Topic: It's just a battle for the order of the first 4 spots now between 5 teams...

[ANFIELDGATES]

Big difference. We had Rafa Benitez. They have David Moyes.

if utd think they can rescue their woeful season by winning the CL then theyre more fucked than i thought!!!not a chance,they may well beat olympiacos but they will get battered by the top sides...actually would love to see them get humiliated by barca again or bayern....love it

[bigbear]

Likely your right but many were saying that about us in 2005

I just don't believe they can do what we did v a then Juve or Chelsea side. We had 3 great midfield players which you absolutely need at the very top level and a great centre back pair. They have got good forwards and fuck all else.

[bigbear]

We play all our games remaining like we did against Arsenal?

We win the League.

Conversely we play all our games like Villa or WBA and we come 6th !

The great thing this year is that we have bounced back from every dodgy performance with a good one. It doesn't seem likely we'll go on a long losing/drawing streak but who knows.

Every win now is huge.

[Melbred]

Win against Fulham and it all gets a bit exciting. Lose and we come back down to Earth as we have before this season.

Need a win on Wednesday to really make the Arsenal result count.

[ElstonGunn]

Conversely we play all our games like Villa or WBA and we come 6th !

The great thing this year is that we have bounced back from every dodgy performance with a good one. It doesn't seem likely we'll go on a long losing/drawing streak but who knows.

Every win now is huge.

I'm pretty sure if we play every game like we played against WBA, we'll still come fourth. It really was not that bad a performance. It was pretty much what you'd expect from a 4th-placed challenger.

[Melbred]

I'm pretty sure if we play every game like we played against WBA, we'll still come fourth. It really was not that bad a performance. It was pretty much what you'd expect from a 4th-placed challenger.

I'm not so sure, I think we genuinely looked devoid of any creativity that day and also looked really lethargic overall.

[ElstonGunn]

I'm not so sure, I think we genuinely looked devoid of any creativity that day and also looked really lethargic overall.

Away, on a shit pitch, on short rest after a derby, against a side that lost only twice against the top 7 all season (including our win), it was a professional performance except for an epic fuck up. I mean, I hope we won't be that tired every game, but considering the circumstances it was par for the course for a CL challenger IMO (though obviously not for a title challenger).

[Melbred]

Away, on a shit pitch, on short rest after a derby, against a side that lost only twice against the top 7 all season (including our win), it was a professional performance except for an epic fuck up. I mean, I hope we won't be that tired every game, but considering the circumstances it was par for the course for a CL challenger IMO (though obviously not for a title challenger).

I guess you're right, though at this point I'd hope we'd be looking up the table and not behind us. Games in Europe will start again soon and we're going to have that massively in our favour you would think. Ideally we'd be chasing third to get that guaranteed entry into the CL.

[houkura]

I think that Newcastle have a better chance of catching us than Manchester United. I suspect Arsenal will beat them Wednesday and if Newcastle wins they will only be a point behind the Mancs. Their form dictates that they will get caught by Newcastle-not that they will make up 10 points on us. What I really would like is for United to somehow beat Arsenal and give us a better chance of catching Arsenal-which I think we have a very good chance of doing. Something just doesn't seem right with Arsenal right now-or City for that matter. If we beat Fulham we can do a bit more looking up that back in the coming weeks.

[ThePeetmix]

I think that Newcastle have a better chance of catching us than Manchester United. I suspect Arsenal will beat them Wednesday and if Newcastle wins they will only be a point behind the Mancs. Their form dictates that they will get caught by Newcastle-not that they will make up 10 points on us. What I really would like is for United to somehow beat Arsenal and give us a better chance of catching Arsenal-which I think we have a very good chance of doing. Something just doesn't seem right with Arsenal right now-or City for that matter. If we beat Fulham we can do a bit more looking up that back in the coming weeks.

Have you seen Newcastle since Cabaye left? They've been utterly dreadful.

[googhead]

Have you seen Newcastle since Cabaye left? They've been utterly dreadful.

tbf remy and collochini have both been out as well that there three best players, with both returning after the spuds play them of course...

[Pistolero]

I'm pretty sure if we play every game like we played against WBA, we'll still come fourth. It really was not that bad a performance. It was pretty much what you'd expect from a 4th-placed challenger.

If we play every game the way we played against WBA, we'll finish behind Newcastle.....

I know we're all still on a high after Saturday but lets not totally lose our bearings...

[MiserableP15]

I said before the game on Sunday, that a Spurs win against the bitters would be ideal, as I actually fancy Newcastle to end their shite run of form with a win against them on Wednesday. If we beat Fulham away, I can really see a gap emerging (finally), between the top four and everyone else.


That's the plan anyway!!!

[turkish kopite]

Fulham are not a piece of cake. They got some players at transfer season

[redk84]

13 cup finals left!

For the first time, im pretty confident United won't catch us this season.

I am not convinced Everton can keep the fight going all the way.....but its just Spurs that are annoyingly close. Need them to fuck off sharpish. Silent threat this whole time....

Looking upwards though, Arsenal we can get ahead of possibly.....and the other two, who knows? Doubt it, personally, but we can atleast keep the pressure on.

Loving this season so far....a champions league spot is in our hands

[lobsterboy]

Big difference. We had Rafa Benitez. They have David Moyes.

I just don't believe they can do what we did v a then Juve or Chelsea side. We had 3 great midfield players which you absolutely need at the very top level and a great centre back pair. They have got good forwards and fuck all else.

if utd think they can rescue their woeful season by winning the CL then theyre more fucked than i thought!!!not a chance,they may well beat olympiacos but they will get battered by the top sides...actually would love to see them get humiliated by barca again or bayern....love it

Don't get me wrong I don't think they have a cat in hells chance, especially with the moyesiah at the helm. I didn't think they'd get as far as they have. Maybe the pressures off them a bit in Europe as no one expects them to win it. But you never know. Its a funny old game, to coin a phrase.

[Barneylfc∗]

Don't get me wrong I don't think they have a cat in hells chance, especially with the moyesiah at the helm. I didn't think they'd get as far as they have. Maybe the pressures off them a bit in Europe as no one expects them to win it. But you never know. Its a funny old game, to coin a phrase.

You didn't think they'd qualify from a group containing Leverkusen, Sociedad, and Donetsk? Really? That's all they've done. Hardly anything unexpected.

[Paul JH]

How the fuck a team as average as Spurs are only 3 points behind us is beyond me.
 

[Mamadou]

Fulham are not a piece of cake. They got some players at transfer season

thats a good point... they are not as shite as when we hammered them at home. I hope the players put the same effort like against Arsenal...push,press,kick,bite

[RowBoatCop]

Our achilles heel in recent years has been our inability to capitalise on other results at key moments in the season, but I have a feeling this week could be the time we fix that, Fulham had a tough, draining game against the mancs (who can put it up to anyone on their day  ), so we beat them & it's looking like a couple of results can roll our way as well, from there we can start looking up the table

[Bunter]

Just because Chelsea lucked their way somewhat to the CL trophy (with a very good team still) and we had similar fortune in at times in our campaign in 2005 (with a fantastic spine in defence/midfield) doesn't automatically mean the Mancs will somehow do the same as their out of the running for 4th.

They could pack in the league now and it wouldn't make a difference, Moyes is their manager and they're playing shit on a stick football. Massive wishful thinking on their part, as if fortuitous CL runs are the rule and not the exception.

[Tommy_W]

How the fuck a team as average as Spurs are only 3 points behind us is beyond me.
 

Because of your away form. Simple as that really.

[gorgepir]

If we do make it, we will be in pot 3 not 4 as there are only around 20 teams with better rankings that will make it (+- 2 teams that could make it)

[Caston]

Because of your away form. Simple as that really.

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Soldado (Pen)

[LiverpoolKopKings]

With our blitzkrieg tactics fulham will be looking to absorb the pressure and counter which has been just our undoing this season. we deffo need to score first to make them come out looking for the equalizer. Tell the truth can't wait for this one to be over as I rate it very tricky considering their absolute need to get anything from each game.

[SMacDougall]

Sat 08/03/14 PRL Chelsea 17 : 30 Tottenham Hotspur 
Sun 16/03/14 PRL Tottenham Hotspur 16 : 00 Arsenal 
Sun 23/03/14 PRL Tottenham Hotspur 13 : 30 Southampton 
Sun 30/03/14 PRL Liverpool 16 : 00 Tottenham Hotspur 

Spurs will surely fall away here.

[Istanbulievable]

It's up to us if we get 4th. We can only throw it away.  We've showed what we can do in so many games this season, that it would be criminal if we didn't get top 4.  There's no point smashing teams if we then drop points in a lacklustre manner, like Hull and West Brom.

4th should now be the minimum.

[JayEvans]

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Soldado (Pen)

[Paul JH]

Because of your away form. Simple as that really.

Very true mate. Thing is, I'm more worried about Spurs than anyone else, certainly Everton or Utd, because as average as you've been at times, you are still getting the results too (mainly down to Adebayor).
Having said that, I think if we beat Fulham on Wednesday, I can see us going on a run and putting some distance between us.

[tacklemyballs]

I'm least worries about Spurs. Sherwood seems tactically naive and is riding his luck majorly.

[Tommy_W]

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Soldado (Pen)

That hasn't happened for months to be fair

[Chivasino]

Someone change the thread to "Realistically, is it just a battle for The Title with 3 other teams now?"

[redmark]

Because of your away form. Simple as that really.

While that's correct, we are (exactly) on target for 76 points, which is a good haul. Which means for Spurs to be only 3 points adrift indicates that you're not quite as average as we'd like to think .

I don't see Spurs reaching 75 points, while not reaching 75 would be something of a disappointment for us now. Top four is entirely in our hands and within reasonable expectations. And as I texted a Spurs mate on Saturday, you might still get 4th - but it won't be us you catch to do so. I'm sure you'd get more satisfaction from doing so to profit from an Arsenal slump, anyway .

[okabandai]

We just need to stay focus and not get complacent.

Everton will be further behind as long as Lukaku is injured.

Spurs need Adebayor to perform every week to keep up.

and as long as man utd have Moyes as manager, no worry there. If they decide to sack him, then I'll be worried.

[Red-juvenated]

Things can change very quickly, all of the top 4 have been top of the league since Xmas.

Consistency is the key, we just need to keep our own house in order and stay focussed on winning EVERY game. Let the others fight for their places.

[MrButler]

There is no chance United are getting top 4 this season, don't know why everyone is suggesting it's close?

[decky]

I think we should be looking up the table rather than behind us. I think Everton and United are gone and Spurs have to travel to Stamford Bridge and Anfield as well as play Arsenal next month, they'll get one point from those three if they're lucky. They were outplayed for most of the game yesterday and took their chance, fair play but other teams will outplay them and score.

For us, we know we can have off days but with Lucas, Johnson, Agger, Enrique and Sakho to return I think we can finish the season strongly. We'll have to beat a lot of lower table teams away but Rodgers is brilliant at bucking trends and refocusing his team. If we can win our next 3 games, we're in the title race. Beat City and Chelsea at home and all of a sudden it's 3 points. The fact that these injured players are coming back, Coutinho and Sterling have gone up a level and people like Flanagan stepping up too is making me dream a little

[the_red_pill]

Don't get me wrong I don't think they have a cat in hells chance, especially with the moyesiah at the helm. I didn't think they'd get as far as they have. Maybe the pressures off them a bit in Europe as no one expects them to win it. But you never know. Its a funny old game, to coin a phrase.

People have been dreading this run/upturn of form and a comeback for a long time now and we've been showing how highly unlikely a turn-around is now, but it's just not coming. They're out of it.

We'll have the same discussion next week again or the next time we draw/lose, but it ain't happening. The odds are far, far against it.

[Kadian]

We play all our games remaining like we did against Arsenal?

We win the League.

That's not going to happen though is it? Have the games against WBA and Villa erased your memory? It's only been within the last month.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, we are not winning the league. A challenge would be nice though.

[ANFIELDGATES]

I think we should be looking up the table rather than behind us. I think Everton and United are gone and Spurs have to travel to Stamford Bridge and Anfield as well as play Arsenal next month, they'll get one point from those three if they're lucky. They were outplayed for most of the game yesterday and took their chance, fair play but other teams will outplay them and score.

For us, we know we can have off days but with Lucas, Johnson, Agger, Enrique and Sakho to return I think we can finish the season strongly. We'll have to beat a lot of lower table teams away but Rodgers is brilliant at bucking trends and refocusing his team. If we can win our next 3 games, we're in the title race. Beat City and Chelsea at home and all of a sudden it's 3 points. The fact that these injured players are coming back, Coutinho and Sterling have gone up a level and people like Flanagan stepping up too is making me dream a little

good post but with all those players coming back its going to be imperative that brendan gets the selections right.chopping and changing the team to accomodate these returning players will be key.i know toure will most def drop down but i hope we dont make too many changes,hopefully we beat arsenal in the cup and maybe brendan can play the returning players in the next round.we are in good fettle atm so the likes of enrique etc etc will/should have to fight their way back in.