The Top 4. Can we get there?

 

Why on earth do people keep thinking Origi is the answer to our problems? He's 19 and has only scored three goals so far this season in what is widely acknowledged as an inferior league. It'll be years before he recognises his potential.

Yes but can he really be worse than Balotelli/Lambert and Borini, I find that bloody hard to beleive. He is an interntional in the Belgian team at 19, that is a very very good team by the way, despite the World Cup.

Why on earth do people keep thinking Origi is the answer to our problems? He's 19 and has only scored three goals so far this season in what is widely acknowledged as an inferior league. It'll be years before he recognises his potential.

Yeah no doubt it's a lot of pressure on the lad if he does come in that's for sure. I think the feeling is that if you stick some one up there who is mobile, has a bit of skill and will keep on the move then the rest of the team will play well. That has certainly been borne out by our performances this season so it probably is fair to expect a side with Origi up top on his own to create more chances than a side with the statuesque Lambert or Balo up there.

Still a lot of pressure though. I'd much prefer we go and sign another option and let the mid finish his season in Ligue 1 or better still bring him over AND go and get someone else and let Balotelli and/or Lambert go elsewhere.

Arsenal - 67
Arsenal - 68
Liverpool - 76
Arsenal - 72
Tottenham - 70
Arsenal - 68
Tottenham - 69
Arsenal - 73
Arsenal - 79

That's what was needed to achieve 4th place during the past 8 years. I really don't think 79 points is needed for 4th this time round. I think that's at the other end of the scale which goes to show how competitive last season was at the top. I think there's a good chance that 70 points will be enough this season.

I just hope some new injurys wont set us back.We need some key signings and we are there.

Next 6 EPL

Villa v Liverpool
Liverpool v WHU
Everton v Liverpool
Liverpool v Spurs
Soton v Liverpool
Liverpool v Man City

I think it's reasonable to say that after those six we will have a good idea how we are looking

I think it's reasonable to say that after those six we will have a good idea how we are looking

I'm just glad those fixtures aren't in reverse order!

I think it's reasonable to say that after those six we will have a good idea how we are looking

Pretty much

Next 6 EPL

Villa v Liverpool
Liverpool v WHU
Everton v Liverpool
Liverpool v Spurs
Soton v Liverpool
Liverpool v Man City

I remain doubtful as to our chance. If we win 4 out of that lot and draw the other 2 minimum then I think we will be in great shape for it.

IF

Next 6 EPL

Villa v Liverpool
Liverpool v WHU
Everton v Liverpool
Liverpool v Spurs
Soton v Liverpool
Liverpool v Man City

 So far as I am concerned the extra game will take a toll. Last year during this peroid we played two extra games in the FA cup, this year we will play at least 5 extra games, if we beat Bolton (FA) and Chelsea (Capital one) we will have an extra 7 games to, the Man city game would be played at a later date but that is the only one.

 It is a very interesting time and we are really going to find out how much the teams has improved as a whole

Just an idea for the mods but on SMF you can edit the poll to allow users to delete their voting choice and re-vote. This would allow for a more organic view of opinion rather than one rooted in December. Opinions may and probably have changed since then.

Just an idea for the mods but on SMF you can edit the poll to allow users to delete their voting choice and re-vote. This would allow for a more organic view of opinion rather than one rooted in December. Opinions may and probably have changed since then.

Doesnt give me the option mate. If we win our next game we will see a serious pendulum swing.

 

Just an idea for the mods but on SMF you can edit the poll to allow users to delete their voting choice and re-vote. This would allow for a more organic view of opinion rather than one rooted in December. Opinions may and probably have changed since then.

Nice idea. Be interesting to see if there's a big shift.

I'll reset the poll completely.

Previous results (for reference) from December were:

Poll: 12th Dec - Will we get top 4?

No 78 (54.9%)
Yes 64 (45.1%)
Total Members Voted: 142

Nice idea. Be interesting to see if there's a big shift.

I'll reset the poll completely.

Previous results (for reference) from December were:

Poll: 12th Dec - Will we get top 4?

No 78 (54.9%)
Yes 64 (45.1%)
Total Members Voted: 142

It was 65 to 35% last week after the Leicester game. The new vote will be a pro Yes vote im sure.

So - here we are at the middle of Jan and our form has improved somewhat over a shocker of a start...

5 Points behind Utd and 7 from Soton - who are still winning and looking strong, but we have a tough few games coming our way. Top 2 is totally out of the question, but 3rd is still totally in our reach. We need to keep playing like we have and with a decent signing and Sturridge back we could actually do this.

The big question is how will Utd & Soton finish and will Arsenal step it up a gear or two. There will be 1 'big side' out of the top 4 this year, if not 2.

For me its a 5 horse race for these positions and with teams taking points off each other as of late we could sneak in with a few decent results. Even with a bad bit of form I would say a minimum finish total of 65 points. 83 Points is the maximum we can reach and no doubt we will need 74(ish) so we can lose 3 games or draw 5 and be there or there about... We still have to play all the teams above us and some tough away games.

All to play for, but a bloody tough ask.

I still don't think we can make it because we've left ourselves with too much ground to cover in too short a time with insufficiently good players to do it with. If we'd signed a new goal keeper and striker in Jan then I'd be more optimistic but it isn't looking like we're interested in this. We're reaping what we sowed in the transfer windows.

I reckon it could go to last couple games for 3rd and 4th. Between us the scum arsenal and Southampton. We do have a strong enough team to finish 3rd it looks like the new lads are clicking with Sturridge back in a few weeks Borini, Lambert, Marovic looking like there hitting form I personally think we can get top 4 and a couple trips to Wembley ;-p.

5 points behind but 3rd and 4th is going to be contested between 5, maybe 6 different teams so just got to make sure we keep picking up the 3 points.

Keep winning and we'll see how Utd deal with the pressure. Van Gaal has an awful temper when things are going bad. Southampton are surprising me and Koeman is an astute coach, but I can't take them seriously for top 4 unless they're still there in April.

Southampton are surprising, but in the long run I don't see them finish 3rd/4th.
Utd have no team cohesion.
The gap is recoverable, but it takes at least a buy in midfield IMHO.

It's a difficult one for me this.

On the one hand: the optimist in me, [the side which never bets against us or predicts anything other than a Reds victory], believes we can do it - even if it will be down to the inconsistent form of others around us, as much as our form. On the other hand: the pessimist in me [the side which deals in logic and Maths], has serious doubts.

In our last six games we've had a good run of results - 14 points from a possible 18 - which seen us unbeaten and whilst we have moved from 11th to 7th in that time, we have still only made up 2 points on 4th place. Brendan, famously, looks at clusters of games - I would have imagined he'd have looked at those six and believed 14 points was well within our capabilities

Our next 6 = West Ham (H); Everton (A); Spurs (H); Southampton (A); Man City (H); Burnley (H).

Team in 4th's next 6 = Leicester (H); West Ham (A); Burnley (H); Swansea (A); Sunderland (H); Newcastle (A).

Can we do it? Well yes... as long as no team, above us, hits the form which we are hoping to.

That's the problem though. Those teams above us, either through form or just plain good luck, don't look like dropping points any time soon and we need them to drop points so we can close the gap and ultimately over take them. You also have to consider that the games we've won are games you would expect us to win in any other season and were all against teams struggling so it's hardly conclusive proof we've turned a corner. Look at yesterday's second half? Until our second goal we were under the cosh by a team that couldn't punch through a wet tissue. We stayed resolute and didn't concede but this is against a team that hasn't scored in almost nine hours of football. Plus, for all our dominance in the first half we only scored one goal so our biggest problem still exists.

There's still hope while its still mathematically possible but realistically it's going to be the following cluster of games that determines where we finish. Spurs, Everton, Southampton, City and United are going to be the real test of whether we can finish in the top four. Once we come out of the other side of this cluster of matches we'll have a clearer view of our chances. As a minimum we need draws against Spurs, Saints, City and United just to remain the same distance behind them we are now and hope they drop points elsewhere. Really we need to take maximum points from this cluster to recover lost ground and that's going to be exceedingly difficult.

You will not get an easy game in the Premier league unless that team has a bad day. There's no point saying we are only beating the lesser teams, even City and Chelsea have struggled against so called weaker teams. Every win should be celebrated.

The table at the end usually reflects thIe standard of each team, the best team ( the team with the best players and manager) will usually finish 1st and so on, realistically a title challenge should be beyond us, but finishing in the top 4 would be a great achievement, all things considered, although not good enough for a team of our size.

Im geting more optimistic from game to game,it is going to be a tough task to do that and its not depend only from us will we get there but im hoping we can.