The Race for 4th

[RedStar]

So after yesterdays demolition job on Norwich we currently sit in 7th, 6 points off Spurs in 4th place, with both Spurs and Arsenal to play today and Everton on Monday. Last year Spurs finished 4th with 69 points, they are currently on course to repeat that.

For us to get to 70 points, assuming that is the total required to get 4th place we would need to take 36 points from the remaining 45 up for grabs. That means winning 12 o,f the remaining 15 games left in the season, which includes games away to Arsenal and Man City with home games against Chelsea Spurs and Everton.

That looks like a very big ask given our record against the teams in the top half this season, particularly once we get into the Thursday/Sunday cycle of Europa League games in the next couple of weeks. So what do you reckon, can we get another 36 points and nick 4th place from Arsenal Everton and Spurs?

I think we will do well to get another 30 points from the remaining fixtures and we will probably finish on about 62/63 which wont be good enough for the Champions league places, and we will finish in 6th behind Spurs and Arsenal but ahead of Everton

 

[peterhague]

LOL not a hope in hell that we'll get 70 points. If in the unlikely event we get 4th it'll be on 60-65 pts, which has been done plenty of times before (I remember we came 4th in Houllier's last season with 60 pts) but we'd be looking for a couple of team to have a poor end to the season.

 

[Y1]

Still maintains that it is not going to happen despite the occasional good matches against lower teams.

 

[RedStar]

LOL not a hope in hell that we'll get 70 points. If in the unlikely event we get 4th it'll be on 60-65 pts, which has been done plenty of times before (I remember we came 4th in Houllier's last season with 60 pts) but we'd be looking for a couple of team to have a poor end to the season.

Its been done alright the problem is this season there are a bunch of teams competing for the last spot in and around the same number of points, you could easily see on of them falling away and finishing on about 64 points but I cant see Spurs Everton and Arsenal all falling apart. Arsenal in particular tend to do better in the 2nd half of the season, I expect us to do the same. Everton I believe will stutter in the coming months and drop away

 

[peterhague]

Well I agree that enough teams falling away is very unlikely, but IMO that's our only chance. No way are we going to win 12 of the next 15, just no way. That's title-winning form. In reality we'll do well to beat 60 pts, as you say, which will leave us 6th or 7th.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Forget 4th place - let's see if we can get 3 points against Arsenal.

We always do this when we get one good win, and we invariably get let down.

 

[Dreambeliever]

No chance in hell. 6th would be very good from this spot on.

We have yet to beat anyone from the top half and even if we start to do it we won't to the tune of 70 points

 

[Halmeister]

Do people never learn? Jesus, close the thread. It's only going to be bumped when we go on a bad run again. No chance.

 

[Halmeister]

In fairness I got angry there without reading the OP. Soz.

 

[Frogfish]

We've won 6 of the last 9 and haven't conceded at home in 4/5 so our form is on the up. With Sturridge we are now looking a much more potent force up front and out MFers have started to score too (no coincidence there in that they have more space to work in now).

Spurs, Arsenal, Everton - have not looked all that and certainly no better than us so I can see a dogfight between the 4 of us. If we can take, with our confidence now skyhigh, 4 points out of City/Arsenal then we will be right in the mix with an easy run-in (all better teams at Anfield).

We are not out of it yet.

 

[RedStar]

We've won 6 of the last 9 and haven't conceded at home in 4/5 so our form is on the up. With Sturridge we are now looking a much more potent force up front and out MFers have started to score too (no coincidence there in that they have more space to work in now).

Spurs, Arsenal, Everton - have not looked all that and certainly no better than us so I can see a dogfight between the 4 of us. If we can take, with our confidence now skyhigh, 4 points out of City/Arsenal then we will be right in the mix with an easy run-in (all better teams at Anfield).

We are not out of it yet.

I think with 6 points and a game in hand Spurs would have to disintegrate for fur to over take them

It was always likely that with a new manager we would have a better second half of the season given the time taken to get his ideas across to the players, it just appears that we have left ourselves a little too much to do. Its not out of the question for us to make up 6 points on Spurs but we will know alot more after our next two league games away to Arsenal and City

 

[jimmy]

We've won 6 of the last 9 and haven't conceded at home in 4/5 so our form is on the up. With Sturridge we are now looking a much more potent force up front and out MFers have started to score too (no coincidence there in that they have more space to work in now).

Spurs, Arsenal, Everton - have not looked all that and certainly no better than us so I can see a dogfight between the 4 of us. If we can take, with our confidence now skyhigh, 4 points out of City/Arsenal then we will be right in the mix with an easy run-in (all better teams at Anfield).

We are not out of it yet.

I have a feeling we'll manage to do that - a win at the emirates and a draw at City. That's assuming Rodgers starts in an attacking mood rather than the dire stuff we had in the first half at OT.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I have a feeling we'll manage to do that - a win at the emirates and a draw at City. That's assuming Rodgers starts in an attacking mood rather than the dire stuff we had in the first half at OT.

Keep expectation lows ... than you won't be disappointed ... yesh atid! 😛

 

[kingjulian]

So after yesterdays demolition job on Norwich we currently sit in 7th, 6 points off Spurs in 4th place, with both Spurs and Arsenal to play today and Everton on Monday. Last year Spurs finished 4th with 69 points, they are currently on course to repeat that.

For us to get to 70 points, assuming that is the total required to get 4th place we would need to take 36 points from the remaining 45 up for grabs. That means winning 12 o,f the remaining 15 games left in the season, which includes games away to Arsenal and Man City with home games against Chelsea Spurs and Everton.

That looks like a very big ask given our record against the teams in the top half this season, particularly once we get into the Thursday/Sunday cycle of Europa League games in the next couple of weeks. So what do you reckon, can we get another 36 points and nick 4th place from Arsenal Everton and Spurs?

I think we will do well to get another 30 points from the remaining fixtures and we will probably finish on about 62/63 which wont be good enough for the Champions league places, and we will finish in 6th behind Spurs and Arsenal but ahead of Everton

When you put it like that, 4th is definitely out of reach....

 

[Buddha]

Thing is, do well enough (7 points?) in this monster set of ties and we're set up for this 8 game run after the City game......

Liverpool v West Brom
Liverpool v Swansea
Wigan v Liverpool
Liverpool v Spurs
Southampton v Liverpool
Villa V Liverpool
Liverpool v West Ham
Reading v Liverpool

Get through this 4 game spell with confidence intact/boosted and we could really mount a challenge for 4th. Seriously.

 

[Hansern]

As of now we're nowhere near a team that could get 4th.
We're not good enough against the teams above us and havent picked up the neccessary points.
As PH says many of the teams above us have to continue to get bad results and thats not very likely imho.

I can see us maybe finishing 5-6th if we contiune the form we're seeming to hit now.

Mind you, IF we beat Spurs at home in March and then are 3-4 points behind 4th then you can bump this thread again.

For now, imho, its just a dream.

 

[jimmy]

What's the point in supporting a football team if you cannot dream about success?
Dream on!

 

[Modo]

Can we stop talking about fourth.

 

[Hansern]

Well obviously its what we dream about, I always dream about us winning the league until its mathematically impossible for us to do so. No matter how shite we are.

But we've been down this road before after a god result. Lose to City and Arsenal, as we very well could do, and we're off the pace and discussing sacking Rodgers again.

For now, I'll just take one game at the time please.

 

[RedStar]

Can we stop talking about fourth.

Not until we start challenging for 3rd

 

[Modo]

Not until we start challenging for 3rd

One game at a time, people.
For some reason, I can't wait for the next game.

 

[Hansern]

Oldham??

 

[Frogfish]

I think with 6 points and a game in hand Spurs would have to disintegrate for fur to over take them

It was always likely that with a new manager we would have a better second half of the season given the time taken to get his ideas across to the players, it just appears that we have left ourselves a little too much to do. Its not out of the question for us to make up 6 points on Spurs but we will know alot more after our next two league games away to Arsenal and City

Maybe.

This is Spurs' remaining schedule, a little bit tougher than ours I think :

Jan 20 11:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United White Hart Lane Premier League
Jan 30 2:45 ET Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur Carrow Road Premier League
Feb 3 8:30 ET West Bromwich Albion v Tottenham Hotspur The Hawthorns Premier League
Feb 9 7:45 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United White Hart Lane Premier League
Feb 25 3:00 ET West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur Upton Park Premier League
Mar 3 11:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal White Hart Lane Premier League
Mar 10 12:00 ET Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Anfield Premier League
Mar 16 11:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham White Hart Lane Premier League
Mar 30 11:00 ET Swansea City v Tottenham Hotspur Liberty Stadium Premier League
Apr 6 10:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Everton White Hart Lane Premier League
Apr 13 10:00 ET Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Stamford Bridge Premier League
Apr 20 10:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City White Hart Lane Premier League
Apr 27 10:00 ET Wigan Athletic v Tottenham Hotspur DW Stadium Premier League
May 4 10:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton White Hart Lane Premier League
May 12 10:00 ET Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur Britannia Stadium Premier League
May 19 11:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland

 

[Frogfish]

and Arsenal's, even tougher when considering local derby matches against 'smaller' clubs :

Jan 20 8:30 ET Chelsea v Arsenal Stamford Bridge Premier League
Jan 23 2:45 ET Arsenal v West Ham United Emirates Stadium Premier League
Jan 30 2:45 ET Arsenal v Liverpool Emirates Stadium Premier League
Feb 2 10:00 ET Arsenal v Stoke City Emirates Stadium Premier League
Feb 9 10:00 ET Sunderland v Arsenal Stadium of Light Premier League
Feb 23 10:00 ET Arsenal v Aston Villa Emirates Stadium Premier League
Mar 3 11:00 ET Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal White Hart Lane Premier League
Mar 9 10:00 ET Arsenal v Everton Emirates Stadium Premier League
Mar 16 11:00 ET Swansea City v Arsenal Liberty Stadium Premier League
Mar 30 11:00 ET Arsenal v Reading Emirates Stadium Premier League
Apr 6 10:00 ET West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal The Hawthorns Premier League
Apr 13 10:00 ET Arsenal v Norwich City Emirates Stadium Premier League
Apr 20 10:00 ET Fulham v Arsenal Craven Cottage Premier League
Apr 27 10:00 ET Arsenal v Manchester United Emirates Stadium Premier League
May 4 10:00 ET Queens Park Rangers v Arsenal Loftus Road Premier League
May 12 10:00 ET Arsenal v Wigan Athletic Emirates Stadium Premier League
May 19 11:00 ET Newcastle United v Arsenal St. James Park Premier League

Our matches against Spurs and Arsenal will be critical.

 

[Modo]

Oldham??

Doesn't matter.

 

[Woland]

The biggest problem here is that we still haven't beaten anyone in the top half of the table. We have three games on the spin against teams above us and it's going to be very hard to get much. We'll be sat here after the Arsenal and City games with another point if we're lucky in about 9th.

My only hope for this season is that Suarez enjoys playing with Sturridge so much and he's so impressed with the signing of Sneijder or whoever else that he gives us another season.

 

[hmmmmm1]

Get a wesley type signing and 4th could be possibility.

 

[iseered]

Get a wesley type signing and 4th could be possibility.

??

 

[Vlads Quiff]

There are too many assumptions in the whole thing. Sixth would be significant progress given the summer transfer window debacle.
If we had signed Sturridge then we could very well be sitting third or fourth now.
It's not impossible and as Jimmy says it's our job to be optimistic.

regards

 

[Insignificance]

I want to be optimistic, but in reality we have rather opened the gap between us and CL the last few years, rather than closing in on it. And a Spurs victory today will mean they are 9 points clear at us? We are equal with a Arsenal that have a nightmare season West Brom and Swansea.... The match program after the Arse and City matches looks something we can overcome, but mix into that UEFA and FA cup games, and we will have a busy schedule. Two next games will be crucial. If we can get 4 points from them Ill be overly happy. If not we can forget the CL.