Author Topic: Chasing the Title (Read 1428269 times)

newterp · « **Reply #3520 on:** January 30, 2019, 12:46:29 am »

It makes me laugh that the narrative the media was ready to run with and was salivating to post was:

(win) "City close the gap on Liverpool's and pile pressure on."
(draw) "City narrow Liverpool's lead."

penga · « **Reply #3521 on:** January 30, 2019, 12:49:52 am »

Thanks to the Owl
Thanks to Rafa
Next we will be thanking the return of the prodigal son Ryan Babel as he seals victory with a thunderbolt fro long range for Fulham against City late in March to help us secure us the title.

Sir Capon of Debaser · « **Reply #3522 on:** January 30, 2019, 12:52:22 am »

https://twitter.com/TrollFootball/status/1090373852645842944

KopThat · « **Reply #3523 on:** January 30, 2019, 12:57:58 am »

You could see from the way Guardiola was more concerned about keeping warm with his red nose, that He and City were not up for a cold Tuesday night in Newcastle.

I only watched the second half with City leading 1 – 0 and thought they would do what City do and win it 2 or 3 nil. Then when Stirling couldn't get on to Sané cross they were a bit off.

I even flicked around seeing the other scores, but the last 30 minutes was compulsory viewing, I was cheering on players I hardly know like Perez and Duvbravka, with a bit of Rafa Benitez thrown in

All means nought if we don't take advantage tomorrow.

woof · « **Reply #3524 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:02:51 am »

The ball is in our court now and hopefully the pressure doesn't get to the players as we head into the second half of the campaign. Klopp needs to get everyone to be calm & play our normal game

WhereAngelsPlay · « **Reply #3525 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:06:03 am »

Quote from: newterp on January 30, 2019, 12:46:29 am

It makes me laugh that the narrative the media was ready to run with and was salivating to post was:

(win) "City close the gap on Liverpool's and pile pressure on."
(draw) "City narrow Liverpool's lead."

Pretty much the Sky promo for the weekend games.

Dench57 · « **Reply #3526 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:09:05 am »

Quote from: newterp on January 30, 2019, 12:46:29 am

It makes me laugh that the narrative the media was ready to run with and was salivating to post was:

(win) "City close the gap on Liverpool's and pile pressure on."
(draw) "City narrow Liverpool's lead."

Yep. They're the ones that keep losing games they should be winning yet they're being painted as this unstoppable juggernaut who will inevitably overhaul us. Long may that perception continue to be honest, always prefer it with us as the underdogs.

Dr. Beaker · « **Reply #3527 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:20:19 am »

Quote from: didi shamone on January 30, 2019, 12:32:34 am

We're better than that united team but it's far from over for sure. I believe we've got the mentality and the manager. Injuries are the biggest danger now for me.

We don't give a fuck if you get injured.

Brian Blessed · « **Reply #3528 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:22:00 am »

Any points tomorrow are brilliant, their loss is the bonus.

And going back a few hours. Will I be obnoxious if we win the title? I’ll be buttering my toast with tears, is that obnoxious?

kcbworth · « **Reply #3529 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:24:11 am »

Good outcome obviously improves our chances that little bit more. Good opportunity for us now this season I feel, but still a long long way to go

Sir Capon of Debaser · « **Reply #3530 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:25:36 am »

Quote from: Brian Blessed on January 30, 2019, 01:22:00 am

Any points tomorrow are brilliant, their loss is the bonus.

And going back a few hours. Will I be obnoxious if we win the title? I’ll be buttering my toast with tears, is that obnoxious?

Arse tears? howd you rip ye arse apart mate?

KopThat · « **Reply #3531 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:26:23 am »

Quote from: Dr. Beaker on January 30, 2019, 01:20:19 am

We don't give a fuck if you get injured.

What about a paper cut ?

RedTriumph · « **Reply #3532 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:49:09 am »

Quote from: simesy on January 29, 2019, 10:06:38 pm

win and make it 7. That means we could still lose a couple of games and still be ahead.

That just struck me as well. Beat Leicester and we can lose twice more more than City do... and still win the league.

didi shamone · « **Reply #3533 on:** January 30, 2019, 01:49:52 am »

Quote from: Dr. Beaker on January 30, 2019, 01:20:19 am

We don't give a fuck if you get injured.

Team better fare better than me. I'm in fucking ribbons.

Brian Blessed · « **Reply #3534 on:** January 30, 2019, 02:13:46 am »

Quote from: Capon Debaser on January 30, 2019, 01:25:36 am

Arse tears? howd you rip ye arse apart mate?

I think you need to make a new photoshop

telekon · « **Reply #3535 on:** January 30, 2019, 02:19:23 am »

Quote from: hide5seek on January 30, 2019, 12:21:39 am

No, we must win every game.

Obviously not since we're 4 points ahead.

Redcap · « **Reply #3536 on:** January 30, 2019, 02:19:55 am »

Great result, but 95 points remains the target. Do that and I think we'll win the league.

That allows City to lose once more and finish level with us. Given their propensity to run up big wins, that would still place them well to get ahead. But any further dropped points and we're there. Alternatively, if they draw two more, they would finish with 94 points. This is such a good City team that dropping 4 points from the last 42 (3x14) is entirely plausible. But that still wouldn't be enough to get them there, if we can finish with 95.

To get there, we can drop as many as 10 points in our last 15 games. Or two losses and two draws. That should be entirely achievable, even if we drop points in all of our remaining top 6 fixtures and then 1 more.

Winning against Leicester would be huge. If we can do that and then manage 3 points against United, we would be looking extremely hard to catch.

We're 84% chance of winning the league, according to FiveThirtyEight.

mrantarctica · « **Reply #3537 on:** January 30, 2019, 02:32:30 am »

Quote from: DanA on January 29, 2019, 11:51:24 pm

Just checked the Man City/Newcastle scores at my desk. I literally had an Antonio Banderas gif moment.

Haha this GIF went through my head thinking of City vs Newcastle, Young Pep vs Old Rafa, at the final whistle

Marty 85 · « **Reply #3538 on:** January 30, 2019, 02:41:58 am »

Quote from: Jon2lfc on January 30, 2019, 12:16:28 am

What was he doing when he said this?

I'm a simple man. I don't understand mind games.

He was putting pressure on City by saying they had the 3 points in the bag and merely had to show up. Which, in truth, always seemed likely but to be so dismissive of Newcastles chances was disrespectful, which Klopp isn't. Therefore mind games.

latortuga · « **Reply #3539 on:** January 30, 2019, 04:07:26 am »

I agree we can't start thinking that City are out of this yet, however, it's pretty clear that mentally this City side aren't anywhere near our level and that's not something you can just change over the next 14 games.

Consider this statistic as a pretty good representation of the difference in mental strength/fragility of each respective side. In the 4 games that Man City have fallen behind this season in the league they have lost all 4. Comparatively we've been involved in 5 games where we've fallen behind and have won 3 drawn 1 and lost 1 - at the Etihad. That to me speaks volumes about the difference in our mental toughness and being up for the fight, compared with City.

deano2727 · « **Reply #3540 on:** January 30, 2019, 04:13:29 am »

If we win our next 6 (with the final game being United away), I think its done. City will get a draw or 2 in among that fixtures pile up. I'd be shocked if they went 9 for 9 in the next 3 games Arsenal (H), Everton(A), and Chelsea (H), given that they are all played within a week and they already look tired.

Massive ask of course. Just need to take each game as it comes.

deFacto please, you bastards · « **Reply #3541 on:** January 30, 2019, 05:02:50 am »

Quote from: Redcap on January 30, 2019, 02:19:55 am

Great result, but 95 points remains the target. Do that and I think we'll win the league.

That allows City to lose once more and finish level with us. Given their propensity to run up big wins, that would still place them well to get ahead. But any further dropped points and we're there. Alternatively, if they draw two more, they would finish with 94 points. This is such a good City team that dropping 4 points from the last 42 (3x14) is entirely plausible. But that still wouldn't be enough to get them there, if we can finish with 95.

To get there, we can drop as many as 10 points in our last 15 games. Or two losses and two draws. That should be entirely achievable, even if we drop points in all of our remaining top 6 fixtures and then 1 more.

Winning against Leicester would be huge. If we can do that and then manage 3 points against United, we would be looking extremely hard to catch.

We're 84% chance of winning the league, according to FiveThirtyEight.

How can you look at United when we have West Ham and Bournemouth before then? I don'get the infatuation with the United match, we have matches to win before that.

Bolrick · « **Reply #3542 on:** January 30, 2019, 05:04:18 am »

Just wanna say......Rafa Rockz forever. I don't wanna jump the gun, but if we do win it cum may 2019....i hope rafa is there at anfield with us.

didi shamone · « **Reply #3543 on:** January 30, 2019, 06:05:24 am »

People talk up the pressure of being on top. But surely going into games with a cushion is better than going into them knowing any slip could be fatal. It allows you to play your normal game. I'd certainly be more nervous tonight if we were needing points to close the gap.

Clayton Bigsby · « **Reply #3544 on:** January 30, 2019, 06:13:54 am »

This wont go to the wire. It will be something like the Leicester win, done with some games to spare.

What we have done to the teams outside top 6 is unprecedented at this stage of season. 0 dropped points. We are not suddenly going to full off a cliff the rest of this season.

lionel_messias · « **Reply #3545 on:** January 30, 2019, 06:16:09 am »

Quote from: free_at_last on January 29, 2019, 07:39:49 am

I've got a definite feeling that City will drop points to Newcastle.
Rafa(despite what the Geordies think) is a Kopite deep down. He will be even more of a legend if he can take a couple of points away from City.
He'll have been up the last few nights drawing up a defensive plan like Juventus away 2005 to frustrate city.
On top of that I have some Manchester United toilet roll that somebody gave me a while back. I've been keeping it for a special occasion but I ripped a portion off and crossed out United and replaced it with City. We have been wiping our arses on man city all day in our house.
With Rafa's detailed plans and my toilet paper the plastic woolybacks have got no chance of 3 points.

Good feeling there!

SlowRap · « **Reply #3546 on:** January 30, 2019, 06:48:51 am »

Quote from: JackWard33 on January 29, 2019, 10:11:19 pm

City looked tired second half - created almost nothing
Coming into their toughest spell of the season.......

Fernandinho starting to look human

AmanShah21 · « **Reply #3547 on:** January 30, 2019, 06:57:55 am »

Quote from: Dench57 on January 30, 2019, 01:09:05 am

Yep. They're the ones that keep losing games they should be winning yet they're being painted as this unstoppable juggernaut who will inevitably overhaul us. Long may that perception continue to be honest, always prefer it with us as the underdogs.

I like that. It doesn't allow them time away from the spotlight or the pressure. In 2012, Mancini was clever when he declared City still have no chance of winning the title despite United’s defeat to Wigan. they had 5 games to go with a 5 point gap and they'd yet to play each other. He pretty much pushed the media spotlight straight away from his team with that statement.

There's plenty left in this season still, but Klopp has been very smart at handling the media so far. One game at a time, but I am wonderfully surprised at how matured we've approached this. There's no nerves yet, nobody's celebrating the title or greeting the bus because we all know there's a long way to go and we have the team to get there, but they still need to go the distance, one game at a time. For tonight, however, howay the lads!

jepovic · « **Reply #3548 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:02:09 am »

It's poetic how Roy and Rafa are helping us.

Raid · « **Reply #3549 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:21:19 am »

Anfield's turn to have a hand in the race tonight. Huge game under the lights, and a chance to go seven clear with 14 to play, pretty much three mishaps between us and City. It should be electric and make the players feel a million feet tall like when they tackle European ties.

It's going to be a long day waiting for this!

Caligula? · « **Reply #3550 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:22:58 am »

Quote from: jepovic on January 30, 2019, 07:02:09 am

It's poetic how Roy and Rafa are helping us.

If only Brendan would ditch Scotland and come back to manage in the Premier League.

rob1966 · « **Reply #3551 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:31:50 am »

Quote from: jepovic on January 30, 2019, 07:02:09 am

It's poetic how Roy and Rafa are helping us.

Roy gets another chance as well

Rush 82 · « **Reply #3552 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:36:22 am »

Quote from: DG on January 29, 2019, 10:10:57 pm

Not that I don't understand the appeal of this or anything. But you lot missed a hell of a night if you really meant what you said.

Ha ha

Refer my posts in the match thread.

Was as nerve wracking as watching us play.

Watched every minute

Rush 82 · « **Reply #3553 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:38:02 am »

Quote from: JackWard33 on January 29, 2019, 10:11:19 pm

City looked tired second half - created almost nothing
Coming into their toughest spell of the season.......

They’ve been playing full strength (or near full strength) in all the cups haven’t they?

Jookie · « **Reply #3554 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:39:39 am »

Last nights result felt massive. Tonight’s game feels massive.

To be 7 points clear would be a physiological boost.

But there’s still 14 games left. That’s still a lot of games. More than a 3rd of a season. If we were potentially 7 points behind with 14 games to go we’d still think we had a chance. No reason why City won’t feel the same if we win tonight

Rush 82 · « **Reply #3555 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:41:15 am »

Quote from: DG on January 29, 2019, 10:17:54 pm

Of course, nobody is saying otherwise. But whether you "care about City" or not, nights like these do add to the fun of a title race.

I was jumping about as if WE had won

reddebs · « **Reply #3556 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:43:52 am »

Looks like they blinked first. Who'd a thought Peps juggenaught would be scared of lil old Liverpool!

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

pjshaun · « **Reply #3557 on:** January 30, 2019, 07:54:17 am »

City is feeling the pressure. There's no way they were losing last night's match if they were ahead of us on points.
Thank you Rafa.

spider-neil · « **Reply #3558 on:** January 30, 2019, 08:03:20 am »

When Manu was 8 points ahead of City going into April did City have games in hand?

Bolrick · « **Reply #3559 on:** January 30, 2019, 08:05:28 am »

For the man u coming up in a few weeks, i don't think we have anything to fear. Just like arsenal and their 22 games unbeaten run, Man U have been lucky in these 8 (or 9 games) unbeaten run. De Gea has been his superhero self (against Spurs). Apart from him, their defence is kinda average.

If we play our normal game, we should be at the very least claim a point there.

Anyway...lets win our next 4 games before that.