The Next 10 Games...

Be nice if someone could create a decent pre-match thread

As people have said city are favorite to win the title and they have butchered teams at home.  I am hoping for a win but I will take a draw and if we lose then I won't take it to heart. Let's face it, we don't have the squad to compete with city, no team in England does.
Btw what happened to fp rule?

As people have said city are favorite to win the title and they have butchered teams at home.  I am hoping for a win but I will take a draw and if we lose then I won't take it to heart. Let's face it, we don't have the squad to compete with city, no team in England does.
Btw what happened to fp rule?

They sidestepped it by the company owned by City's owner buying naming rights for the stadium at an infalted value and the FA allowed them to get away with it even though it was in flagrant violation of the spirit of the rule. On the wider point, City remind me of United a few years ago where they rely on out scoring their opponents in order to secure a win. This is going to be a game of who is the more successful in defending because they're definately not invincible. With this in mind, given Skrtel's propensity for shirt pulling, I think we're better starting with Agger so as not to concede a penalty.

Everton just beat Swansea now they are right up our arses with 2 points behind us. Evertonians singing "we're gunna win the league" 

Everton just beat Swansea now they are right up our arses with 2 points behind us. Evertonians singing "we're gunna win the league" 

It's typical, just when we decide we're going to have a good season, every other team in the top half of the table decides they're going to do just the same. That's a good result for Everton, and very F***ing gutting for us. No doubt they'll be rivalling us for a champions league spot.

Still think we should've beaten Swansea and Newcastle away though, regardless of what others have said.

Our next 10 games from now:

Liverpool:
City (a)
Chelsea (a)
Hull (h)
Stoke (a)
Villa (h)
Everton (h)
West Brom (a)
Arsenal (h)
Fulham (a)
Swansea (h)

Man City:
Liverpool (h)
Palace (h)
Swansea (a)
Newcastle (a)
Cardiff (h)
Tottenham (a)
Chelsea (h)
Norwich (a)
Sunderland (h)
Stoke (h)

Arsenal:
West Ham (a)
Newcastle (a)
Cardiff (h)
Villa (a)
Fulham (h)
Southampton (a)
Palace (h)
Liverpool (a)
Man Utd (h)
Sunderland (h)

Chelsea:
Swansea (h)
Liverpool (h)
Southampton (a)
Hull (a)
Man Utd (h)
West Ham (h)
Man City (a)
Newcastle (h)
West Brom (a)
Everton (h)

Everton:
Sunderland (h)
Southampton (h)
Stoke (a)
Norwich (h)
West Brom (a)
Liverpool (a)
Villa (h)
Tottenham (a)
Palace (h)
Chelsea (a)

Scum:
Hull (a)
Norwich (a)
Tottenham (h)
Swansea (h)
Chelsea (a)
Cardiff (h)
Stoke (a)
Fulham (h)
Arsenal (a)
Palace (a)

What do you guys reckon? Where could we stand after 27 games?

I could see us getting 30 points if we play like we currently are, but realistically, 20 points should be the minimum. The only away games we have after the new year are Stoke, West Brom and Fulham. All very winnable.

The aim should be to win every game after the new year, any points dropped would be seen as a disappointment. Including the home games against Everton and Arsenal, with our home form, we must be looking to win.

Against City and Chelsea, we can easily lose those games, so I would aim for a minimum of 2 points. If we draw both games, that's a good result, if we get any more then it's a bonus.

Understand where you're coming from Passport' but Arsenal always seem weaker with Wilshire playing. He played in most games they performed poorly, including the city game, but didn't play against us.
Everyone keeps crowing about this marvellous talent arse and England have. I just don't see it. He's suspended for 2 matches now. See how arse midfield improve without him!
 I also think we are far from the finished article, and do need improvement in the centre of the park, even though we've been better of late. Just have this weird feeling we'll win this one, as they are conceding plenty, with an attitude of, 'we'll just score more than you'. To be sure there will come a time when they won't, and scoring goals at the mo is certainly one of our strengths, which they will have to worry about, like they haven't had to against most of their opposition so far.
I'm gonna be really bold now and give you an early prediction of 3 - 2 to the red men !     You heard it here first.


Although I also agree, a draw or a loss,would not be the end of our season.

That's paying 33\1  and so I put couple of bucks on it last night and a couple on 3-3 at 44\1. I'm hoping, praying and have everything crossed, the 1st bet gets up. 

20 points from the next 30 & we will still imo be very much in the hunt.
Everyone has & will drop points from now until the season's finale.

I think we will collect 21/22 from the next 10 games

If any other side in the top 6 collects more than that in the next 10 i'll be very surprised indeed..

Arsenal:
Chelsea (h) 1pt
West Ham (a) 3pts
Newcastle (a) 1pt

Liverpool:
Cardiff (h) 3pts
Man City (a) 0pt
Chelsea (a) 1pt

Chelsea:
Arsenal (a) 1pt
Swansea (h) 3pts
Liverpool (h) 1pt

Man City:
Fulham (a) 3pts
Liverpool (h) 3pts
Palace (h) 3pts

Everton:
Swansea (a) 1pt
Sunderland (h) 3pts -- 0pts
Southampton (h) 1pt

Spurs:
Southampton (a) 1pt -- 3pts
West Brom (h) 3pts -- 1pt
Stoke (h) 3pts

Scum:
West Ham (h) 3pts
Hull (a) 3pts
Norwich (a) 3pts

The 2nd half of the season on paper should be easier for us.

40pts Arsenal
39pts Manchester City
38pts Chelsea
37pts Liverpool
34pts Everton
34pts Spurs
34pts Scum

Everton dropping vital points

If we get a win on Sunday(and granted it won't be easy), we would have definitely exceeded the expectations we had a few weeks back when Spurs, City and Chelsea away were all to come. 9 points from 12 is great, 7 would do but anything other than that will seem disappointing considering our form.

Hull (h)
Stoke (a)
Villa (h)
Everton (h)
WBA (a)
Arsenal (h)
Fulham (a)
Swansea (h)
Southampton (a)
Sunderland (h)
Man Utd (a)
Cardiff (a)
Tottenham (h)
West Ham (a)
Man City (h)
Norwich (a)
Chelsea (h)
Palace (a)
Newcastle (h)

Liverpool:
Key away fixtures: Man Utd
Key home fixtures: Everton, Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle

Man Utd:
Key away fixtures: Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Everton
Key home fixtures: Tottenham, Man City, Liverpool

Man City:
Key away: Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, Everton, Tottenham
Key home: Chelsea

Chelsea:
Key away: Liverpool, Man City
Key home: Newcastle, Everton, Man Utd, Arsenal, Tottenham

Arsenal:
Key away: Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton
Key home: Man City, Man Utd, Newcastle

Spurs:
Key away: Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Newcastle
Key home: Everton, Arsenal, Man City

Everton:
Key away: Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham, Chelsea
Key home: Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal

Newcastle:
Key away: Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal
Key home: Man Utd, Man City, Tottenham, Everton

Hull (h)
Stoke (a)
Villa (h)
Everton (h)
WBA (a)
Arsenal (h)
Fulham (a)
Swansea (h)
Southampton (a)
Sunderland (h)
Man Utd (a)
Cardiff (a)
Tottenham (h)
West Ham (a)
Man City (h)
Norwich (a)
Chelsea (h)
Palace (a)
Newcastle (h)

Can see us getting 40+ points out of that lot. Points dropped at City, Utd, Arsenal and Everton and +1 tomorrow (just in case). 77 points would be enough to see us in 3rd or higher come the end of the season. A position im sure we would all take now if it was offered, and direct CL group phase ;-)

Average points for each position in the last 8 seasons. Lowest and highest totals in brackets.

1st - 87.6 (80-91)
2nd - 82.5 (71-89)
3rd - 75.9 (68-83)
4th - 70.4 (67-76)
5th - 64.9 (60-72)

So it seems around 71-73 points SHOULD get 4th. 36 points going into the halfway stage tomorrow so roughly the same amount needed in the 2nd half of the season to make top 4.

I'll be expecting 19-21 points from our next eight games.

I'll be expecting 19-21 points from our next eight games.

il take 19 now. my guess is that we will achieve between 12-19 points

il take 19 now. my guess is that we will achieve between 12-19 points

12 simply wouldn't be good enough. We need to be aiming for around 2 points per game for top 4 from now on. 2.5 for the title.

I'll be expecting 19-21 points from our next eight games.

I'll take 20 as well but I don't think we can afford to draw both our big games. We need to start using our home advantage and turning over our rivals at home. Like City, Chelsea and Arsenal have done to us.

Big games coming up... This is where our ambitions will be tested and see what we are made of. I didnt expect much from City and Chelsea away - yet people are now 'writing us off' whilst saying Utd are coming on strong after wins against Villa, West Ham, Hull and Norwich - which is just amazing!

We have to face Hull, Stoke, Villa, Everton, West Brom, Arsenal, Fulham, Swansea, Southampton & Sunderland. Thats a very realistic run we can go on and win 8 / 10 of and the last real run we can put together this season IMO - post this lot we have a very tough game each and every other week. Stumbling blocks are of course Arseal at Home and Everton. But even with two losses here we would be sat on 60 Points with 9 games left. Over the last 5 seasons CL spot has needed 70.4 points to get 4th - that would leave us needing to win 4 of 9, a straight forward task I beleive.

4th is still a very realistic goal and what we should aim for as a minimum - personally, I think with a bit of luck and some players coming in & returning we could have a season to remeber...

11pts from last five games. Needs improving, but it could be worse!

There is no predicting how we ll do from game to game. We are incredibly inconsistent.

What the last couple of games have shown is that until our injuries clear up we are just not capable of going on a run of winning games, today despite not playing well we should have ground out a win, so gaining top 4 will be a nail biter. Shame because my ticker could do without the stress.

11pts from last five games. Needs improving, but it could be worse!

It's above the 2 points a game average we are after.