The Mail Bag
4th spot?
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Ok, this may seem like a complete shot in the dark, and I know it is probably the cause of me being overly thrilled about today's match (get in, btw!), but I just pose the question: Is there still a possibility of coming 4th THIS SEASON?
I know next season does at this present time seem like it will be promising, but I wonder if we put a good run together whether we could overtake Spurs, Liverpool, City and Villa. I believe we are 8 points behind 4th spot having played one more game than Man City, this surely is not insurmountable?
I think it CAN be done, but unfortunately WON'T happen; any optimists?
Paddy Gillen, Posted 20/02/2010 at 19:07:34
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As much as I’d love to say 4th is an option I don’t think there’s enough games and the probability of other teams results combining to make it really happen .... however I’d be more than happy with a top six and that is a real possibility.
Question for you lot: should Villa win the League Cup next week how doe that affect the top six scenario?
I wish we could keep Landon till the end of the season. Hopefully Bily and Gosling can step up a bit to compensate for his loss.
I think recent performances and results have filled us all with optimism and nothing is certain but I think it would take a lot for City,Spurs,Villa and the RS to all drop 8 points more than us on the run in.
I have to say if I was being optimistic I think we could get 61 points which may be enough for 6th especially given our run in but I feel 4th is City’s to throw away,The RS always finish strongly,Spurs are unpredictable and Villa usually fall away.
We should also not overlook Birmingham or Fulham.
At least we’re motoring now.
One other thing what happens if pompey go out of business. do we automatically get 3 points? as they wouldnt be able to fulfill the fixture
Chelsea are ageing, Man U fading not replacing two top stars,Arsenal for ever building and Liverpool only having two or three players. Spurs are good when they are good, Citeh-God knows and well done Bellamy, Villa-a threat.
We seem to have had a more than even share of injuries. But a very good squad.
I think we lost it in the first Month, for whatever reason, and i think it is that we could not spend until the JL and or Sky money came in.
Still, next season, assuming a fit squad, lets hope
I really feared a relegation battle a few months back, but we’re back together and going well. In ’the month of death’ we have beaten the footballing sides we have played. We were kicked out of it by thugs in the one we have lost so far.
And, oddly, we could now be up against it playing street fighters in the run-in, having become a bit ’thoroughbred’.
Heitinga and a few others will take care of that I think.
Be positive. be confident. Have belief.
Spurs (A) Hull (H) Birmingham (A) Bolton (H) Wolves (A) West Ham (H) Aston villa (A) Blackburn (A) Fulham (H) Stoke (A) Portsmouth (H)
Plus we have a game in hand agaisnt Man City.
But, if Pompey collapse, do we automatically get 3 points from that fixture?
Best-case scenario is United and Chelsea to win the cups, knocking the final European place down to 7th. All eyes on 6th/7th: anything above that a major bonus after the start we had. One thing is for certain, for our progression (and Pienaar’s contract), EUROPE IS ESSENTIAL.
Had we won that (and let’s face it, against 10 men we really should have done, although actually neither side really deserved much on the day) then we’d now be sitting shoulder to shoulder with the RS and with striking distance of Villa and Spurs.
Ultimately I think we’ve been left with a little too much to do to hit 4th with12 games to play (and 7-10 points to make up), but a European finish 6/7th has to be our minimum target at the expense of Villa and/or Spurs.
Without wishing to get too far ahead of ourselves, I do think that next season is going to be a massive chance for us to break 4th and win something. Provided we can hang onto our top performers from this season like Pienaar, Felliani and Saha, with Jags, Arteta and Yak hopefully back up to speed having a full training season behind them and with the youth like Rodwell, Gosling and Coleman still improving (plus Billy bedded down), it looks to me that we’ll have our best (and deepest) squad for many years to come — whether or not we manage to reinforce in the summer (would be nice to have Donovan permanently).
Hell who knows, now that we’re starting to give the top 4 a kicking, could 2011-12 be the year for a full on tilt at the title?
Where as it is possible, very possible, we’ve been let down before, but its the hope that gets you in the end so well done to the team for allowing us that.
If we do not make 4th, Europe or not, let's overhaul the shite across the park. That would be glorious, then we can enjoy the summer watching them go into financial meltdown.
I'm afraid the damage was done in the first half of the season and 4th is now too far away. We would need to win at Spurs, City, Villa and not drop any points at home and hope the likes of Villa, Liverpool & Spurs drop points to have any hope of 4th.
I do believe 6th is acheivable if the current form is maintained — but I must confess I'm not looking forward to Donovan's departure in 4 weeks — we have a new dimension with him.
The only silverware for us this season is in Europe and that is more likely than 4th spot and truth be told easier to win than the League or FA Cup as we wouldn’t have to face the calibre of Manure / Chelski / Arse.
But how about this - finish 8, no Europe next season, at least 10 less games, keep everybody through this close season - what chance of a top 3 or 4 finish in 2010-11. And if that was nailed on, would you give up top 7 this year?
Villa in 7th are 7 points ahead of us.
Liverpool in 6th, also 7 points ahead of us.
Then come City and Spurs who are 8 points ahead of us.
If we believe we can make up the 7 point gap, then I guess there’s no reason we can’t believe we can overhaul City and Spurs too to take fourth.
It’s unlikely but not impossible if we win the right games and the other results go our way.
If 3rd or 4th was guaranteed next season simply because we weren’t competing in Europe then I’d bite your hand off but it's not so we need to live in the moment and try and reach as high as possible this season.
And like some other people have said, nearly every result from now until the end of the season would have to consistently go our way (that is extremely unlikely).
I can’t see us finishing higher than 6th, we’ve left it too late this season, but if we start next season like we're playing now, then I’d say top 4 easily.
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1 Posted 20/02/2010 at 22:39:46
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