If we get out of this month just maintaining the 9 point gap I'd be ecstatic. That Everton game will be brutal. And even now going to City fills me with dread. I don't think we've won there in the league since that 4-1 in Klopp's first season.
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If we get out of this month just maintaining the 9 point gap I'd be ecstatic. That Everton game will be brutal. And even now going to City fills me with dread. I don't think we've won there in the league since that 4-1 in Klopp's first season.
I would have shared your fear if that City team looked anywhere close to the City team of last season.
Well obviously, I'm just saying it's still hard to imagine us actually going there and winning, even now. We should, but I can't quite see it.
They've bought a few players, so in theory they may be better than they were at the weekend. Hopefully not though
Yeah I know, but they've looked a bit "meh" to be fair. Not sure if they'll be up to speed when we play them.
Here's the updated fixture list for February:
Slot has to start rotating more in the league and using his subs earlier in games. Like yesterday for instance.That's the only we get through this intense month.
Best team v Everton
Mixed team v Wolves
Best team v Villa
Best team v Man C
Mixed team v Newcastle
Three days later...
5th round of the FA cup.
Slot has to start rotating more in the league and using his subs earlier in games. Like yesterday for instance.That's the only we get through this intense month.
Best team v Everton
Mixed team v Wolves
Best team v Villa
Best team v Man C
Mixed team v Newcastle
Three days later...
5th round of the FA cup.
Why best team vs City? Newcastle will be tougher than them. They’re shit. Dog shit. They’re that old as a team they are white dog shit.
Fool of a took. He’ll play his best fit team every league game.
Here's the updated fixture list for February.
Slot has to start rotating more in the league and using his subs earlier in games. Like yesterday for instance.That's the only we get through this intense month.
Best team v Everton
Mixed team v Wolves
Best team v Villa
Best team v Man C
Mixed team v Newcastle
Three days later...
5th round of the FA cup.
The one game at a time doesn’t allow for rotation in the league.
I know, but it's still away.
Well the best fit team isn't always the best team per se. It's smartest team to play fitness wise but also comes with a higher risk.
So when I write "best team" I mean no risk taking.
I mean Ali in goal and Konate over Quansah or Gomez, Macca over Jones...etc
...and you know this.
I guess time will tell but ya I’d be resting everyone in the FA Cup.
Huge run. There are 5 or 6 players who will (and should) start every game:
Ibu & Virg
Gravy & Macca
Salah & Gakpo
Every other position should be rotated e.g. Brad/Trent, Tsimi/Robbo, Szobo/Jones, Jota/Nunez/Diaz
Where required we should roll earlier subs across those starters.
I think we just have to embrace the run, and the rest and rotation we've had in the weeks before this. There is a full rest after it.
Ibu & Virg
Gravy & Macca
Salah & Gakpo
Every other position should be rotated e.g. Brad/Trent, Tsimi/Robbo, Szobo/Jones, Jota/Nunez/Diaz
Where required we should roll earlier subs across those starters.
I think we just have to embrace the run, and the rest and rotation we've had in the weeks before this. There is a full rest after it.
I don't think we'll rest players for the cup final, there's too little a gap in the league that, first and foremost, we won't want to risk losing points. If it means we are tired in the final, so be it, most teams get through finals on sheer adrenalin anyway.
The big one is Everton, we have to win at Goodison to create that 9pt gap, because between the Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea, City and Arsenal games we'll be hard pushed to not drop points.
The big one is Everton, we have to win at Goodison to create that 9pt gap, because between the Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea, City and Arsenal games we'll be hard pushed to not drop points.
I did this somewhere but can't remember where.
Here is the days rest each opponent has before the game - so we aren't actually going into any with a huge disadvantage, other than compound effect of short turnaround i guess
Everton (4 days - FA Cup vs Bounemouth)
Wolves (7 days - FA Cup vs Blackburn)
Villa (3 days - PL vs Ipswich)
Man City (4 days - CL vs Madrid)
Newcastle (3 days - PL vs Forest)
RE: Carabao Final - our last game before it is 8th March. There is then an international break afterwards. Newcastle's is 10th March. So we get a 2 day rest advantage there.
Here is the days rest each opponent has before the game - so we aren't actually going into any with a huge disadvantage, other than compound effect of short turnaround i guess
Everton (4 days - FA Cup vs Bounemouth)
Wolves (7 days - FA Cup vs Blackburn)
Villa (3 days - PL vs Ipswich)
Man City (4 days - CL vs Madrid)
Newcastle (3 days - PL vs Forest)
RE: Carabao Final - our last game before it is 8th March. There is then an international break afterwards. Newcastle's is 10th March. So we get a 2 day rest advantage there.
I think it's pretty standard for the PL, not THAT brutal. Blanking out the names :
Bottom of the Championship in the FAC.
A at 16th
H to 17th
A at 8th
A at 5th
H to 6th
Plus they'll all have a similarly tough schedule & rest days.
This could be in our favour. No way they can go anything but full strength. Last chance of anything, they can’t save fitness because they’ll be 10 or so days without a game and they are against a decent side.
They then get 4 days rest whilst ours get a full week.
Can't decide how I want their cup game to go. I mean, they're riding on the new manager wave at the minute even though with the players they have out, they should be struggling more than ever. Do we want Bournemouth to bring them back down to earth with a bump? Or do we want them to beat Bournemouth and have them going into our game over confident?
There's benefits to both. I think Moyes has had it too straightforward so far. I'd like a big defeat so he and the players get doubts about themselves, their team mates and the tactics.
Easy...we want a hard fought game and Bournemouth winning in the end. I'm guessing since there's no replays any more in the FA cup the game can go to extra time and penalties.
I forgot about the third choice, where they have a hard fought defeat after extra time. Hopefully they get roughed up a bit too.
Likewise.
Yes - extra time please, maybe a red too that carries over. And most importantly, a defeat.
I think two yellows is auto ban but not sure if it counts towards the league. A red has a weeks appeal period so doesn’t cover the derby.
Think that's a lot of wishful thinking tbh. Any 5 PL games in 2 weeks is pretty tough. 3 being away makes it harder. And all 3 of those are trickier than they look on paper. The last ever derby at Goodison - come on, we know that's gonna be rough. Plus they're on a high right now. Villa and City both have the capacity to turn it on for the odd game.
There must be like an 80-90% chance of us dropping points in at least one of those games.
I'm certain that we'll drop points in that run... Any team would. But I've recently compared our run-in to that of Arsenal's, and theirs is no picnic either: Forest, the scum, the blueshite and us away, the chavs and the toon at home. They're going to drop points along the way, too, and if we get a little luck along the way, that match between us in May could be practically irrelevant.
If they're perfect the rest of the way, they'll end up on 92 points. If we we lose 1 and draw 4, we'll be at 90. I don't see them pulling a 16 game winning streak out of their pocket, do you?
If they're perfect the rest of the way, they'll end up on 92 points. If we we lose 1 and draw 4, we'll be at 90. I don't see them pulling a 16 game winning streak out of their pocket, do you?
I don’t care if they beat Bournemouth 3-0 they won’t be overconfident against us so it’s a very very easy choice imo. An absolute bumming by a team we dispatched in our last league game please.
I want their new manager bump well and truly gone and the fear of a hiding in the last ever derby game there to be their overriding emotion.
Dropping points against Everton and Wolves would be very disappointing. I'd expect Arsenal to beat Leicester away and West Ham at home, so we really have to win these. Doing so would allow for a couple of draws in the other ties, but I'd still back us to at least get 6-7 points across the Villa, City and Newcastle games. We're better than all of them, but I'd expect one of them to turn up/we have an off day.
I'm going to be optimistic and call 12-13 points.
Arsenal have tricky(ish) end of Feb/early March
Forrest away
United away
Chelsea at home.
Other than that their run in is pretty favourable, but they do have to come to welcome Newcastle to their place and visit Anfield by the seasons end. Newcastle have shown they've got Arsenals number and this Arsenal's record at Anfield:
They will be dropping plenty of points along the way, we just need to not to shit the bed. Arsenal just do not score/create enough goals form open play to put any sort of consistent winning run together.
I'm going to be optimistic and call 12-13 points.
Arsenal have tricky(ish) end of Feb/early March
Forrest away
United away
Chelsea at home.
Other than that their run in is pretty favourable, but they do have to come to welcome Newcastle to their place and visit Anfield by the seasons end. Newcastle have shown they've got Arsenals number and this Arsenal's record at Anfield:
| Date | Result | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| December 29, 2018 | Loss | 1-5 |
| August 24, 2019 | Loss | 1-3 |
| September 28, 2020 | Loss | 1-3 |
| November 20, 2021 | Loss | 0-4 |
| April 9, 2023 | Draw | 2-2 |
| December 23, 2023 | Draw | 1-1 |
They will be dropping plenty of points along the way, we just need to not to shit the bed. Arsenal just do not score/create enough goals form open play to put any sort of consistent winning run together.
Absolutely no chance.
I posted on here a few days ago that I think their run-in is easier but only (all things being equal) by 2-4 points or so. So we should definitely win the title barring major injuries etc.
But these next 5 games are what will determine whether it's close or not, imo. It's the test: there's a chance they cut the lead right back to 3 or so, and then who knows how nerves etc could affect us. On the other hand, I'd say if we come out of it still 7+ pts ahead, it's as good as over.
