The final league push

[Blue Since 76]

I feel the same as both above; that we are just about to kick back into gear.

I was very worried when I saw the Chelsea league game, because we were basically fucked, right up against it, & would have struggled v anybody on that day.

Now we are starting to get into clear water & it should be us v them, on a level playing field. We are better than them.

Lets hope we are right.

The Chelsea game was the low point and we were just missing too many players to be able to compete. Since then, Fernandinho and Nasri are back and hopefully Aguero will be this week. A full week's rest will help everybody, not least Negredo who looks knackered and not helped by the injury. After that, we have another week until an 'easier' game against Wigan. Although we've got fixture congestion coming, I think the next couple of non-league games have come at the right time.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

We play Arsenal and then the rags both away in the space of 4 days.
Those four days are huge.

[Blue Since 76]

We play Arsenal and then the rags both away in the space of 4 days.
Those four days are huge.

You're right - the Arsenal game will be tough.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

We play Arsenal and then the rags both away in the space of 4 days.
Those four days are huge.

You're right - the Arsenal game will be tough.

Every game will be tough. No easy games.
The fact that the rags are now languishing in 7th may weirdly make it a harder game. In the same way that playing them used to be our cup final, it's the other way round now.

No easy games this time of year. If we can go to Arsenal and Rags and win both, we'll win the league imo.

[Tony P]

Rags away will be incredibly tough. They have nothing to lose.

[City64]

There will be a couple of bizzare results for the title chasing teams especially when they are playing relegation threatened teams away from home , it happens every season . The fact we are playing Arsenal , Liverpool , Everton and the rags away doesnt bother me too much as all those teams will play open football . It certainly isnt for the faint hearted lol

[shawzy]

If we can avoid anymore injuries i reckon we can win the league and at least one cup.

[AG7]

Two things will decide this title from here on in ...

The fixtures we'll have at hand ... and the fixtures between the top four.

Next when we play in the league we'll be three fixtures behind (Sunderland home, Villa home, and Scum away) ... another which will potentially be in hand later in April is Liverpool away.

While we keep these pending, Chelsea played West Brom away (and drew) but doesn't count as we still need to win ours against Sunderland to get back to equal points as they are three pts ahead ... so mark one of those pending fixtures for us as a must win.

Next Chelsea will play Fulham away, while we miss our Scum away game. Then Chelsea plays Spurs at home while we miss Villa at home. So if Chelsea wins these next two as well, then yes they are 9 points ahead of us and we have three MUST WINS pending to just get back to equal terms. However if they drop points at Fulham away or Spurs at home, we'll know how many points we need from those 9 available (from our pending games) so it tilts in our favor. Similarly, when we will miss our Liverpool away game, Chelsea will be playing Swansea away ...

Arsenal, similarly have played Scum on the weekend we missed our game to weather and drew, but again doesnt count as they still are two points ahead of us so our missed game remains a MUST WIN for us ... And on other gameweeks when we will miss games, Arsenal play Stoke away, Swansea home and West Ham home, but given that they are still in the FA Cup as well, they'll be missing some of those and piling up games like us as well.

So the pending games will give us an advantage if Chelsea has dropped points in those weeks when we don't play ... or in other games by the time we get around to playing our pending games ... if however they take maximum points, then the pending games become an issue for us as they'll all become MUST WINS for us and thus adding pressure ...

The second factor I suggested will decide the title this season is the following four fixtures amongst the top-4:

22 March: Chelsea v Arsenal
29 March: Arsenal v Man City
19 April: Liverpool v Man City
26 April: Liverpool v Chelsea

And this puts everyone on equal footing, as all have two fixture remaining over other top-4 sides ... So what if we have to go to Liverpool, Chelsea too have to go there ... we have to play Arsenal away but so what Arsenal has to go away to the Stamford Bridge ... Liverpool does have advantage as they play both big games at home, while we we have both away games ...

Pretty evens I say at this stage for all four then ... I'd just keep an eye on Chelsea dropping points while we keep our games in hand. That's the only thing that tilts it in our favor and if they pick up a lot of points in those games while we are tied elsewhere then when it comes to us playing our games to catch up, we'll have added pressure of catching up to whatever that points tally is.

[zuricity]

Two things will decide this title from here on in ...

The fixtures we'll have at hand ... and the fixtures between the top four.

Next when we play in the league we'll be three fixtures behind (Sunderland home, Villa home, and Scum away) ... another which will potentially be in hand later in April is Liverpool away.

While we keep these pending, Chelsea played West Brom away (and drew) but doesn't count as we still need to win ours against Sunderland to get back to equal points as they are three pts ahead ... so mark one of those pending fixtures for us as a must win.

Next Chelsea will play Fulham away, while we miss our Scum away game. Then Chelsea plays Spurs at home while we miss Villa at home. So if Chelsea wins these next two as well, then yes they are 9 points ahead of us and we have three MUST WINS pending to just get back to equal terms. However if they drop points at Fulham away or Spurs at home, we'll know how many points we need from those 9 available (from our pending games) so it tilts in our favor. Similarly, when we will miss our Liverpool away game, Chelsea will be playing Swansea away ...

Arsenal, similarly have played Scum on the weekend we missed our game to weather and drew, but again doesnt count as they still are two points ahead of us so our missed game remains a MUST WIN for us ... And on other gameweeks when we will miss games, Arsenal play Stoke away, Swansea home and West Ham home, but given that they are still in the FA Cup as well, they'll be missing some of those and piling up games like us as well.

So the pending games will give us an advantage if Chelsea has dropped points in those weeks when we don't play ... or in other games by the time we get around to playing our pending games ... if however they take maximum points, then the pending games become an issue for us as they'll all become MUST WINS for us and thus adding pressure ...

The second factor I suggested will decide the title this season is the following four fixtures amongst the top-4:

22 March: Chelsea v Arsenal
29 March: Arsenal v Man City
19 April: Liverpool v Man City
26 April: Liverpool v Chelsea

And this puts everyone on equal footing, as all have two fixture remaining over other top-4 sides ... So what if we have to go to Liverpool, Chelsea too have to go there ... we have to play Arsenal away but so what Arsenal has to go away to the Stamford Bridge ... Liverpool does have advantage as they play both big games at home, while we we have both away games ...

Pretty evens I say at this stage for all four then ... I'd just keep an eye on Chelsea dropping points while we keep our games in hand. That's the only thing that tilts it in our favor and if they pick up a lot of points in those games while we are tied elsewhere then when it comes to us playing our games to catch up, we'll have added pressure of catching up to whatever that points tally is.

One game at a time . Try to win on Sunday.

Each week throws up new scenarios, new injuries, new availability for players coming back from injury.

[sweenyuk]

I can see a decision being made soon to either accept we won't win the prem and go for the FA Cup or ditch the cup and go all out for the prem. Will be reliant on us winning Sunday though to ensure we don't end the season with no trophies

[City64]

Two things will decide this title from here on in ...

The fixtures we'll have at hand ... and the fixtures between the top four.

Next when we play in the league we'll be three fixtures behind (Sunderland home, Villa home, and Scum away) ... another which will potentially be in hand later in April is Liverpool away.

While we keep these pending, Chelsea played West Brom away (and drew) but doesn't count as we still need to win ours against Sunderland to get back to equal points as they are three pts ahead ... so mark one of those pending fixtures for us as a must win.

Next Chelsea will play Fulham away, while we miss our Scum away game. Then Chelsea plays Spurs at home while we miss Villa at home. So if Chelsea wins these next two as well, then yes they are 9 points ahead of us and we have three MUST WINS pending to just get back to equal terms. However if they drop points at Fulham away or Spurs at home, we'll know how many points we need from those 9 available (from our pending games) so it tilts in our favor. Similarly, when we will miss our Liverpool away game, Chelsea will be playing Swansea away ...

Arsenal, similarly have played Scum on the weekend we missed our game to weather and drew, but again doesnt count as they still are two points ahead of us so our missed game remains a MUST WIN for us ... And on other gameweeks when we will miss games, Arsenal play Stoke away, Swansea home and West Ham home, but given that they are still in the FA Cup as well, they'll be missing some of those and piling up games like us as well.

So the pending games will give us an advantage if Chelsea has dropped points in those weeks when we don't play ... or in other games by the time we get around to playing our pending games ... if however they take maximum points, then the pending games become an issue for us as they'll all become MUST WINS for us and thus adding pressure ...

The second factor I suggested will decide the title this season is the following four fixtures amongst the top-4:

22 March: Chelsea v Arsenal
29 March: Arsenal v Man City
19 April: Liverpool v Man City
26 April: Liverpool v Chelsea

And this puts everyone on equal footing, as all have two fixture remaining over other top-4 sides ... So what if we have to go to Liverpool, Chelsea too have to go there ... we have to play Arsenal away but so what Arsenal has to go away to the Stamford Bridge ... Liverpool does have advantage as they play both big games at home, while we we have both away games ...

Pretty evens I say at this stage for all four then ... I'd just keep an eye on Chelsea dropping points while we keep our games in hand. That's the only thing that tilts it in our favor and if they pick up a lot of points in those games while we are tied elsewhere then when it comes to us playing our games to catch up, we'll have added pressure of catching up to whatever that points tally is.

One game at a time . Try to win on Sunday.

Each week throws up new scenarios, new injuries, new availability for players coming back from injury.

Absolutely this. A good win in the final on sunday and everyone,s confidence will be sky high again , if we dont win will still have the FA cup , the League title and a very tough CL game . Now is squeaky bum time but we have a fantastic squad of players to cope with it all . ONE GAME AT A TIME !

[Chopper]

[youtube]RzXuuxnp08o[/youtube]

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

It's ours to lose - win all our remaining games and we could only be equalled on points.

Will we win them all? Probably not, but we did just have a run of 18 wins and two draws from 20, so why not?

It was always going to be the case that barring a collapse from our rivals, we would need a couple of big away wins to secure the title.

That has been obvious for months.

I still haven't ruled out the collapse having watched them all in action though. We have been struggling for fitness but they have been struggling for nerve.

If Ferguson was in our position, he would be confident of winning the title, & relatively confident of winning several of the coming top end away games, even with the side he had last year.

He has told us ad nauseum about how the pressure works in these circumstances & we have seen it in front of our eyes on many occasions, including with Mourinho's Chelsea.

And ferguson's rags, 8 point lost in 4 games if I remember correctly.

Anyhow, I reckon 9 wins from the last 12 games will do it. That's 6 homes and 3 aways.

[budfox]

My feeling is that we'll win the FA Cup and the league cup but only end up 3rd in the Prem. Got a hunch that the rags and dippers will both do us, and we'll get no more than a point at the Arse.

Would love to be proved wrong about the prem.

[Chopper]

If we come up short Im blaming Carl. He has upset quite a few of our players.

[carl_feedthegoat]

If we come up short Im blaming Carl. He has upset quite a few of our players.

Bit harsh, there's one or two that escaped my radar.

[Slim]

Because we no longer have that.

Because we have the most taxing of all remaining schedules.

Because our strikers all seem to have picked the same time to go off the boil.

Pick one.

Well the first point is wrong, so I'll stop there

Nope, last five games are wins, a draw and two losses.

The 18 wins, two draws is history, otherwise we could claim winning 11 of our first 12 games two years ago somehow applies.

[Ted Hughes]

Because we no longer have that.

Because we have the most taxing of all remaining schedules.

Because our strikers all seem to have picked the same time to go off the boil.

Pick one.

Well the first point is wrong, so I'll stop there

Nope, last five games are wins, a draw and two losses.

The 18 wins, two draws is history, otherwise we could claim winning 11 of our first 12 games two years ago somehow applies.

We may have the same team fully fit & available to play though. Which hasn't been the case since before that run ended.

People didn't expect the team which lost at Sunderland, to go on an unbeaten run til February.

No reason the same players can't do it again.

[Blue Since 76]

We may have the same team fully fit & available to play though. Which hasn't been the case since before that run ended.

People didn't expect the team which lost at Sunderland, to go on an unbeaten run til February.

No reason the same players can't do it again.

Well done, Ted. At least someone is showing some cojones.

We went from about 7th to top and then got hit by injuries. No one else has been anywhere near that consistent. We don't even need to repeat it, but another similar run and I don't see anyone stating with us. Yes, there are some tough away games, but we're either better than Liverpool and Arsenal or not. I think we are.

If we lose some key players again, we could be in trouble, but the same goes for any of the others, especially Liverpool who's squad is paper thin but coping with so few games.

[Blue Since 76]

I can see a decision being made soon to either accept we won't win the prem and go for the FA Cup or ditch the cup and go all out for the prem. Will be reliant on us winning Sunday though to ensure we don't end the season with no trophies

If we get past Barca, then maybe. But if we lose that, there's only 3 games left in the FA cup and one is the last game of the season. Arsenal are still in it and Chelsea will probably still be in Europe, so no panic