The 'Run In'

Thought this would be handy for us take it all in 'at a glance'. It might promote some discussion too. Mods feel free to merge it with any other thread:



I was surprised by how difficult Man City's run in is. Some tricky away games there  (LFC, Arsenal, Munts, Bitters)

I've also created a poll to see what we think about who wins it all. Also, it's a poll in which you can change your mind as the season unfolds, so it should be interesting to see how that fluctuates.

Honestly believe we can win it now.

EDIT: If you could say who you voted for and why, that would be cool. I voted for us because I think other teams will drop more points than us. I just believe we are building up a head of steam and can play better than what we have been doing recently. We have Cardiff, West Ham, Norwich and Palace away. Starting to get that gut feeling it's ours.

Next weekend's London-derby is crucial for our title challenge, hope the Gunners can cancel out the plastics. Neither win nor lose.

Of course, we keep our momentum and keep grabbing 3 points. We play Cardiff next, and then Sunderland at home btw.

Next weekend's London-derby is crucial for our title challenge, hope the Gunners can cancel out the plastics. Neither win nor lose.

Of course, we keep our momentum and keep grabbing 3 points. We play Cardiff next, and then Sunderland at home btw.

Yup, changed.

I think Man Utd away can be removed from the 'tricky away fixtures' for Man City.  Although hadn't realised they also had game away at Arsenal and Everton. 

Mind you if we are still involved at the top with three games left then Everton will roll over for City.

I voted for us (surprisingly) because I voted for 1st in the "where will we finish" thread back in June/July and haven't had any reason to change me mind.

Mind you if we are still involved at the top with three games left then Everton will roll over for City.

Good point that JD and certainly one I'd not considered. Like you I don't think Man U away will be any struggle at all for City. I do think their home game against Southampton could be tricky for them and of course away at Arsenal and Anfield will be very tough.

From rough mental addition I see the league finishing as:

Chelsea 88
Man City 87
Liverpool 85
Arsenal 83

However that only takes us beating Chelsea and City instead of drawing as I have it and we're top. So the margins between the 3 are now very, very small. It's the most obvious thing in the world to say those 2 games will be crucial for the title, but they are for the 3 main teams not just for us.

We've managed to slash our odds from 14/1 a few weeks ago down to 3/1. If you consider it a 4 horse race we're now fair odds. I actually think the race is down to 3 of us as Arsenal are beginning to flap, the pace has been taken from their side and while they clung on to a victory at Spurs they looked bloody dire doing it.

Chelsea are horrible, I can't stand watching them but they are grinding out results like potential champions and I would detest Mourinho winning it in that fashion. City are the money boys, it's bad for the game money winning everything so I think we are the moral favourites, the crowd favourites and as I said when Stevie G hit that pen against Fulham, there's an air of destiny about it. So despite my calculations showing otherwise I'm going for us to manage to pull off an incredible double against the Chavs and City and sneak it at the end, even better if it's by goal difference.

Come on REDMEN!

All we can do is manage our results - as we cannot influence the others

From the above, Chelsea only have 2 tough games - us and Arsenal. Draw in the london derby gives us advantage (assuming we win the game in hand) so we can draw vs them and not effect the overall relative position

Man city however - we still need them to drop points other than against us.
As we know - derby games means form book out of window, so as poor as Utd are, a draw or win for them will help us (and how they must hate that prospect)
The arsenal game could have a huge bearing as well

This could go right to the wire.... hope everyone is stocking up on the andrex, because it is certainly going to be squeaky bum time....

I voted for us (surprisingly) because I voted for 1st in the "where will we finish" thread back in June/July and haven't had any reason to change me mind.

That's cheating though Billy, as you always say we'll win it    I've voted for us too even though I said 3rd back in the summer.  My reasons being we've got the momentum, we're the form side since the start of the year, our results are improving against our notoriously difficult fixtures, we've got SASAS, we've got Gerrard, we've got our players back from injuries and we've got Brendan.

City fans last night reckon they only need to win 6/7 out of their remaining games providing those wins include the ones against us, scum, the arse and bitters.  If we only lose to them and win the rest of our games then guess what, WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!

From rough mental addition I see the league finishing as:

Chelsea 88
Man City 87
Liverpool 85
Arsenal 83

My prediction for the 'run-in'

Liverpool - WWWWWWDWW - 25/27 - 87
Chelsea - DWWWWDWW - 20/24 - 86
City - WDLWLWWWWWW - 25/33 - 85 (losses at Emirates & Anfield)
Arsenal - DWWWWWWWW - 25/27 - 87

We win on goal difference Revenge for 1989, I've started dreaming..!

Quick comment on Man U v Man City - this must really hurt the man u fans

Lose - and it helps Man City in their quest for the title, as well as "local" pride
Draw / Win - helps Liverpool (their most bitter rival) or Jose (their arch nemesis) in their title quest

Can't feel good for any result - not that I feel sorry for them one iota

EDIT: If you could say who you voted for and why, that would be cool. I voted for us because I think other teams will drop more points than us. I just believe we are building up a head of steam and can play better than what we have been doing recently. Gut feeling it's ours.

Nice O.P. Rushy. 

I've voted for us based on a couple of things - our goal scoring and the return of players after injury at just the right time for the run in.

Right now we've got momentum and a self belief as a team which (in my opinion) is lacking in others.

City have a great squad but seem to have doubts about themselves away from home (and at the back) - they lack leaders.
Arsenal have suffered from injuries to influential players and tend to bottle it when the 'title' is in sight.
Chelsea (who would be my 'danger') could easily pay the price for having shitty 'strikers' and ill discipline born out of an arrogance they haven't earned [boring, dreary, classless whores that they are].

That said we really need to be on top of our game - not just physically but mentally with each game a cup final. If we look at our fixtures in two sets:-

First set [Cardiff through to West Ham] - we gained maximum points, in corresponding ties last season, so even with wins, we gain no further ground points wise [projected 81 pts] but and here's the rub...

Second set [Man City through to Newcastle] - we dropped 8 points, in corresponding ties last season. Match last season in the next four and the potential to improve our points tally, in the last five, is immense... title winning "immense", in fact. 

Good thread mate.

I voted for us because I just don't think anyone else will score more goals than us in any of the games remaining and I think City have slip-ups in them.

This year we have been record breakers of all kinds. I think another one still remains - Mourinho has never lost a title after being ahead in February. I'd love us to break this one.

All we can do is manage our results - as we cannot influence the others

From the above, Chelsea only have 2 tough games - us and Arsenal. Draw in the london derby gives us advantage (assuming we win the game in hand) so we can draw vs them and not effect the overall relative position

Man city however - we still need them to drop points other than against us.
As we know - derby games means form book out of window, so as poor as Utd are, a draw or win for them will help us (and how they must hate that prospect)
The arsenal game could have a huge bearing as well

This could go right to the wire.... hope everyone is stocking up on the andrex, because it is certainly going to be squeaky bum time....

Was going to say the same mate. Chelsea look to only have those 2 games mentioned that will cause them real concern. We have them, City and I have a small fear of going to West Ham for some strange reason.

We just have to take each game as it comes, concentrate on winning our fixtures and hoping that The Chavs and Citeh drop points along the way. I see it going down to the last game with the final week being between us and those Chav cu*ts and us winning the Title on goal difference. Come on You Reds. WE BELIEVE!

Was going to say the same mate. Chelsea look to only have those 2 games mentioned that will cause them real concern. We have them, City and I have a small fear of going to West Ham for some strange reason.

We just have to take each game as it comes, concentrate on winning our fixtures and hoping that The Chavs and Citeh drop points along the way. I see it going down to the last game with the final week being between us and those Chav cu*ts and us winning the Title on goal difference. Come on You Reds. WE BELIEVE!

I can honestly see it going to the last game of the season.... Prem trophy in a helicopter around mid wales (so can cover Cardiff v Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City)

Anfield will be buzzing like **** vs the barcodes for that one....

Gone with us, our home games will key, we have something that our rivals don't have at the moment & that is belief & momentum, we have made Anfield a daunting place for opposition teams to visit,  we are lethal away from home, we have the desire/hunger now that we see a possible chance to claim our first PL title, we have everything going for us at the moment, we have a never say die attitude.

I guarantee you this,all teams around us will be uncomfortable knowing they have to play us once more.

I have a small fear of going to West Ham for some strange reason.

When I did my predictions the other week for the run in, they're the only ones I had us dropping points against Ian, think I went with a 2-2 draw but now I don't think we will.

I'm not changing it though 

It ALL hinges on the games against Chelsea and City, if we can get good point sin those then we can win the league, all the other matches are winnable and we are on such a roll at the moment that I can see us winning it.

I believe we can win but as it stands it's still in both Citeh's and Chelsea's hands, Arsenal are still knocking about to.

Like you, I'm happily surprised to see Citeh's run in, it is more difficult than I first thought.

Basically, it is up to us to keep the pressure on these two - that is all we can do and by doing that (Villa V Chavs) we can hope they both slip up while we're there waiting to pounce. We also have the added bonus of playing both these at home where maximum points is a must to swing our chances even more.

It's too close to call for me at this stage - but I haven't enjoyed a league campaign like this for years; there's something in the air this time around.

I'm still one game at a time, but the belief is there we can do it, we just keep need picking up 3 points, win every game from now until the end of the season and we'll discuss the options later

I voted for us obviously because I'm biased but also I can see some big bananas for Chelsea and city , the Blueshite at home to city is one , Chelsea vs  arsenal ,  arsenal vs city then there's the hurt we can inflict upon them .I've got a big boner on me thinking about it .

I voted for us for the simple reason of our having a slight advantage with having to play Chelsea and City at home yet. That for me shades it slightly in our favour. Furthermore, after both their weekend antics, I think the pressure is getting to both of them because they are expected to win it due to the expense of their squads and nature of their owners. I also think that if you polled the nation of who they would want to win the title between ourselves, City and Chelsea, most would be in favour of us winning it. To be honest though, whether we win it or not, at least it's nice for the pundits and media to finally be talking about us in a positive light and actually believe themselves that we could actually win this.

We need a team to take 3 points off Citeh and then it is simple.... we win all our games and we have won the league.

I voted us because in all seriousness I think we are going to win the rest of our games. Brendan seems to have the boys treating each game as a cup final and if they continue to do that, we are the better team and will win them all.