The Title Race

Liam O

It's still United's to lose imo but then again we have been doing a good job of that in the past few weeks. Hopefully today is a turning point but Liverpool are playing well and showed against Fulham that they have great determination and don't want to give up what is the best chance they've had in ages to win the league. Chelsea are under most people's radar but they have Essien back now and are getting better. They are only 3 points behind Liverpool and people talk as if they're out of it. Last year showed that they can't be counted out

What does everyone think?

monkey9

Well, Utd are well in control. All Liverpool can do is keep winning their matches, going top of the table and forcing Utd to knock us off.
Chelsea are certainly well in as well. No doubt.
As someone said in other threads, Arsenal will have a big say in the title race in that they have to play the top three.
Liverpool have a huge game against Arsenal. We have to play them first and if we can beat them, that gives us a great edge.
But there's so many 'twists and turns' (Sky tm) to come that it gonna be a triffic (Redknapp tm) run in

mormank

united will win the league. no question about it!! i had optimism until the 93rd minute today but even if they had drawn this match they would need to drop so many more points with a perfect liverpool run in..which is another thing that will not happen!! oh how we shall rue losing to middlesbrough a couple of weeks ago!!! oh i am soooo gutted about that..

title race is over, was weeks ago imo...liverpool beatin utd at old trafford merely made utd have to sweat for it. but they will win it. interesting to see how utd will do next season without tevez and ronaldo tho!! perhaps next season shall be liverppol's???

mike65

mormank wrote: »

united will win the league. no question about it!! i had optimism until the 93rd minute today but even if they had drawn this match they would need to drop so many more points with a perfect liverpool run in..which is another thing that will not happen!! oh how we shall rue losing to middlesbrough a couple of weeks ago!!! oh i am soooo gutted about that..

title race is over, was weeks ago imo...liverpool beatin utd at old trafford merely made utd have to sweat for it. but they will win it. interesting to see how utd will do next season without tevez and ronaldo tho!! perhaps next season shall be liverppol's???

I would love it, love it....etc

Unearthly

Title race is most certaintly not over. There are 21 points to fight for(24 for Man Utd)

With champions league and fa cup distracting the teams there is bound to be more dropped points to come.

A7X

mormank wrote: »

united will win the league. no question about it!! i had optimism until the 93rd minute today but even if they had drawn this match they would need to drop so many more points with a perfect liverpool run in..which is another thing that will not happen!! oh how we shall rue losing to middlesbrough a couple of weeks ago!!! oh i am soooo gutted about that..

title race is over, was weeks ago imo...liverpool beatin utd at old trafford merely made utd have to sweat for it. but they will win it. interesting to see how utd will do next season without tevez and ronaldo tho!! perhaps next season shall be liverppol's???

mmmmm sorry?

CHD

Chelsea have it in the bag.

LightningBolt

It'll be interesting if there's a draw in the semi final of the FA cup to see how teams will cope. A lot of big games to finish off the season and one more will be the last thing wanted.

LuckyLloyd

Man Utd 2/7
Liverpool 5/2
Chelsea 12/1
Arsenal 100/1

Utd remain firmly in the driving seat, which has been the case since they hit the top for the first time this season. Liverpool are giving it a gooo, but this isn't actually up for grabs. No matter what the media tells ya.

Unearthly

LightningBolt wrote: »

It'll be interesting if there's a draw in the semi final of the FA cup to see how teams will cope. A lot of big games to finish off the season and one more will be the last thing wanted.

Fa Cup semi final replays not happened for 10 years now.;)

Bobalicious93

I've said it all along that Liverpool will struggle once the proper CL starts again, which is this week. They've had the luxury other years of not having anything to play for in the last 8 or 9 league games leaving them to focus on the CL.

If they are serious about having a title challenge they will have to cope with having 2 competitions to play in.

I just can't see them being able for it

GuanYin

I think United will drop points to City, Spurs and Arsenal.

I think Liverpool will drop points to Arsenal and Spurs.

I think Chelsea will drop points to Arsenal and Fulham.

If I'm right, it leave the title race wide open.

Xavi6

GuanYin wrote: »

I think United will drop points to City,

Lol not a hope.

Highsider

Not over by a long long way. The way united are playing at present i expect Liverpool and chelsea to push them all the way to the final weekend

prendy

Highsider wrote: »

Not over by a long long way. The way united are playing at present i expect Liverpool and chelsea to push them all the way to the final weekend

its the best league in ages, 3 teams still in with a real shout of winning it and 5-6 teams could possibly go down. the last weekend will be brilliant with permutations.

petethebrick

Xavi6 wrote: »

Lol not a hope.

Yeah, city beating utd is crazy talk! Look how well Utd have been playing recently sure ha yeah right

If they play against city like they did against fulham and villa utd will get soundly beaten.

Title race is liverpool's to win now - we're outplaying all the rest of ye by far

Spud83

petethebrick wrote: »

Yeah, city beating utd is crazy talk! Look how well Utd have been playing recently sure ha yeah right

If they play against city like they did against fulham and villa utd will get soundly beaten.

Title race is liverpool's to win now - we're outplaying all the rest of ye by far

LOL. How is it Liverpools to win? When the require United to drop at least four points.

Highsider

Xavi6 wrote: »

Lol not a hope.

lol. Another confident City fan :pac:

Spud83

Highsider wrote: »

lol. Another confident City fan :pac:

Don't worry think he had the same opinion before the Liverpool v City match.

Xavi6

petethebrick wrote: »

Yeah, city beating utd is crazy talk! Look how well Utd have been playing recently sure ha yeah right

If they play against city like they did against fulham and villa utd will get soundly beaten.

Title race is liverpool's to win now - we're outplaying all the rest of ye by far

Why is it all about how United play? Have you seen City away from home?

You seem to be suggesting that if United play poorly then all City have to do is turn up to cause an upset. I'm simply telling you that's bollox.

PHB

City away from home are a shocking side. shocking. That said, it's a derby, so form goes out the window.

yom 1

Utd at home recently have been a shocking side. shocking. That said, it's a derby, so form goes out the window.:pac:

purple_hatstand

The manner of Utd's win yesterday will have given them a huge confidence boost. Having said that, it was all a bit headless at times and they looked a million miles from the side that until recently was winning all its games 1-0.

When was the last time they conceded 2 headed goals in a match? The defence is looking dangerously unbalanced and rudderless without Vidic in it - when's he back?

I would expect them to hammer City at OT (but then, most would have said the same ahead of the Fulham match) and this title is definitely still Utd's to lose, but they seem intent on making it interesting and I wouldn't be surprised if they drop a few more points along the way....

Mr Alan

i don't think the manner of Utds win yesterday will have any real say on affairs, Utd continued their recent run with an awful performance & were beyond luncky to get a point, let alone all 3. I am still confident that Utd will drop at least 4 points in there run.

thats not to say i think we will win the league, i dont.

Dave!

yom 1 wrote: »

Utd at home recently have been a shocking side. shocking. That said, it's a derby, so form goes out the window.:pac:

redout

Mr Alan wrote: »

i don't think the manner of Utds win yesterday will have any real say on affairs, Utd continued their recent run with an awful performance & were beyond luncky to get a point, let alone all 3. I am still confident that Utd will drop at least 4 points in there run.

thats not to say i think we will win the league, i dont.

I'll go out on a limb here and say Arsenal will take points off Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and finish higher than fourth.

Nalz

Mr Alan wrote: »

awful performance & were beyond luncky to get a point, let alone all 3

I thought a draw was a fair result against a weakend United side.

A potential rather decent eleven injured/suspended/not selected

---

Foster

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-Rafael----Ferdinand---Vidic

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Fabio-

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Anderson—Hargreaves----Park

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Scholes

---

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Rooney----Berbatov

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add Brown & Possebon to that also. We're not going to see Hargreaves this season and Foster isnt first choice, but the others are well in contention to make a position there own (yes Fabio and Rafael included)

Karmafaerie

I think that this title could really come down to the last game.
I think that UTD will still be ahead, but that either Chelsea or Liverpool will be within 3 points with a better, or close goal difference.

It's UTD's to loose, but they've proven over the last few weeks that the it's not impossible to imagine them loosing it.

monkey9

petethebrick wrote: »

Title race is liverpool's to win now - we're outplaying all the rest of ye by far

Em, it's not??!!!! It's Utd's to lose. They're in the lead!

monkey9

Trilla wrote: »

I thought a draw was a fair result against a weakend United side.

A potential rather decent eleven injured/suspended/not selected

---

Foster

---

-Rafael----Ferdinand---Vidic

---

Fabio-

---

Anderson—Hargreaves----Park

---

---

Scholes

---

---

Rooney----Berbatov

---

add Brown & Possebon to that also. We're not going to see Hargreaves this season and Foster isnt first choice, but the others are well in contention to make a position there own (yes Fabio and Rafael included)

Villa were missing their best two defenders as well

Mr Alan

A draw was not a fair result, Villa were the far better team.

ShooterSF

It really is set up for fantastic run in. United's to lose but they aren't playing anywhere near top form and haven't really all season (other than home to chelsea) which is amazing given the situation they are in. Yesterdays win for them was as huge as the scrappy draw at Blackburn last year as it kept us far enough ahead to allow a slip up against Arsenal without loosing the initiative.
Liverpool right now are not only the form team but are shockingly (apologies if that's controversial) playing the most exciting football in the league at the minute. They don't look like dropping points and had Fulham's woodwork not had the game of the season they probably would have scored another 3 or 4 there too.
Another pointer is that either Chelsea or Liverpool are soon going to be without the distraction that is champions league football. This could match last season's run in and it owuld be class to go to the pub on the final day with my United and Pool friends with the title in the balance. Though I'd more than settle for Liverpool and Chelsea self-destructing before hand :pac:

Spud83

ShooterSF wrote: »

It really is set up for fantastic run in. United's to lose but they aren't playing anywhere near top form and haven't really all season (other than home to chelsea) which is amazing given the situation they are in. Yesterdays win for them was as huge as the scrappy draw at Blackburn last year as it kept us far enough ahead to allow a slip up against Arsenal without loosing the initiative.
Liverpool right now are not only the form team but are shockingly (apologies if that's controversial) playing the most exciting football in the league at the minute. They don't look like dropping points and had Fulham's woodwork not had the game of the season they probably would have scored another 3 or 4 there too.
Another pointer is that either Chelsea or Liverpool are soon going to be without the distraction that is champions league football. This could match last season's run in and it owuld be class to go to the pub on the final day with my United and Pool friends with the title in the balance. Though I'd more than settle for Liverpool and Chelsea self-destructing before hand :pac:

This would be awesome. Riots in pubs all across the country, boards goes into melt down, and then to top it all off there would be a CL showdown the following Wednesday.

Mods worst nightmare.

Dave!

Mr Alan wrote: »

A draw was not a fair result, Villa were the far better team.

ORLY?

http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/match?id=244150&cc=5739&league=ENG.1

Mr Alan

Dave! wrote: »

ORLY?

http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/match?id=244150&cc=5739&league=ENG.1

I dont give a ****e wat the stats say, stats can tell any story you want them to. I watched the match & Villa were the much better team.

Dave!

Dubliner28

Bitter Liverpool fans going mad because Villa choose to defend for the last 15min instead of doing what they did for the previous 75 and play United of the park.
Facts are facts and they do not lie.

Liverpool fans should look at results v Hull/Fulham/Stoke and see why they are not miles out ahead.
Uniteds to lose.
Cant see them losing 2 with Liverpool staying unbeaten

whatawaster

Dubliner28 wrote: »

Cant see them losing 2 with Liverpool staying unbeaten

they only have to draw two.

Nalz

Mr Alan wrote: »

I dont give a ****e wat the stats say, stats can tell any story you want them to. I watched the match & Villa were the much better team.

In the first half, and purely down to counter attack against a weakened United team.

draw was a fair result, even though United were all over Villa in the last 20 minutes and should have scored alot more. If Villa had of taken one of the two glorious chances in the first half it may have been a different story.

But biased fans tend to forget the chances that fell to Giggs, Ronaldo, Tevez, Welbeck (twice) and Fletcher....and that in terms of chances (which when taken win games) United had the upper edge.

Villa better team first half, should have scored 4. United better team second half, should have scored 6 or 7. More to it than chances, but the game was so end to end chances were a great judgement on how it should have swung

Please, be fair in your views. It can get annoying when it goes beyond opinions

PHB

Villa were the much better team for 80 minutes. Luckily a match is 90 minutes long, 95 if you've got Fergie and you're behind. We played outstanding, outstanding football for 15 minutes, and won the game.

If you don't think that win had a massive, massive, massive, city-esqkue massive, boost to United you're living in another world. A comeback from 2-1 down to win with a last minute equaliser energises any team, just like Yossi's strike will have energised the Liverpool team. You begin to believe that you really are destined to win the league. It was a huge boost.

---

In terms of the run in,

I'm gona use the fantastic thing jesus_thats_gre did


The run-in imo is relatively easy. We've to play (current positions), the teams placed in 17th(A), 16th(H), 11th(H), 19th(A), 10th(H), 4th(H) and 15th(A)

I know Fulham (9th but excellent home form), Villa (5th) and Liverpool (2nd) have really troubled us of late. No denying that. But with a full strength team (almost) returning for the run in, there is no real reason to suspect that we won't beat at least 4 of the teams below 10th place with relative ease [Hull away will be tough]. Then we've got two tough games against City and Spurs, and one very tough game against Arsenal, but realistically it's fairly bloody unlikely we won't pick up at least, at least, 4 points in those games, and I'd wager most people on this forum would suspect we'd pick up more.

All in all, I think we're unlikely to be dropping points all over the shop. If we had lost to Villa, maybe we would have had some sort of downward spiral, but I'd suspect we'll build on that victory and push on, especially with the talismen returning, not least Rooney.

Beyond that, Liverpools run in, while similar to ours, comes at much different times. They play Arsenal [after the grueling games with Chelsea] and Hull away after they play Blackburn (which should be easy).
They will then probably play a Newcastle restored and fighting for survival, West Ham away which is a bloody tough game [after they might play in the CL semis], and then easy enough games imo against West Brom then Spurs at home.

All in all, I'd prefer our run in, not least because the easier game of Porto [which is probably equalised by the extra game vs. Everton].

That said, if United do crumble, I'm with Fergie, I'm really not sure that Chelsea are out of it yet. If Liverpool are 4 points off United, and Chelsea are 7 points, there's really only one game in the difference, especially with all to play Arsenal.

whatawaster

Trilla wrote: »

In the first half, and purely down to counter attack against a weakened United team.

draw was a fair result, even though United were all over Villa in the last 20 minutes and should have scored alot more. If Villa had of taken one of the two glorious chances in the first half it may have been a different story.

But biased fans tend to forget the chances that fell to Giggs, Ronaldo, Tevez, Welbeck (twice) and Fletcher....and that in terms of chances (which when taken win games) United had the upper edge.

Villa better team first half, should have scored 4. United better team second half, should have scored 6 or 7. More to it than chances, but the game was so end to end chances were a great judgement on how it should have swung

Please, be fair in your views. It can get annoying when it goes beyond opinions

United shouldn't have scored 6 or 7, that's just laughable. Some of those were half chances. Every shot "shouldn't" have been a goal.

Villa were 100% the better team for at least 70 minutes. They passed the ball better, attacked with pace and looked really threatening. In Carew and Barry they had the two best players on the pitch. I think you're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.

Fair play to United though, they ground out a victory, one that could well be the difference at the end of the season. They will need to improve though, or they'll get caught out again.

monkey9

Next week: Liverpool 2-0 Blackburn. Sunderland 1-0 Man Utd.
Next Monday: Top ofthe league!!!!!!!!

internelligent

Trilla wrote: »

In the first half, and purely down to counter attack against a weakened United team.

draw was a fair result, even though United were all over Villa in the last 20 minutes and should have scored alot more. If Villa had of taken one of the two glorious chances in the first half it may have been a different story.

But biased fans tend to forget the chances that fell to Giggs, Ronaldo, Tevez, Welbeck (twice) and Fletcher....and that in terms of chances (which when taken win games) United had the upper edge.

Villa better team first half, should have scored 4. United better team second half, should have scored 6 or 7. More to it than chances, but the game was so end to end chances were a great judgement on how it should have swung

Please, be fair in your views. It can get annoying when it goes beyond opinions

I agree that a draw would've been a fair result. I was SOOOOOOOOO SICK when Macheda scored. Had seen his hattrick against Newcastle but damn. What pissed me off most was that I felt it was only a fools hope that Villa would take points from United until the 79th min where my hopes rocketed only to to fall twice as quick when Macheda scored that great goal cos to be fair it was a great goal.

What keeps my hopes higher than usual is that Liverpool are 'now' putting teams to the sword. I know we only beat fulham 1-0 but the amount of opportunities to score was crazy. Another day with that performance and it's have been 3-0 to Liv easily.

Man U, however, are not and haven't really being doing it too much at all this season but they're getting results and I don't think there has been a more important result to get this season than the one yesterday. Still sick.

Hopes it's interesting and comes down to the last day, with Liverpool going top in the end!

Nalz

whatawaster wrote: »

United shouldn't have scored 6 or 7, that's just laughable. Some of those were half chances. Every shot "shouldn't" have been a goal.

Heres the thing, United had 18 shots. The Giggs chance he didnt get a shot in. On another day he would have and should have really. The 3 goals plus Giggs, Welbeck and Ronaldos chances should have been goals adds up to 6.

Villa were hard done by, and maybe they were the better team for 55 mins or so, but anyone who says United didnt deserve a draw are completely talking through there a-hole. Seriously.

Lex Luthor

Next weekends results for me will decide it. I fancy Liverpool to beat Blackburn but Utd could slip up at Sunderland. As a pool fan I'm just glad they are still in with a shout in April. I don't think Arsenal will play a big part in it as they are playing well and could get 3 draws against the top 3

whatawaster

Trilla wrote: »

Heres the thing, United had 18 shots. The Giggs chance he didnt get a shot in. On another day he would have and should have really. The 3 goals plus Giggs, Welbeck and Ronaldos chances should have been goals adds up to 6.

Villa were hard done by, and maybe they were the better team for 55 mins or so, but anyone who says United didnt deserve a draw are completely talking through there a-hole. Seriously.

i think it's quite the opposite. I don't think United deserved anything from the game, but to be fair, they got 3 points. Wellbeck's was a good chance, but you can't say, for instance, that Fletcher's effort should have been a goal, or Ronaldo's one from a difficult angle. They were half chances, no more, because more often than not, they don't go in.

Villa were in complete control of the game until the last 15/20 minutes. No statistic you give me will make me think otherwise. United having more posession or making more passes doesn't tell the whole story because Villa passed the ball more incisively than United did. They also worked harder, played with more pace and had United on the back foot far more often than United did Villa.

Nalz

I hear what your saying, and I know where your coming from. My last word on it though:

Villa counter attacked well and United werent the best at the back

But I firmly believe that if that game was in Villa Park, and United played like Villa and Villa played like United, everyone would say a draw was a fair result. Alot non-United /ABUs will think or state thats a load of cock.

But I think a draw was fair. Villa were deep, then they folded. United had a lot for opportunities to score. Villa did well in centre midfield and were class at times on the break, taking advantage of a low confident depleted United defense.

Not enough to deserve a win in my opinion. They road their luck too, lost a lead and could have conceded more.

Daemos

monkey9 wrote: »

Villa were missing their best two defenders as well

Emmm... So were United???

Anyway, I think that Man Utd definately have the better chance of winning the league, and the odds reflect that. However, Liverpool are only 5-2 to win the league, which is more likely than Mon Mome at 100-1 winning the Grand National.

Man United also hae a much more difficult run of final games. They could easily drop points against Arsenal (H), Sunderland (A) and Man City (H). Out of Liverpool's remaining fixtures, only Arsenal (H) provide a genuine threat. Assuming both teams win their other fixtures, and draw those games, the points would go like this:

Man United: 68+18=86
Liverpool: 67+19=86

Which would bring it all down to points difference, and with only 2 goals separating them in that area, that could go either way.

Can Liverpool win it? Yes
Will it be easy? Absolutely not

People say that Liverpool's chances of winning are slim. But having a slim chance is better than having no chance.

whatawaster

Trilla wrote: »

I hear what your saying, and I know where your coming from. My last word on it though:

Villa counter attacked well and United werent the best at the back

But I firmly believe that if that game was in Villa Park, and United played like Villa and Villa played like United, everyone would say a draw was a fair result. Alot non-United /ABUs will think or state thats a load of cock.

But I think a draw was fair. Villa were deep, then they folded. United had a lot for opportunities to score. Villa did well in centre midfield and were class at times on the break, taking advantage of a low confident depleted United defense.

Not enough to deserve a win in my opinion. They road their luck too, lost a lead and could have conceded more.

we'll agree to disagree

Nalz

DaPoolRulz wrote: »

People say that Liverpool's chances of winning are slim. But having a slim chance is better than having no chance.

there ya go!

monkey9

DaPoolRulz wrote: »

Emmm... So were United???

I know that. That was what i was responding to!