams could do to us. I don't think our club had that mentality at all back then, and neither, to my knowledge, did the fanbase. We always just seemed to let others worry about us instead. Maybe we could afford to, though, because we really were that good then. Looking back, though, some of the sides we played, particularly in Europe, would scare the pants off you if you did give it too much thought. Big names came here but I don't think we were intimidated by them at all. I suppose that came down to the self-belief instilled into the players, the club and the fans by Bill shankly and Bob Paisley. They made players believe they could run through walls. Hopefully, we are getting back to a mindset at the club where we start to let the rest worry about us once more, no matter who they are or where they come from.

Maybe us fans may never quite get back that unshakable belief, but as I said, we've seen so many false dawns over the years, and competitors for this league have never come up against such a heavily financially-doped opponent before. The playing field is far from level in the current era, so there will always be doubts in the minds of many fans. City are the steroid freak of our sport, but those types don't always win. Hopefully we can prove that this season. All we can do is concentrate on ourselves and take each game one at a time and give it everything. If we do so, we won't be far away.

[fridge]

City’s league game at Goodison has to be rearranged.

The Blueshite have got previous in this fixture. If they can fuck us up they will. They'll be more than happy to roll over and have their bellies tickled

[ScouserAtHeart]

The Blueshite have got previous in this fixture. If they can fuck us up they will. They'll be more than happy to roll over and have their bellies tickled

Or more than likely they get beat anyway because City are so much better, then they try to spin it as they only lost in order to mess with us

[slaphead]

Tell you what, that was brilliant seeing Chelsea go trough last night. They play City in the league 2 weeks before the final. Chelsea will be right up for that league game. The media will play it up too that whichever team wins will have an edge in the final. If Chelsea go there and take points they'll see that as reason they will win the final, but if they go there and get dicked.....

[Fitzy.]

The Blueshite have got previous in this fixture. If they can fuck us up they will. They'll be more than happy to roll over and have their bellies tickled

Everton's role in the title run-in is an irrelevance. They're a midtable side scratching around for points against the likes of Brighton and Burnley. The idea that they're somehow 'king makers' is baffling. They'll be 40+ points off the top come May.

[Brain Potter]

I’ve wasted hours at work recently writing down our fixtures, allocating points etc...looking at City’s games , predictions , points required. I’ve not got a clue really but if we keep on winning City can do fuck all about it.

[Jm55]

I’ve wasted hours at work recently writing down our fixtures, allocating points etc...looking at City’s games , predictions , points required. I’ve not got a clue really but if we keep on winning City can do fuck all about it.

Time well spent then. 

[Jm55]

Everton's role in the title run-in is an irrelevance. They're a midtable side scratching around for points against the likes of Brighton and Burnley. The idea that they're somehow 'king makers' is baffling. They'll be 40+ points off the top come May.

Finally, some common sense.

City are just as likely to drop points there as they are in any other away against an average side - Not very.

[Son of Spion]

Finally, some common sense.

City are just as likely to drop points there as they are in any other away against an average side - Not very.

I think the shite just might do them 1-0 then hate themselves forever for doing so. 

[Qston]

I think the shite just might do them 1-0 then hate themselves forever for doing so. 

If between that and possibly T-Rex we win the title by the requisite number of points the irony and fume will see levels never previously experienced.

[FlashGordon]

They'll claim that they actually won the title.

[Son of Spion]

^ & ^^

It's the taking part that counts. 

[Desert Red Fox]

They'll claim that they actually won the title.

the Everton Revenge-Seeking Beast will finally have its revenge, or something.

[lfc_col]

The Blueshite have got previous in this fixture. If they can fuck us up they will. They'll be more than happy to roll over and have their bellies tickled

There fans think like that i doubt professional footballers will do though

[Jm55]

This topic has been done to fucking death.

Some think Everton would throw the fixture, others, myself included, don’t.

What we can all agree on, however, is whether they do so intentionally or not, the chances are they will be shite and will get a beating, and if we win our games it won’t matter (especially if it is pushed back to late in the season.) carry on our current form and we may have won the title before Everton play them anyway.

Much ado about nothing.

[StockyRacistBannedTwat]

 

[Alisson Wonderland]

Man City play before us every week in March.  Sky and BT obviously wanting to put the pressure on

[Wool]

Man City play before us every week in March.  Sky and BT obviously wanting to put the pressure on

Or we're a popular team, potentially about to win the title, and they want us on the telly as often as possible.

[meady1981]

Is it Wednesday yet

[spider-neil]

Man City play before us every week in March.  Sky and BT obviously wanting to put the pressure on

Pressure.

[FlashGordon]

Man City play before us every week in March.  Sky and BT obviously wanting to put the pressure on

Nice of them to give Spurs a break.

[Brian Blessed]

Pressure.

You should try and enjoy our current position mate, we're top

[RedForeverTT]

This topic has been done to fucking death.

Some think Everton would throw the fixture, others, myself included, don’t.

What we can all agree on, however, is whether they do so intentionally or not, the chances are they will be shite and will get a beating, and if we win our games it won’t matter (especially if it is pushed back to late in the season.) carry on our current form and we may have won the title before Everton play them anyway.

Much ado about nothing.

Everton is a non-factor when it comes to deciding the title. They will just roll over to anyone except us.

Newcastle however has more credibility when it comes to the title race. Rafa could set the team up to become hard to beat even if they don’t score lots of goals.

[Raid]

I'd park the Everton concerns lads. If everything plays to form they'll be rolled over by both City and us.

Next week's fixtures are certainly intriguing ones. As I've said previously in here, hopefully Rafa can strangle the life out of City longer than the opening 15 minutes like most others seem to fail to do. For our part, Leicester is a tricky game, whilst they've had periods of being absolute toss this season, they've also produced results like the wins against Chelsea and City over Christmas.

[jillcwhomever]

Man City play before us every week in March.  Sky and BT obviously wanting to put the pressure on

I think they're desperate to even things up more so the title explodes, but our situation hasn't really changed that much. Whether we play first or after City the task remains the same, we need to win as much as possible. We just need to keep taking each match as it comes it's served us pretty well so far.

[plura]

Lets just win every game that we have left and then after the season has finished we can start worrying about how Man City playing before us might put extra pressure on us.

[It's Jimmy Corkhill]

Man City play before us every week in March.  Sky and BT obviously wanting to put the pressure on

It makes no difference. We need to keep winning and they won't drop any points in any event.

If they do drop points we've got am even bigger incentive to win.

[Red_19]

Sky trying their hardest to make a real fuckin lot of a title race. What a joke that we play after them every game in March.

[the_red_pill]

This topic has been done to fucking death.

Some think Everton would throw the fixture, others, myself included, don’t.

What we can all agree on, however, is whether they do so intentionally or not, the chances are they will be shite and will get a beating, and if we win our games it won’t matter (especially if it is pushed back to late in the season.) carry on our current form and we may have won the title before Everton play them anyway.

Much ado about nothing.

They won't throw the fixture- they'll just lose. It's what they do in big games.
They don't know another way.

Don't even spend time thinking about that match. It's going to be as irrelevant as a preseason friendly against Fleetwood behind closed doors.. on Astroturf! Don't do it to yourself mate.
I've not been interested AT ALL in any Everton match against any of our rivals for 4th or even the league since 2008, no matter their form.
I don't even bother looking at their results after such a match. I notice like a week or so afterwards.. "Oh, these lost over the weekend... what a surprise..."

[AmanShah21]

They'll end up with a game in hand on us anyway because they'll have the League Cup Final. So it doesnt matter who plays first anymore. We keep winning and the gap will keep appearing bigger .

[diehard]

Let's just enjoy the ride

Sent from my Redmi 5A using Tapatalk

[Greebo62]

We'll end up with a game in hand on them anyway because they'll have the League Cup Final. So it doesnt matter who plays first anymore. We keep winning and the gap will keep appearing bigger .

Think you've got that a bit the wrong way around.  They'll have a game in hand.. which is Everton.

[AmanShah21]

Think you've got that a bit the wrong way around.  They'll have a game in hand.. which is Everton.

That's what I meant. So essentially even if they play before us, as long as we win our games, they'll be looking to cut down deficit from 7 to 4 each week (with 1 less game played). Thats plenty of pressure.

[Raid]

On the flip side to the Sky schedule, they drop points and we get a mega incentive afterwards.

Works both ways however you look at it

[zamagiure]

Fa cup QF 16 March. City v utd
down for that week. I guess one
of them will be in it.