Topic: The Title Race 2023/24- Jurgen's Last Dance

[Oldmanmick]

I'm hoping that both clubs get through their CL quarter finals & have 2 titanic battles in the semi's. This is where a strong mentality is needed, & as of yet we've not seen it from Arteta's Arsenal. The pressure on him will be enormous next season if he fails to put a trophy in the cabinet come May.

[Mister Flip Flop]

Abu Dhabi haven't won 8 games in a row in the league all season. They aren't going to do it now.

[farawayred]

I'm hoping that both clubs get through their CL quarter finals & have 2 titanic battles in the semi's. This is where a strong mentality is needed, & as of yet we've not seen it from Arteta's Arsenal. The pressure on him will be enormous next season if he fails to put a trophy in the cabinet come May.

I hope they play each other in the semis. What's the draw?

[Jm55]

I hope they play each other in the semis. What's the draw?

City vs Real
Arsenal vs Bayern

The winners of those two play each other.

[Schmarn]

Perfect day for us. It’s in our hands so just focus on winning one game at a time. No nonsense talk of scoring buckets against Sheff Utd for goal difference. Just get it won and give players a rest where we can. If we’re relentless over the next few I can see Arsenal and possibly City dropping off and focussing on Europe but the beauty of our position now is not having to obsess about their games.

[farawayred]

City vs Real
Arsenal vs Bayern

The winners of those two play each other.

I knew the quarters but haven't watched the semis. So it's possible!

[kesey]

I'm hoping that both clubs get through their CL quarter finals & have 2 titanic battles in the semi's. This is where a strong mentality is needed, & as of yet we've not seen it from Arteta's Arsenal. The pressure on him will be enormous next season if he fails to put a trophy in the cabinet come May.

Not only that Arsenal's legs will go.

[MonsLibpool]

Perfect day for us. It’s in our hands so just focus on winning one game at a time. No nonsense talk of scoring buckets against Sheff Utd for goal difference. Just get it won and give players a rest where we can. If we’re relentless over the next few I can see Arsenal and possibly City dropping off and focussing on Europe but the beauty of our position now is not having to obsess about their games.

Yeah, let's just win. The GD talk is disrespectful to our opponents.

[kesey]

One step at a time,  Sweet Jesus.

It's Easter and couldn't resist.

[Fordy]

Liverpool: Sheff Utd (H), Man Utd (A), Crystal Palace (H), Fulham (A), Everton (A), West Ham (A), Spurs (H), Aston Villa (A), Wolves (H)

Arsenal: Luton (H), Brighton (A), Aston Villa (H), Wolves (A), Chelsea (H), Spurs (A), Bournemouth (H), Man Utd (A), Everton (H)

Man City: Aston Villa (H), Crystal Palace (A), Luton Town (H), Brighton (A), Nottm Forest (A), Wolves (H), Fulham (A), West Ham (H)

Add the EL and CL matches to this.

[Nick110581]

Jota could be the difference here.

City will finish on 91 if they win remaining 9.

It’s possible they do that but don’t think they have won that many in a row this season ?

[killer-heels]

Jota could be the difference here.

City will finish on 91 if they win remaining 9.

It’s possible they do that but don’t think they have won that many in a row this season ?

They can do it but basically their room for manoeuvre is gone. I fully believe they will need to win all their games. 

[skipper757]

Hope we can start faster in some our tougher matches as to not give sides hope.  One impressive thing Arsenal did in recent weeks was to start fast (like at WHU) to put teams away.

Our away fixtures look tough, and the longer we keep them in the game, the more belief they'll have.  Also need to do a better job of killing off games.  Definitely don't need to sit back up 2-1, but you've only got a window to take risks and chances to score the third before you have to close up shop.  Need to take those chances when we get them.

[Nick110581]

They can do it but basically their room for manoeuvre is gone. I fully believe they will need to win all their games. 

I think the next two games give a clearer indication of what is required.

Arsenal and us should win midweek but think Villa can cause City issues then they have Palace away in early KO.

Arsenal away at Brighton won’t be easy either. They have beaten Spurs, Newcastle and drawn with us.

[StevoHimself]

We really need to take the Goodison and Old Trafford games seriously this season. Not doing so in 18/19 was our downfall. We've been given a massive boost today. Don't fuck it up.

[Nick110581]

We really need to take the Goodison and Old Trafford games seriously this season. Not doing so in 18/19 was our downfall. We've been given a massive boost today. Don't fuck it up.

I don’t think you can say we didn’t take them seriously when we finished with that points total.

It’s one game at a time and key we think like that.

[Heritage]

Lads...........................................

Honestly I think we're gonna win the fucking league.

Only reason we aren't clear at the top right now is refs, and the performances vs. Luton, and Arsenal & United over Christmas period.

9 games left, in our hands, and city and arsenal both have harder fixtures (including CL and FA cup for city).

When we get our first choice players back and everyone returns to form from injury we are gonna be so fucking clear, you can already see that our players that have been returning from injury have had their form picking up.

Let's see if United, Everton, Spurs can stop us (and others, no disrespect). I doubt they can.

Arsenal and City will absolutely be dropping points in the run-in.

[rushyman]

I'd say 7 wins from 9 would leave us very unlucky to not win league

[StevoHimself]

I don’t think you can say we didn’t take them seriously when we finished with that points total.

It’s one game at a time and key we think like that.

What a bizarre response. Are you saying that playing with the attitude that draws were ok in those games was the correct attitude because in most seasons that points total would have been enough to win the league (it wasn't that season), or are you saying that getting draws in those games was fine even in retrospect? Neither makes any sense.

[Nick110581]

I'd say 7 wins from 9 would leave us very unlucky to not win league

7 wins and 2 draws would put us on 90.

City can get 91.

Arsenal can get 92.

[Crosby Nick]

We can afford a few draws, no way that Arsenal side are winning out from here and I doubt City will either.
7 wins 2 draws for 90 points will do it

I reckon so too. Arsenal will still drop points again. City might not but we can get away with one draw and finish above them, so chances are they may slip up somewhere else and give us another bit of wriggle room. That has me a tiny bit more relaxed but it only takes a draw in one game to be tense as anything again.

[MonsLibpool]

We really need to take the Goodison and Old Trafford games seriously this season. Not doing so in 18/19 was our downfall. We've been given a massive boost today. Don't fuck it up.

We took them too seriously in the past by building ourselves up too much. It's a football game and we're better at football.

[Nick110581]

What a bizarre response. Are you saying that playing with the attitude that draws were ok in those games was the correct attitude because in most seasons that points total would have been enough to win the league (it wasn't that season), or are you saying that getting draws in those games was fine even in retrospect? Neither makes any sense.

How’s it a bizarre response ? We never play with an attitude to draw games and we didn’t do that against them in that season.

[StevoHimself]

We took them too seriously in the past by building ourselves up too much. It's a football game and we're better at football.

Well, precisely. But all that matters now is the result.

[Mister Flip Flop]

 

https://twitter.com/joepearce_/status/1774504943736520898?t=6mXeXeganVVzDJgUfn8sxw&s=19

[Crosby Nick]

Spurs hood the key to all this I reckon.

Everyone has to play them. And everyone has to play Villa. We played Brighton today and they play the other two. I’d be incredibly surprised if the top 3 won all of those games.

[Oldmanmick]

Lads...........................................

Honestly I think we're gonna win the fucking league.

Only reason we aren't clear at the top right now is refs, and the performances vs. Luton, and Arsenal & United over Christmas period.

9 games left, in our hands, and city and arsenal both have harder fixtures (including CL and FA cup for city).

When we get our first choice players back and everyone returns to form from injury we are gonna be so fucking clear, you can already see that our players that have been returning from injury have had their form picking up.

Let's see if United, Everton, Spurs can stop us (and others, no disrespect). I doubt they can.

Arsenal and City will absolutely be dropping points in the run-in.

Arsenal maybe, not so sure about City though. Hopefully competing on 3 fronts might derail them in the league.

[Schmarn]

Just saw in Jurgen’s presser that Curtis is in full training and available. Doubt he’ll start on Thursday as he’ll need to build minutes but that is huge for our midfield and our ability to keep Mac, Endo and Szobo fresh.

[StevoHimself]

How’s it a bizarre response ? We never play with an attitude to draw games and we didn’t do that against them in that season.

It's a bizarre response because you're saying that results that cost us a league title weren't a big deal. We know wins in games against teams we're far better than would have won us a league title. However, our record at both grounds is poor relative to the quality of the squads. Does that make sense?

[Zlen]

Match or beat their points total from here is all we need to do. Bring it on.

[DelTrotter]

Spurs hood the key to all this I reckon.

Everyone has to play them. And everyone has to play Villa. We played Brighton today and they play the other two. I’d be incredibly surprised if the top 3 won all of those games.

It's a shame it's not a weekend later or something and Spurs v us are like "hehe, we aren't letting Arsenal win the league", we never seem to get that go our way, it's always against us with Utd or Everton not trying v someone.

[Nick110581]

It's a bizarre response because you're saying that results that cost us a league title weren't a big deal. We know wins in games against teams we're far better than would have won us a league title. However, our record at both grounds is poor relative to the quality of the squads. Does that make sense?

Our record at Goodison under Klopp is poor but those draws happen in February.

Also, we won the title the following year and took something like 110/114 points over a certain period with those two matches being draws.

[Jm55]

What a bizarre response. Are you saying that playing with the attitude that draws were ok in those games was the correct attitude because in most seasons that points total would have been enough to win the league (it wasn't that season), or are you saying that getting draws in those games was fine even in retrospect? Neither makes any sense.

A bit revisionist this.

In that game at Old Trafford we had about 3 players off injured in the first 20 minutes, United shirhiuses their way to a draw.

The one at Goodison Salah missed a sitter and Robertson was shouting ‘don’t fucking listen to them’ or words to that effect when the shite were celebrating their point.

They were just tricky games that petered out into drab draws which gave the impression we were alright with the results, I don’t think it was a case of us settling for either result.

[StevoHimself]

Our record at Goodison under Klopp is poor but these draws happen in February.

Also, we won the title the following year and took something like 110/114 points over a certain period with those two matches being draws.

Sorry, would you mind explaining what you mean by this?

And it was the difference between one title and two. I know which I'd prefer. Seasons are played in 38 game stretches. It's very simple; if we'd won at Old Trafford and Goodison (both games in 21/22 were excellent examples of how to approach those games) we'd have won the title in 18/19. We're now in a very similar situation. Considering what you've said, presumably you'd take draws in those games?

[Nick110581]

Sorry, would you mind explaining what you mean by this?

And it was the difference between one title and two. I know which I'd prefer. Seasons are played in 38 game stretches. It's very simple; if we'd won at Old Trafford and Goodison (both games in 21/22 were excellent examples of how to approach those games) we'd have won the title in 18/19. We're now in a very similar situation. Considering what you've said, presumably you'd take draws in those games?

You seem to be moaning that we didn't win the League when we got 97 points because we draw against two sides in February.

We never play for draws and won't do that this season.

[StevoHimself]

You seem to be moaning that we didn't win the League when we got 97 points because we draw against two sides in February.

We never play for draws and won't do that this season.

I'm not suggesting that we play for draws. Is that much not obvious, or do you have zero intention of replying in good faith? You're perpetuating the weird fallacy that we've aimed for a certain number of points without the knowledge of what teams around us are doing, rather than analysing the title race as a constantly shifting thing. This, it should really go without saying, isn't how it works

[Nick110581]

I'm not suggesting that we play for draws. Is that much not obvious, or do you have zero intention of replying in good faith? You're perpetuating the weird fallacy that we've aimed for a certain number of points without the knowledge of what teams around us are doing, rather than analysing the title race as a constantly shifting thing. This, it should really go without saying, isn't how it works

I genuinely have no idea what point you are even making now.

Let’s look forward and not backwards.

[Heritage]

Arsenal maybe, not so sure about City though. Hopefully competing on 3 fronts might derail them in the league.

For City I'm more so thinking of the fixture congestion. They have midweek games through the entire month of April (2 of which are against Real Madrid) and they look tired. The big banana peel for them is Spurs away. Traditionally they lose this fixture. Also they have picked up 0 wins against top 5 teams this season and they have Villa at home, and are away to Brighton.

[Kashinoda]

[Fromola]

We really need to take the Goodison and Old Trafford games seriously this season. Not doing so in 18/19 was our downfall. We've been given a massive boost today. Don't fuck it up.

Both teams treat it as a cup final is the problem. You have to match the battle and the intensity of the crowd first and foremost.

Villa and Spurs playing all 3 teams seems key as well.