ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

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Biggest Threat?!

Just finished watching Villa beat a very poor Reading side (well at least on the day) and Villa are now on the same points as us and we have a very big game Monday night that if we lose will really mix things up for run in for 4th/5th/6th.

My question is, who is our biggest threat for those positions given the remaining fixtures? I did the BBC Premier League predictor and I have us 5th just ahead of Villa by 3 points and 6 points ahead of City...
Mark Griffiths, Chester Posted 24/02/2008 at 14:20:35

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Lue Glover
1 Posted 24/02/2008 at 17:17:13

...and Spurs have just taken the lead against Chelsea. Nail biting finish for a european place? You bet.
Those two points ’lost’ or should I say, stolen, at Blackburn are causing me some sleepless nights.
Come on you Blues, with super Pienaar back, AJ and the Yak scoring again (please) we should hang on in there.

Gavin Ramejkis
2 Posted 24/02/2008 at 17:25:20

Of all the teams contending for fourth I only see Villa as the true danger men, largely ignored by the media just like ourselves but steadily gathering points only difference is they get pens (even if Barry misses them), Man City and the RS are far too hit and miss, without ladyboy and Stevie Me the RS are nothing and Man City are piss poor away from home. We must go out to win on Monday night to keep daylight between us and the pack

Ben Brown
3 Posted 24/02/2008 at 17:49:04

I think one of the group will win all their games against the others in the group and pull away. Let’s hope it’s us, starting tomorrow with 3 points.

Stuart Duncan
4 Posted 24/02/2008 at 17:45:59

That?s one Uefa Cup place gone. Top 5 looks like being the only guaranteed spots.

It?s got to be aim for 4th and every game from now on will be like a cup tie. I agree that Villa look the biggest threat - they are proving very consistent.

Peter Pridgeon
5 Posted 24/02/2008 at 18:03:42

What really makes me sick to the core is that Spurs have just lifted a trophy and their manager has been in the job for four months, ours has been in the job for six years and we are still waiting for a trophy. On top of that a Uefa Cup place goes and the Red Shite win, I just hope we beat City to cheer me up

Phil Roberts
6 Posted 24/02/2008 at 17:55:32

The answer is.....

So far this season Liverpool are 1 less point compared to last and took 20 points from their remaining 12 fixtures so would finish on 67 points

We are 5 points better and took 16 points from our remaining 12 fixtures so would finish on 63

Villa are 12 points better and took 15 points from their remaining 11 fixtures so would finish on 62.

Portsmouth are 8 points better than last year and in their remaining 11 fixtures, took 18 points last season so would also finish on 62 points.

Squeeky Bum time!

Where can we get better? Beating Villa at Home would make us on 66 and them on 59, but still Pompey to worry about. Winning at Fulham and City as well would put us on 72 point and 4th place - theoretically.

Our record last year in the 12 remaining fixtures was W4 D4 L4. I can see us doing better, but it will be tough. The other interesting piece from this is we now are expecting 7 teams with over 60 points. 3 years ago, 59 would have got you 4th.

Jason Broome
7 Posted 24/02/2008 at 18:10:33

Is it me or did Spurs look good!

Kissing a trophy that could of been ours, claiming a fucking undeserved & guaranteed Uefa Cup spot.

So let Spurs have their day. For I want, expect & demand Champions League football.

Forget Villa! Teams with Champions League aspirations must defeat the up-starts beneath them. Starting with City, it is time to either put up or shut up!

Anthony Newell
8 Posted 24/02/2008 at 19:14:31

Well said Jason B. Don?t want to piss on anyone?s chips here but those should have been jubilant scenes involving Everton. The reason we didn?t make the final was due to a very negative approach in the semi-final second leg which I?m still coming to terms with to be honest. Getting to the final of the Uefa Cup, not to mention acquiring a coveted fourth spot is going to take some real boldness by Moyes and I hope he?s up for it. Boldness starts with two up front and an unchanged side against City tomorrow night

Mark Griffiths
9 Posted 24/02/2008 at 20:19:39

Yeah, two up front, good point.

Spurs went for it with two up front and look what happened, although I really think Chelsea were shit today... go figure! They were on fire against us and then play Tottenham and could not string a pass for shit!

We were so close and to be honest I watched Tottenham against Prague and they were shit, so if we do get them in the Uefa Cup, I fancy our chances

Jimmy Last
10 Posted 24/02/2008 at 20:16:18

I know there have been a few threads on here already about this, but now that Spurs have won the cup (that should have been us!) and it becomes more relevant, does that now mean that only 5th place gets a Uefa Cup place with Spurs getting the second spot?

Lue Glover
11 Posted 24/02/2008 at 21:09:17

We need a Man U - Chelsea FA cup final which, (I think) will give an additional UEFA place. If two teams outside the top 4 play eachother in the final.....not sure what happens...then if one of those teams is Cardiff City would it make a difference because they’re Welsh?
Oh lordy, my brain aches, it’s all too complicated.

Erik Dols
12 Posted 24/02/2008 at 21:11:12

I really have a bad feeling about tomorrow. Don’t know why, can’t explain it, but I expect us to lose in a bad way. Images of that dreaded 5-1 defeat a few years back keep coming up. I’d sign for a draw right now. Can someone please cheer me up?

Peter Pridgeon
13 Posted 24/02/2008 at 21:47:56

Eric
Even if we do loose it will not be a walk over, I can see a 1-1 draw here or even a late winner for us. Whatever, its going to be a tough game and City are no mugs.

Does that make you feel any better

COYB

Lue Glover
14 Posted 24/02/2008 at 21:50:20

Erik, I thought I was the only one who got the eebee jeebees before an important game!
DM will play 442 and Pienaar will run rings around Dunne and his chums. Jags will give Benjani not even a sniff of the goal and Elano will have a ’mare of a game.
Our MOM will be the Yak bringing his total number of hat tricks this season to er, well a hat trick.
Okay? No?
Try Rescue Remedy from Boots, it works for me, otherwise, counselling sessions can help.

Anthony Newell
15 Posted 24/02/2008 at 22:03:57

or copius amounts of booze

Erik Dols
16 Posted 24/02/2008 at 22:15:37

Thank you all, just getting it off my chest made me feel a lot better. And Peter, you’re right, it won’t be a walk over. The only match we lost with more than one goal between us and the winning side is Arsenal at home and I hope we won’t make that mistake again. Lue, I’m normally pretty optimistic about results beforehand, so this eebee jeebee-thing is new to me... But I like the sound of your prediction. And Anthony, I’ll save the booze for tomorrow evening - either to celebrate a magnificent victory on the road to the CL or to forget a terrible defeat ;-)

COYB!

Alisdair Denny
17 Posted 25/02/2008 at 07:46:08

I think Spurs winning has actually done us a favour. It means the RS have to finish above Villa to be guaranteed a Eufa cup spot. Wouldn’t it be nice if they missed out on Europe altogether next season?

Allan Hobbs
18 Posted 25/02/2008 at 10:46:30

Looks like the RS are back on track now and Villa look strong - City could still overhaul us too, but then again nobody can say who will get 4th or even 5th. I still think the RS will finish 4th, being realistic though if we can get a result against them we might do it. Thing is (as I’ve harped on about before on here) we haven’t had much in the way of good results against the top-half teams so you have to see us as underdogs due to our run-in.

Laurie Hartley
19 Posted 25/02/2008 at 11:43:20

This is the game we MUST win, Simple as that. No excuses now we have all our players to pick from. The team that wants to win the most will win this one. I believe our lads and manager want it more so I believe we will win.

COYB

Steve Cheung
20 Posted 25/02/2008 at 12:23:57

If we want to be taken seriously we should be winning them all. Ok we find it hard against the big 3 but should we really worry about those below us. Our confidence must remain high. Man City will be a tough one alright. But i think we can beat them.

With Benitez finally figuring out he can?t rotate too much and Villa on a hot streak it has become a mighty task.

We have the potential though and shouldn?t think otherwise.

We are were we are because we deserve it. There is no luck in sitting 4th.

Postive thought, lads ?that's the way to go.

Mark Griffiths
21 Posted 25/02/2008 at 12:58:22

Ohh Fuck, I am gonna go for it, here goes.... 2-1 to us tonight.

Colin O'Keeffe
22 Posted 25/02/2008 at 13:10:25

At the end of the day, 4th place is in our own hands, but we need to win games like tonight. A win would pretty much knock City out of the equation and we could then do the same to Portsmouth. Personally I think 4-5-1 is the way Moyes likes to play in the types of games. Also a central midfield 2 of Cahill and Carsey offers nothing in terms of retaining the possession and directing play and we could get overun if we play these 2. If it 4-5-1 then i?d go for the 5 of Carsley, Osman,Cahill, Arteta and Piennar. If its 4 in midfield, i?d have Arteta in the middle alongside Carsley, with Osman and Piennar on the wings.

Steve Ashton
23 Posted 25/02/2008 at 13:39:45

With everything being so tight, goal difference could be everything. We need to take all our chances and not take our foot off the pedal at all.

Another 6 or 7 against Derby would be nice but if at any time we find ourselves 2 up and cruising we need to go for 3 or 4.

Bitch of a run in, just hope the barcodes don?t need something from the last game to stay up!