Where do you think we will finish this season?

wellboys

So lads, has anyone changed their minds since the seasons started? I think top 4 is a definite with the way we are playing. Dare I say it we might even get top 3?

everdead.ie

I certainly think we have gone from fighting for fourth to fighting a little higher up for third I wouldn't say we are challenging for the title unless we are this close in feburary/march but annoying none of last season seem likely to drop many points so far this season at all.

The most important thing this year is the few draws we have had.
That and we have taken tonnes of points of the bottom teams

BERBA

at the start of season if you had said to me that we would have had 10 wins out of 13 , i would have said there and then we'd be top and not sitting 7 points off the pace , city have had some start.

2nd Row Donkey

True. City's results have been awesome.
I havent looked at the stats but I imagine that 31 points from 13 games would have been enough for us to be top in previous PL seasons.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

I'd still snap your hand off for fourth. The inevitable injury to RvP doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon, and until then Arsenal will win more than they lose. Liverpool seem to have their act together, and they do have a very solid squad. I still think Chelsea are a cert for top 4, regardless of their current form. We do have a great chance, our major problem will be fatigue I reckon, but this really is our best chance in a long time to do something more than just getting top 4. Nervous times await! Onwards and upwards, COYS!

KingdomYid

THFC wrote: »

I'd still snap your hand off for fourth. The inevitable injury to RvP doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon, and until then Arsenal will win more than they lose. Liverpool seem to have their act together, and they do have a very solid squad. I still think Chelsea are a cert for top 4, regardless of their current form. We do have a great chance, our major problem will be fatigue I reckon, but this really is our best chance in a long time to do something more than just getting top 4. Nervous times await! Onwards and upwards, COYS!

Fatigue should not be a major issue as we are now out of all cups apart from FA cup which is played on non premier league weekends anyway. Also am not so sure Chelsea are dead certs unless they some serious business in January.

BERBA

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

True. City's results have been awesome.
I havent looked at the stats but I imagine that 31 points from 13 games would have been enough for us to be top in previous PL seasons.

Chelsea were top this time last season after 14 games with 28 points:eek:

we have 31 points from 13 games this season yet still 7 behind

marty2002

Injuries will be pivotal to where we finish, like what KingdomYid has said above fatigue should not now be a factor. Lucas will be a big loss to Liverpool as he was the mainstay of their midfield up to now, Chelsea are in a bad run of form though you would think they will be there or thereabouts as will be le arse depending on when RVP has his annual crockfest of course... i think we will get top 4 though ive a sneaking suspicion we could do very well in the FA cup, a semi final at least.

SuprSi

It's so difficult to call, but I guess that's because it's still early in the season. I think it's inevitable that we'll have a slump at some stage and how high we finish will depend on how long that slump lasts and also how strong we finish the season. On paper we have a much better last 8 fixtures than in the last 2 seasons, and this could be crucial.

As already mentioned injuries could be a big thing. If Adebayor is out for any length of time, we'll be back to the strikeforce we had last season which wasn't good enough. Also, if we lose Bale or Lennon we will lose that pace and fluidity that we've had all season.

I'd love to think that we could finish 3rd, and in fairness on current form you would have to say it's possible, but the end of the season is still a long way away!

Hatch99

If im honest, i'd take your hand off for 4th now.

Coolaboy

Fourth and everything above would be a bonus. Man City have the players and are a huge force, chelsea and arsenal are improving. Man U defence is poor lads and I can see them going down the pecking order.

Mr. Guappa

Coolaboy wrote: »

Fourth and everything above would be a bonus. Man City have the players and are a huge force, chelsea and arsenal are improving. Man U defence is poor lads and I can see them going down the pecking order.

Their last five league results have been 1-0, 1-0, 1-0, 1-1, 1-0. And that goal conceded was a penalty that never was.. I'd take that kind of poor defence any day.

I'd take 4th. I think we are capable of higher and I'd like to aim for 1st but I'd take 4th no question.

hotspur

A lot depends on the 6 game run starting at the end of January.

22 Jan Man City (A)
31 Jan Wigan (H)
06 Feb Liverpool (A)
11 Feb Newcastle (H)
26 Feb Arsenal (A)
03 Mar Man Utd (H)

I'm gonna plump for 3rd behind the Manchester clubs. AVB might get sacked at Chelski and cause enough disarray for them to finish below us and RvP is waaay overdue a 3 month injury layoff.

Wendell Gee

If we can keep the run going for a couple of more games, we will go into the Chelsea match with all the pressure on them. 6 points from Stoke and Sunderland will be tough, especially with O Neill in situ. What price Pulis plays Palacios and Crouch against us?
Anyway, if we could get those points, Chelsea will come to the Lane needing a win, for the first time in four years -since we beat them with Robbie eating a succession of right backs, and backed it up with a league cup win. United are suffering injuries, and Citeh have the CL test, a few tough league matches, and three cup games in rapid succession against Manyoo and Liverpool. We go up there on a serious revenge mission in the middle of all that. Don't forget we owe them for taking our CL place. We were better than them last season at the lane, and started well up there until Crouch's OG.
We need to buy a striker before that game if we're going to at all, because Adebayor is ineligible. It could be that a win up there would open up the title race.
I remember 1984-85. We were the team of all talents, having added John Cheidozie and Clive Allen to the team that had won the UEFA cup. We beat Everton 4-1 on the opening day of the season -they became champions. For Peter Reid , see Scotty Parker. Why not dream? If we can't dream when they've a record as a team (that is, since Parker and Adebayor came in and King got a run of games) of played 11 won 10 drew 1 lost 0, what's the point of being a football fan at all.

2nd Row Donkey

hotspur wrote: »

A lot depends on the 6 game run starting at the end of January.

22 Jan Man City (A)
31 Jan Wigan (H)
06 Feb Liverpool (A)
11 Feb Newcastle (H)
26 Feb Arsenal (A)
03 Mar Man Utd (H)

I'm gonna plump for 3rd behind the Manchester clubs. AVB might get sacked at Chelski and cause enough disarray for them to finish below us and RvP is waaay overdue a 3 month injury layoff.

Arse, I assumed we played Utd in Jan seeing as we played them so early in the 1st half of the season. The month of Janurary is important too - what with the game in hand vs everton and the Man city game. If we dont take max points from those games then we might already have dropped out of the chasing pack before the wigan to Utd fixture run.

Antisocialiser

Saw on another site that Henderson and Carroll cost liverpool considerably more than our current first 11!

Carroll = £35m, Henderson = £20m. Total = £55m

Friedel - Free
Kyle Walker - 4m
Benoit Assou Ekotto - 3m
King - Free
Kaboul - £5m (Think he was more, but Pompey owed us money and we only paid £5m)
Lennon - £700k
Bale - £8m
Modric - £16.5m
Parker - £5m
Van der Vaart - £8m
Adebayor - loan
Total = £50.2m.

Anyone wish to correct the transfer fees?

BERBA

Antisocialiser wrote: »

Saw on another site that Henderson and Carroll cost liverpool considerably more than our current first 11!

Carroll = £35m, Henderson = £20m. Total = £55m

Friedel - Free
Kyle Walker - 4m
Benoit Assou Ekotto - 3m
King - Free
Kaboul - £5m (Think he was more, but Pompey owed us money and we only paid £5m)
Lennon - £700k
Bale - £8m
Modric - £6m
Parker - £5m
Van der Vaart - £8m
Adebayor - loan
Total = £39.7m.

Anyone wish to correct the transfer fees?

Modric cost 16.5m

Kiith

Still cheaper then Carroll and Henderson...which is pretty insane.

2nd Row Donkey

And cheaper than 1 x Torres!

PMU

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

And cheaper than 1 x Torres!

if we could pick him up cheap, would he be a better striker than Pav?

ziedth

PMU wrote: »

if we could pick him up cheap, would he be a better striker than Pav?

I'd happily take a £20m punt on him. he was the best stoker in the world (debatably) for a while. That has to be still in there somewhere. Can't see Chelsea selling him to us though.

Anyway, Utd/City both knocked out of CL tonight. Be interesting to see how they react. Hopefully at least one will spiral and freefall but in reality I'd say both will pull away in the league.

oppiuy

Utd are they to be got at, and when teams realise that they are vunerable ill expect them to lose a few games over the Xmas period

2nd Row Donkey

Was really hoping both Utd and City would progress.
I run in the CL would really have distracted Citeh from the PL.

Now both teams have nothing to aim for but the PL title. Ah well.

Wendell Gee

I think the opposite. The pressure increases, particularly on Utd. One of them goes out of the cup in the 3rd round.
We meanwhile, are coming up serenely on the rails, belief increasing with every game, and as their fallibility is exposed. This title is there for the winning. If we go for it and fall a bit short, we'll still be top 3. We gave the mancs a 2 game start, but in return got parker in, Ade was always coming. Now we can catch them. Citeh will drop a few points this side of Christmas.

2nd Row Donkey

@wendell

I suppose if you take our experience last season; the good run in the CL was mirrored in PL performances and it was only after we lost to Real that our league formed dipped so badly. Hopefully the same thing will happen with City but i doubt it.

ziedth

Both their games this weekend will tell allot. I expect City to bounce back and I have a gut feeling Utd could struggle.

mushykeogh

If we go out of europe, as is most likely, it could now be to our major advantage in the league. While city have the squad to put out a competitive second 11 and not have any impact on their premier league side, utd may struggle.

Already depleted by injuries, they may have landed themselves in a dilemma. Put out complete youngsters in the Europa league and get eliminated, the press will have a field day, play a strong team in an attempt to win it, and they will struggle as surely a good few players will have to play Thursday's and Sunday's?
Smalling and Jones will be great players, but right now they certainly can be exposed. vidic out for the season is a major blow, neither ferdinand or evans are particularly imposing at the moment. Advantage spurs for a top two finish?

mushykeogh

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

@wendell

I suppose if you take our experience last season; the good run in the CL was mirrored in PL performances and it was only after we lost to Real that our league formed dipped so badly. Hopefully the same thing will happen with City but i doubt it.

Our form dipped big time in the league after the fantastic result and performance against AC Milan in the San Siro. Lost away to blackpool,draws against wolves, west ham, and we already had 5 defeats and a whopping 8 draws in the prem league prior to the AC Milan game! So i dont think its fair to say we were in good form prior to our champs league exit. Post real Madrid our Prm league was played 7, won 2, drawn 3, lost 2. Our form was pretty patchy all season last year.

Dublin Spur

1st

Hatch99

Dublin Spur wrote: »

1st

:D:D someone is on the wine tonight