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

[Suareznumber7]

BBC headline calls them ‘Steely’. It was some lower league shit done with good players. Klopp goes there with kids and says ‘this is how we play’, Artera goes there with a full team and says ‘a point might save us from relegation’.

Such a difference in mentality.  And it’s the reason that we are where we are right now. 

[Red_Rich]

I think we will win 6 draw 2 and lose 1 of our remaining games  =  87pts

Arsenal and City can finish on 92 and 91 respectively. They will both drop points in 2 games.  It's going to be close and might even end up being decided by GD.

[Kalito]

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.

We need to play the game and not the occasion.

If we do that, we should beat them no bother.

[latortuga]

We need to play the game and not the occasion.

If we do that, we should beat them no bother.

I'll keep saying it until this forum gets sick of hearing it.

We have taken better sides to Old Trafford and drawn or lost. 

It's both the hold that Old Trafford has over our players in league games and the clash of styles between Klopp's attacking style and any Man U manager who is willing to put all 10 men behind the ball in a home game.  You can insult them all you like about that way of play, it's not going to change their willingness to resort to such desperate tactics to stop us winning a title.

Oh and by the way, those tactics work against us, why change them?

[farawayred]

^^^ What you said stands. But we just need to make sure we outfit the front three with their shooting boots. We are not bad at creating chances, we suck at taking them. That's how they won the last game when it could have been 3-4 goals advantage to us.

[BigCDump]

Yep, and Brighton were also unbeaten against us for four games. De Zerbi never losing to Klopp. Those two records are gone now. This is the business end of the season, no room for pity wins/draws to keep ETH at Utd for another season.

[rhysd]

The crazy 4 away games in a row at the end of April is the decider.

Gonna be a wild ride.

[him_15]

Just win all of our remaining games then we are champ, easy!

[ItzdoctorZ]

The crazy 4 away games in a row at the end of April is the decider.

Gonna be a wild ride.

First the United game, those c*nts will turn up at their stadium.

[ItzdoctorZ]

Arsenal will win the league under Arteta eventually, maybe not this season but they'll win the league in the next 5 years, young team.

You will have people claiming Arteta > Klopp in a few years.

[alonsoisared]

It's nice to have that little goal difference cushion on city as well. We know they can wipe it out quickly but we've got a good chance to extend that in the week. Most important thing is to just get the win of course but with the gap at three it feels a bit more like four if we can get ahead further on GD.

Exciting times ahead. The international break was torture, 2 more massive games to come this week, although I've only just realised we have to wait until Thursday for our game. Can Villa do us a favour on Wednesday?

[Crosby Nick]

It's nice to have that little goal difference cushion on city as well. We know they can wipe it out quickly but we've got a good chance to extend that in the week. Most important thing is to just get the win of course but with the gap at three it feels a bit more like four if we can get ahead further on GD.

Exciting times ahead. The international break was torture, 2 more massive games to come this week, although I've only just realised we have to wait until Thursday for our game. Can Villa do us a favour on Wednesday?

Said somewhere else that City have drawn 5 of their 15 home games this season which is a bit mad. Apart from Arsenal (and us) most of those games have ended up being a bit mad and higher scoring suggesting they’re more vulnerable to sides with a bit of pace and firepower. So Villa definitely have a chance I think. You can see a world where Bailey or Diaby hurt them. Although think someone mentioned Watkins might be out?

[spider-neil]

The week with three aways in a row is season-defining. Three difficult away games in a row. Ugh.

[Caston]

Get Jota fit asap.

He is the difference in these tight games. Someone who will take a chance and give us a cushion instead of a nervy ending like yesterday.

[Heritage]

The week with three aways in a row is season-defining. Three difficult away games in a row. Ugh.

Fullham and West Ham are having pretty average seasons and have little to play for. I'm less concerned about those fixtures.

[spider-neil]

Fullham and West Ham are having pretty average seasons and have little to play for. I'm less concerned about those fixtures.

Fulham away isn't a good fixture at any time of the season. You don't know what West Ham turn up these days. They comprehensively beat Arsenal at home.

[spider-neil]

Get Jota fit asap.

He is the difference in these tight games. Someone who will take a chance and give us a cushion instead of a nervy ending like yesterday.

For the run-in, Jota is now more key for us than Allison.

[latortuga]

^^^ What you said stands. But we just need to make sure we outfit the front three with their shooting boots. We are not bad at creating chances, we suck at taking them. That's how they won the last game when it could have been 3-4 goals advantage to us.

I just don't agree with using the FA Cup game as a reference - which many seem to be.  Cup games and league games are always different beasts and invariably when the same 2 teams match-up from cup to league or vice versa, the games are completely different.

Draws do no one any good in a cup game, so in many respects ETH was happy to be more daring.

99% probability in my mind that Man U sit everyone behind the ball and ask us to break them down.  History shows we create very few chances in that scenario and either it ends 0-0 / 1-1 or Man U win.

I love Klopp, but the reality is that there are certain managers - Ancelotti - and certain grounds - Old Trafford - where his style and teams are a bad matchup.

Typically when we've won at Old Trafford under Klopp its been because they actually played to win and we were afforded space to attack - certainly true of the last time we won there.  I can only hope ETH wakes up on Sunday and is feeling frisky..

[alonsoisared]

Said somewhere else that City have drawn 5 of their 15 home games this season which is a bit mad. Apart from Arsenal (and us) most of those games have ended up being a bit mad and higher scoring suggesting they’re more vulnerable to sides with a bit of pace and firepower. So Villa definitely have a chance I think. You can see a world where Bailey or Diaby hurt them. Although think someone mentioned Watkins might be out?

Just saw that about Watkins- potential hamstring injury which would be frustrating because you're right, their pace could really hurt City. Bailey and Diaby are superb though.

[Heritage]

Fulham away isn't a good fixture at any time of the season. You don't know what West Ham turn up these days. They comprehensively beat Arsenal at home.

I've never heard this before. Of course, any team can play and win on their day but... We have won 12 of our last 14 league matches against West ham (under Klopp), and 7 of our last 10 league games against Fullham. Score 1 goal against Fullham and great odds we win. 2 of our unsuccessful games against Fullham came during 2020/21 when we had that terrible injury crisis and only got 69 points in total.

It's a minor point, but United, Spurs, and Aston Villa actually have winning records this season and are pushing for European spots.

[spider-neil]

Just saw that about Watkins- potential hamstring injury which would be frustrating because you're right, their pace could really hurt City. Bailey and Diaby are superb though.

And annoyingly won't keep him out long enough to miss our game.

[BobPaisley3]

Crystal Palace will get something against 115.

[Raid]

Fulham away isn't a good fixture at any time of the season. You don't know what West Ham turn up these days. They comprehensively beat Arsenal at home.

Didn’t Arsenal annihilate them 6-0?

[Tokyoite]

I reckon Villa and Spurs will take points off Arsenal and Abu Dhabi. Can see Brighton winning against Arsenal too but doubt they can take points off Abu Dhabi unfortunately.

United, West Ham and Everton away are the most concerning remaining games for us imo. All 3 are shit but you never know which team will turn up, especially as 2 of those are derbies.

[Fordy]

Both City and Arsenal now have tough decisions to make. Go all out for both PL & CL or concentrate on one of them.

Reason I say that is because both teams who they play in the CL can afford to rest all their main players this weekend if they want too. Madrid 8 points clear in their league and BM have conceded defeat in their title race.

City and Arsenal do have good squads but it will be decision time come the weekend on what to do.

[spider-neil]

Both City and Arsenal now have tough decisions to make. Go all out for both PL & CL or concentrate on one of them.

Reason I say that is because both teams who they play in the CL can afford to rest all their main players this weekend if they want too. Madrid 8 points clear in their league and BM have conceded defeat in their title race.

City and Arsenal do have good squads but it will be decision time come the weekend on what to do.

I think Arsenal and City will both progress to the semi-final.

[Nick110581]

Didn’t Arsenal annihilate them 6-0?

Arsenal beat them away and West Ham beat them at Emirates.

[Fordy]

I think Arsenal and City will both progress to the semi-final.

Really? Think it will be tough for both of them myself. One of them might but doubt both will.

[Fromola]

I've never heard this before. Of course, any team can play and win on their day but... We have won 12 of our last 14 league matches against West ham (under Klopp), and 7 of our last 10 league games against Fullham. Score 1 goal against Fullham and great odds we win. 2 of our unsuccessful games against Fullham came during 2020/21 when we had that terrible injury crisis and only got 69 points in total.

It's a minor point, but United, Spurs, and Aston Villa actually have winning records this season and are pushing for European spots.

Concern with Fulham/West Ham is when the games fall. Fulham away after Atalanta away and West Ham away on the Saturday 12:30 after Everton away. All 4 of those games are in 9 days.

[DangerScouse]

Concern with Fulham/West Ham is when the games fall. Fulham away after Atalanta away and West Ham away on the Saturday 12:30 after Everton away. All 4 of those games are in 10 days.

West Ham game may be moved to Sunday.

[Tokyoite]

I think Arsenal and City will both progress to the semi-final.

Interesting. I reckon Arsenal will beat Bayern but have a feeling Real will go past City this time.

[Caps4444]

Really want Arsenal to beat Bayern. Will give them 2 extra games and an extra days rest for West Ham.

[Chris~]

With players coming back we should definitely be prioritising the league games and make 5+ changes for Europe and resting some key players. League is just so much more of a priority, our squad is strong enough to do this and we've already won something so it's not like we risk ending up with nothing

[Schmarn]

Oddly I think United’s spawny win in the cup might help us. Before that I would be certain that they would park the bus but they may now be deluded into thinking that the way they came at us in the cup game is the best option because they won. I hope they think that way.  In truth while they did cause us problems playing that way, we came back to take the lead and it was only sloppy defending and fatigue in extra time that saw them through.

The key for us is to play our own brand of football but be patient. Don’t go diving in or jumping out of position like we did that day and indeed early yesterday. Get into the game and take a stranglehold much like the second half in the cup except this time actually finish off the opportunities. I hope we’ve been working on our 2 on 1s and 3 on 2s too because we’ll get lots of them if we take the lead.

Sheff Utd first obviously but as fans we can afford to look forward. I genuinely believe what someone above said recently that if we win these first 4 (including Brighton), we’ll see City and Arsenal drop off and look at the CL.

[JackWard33]

City are under massive pressure now
The Villa game is a challenge for them - Villa are a notch down from where they were earlier in the year but without Walker you can see them giving City problems on the counter and they thing is they can’t slip up, they pretty much have to win out or close from here

[spider-neil]

City are under massive pressure now
The Villa game is a challenge for them - Villa are a notch down from where they were earlier in the year but without Walker you can see them giving City problems on the counter and they thing is they can’t slip up, they pretty much have to win out or close from here

Watkins is a huge loss for them in the short term.

[Kenrick_66]

Fulham away isn't a good fixture at any time of the season. You don't know what West Ham turn up these days. They comprehensively beat Arsenal at home.

West Ham lost 6-0 at home to Arsenal!

[kaesarsosei]

Its natural to focus on our own run-in and the tough remaining fixtures - specifically United, Everton and Villa away plus Spurs at home. But we have to remember Arsenal and City fans are having these exact same worries. Do you think Arsenal fans really think they will take 9 points away to Brighton, United & Spurs whilst also having Villa and Chelsea at home? City's fixtures are much easier, to me they have 2 real tough games left - away to Brighton and Spurs. Thats why a City win would have been terrible yesterday and also why we need them to progress to the CL semi and even an FA Cup final against United helps us.

[jj2005]

A win at OT, and Liverpool are guaranteed to finish ahead of Man Utd. Ah!, I remember when that was the height of our ambition for a season.
Edit: I forgot, that would also end Man Utd's title ambitions. A draw quite likely to do the same. Any chance Man Utd would come out attack minded knowing they need a win to keep their slim title hopes alive?

[Bastion Of Invincibility]

We've won 1 title in 35 years with that title needing us to win 26 of our first 27 to blow away any possible challengers.

PGMOL will have the last laugh, as usual. Expect the corruption to totally ramp up now in the final stretch with next weekend's clash at Barad-Dur sure to feature a refereeing controversy against us

If Klopp wins this league from here it will be the second biggest achievement in the Premier League after Leicester 2015/16.

Pessimism is the only way to deal with the level of cheating we're up against.