How many points do we need to qualify for the CL?

Current table

Chelsea 59pts*
Spurs 50pts
Arsenal 50pts
Liverpool 49pts
Man City 49pts *
United 48pts

* = game in hand

Only Chelsea doing better than 2 points per game this season. 

My feeling is that 2 points per game should be easily enough from this point - especially with cup competitions ongoing for some sides especially European competitions?

Higher than that or lower than that?

78 points

Current table

Chelsea 59pts*
Spurs 50pts
Arsenal 50pts
Liverpool 49pts
Man City 49pts *
United 48pts

* = game in hand

Only Chelsea doing better than 2 points per game this season. 

My feeling is that 2 points per game should be easily enough from this point - especially with cup competitions ongoing for some sides especially European competitions?

Higher than that or lower than that?

I'd agree on 2 points per game being enough.

Spurs I think might drop off a little and I only see Chelsea keeping up any type of run.

Let's just win our next 13 games and see where that leaves us. Hopefully in 1st with those Chav cu*ts losing and drawing their remaining games for the season. 

Won't really matter will it?..i mean winning should guarantee a CL spot

it really is a shame isnt it?  that diabolic janurary destroyed a great chance to win the league.

manutd i feel will continue to be strong

chelsea definitely in

tottenham would drop off a bit

arsenal drop off a bit and end off in 4th as thats their spot

city i feel would be playing more consistently

yup. lets just win all the remaining games to ensure CL

If 78 points is the benchmark to make top 4, then we will need another 29 points from the next 13 games. The combo results of the remaining games could turned to be as follows :-

W 13 D 0 L 0  : 39 pts  Total  :  88 pts
W 12 D 1 L 0  : 37 pts  Total  :  86 pts
W 12 D 0 L 1  : 36 pts  Total  :  85 pts
W 11 D 2 L 0  : 35 pts  Total  :  84 pts
W 11 D 1 L 1  : 34 pts  Total  :  83 pts
W 11 D 0 L 2  : 33 pts  Total  :  82 pts
W 10 D 3 L 0  : 33 pts  Total  :  82 Pts
W 10 D 2 L 1  : 32 pts  Total  :  81 pts
W 10 D 1 L 2  : 31 pts  Total  :  80 pts
W 10 D 0 L 3  : 30 pts  Total  :  79 pts
W   9 D 4 L 0  : 31 pts  Total  :  80 pts
W   9 D 3 L 1  : 30 pts  Total  :  79 pts
W   9 D 2 L 2  : 29 pts  Total  :  78 pts *****
W   9 D 1 L 3  : 28 pts  Total  :  77 pts
W   9 D 0 L 4  : 27 pts  Total  :  76 pts
W   8 D 5 L 0  : 29 pts  Total  :  78 pts *****
W   8 D 4 L 1  : 28 pts  Total  :  77 pts
W   8 D 3 L 2  : 27 pts  Total  :  76 pts
W   8 D 2 L 3  : 26 pts  Total  :  75 pts
W   8 D 1 L 4  : 25 pts  Total  :  74 pts
W   8 D 2 L 3  : 26 pts  Total  :  75 pts ??
W   8 D 1 L 4  : 25 pts  Total  :  74 pts
W   8 D 0 L 5  : 24 pts  Total  :  73 pts

 This is how the top 4 made it in :-

2015/16
1   Leicester City (C)   81 pts
2   Arsenal              71 pts
3   Tottenham Hotspur   70 pts
4   Manchester City       66 pts

2014/15
1   Chelsea (C)      87 pts
2   Manchester City      79 pts
3   Arsenal               75 pts
4   Manchester United   70 pts

I'd take the 2014/15 season as a gauge of how many points we will need.  70 pts would be a bare minimum needed while 78 points would give us a "very good chance" of making top 4. 75 points would most probably allow us to sneak in.

That points simulation tells me one thing, we will need to avoid further defeats from now on. We can draw up to a total of 5 game with 8 wins and still muster 78 points. As many have said, we find ourselves still in a strong position is because we have done very well in the 1st half of the season.

In summary, I would say anything more than 70 points would give us a very god chance of ending up at top 4.

Anyone dare to think of a 13 straight wins that will give us a total 88 points and beat Chelsea to the title?

(Note  : Any calculation error here, kindly point out. Maths is not one of my strongest point)

Providing the scum don't win the Europa League... my guess is 76.

Sorry to be an dick, but 1pt more than the 5th placed team, but ideally, 1 more than the 4th placed team.

At this stage I don't feel you can put a safe number of points as it's as tight as a duck's arse at the moment.  Goal difference may be crucial. 

What happens if United/Spurs win the Europa League or City/Arsenal win the CL and finish outside the top four (latter being very unlikely I know)?

I think 76 will be enough if top four qualify but a couple more to get 3rd and avoid a qualifier would be decent.

75 points should seal it

No point worrying about what others will do, apart from when we play them there's F**k all we can do about it.

Get the Arsenal and city games out the way and we've a clear run at it.  As for the scum, they've an easy run for a few weeks then have Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs all in the last few games.  If they win them and we've done our job they'll be doing us a favour, if they lose them then bye bye CL for them for another season.  It's a win, win IF we've done our job.

2ppg should be enough as it gives us 75 points, put in a winning run like the 13/14 season and we're laughing.

What happens if United/Spurs win the Europa League or City/Arsenal win the CL and finish outside the top four (latter being very unlikely I know)?

Trump will become The Intergalatic Emperor for ALL ETERNITY. #AWESOME.

What happens if United/Spurs win the Europa League or City/Arsenal win the CL and finish outside the top four (latter being very unlikely I know)?

I think 76 will be enough if top four qualify but a couple more to get 3rd and avoid a qualifier would be decent.

That's fighting talk Chats. Give you head a wobble.
Scum/Spuds will bow out of EL and Arsenal/City will bow out of CL.

Past 7 seasons' average for fourth is 70.71 points. We need 21.71 points from 13 games to get there. 1.67 points per game. Number crunchers, data is below.

Points for fourth placed teams
2010 Spurs 70
2011 Arsenal 68
2012 Spurs 69
2013 Arsenal 73
2014 Arsenal 79
2015 United 70
2016 City 66

If we seasonalise our performance, we will finish with 74.48 points, well above the average.

So 76 points it was then.

So 76 points it was then.

I think Arsenal finishing 5th with 75 points is the highest ever achieved without getting into the CL. We've done well in the end when you consider that.

I think Arsenal finishing 5th with 75 points is the highest ever achieved without getting into the CL. We've done well in the end when you consider that.

Aye... from early on it looked like a high points tally would be needed and for once, that's how things panned out.

So, yes... Jürgen and the lads did us proud. 😎

My feeling is that 2 points per game should be easily enough from this point - especially with cup competitions ongoing for some sides especially European competitions?

Higher than that or lower than that?

In the 13 games since this topic we've averaged 2.08 points per game.

So it was a damn tough run in.  We were effectively 5th at that point with Man Utd a point behind us.

What the season showed once again was it's the ability to consistently smash the cannon fodder which ultimately decides who gets the title or the top spots. Our record against the top 6 was enviable, but our inability to beat sh!te teams was a disaster. Equally, although the league is physically demanding, the actual quality in depth isn't anywhere near so strong as SKY would have you believe. Once you get down to Everton in 7th, the top two basically smash them Home and Away every week, racking up cricket scores in the process. Also interesting that two out of the top four had no European football, obviously a huge advantage. Luckily nobody will have that next season out of the big clubs, although both the Arsenal and the Mancs will surely take the Europa League less than seriously early on, just to ensure they do better in the league next time.   

What the season showed once again was it's the ability to consistently smash the cannon fodder which ultimately decides who gets the title or the top spots. Our record against the top 6 was enviable, but our inability to beat sh!te teams was a disaster. Equally, although the league is physically demanding, the actual quality in depth isn't anywhere near so strong as SKY would have you believe. Once you get down to Everton in 7th, the top two basically smash them Home and Away every week, racking up cricket scores in the process. Also interesting that two out of the top four had no European football, obviously a huge advantage. Luckily nobody will have that next season out of the big clubs, although both the Arsenal and the Mancs will surely take the Europa League less than seriously early on, just to ensure they do better in the league next time.   

Disaster's a bit much. We did get top 4 after all.

Disaster's a bit much. We did get top 4 after all.

It's comical.

We smashed these teams early on too, so much so that each and every team played with two banks of 5, almost never leaving their own half. Apparently though, at that point "we'd been found out".

Then we came unstuck a little, but that dip in form also coincided with our worst run of injuries and Mane having to leave for the AFCON, Jürgen adapted though, against all the bullshit you heard thrown at him that has now dimmed as it it was never there.

Our points total by year is as follows:

91' - 64
92' - 59
93' - 60
94' - 74
95' - 71
96' - 68
97' - 65
98' - 54
99' - 67
00' - 69
01' - 80
02' - 64
03' - 60
04' - 58
05' - 82
06' - 68
07' - 76
08' - 86
09' - 63
10' - 58
11' - 52
12' - 61
13' - 84
14' - 62
15' - 60
16' - 76

So, just 5 times in the last 26 years have we achieved a points tally equal or greater than this. Yet words like disaster and suicidal are thrown around. Accusations that the manager is clueless and picking the wrong players or the latest hilarious episode (just because Sturridge played ahead of Firmino) that a "plan B has emerged".

The truth is that Jürgen has done very well taking over a weak squad and turning them, very quickly, into a squad that has qualified for the CL. Highly commendable, nothing stupid, suicidal or disastrous anywhere near what we've achieved this year.

What the season showed once again was it's the ability to consistently smash the cannon fodder which ultimately decides who gets the title or the top spots

Not factually correct.

Swap our 6 defeats against the lower clubs and reallocate them in our games against the top six.

If we hadn't taken 6 points off Arsenal they would have finished above us.

We simply failed to win enough games (didn't win 16). 10 of them were draws.

If you go through the season and have to lose 6 games, it is far better for you to lose them against relegation threatened clubs than to lose against the top 3 teams in the league home and away.

It's comical.

We smashed these teams early on too, so much so that each and every team played with two banks of 5, almost never leaving their own half. Apparently though, at that point "we'd been found out".

Then we came unstuck a little, but that dip in form also coincided with our worst run of injuries and Mane having to leave for the AFCON, Jürgen adapted though, against all the bullshit you heard thrown at him that has now dimmed as it it was never there.

Our points total by year is as follows:

91' - 64
92' - 59
93' - 60
94' - 74
95' - 71
96' - 68
97' - 65
98' - 54
99' - 67
00' - 69
01' - 80
02' - 64
03' - 60
04' - 58
05' - 82
06' - 68
07' - 76
08' - 86
09' - 63
10' - 58
11' - 52
12' - 61
13' - 84
14' - 62
15' - 60
16' - 76

So, just 5 times in the last 26 years have we achieved a points tally equal or greater than this. Yet words like disaster and suicidal are thrown around. Accusations that the manager is clueless and picking the wrong players or the latest hilarious episode (just because Sturridge played ahead of Firmino) that a "plan B has emerged".

The truth is that Jürgen has done very well taking over a weak squad and turning them, very quickly, into a squad that has qualified for the CL. Highly commendable, nothing stupid, suicidal or disastrous anywhere near what we've achieved this year.

Absolutely agree. +16 season on season is massive!

Fantastic job by the German. I think he's going to be brilliant in the champions league next year. Can't wait to watch him wave his magic.

Disaster's a bit much. We did get top 4 after all.

I'm not sure disaster is a bit much mate. We'd have won the bugger if we'd have been more efficient at putting away the sh!te teams.

It's comical.

We smashed these teams early on too, so much so that each and every team played with two banks of 5, almost never leaving their own half. Apparently though, at that point "we'd been found out".

Then we came unstuck a little, but that dip in form also coincided with our worst run of injuries and Mane having to leave for the AFCON, Jürgen adapted though, against all the bullshit you heard thrown at him that has now dimmed as it it was never there.

So, just 5 times in the last 26 years have we achieved a points tally equal or greater than this. Yet words like disaster and suicidal are thrown around. Accusations that the manager is clueless and picking the wrong players or the latest hilarious episode (just because Sturridge played ahead of Firmino) that a "plan B has emerged".

The truth is that Jürgen has done very well taking over a weak squad and turning them, very quickly, into a squad that has qualified for the CL. Highly commendable, nothing stupid, suicidal or disastrous anywhere near what we've achieved this year.

Well Luke if you don't think we have been at least to an extent "found out" by the weaker teams, you'd be in a significant minority of anyone who knows anything about football that I've listened to. As for a "plan B emerging", it is to be hoped I'm right and we are in the process of seeing it take shape. If I aren't and our intention is to once again try and play exactly the same way in absolutely all of the matches, you can be absolutely certain that we are going to come unstuck against bus parkers next season as well.

Fortunately I have far more faith in Jürgen than most of the drum bangers. For instance I'm certain that he now realises that going into the season with such a thin squad was a huge mistake and he won't do it again, he's admitted as much. That's what top managers do, they realise they've made a mistake, they admit it, correct it and move on. Unfortunately for some of the drum bangers, they protested so loudly back in the Summer than anybody who could possibly disagree with Jürgen must by definition  be wrong, that now they're a little lost as to what to say. The problem always is of course that while Jürgen can admit he was wrong without a bother, for them it's very tough to do the same. Jürgen WAS wrong (and now of course is RIGHT as he's admitted it) and he definitely won't make the same mistake again IMHO, as I've got more faith in him than that. Equally, Jürgen could do what the drum bangers do and deny the obvious fact that teams have worked us out a bit, or he could change plan, find a plan B as it were. He could say "ah it was just down to injuries, or maybe ift was the AFCON", or maybe he could try and convince himself that we were just "unlucky". My faith in him is such though that he won't waste his time with the self delusion that the drum bangers endulge in, he and Buvak the brain have already IMHO got a plan to counter the BP's (bus parkers) next season.

Equally, Jürgen will know that had we been better at beating the sh!te we could have won the league. Like me, the fact that the failure to do so cost us the chance I think he will consider it a "disaster". Winners, top managers think like that.   

Can't deny if we treated the bottom feeders like the Top 2 have we would have been closer to Chelsea.

Well Luke if you don't think we have been at least to an extent "found out" by the weaker teams

No, I told you at the time Mick that we hadn't been found out and that Jürgen just needed to find a way to beat that style and we'd be fine. You see Jürgen had teams beat to almost submission, they came with a plan that bordered on desperate, an all out concession of possession and not to compete at all.

as for a "plan B emerging"

Listen to Jürgen, you'll learn plenty if you do. He's explained exactly how we've set up recently and he's explained exactly how this had nothing to do with a plan B... despite the rest of your ego rubbing.

Equally, Jürgen will know that had we been better at beating the sh!te we could have won the league. Like me

Nah Mick, none of this washes whatsoever. At the start of the season you had us down for 6th or 7th, you actually thought that we'd never compete with the teams that spend more than us. That it was a fact that money = CL all of which Jürgen has turned on it's head. He's got a negative net spend and has us back in the CL. Those are the facts Mick.

You actually thought the choice to go into the season with the squad we had was "suicidal" management. You don't achieve 76 points with suicidal management. You don't improve on the previous season by 16 points with suicidal management.

So no disasters, no suicidal management, actually a season of tremendous progress and getting CL football when the league is probably filled with the best set of managers it's had in a very long time.

Can't deny if we treated the bottom feeders like the Top 2 have we would have been closer to Chelsea.

You can, read the post directly below yours! 

No, I told you at the time Mick that we hadn't been found out and that Jürgen just needed to find a way to beat that style and we'd be fine. You see Jürgen had teams beat to almost submission, they came with a plan that bordered on desperate, an all out concession of possession and not to compete at all.

OK, we hadn't been "found out", nor did we need a "plan B". Jürgen just "needed to find a way to beat that style and we'd be fine". This is one of your odd moments I can see it in advance mate, one of those where you agree with me but swear blind you're not agreeing with me.

Anyway you've convinced me. We weren't "found out" and we didn't "need a plan B" to counter the system where teams just gave us the ball and retreated. On the contrary, we just had to wait until Jürgen "found a way to beat that style" and now "we're fine". Glad we've cleared that one up.   

OK, we hadn't been "found out", nor did we need a "plan B". Jürgen just "needed to find a way to beat that style and we'd be fine". This is one of your odd moments I can see it in advance mate, one of those where you agree with me but swear blind you're not agreeing with me.

Anyway you've convinced me. We weren't "found out" and we didn't "need a plan B" to counter the system where teams just gave us the ball and retreated. On the contrary, we just had to wait until Jürgen "found a way to beat that style" and now "we're fine". Glad we've cleared that one up.   

No Mick, I'm telling you what Jürgen has been saying.

I assume you've been listening. It's about patience, confidence and ability to execute the plan with less space. He's said that our lads have allowed themselves to lose faith and tried to force things far too early.

Or should I say that if you think you've been seeing "long diagonals", "giving them the ball for long enough that they come out" then you're deluded. (these were in fact your ideas of a "plan B" at the time, that we should have kept Benteke for such a plan B")

What do you reckon Mick, should we go after Benteke for next season, bring him back for those plan B's against the likes of Barca/Juve/Real/Bayern?

No Mick, I'm telling you what Jürgen has been saying.

I assume you've been listening. It's about patience, confidence and ability to execute the plan with less space. He's said that our lads have allowed themselves to lose faith and tried to force things far too early.

Or should I say that if you think you've been seeing "long diagonals", "giving them the ball for long enough that they come out" then you're deluded. (these were in fact your ideas of a "plan B" at the time, that we should have kept Benteke for such a plan B")

What do you reckon Mick, should we go after Benteke for next season, bring him back for those plan B's against the likes of Barca/Juve/Real/Bayern?

Oh dear. I can always tell when you're struggling mate because you begin to make stuff up. It's particularly embarrassing when I haven't even been posting aside from in one thread, so when I said I saw a plan B "emerging" I didn't actually say any of the things you've put in quotes. I didn't say I'd seen "long diagonals" I said I saw us being "more direct" (so did Jürgen too which is nice). There aren't many posts to go through, I'll leave it with you. I've never heard ANYONE say that we should "give them the ball for long enough that they come out". Is it a mistype or have you lost your marbles or something?

As for Benteke, no I wouldn't "go after him" for next season no. We might have been better served if we'd had him rather than Origi on occasions this season, but as it is I think we got a fair price for him, particularly given Jürgen doesn't rate him. He had a poor season at Palace IMHO, but I guess 13 goals or whatever it was in a team which flirted with relegation isn't a total disaster. Buy him back though? No.

My guess is however that next season we will see a further development of a "plan B" which WILL see us playing on occasions more direct. I hope so, there has always been more than one way to win a football match.

Oh dear. I can always tell when you're struggling mate because you begin to make stuff up. It's particularly embarrassing when I haven't even been posting aside from in one thread, so when I said I saw a plan B "emerging" I didn't actually say any of the things you've put in quotes.

Where did I say you said that in your new thread, you said it much earlier in the season, or do you deny it?

As for Benteke, no I wouldn't "go after him" for next season no. We might have been better served if we'd had him rather than Origi on occasions this season, but as it is I think we got a fair price for him, particularly given Jürgen doesn't rate him. He had a poor season at Palace IMHO, but I guess 13 goals or whatever it was in a team which flirted with relegation isn't a total disaster. Buy him back though? No.

Nice to see you're learning.

My guess is however that next season we will see a further development of a "plan B" which WILL see us playing on occasions more direct. I hope so, there has always been more than one way to win a football match.

Yeah, it's a nice switch Mick. From earlier in the season literally remonstrating that Benteke was the answer, that allowing him to leave and having no "plan B" in place was amateurish. No worries Mick, we're now being more direct which in your opinion is a Plan B. However if you listen to Jürgen he'll describe clearly to you that what he wants is for us to move between the lines quicker. Not hitting the striker quicker but actually asking the full-backs to be that option on the outside and the midfielders to make their runs more direct between the lines therefore committing the defenders and making them have to make decisions. In fact he describes it as quite simply being better at plan A, but you carry on.

You might have heard this exact message somewhere on the forum if you'd cared to read it.

What the season showed once again was it's the ability to consistently smash the cannon fodder which ultimately decides who gets the title or the top spots. Our record against the top 6 was enviable, but our inability to beat sh!te teams was a disaster. Equally, although the league is physically demanding, the actual quality in depth isn't anywhere near so strong as SKY would have you believe. Once you get down to Everton in 7th, the top two basically smash them Home and Away every week, racking up cricket scores in the process. Also interesting that two out of the top four had no European football, obviously a huge advantage. Luckily nobody will have that next season out of the big clubs, although both the Arsenal and the Mancs will surely take the Europa League less than seriously early on, just to ensure they do better in the league next time.   

Our ability to beat "sh*te teams" was our glaringly obvious Achilles Heel - this is why for me the campaign was frustrating. I don't think anyone would, or honestly could try and state otherwise unless they just want to be plain silly about things - which wouldn't surprise me from one or two.

I also believe, and stand by the point that once a few teams had seen how we couldn't cope with breaking low block teams down, after realising early on that we could just blow them away. This became the go-to manager's plan - even the ex-P.E teacher down at Plymouth earned himself an admirable reply by low blocking us. It was like every manager, was copying his previous manager's game plan that was effective against us.

The bliiiiip lasted too long to be considered a mere hiccup. It saw us drop off the cliff in keeping apace with Chelsea who were at one point 13 points? behind us, IIRC, then extended a handsome 17 point lead on us by the end of the season. Credit to Conte, he did well in his first season proper but that swing in point difference was largely down to our failings. I didn't expect us to win the league but there was some hope there from the beginning of what, was a fantastic start from us.

I have to say, while credit goes to Jürgen for taking us into the CL, I do think he got a few things wrong this season. He clearly underestimated the rigour of English football for one, and he'd been here three quarters of a season prior that. Then, we didn't change our shape/play until our 36th game! That is an extraordinarily slow reaction from the boss. It doesn't mean however had he have changed it prior to our 36th game things would have definitely have worked, but it was very hard to see any changes in our play at all since the turn of the year. It was at times like footballing insanity, doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome. Sometimes it would come, but it would lead you into a false sense of security, and then it would revert to type. That said, we changed the shape eventually, whether it was by design or circumstance (Sturridge coming back), is by the by, we scored 7 goals in our last two games and conceded 0. Being flexible and adaptable is something I think the boss needs to become more accustomed to IMHO.

Another point of note - Philippe Coutinho finished the season as top goal scorer. Firstly, credit to him for being the first Brazillian (a while back he did this and it pretty much went unnoticed), to smash Juninho's record of 30 goals from a Brazilian in top flight English football. The point though, Coutinho missed a fair chunk of football, so to did Mane, but being that reliant on goals from a #10 also highlights for me, the fact we need a proper #9 chasing down goals next season, and not just chasing down space and defenders.

Defense is an issue still, I saw yesterday Lovren (your mate) had a couple of moments, and while biased, I don't think it was a pen, but that sh*t can easily go against you 50/50. He's a liability, and there's no two ways about it. We also need fullbacks now who can offer width that we've lacked along with more attacking prowess in the final third.

When everything is said and done and putting aside his faults, Klopp deserves a lot of credit for our final league finish, and though I  can only echo Robbie Fowler's words about finishing 4th, it's a foundation of progress that has been laid by the German. and something for him to build on. I like him, he looks, sounds and feels like a fellow fan, passionate about our success and it's one of his best traits that seem to reverberate around the whole club.

Next season Jürgen, we go again.

Brilliant post that Belly, agree with every word (except those about Dejan  ). Mind you, he was f****** brutal yesterday I must admit. When he's bad, he's proper bad.

Our ability to beat "sh*te teams" was our glaringly obvious Achilles Heel - this is why for me the campaign was frustrating. I don't think anyone would, or honestly could try and state otherwise unless they just want to be plain silly about things - which wouldn't surprise me from one or two.

I also believe, and stand by the point that once a few teams had seen how we couldn't cope with breaking low block teams down, after realising early on that we could just blow them away. This became the go-to manager's plan - even the ex-P.E teacher down at Plymouth earned himself an admirable reply by low blocking us. It was like every manager, was copying his previous manager's game plan that was effective against us.

The bliiiiip lasted too long to be considered a mere hiccup. It saw us drop off the cliff in keeping apace with Chelsea who were at one point 13 points? behind us, IIRC, then extended a handsome 17 point lead on us by the end of the season. Credit to Conte, he did well in his first season proper but that swing in point difference was largely down to our failings. I didn't expect us to win the league but there was some hope there from the beginning of what, was a fantastic start from us.

I have to say, while credit goes to Jürgen for taking us into the CL, I do think he got a few things wrong this season. He clearly underestimated the rigour of English football for one, and he'd been here three quarters of a season prior that. Then, we didn't change our shape/play until our 36th game! That is an extraordinarily slow reaction from the boss. It doesn't mean however had he have changed it prior to our 36th game things would have definitely have worked, but it was very hard to see any changes in our play at all since the turn of the year. It was at times like footballing insanity, doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome. Sometimes it would come, but it would lead you into a false sense of security, and then it would revert to type. That said, we changed the shape eventually, whether it was by design or circumstance (Sturridge coming back), is by the by, we scored 7 goals in our last two games and conceded 0. Being flexible and adaptable is something I think the boss needs to become more accustomed to IMHO.

Another point of note - Philippe Coutinho finished the season as top goal scorer. Firstly, credit to him for being the first Brazillian (a while back he did this and it pretty much went unnoticed), to smash Juninho's record of 30 goals from a Brazilian in top flight English football. The point though, Coutinho missed a fair chunk of football, so to did Mane, but being that reliant on goals from a #10 also highlights for me, the fact we need a proper #9 chasing down goals next season, and not just chasing down space and defenders.

Defense is an issue still, I saw yesterday Lovren (your mate) had a couple of moments, and while biased, I don't think it was a pen, but that sh*t can easily go against you 50/50. He's a liability, and there's no two ways about it. We also need fullbacks now who can offer width that we've lacked along with more attacking prowess in the final third.

When everything is said and done and putting aside his faults, Klopp deserves a lot of credit for our final league finish, and though I  can only echo Robbie Fowler's words about finishing 4th, it's a foundation of progress that has been laid by the German. and something for him to build on. I like him, he looks, sounds and feels like a fellow fan, passionate about our success and it's one of his best traits that seem to reverberate around the whole club.

Next season Jürgen, we go again.

Great post Beer and I fully agree on the point about Jürgen being slow to react during the season and it's staggering it took us to game 36 to change things up a bit.

I think he'll think back on that as a mistake and it won't be made next season.

Um its      76  !


Do I get a prize ?

Um its      76  !


Do I get a prize ?

I hope t'sweet F**k you do... 😉

my guess is 76.

Nostradam🐭?

I hope t'sweet f**k you do... 😉

Nostradam🐭?

Fat chance .
If I was I could have scrabbled out of the Championship in the  Prediction League.