The race for the Top 4

[fitz]

Love this.

On a separate note . . . if we don't make it too 5th, I think Europa League should be a win target next season. Some amazing teams in the competition, but why shouldn't we go for it?

It should be our best chance of champions league but it means giving it serious priority. We've tried competing on 4 fronts in a congested season and have been fairly shit in the league recently after losing players (Barnes the one that broke us IMO but Vardy and Madders have never really come back either). Is there even a schedule for next season's fixtures? Think it'll be interesting to see how the schedule compares. I can't guess at what would be a success next year until we see who leaves too.

 

[Payne74]

Seriously? That's your take after that? They worked hard and despite lacking quality I think the scoreline flattered Liverpool. They played better than we did last night, do we have any business being in the PL?

We would be out based on Southampton and Newcastle alone

 

[camberwell fox]

It should be our best chance of champions league but it means giving it serious priority. We've tried competing on 4 fronts in a congested season and have been fairly shit in the league recently after losing players (Barnes the one that broke us IMO but Vardy and Madders have never really come back either). Is there even a schedule for next season's fixtures? Think it'll be interesting to see how the schedule compares. I can't guess at what would be a success next year until we see who leaves too.

Agree, but we also have the Euros almost immediately after the season ends here. The schedule is unsustainable.

 

[parafox]

Imagine if we hadn't let in a stupid 4th goal against Newcastle or a stupid 3rd goal against West Ham, even if we still lost. Those sloppy mistakes are coming back to bite us in the arse now.

 

[SilverFox]

The more I think of it, the more it seems clear that strength and depth at this end of the season really matters. The teams that have it finish strongly. We don’t. We are knackered and we are still doing our best.

I’m not looking at this as ‘bottling’ it anymore. I think it is okay to feel disappointment, but overwhelmingly I feel pride whatever happens.

 

[Rock Fox]

Que Será, Será

When I was an old City fan,

I asked Brendan Rodgers – what will we be?

Will we be lucky?

Will we be rich?

Here’s what he said to me,

-

Que será, será,

whatever will be, will be,

we’ll win a cup at Wembley,

Que será, será!

-

Que será, será,

But we’ll screw it up, m’duck

a place in Champions’ League is ****ed,

But - Que será, será!

What ever happens on the final day - a first ever FA Cup win, a top six finish, and competing in the Europa league, all with the injuries to critical players we have suffered this season, is still a magnificent effort. Let's go out in style against Spurs!

 

[camberwell fox]

That's great, except it means we more than likely lose our best player(s) and the club misses a huge opportunity to build on achievements.

It's another huge **** up in my book, especially when you consider the games we've thrown away recently.

Perhaps most of our players 'buy in' to what we are trying to achieve. Winning a trophy is very prestigious - in fact in many ways it means more to our overseas players who will have been bought up watching the magic of the FA Cup.

It would be great to get into the Champions League but if we don't this season, I will remain calm due to the cup win. Our players hopefully will see that their future (immediate short-term, future) is brighter here and that their agent-fuelled 'big payday' will come if they sit tight.

You never know, in a couple more seasons we may be in a position to pay our top players £170k PW, in which case being here now and hopefully in the Champions League, while competing well domestically will be enough or most players, if not then I will lose no sleep when ****s like Drinkwater, Mahrez and Chilwell chase the £££.

We are an ATTRACTIVE CLUB.

 

[mabrah]

We would be out based on Southampton and Newcastle alone

And home to Fulham, that was pretty shit. Oh, and Everton.... and Leeds.

 

[mabrah]

5th it is then. Could have been better, but could have been a shit load worse. And we won the FA Cup. A good season in my book. Not thrown away, no collapse - just shit at times.

Come on Villa, step up to the plate. No way are we tonking Spurs by 4+

 

[Lako42]

If we don't get CL and Tielemans stays here then he's wasting his career, simple as that. He is a few levels above most of the people he's playing with and to waste that talent and drive to be the best playing alongside duffers like Perez and attitude voids like Maddison is madness for him.

The last two seasons have been unusual and we have failed to take advantage of the best opportunity we have had to get CL football, twice.

It won't continue to be this easy. I might be accused of being a negative sod but at least i'm not little in mentality, we've ****ed it big time, a massive opportunity to kick on pissed away at the last minute again.

 

[fitz]

If we don't get CL and Tielemans stays here then he's wasting his career, simple as that. He is a few levels above most of the people he's playing with and to waste that talent and drive to be the best playing alongside duffers like Perez and attitude voids like Maddison is madness for him.

The last two seasons have been unusual and we have failed to take advantage of the best opportunity we have had to get CL football, twice.

It won't continue to be this easy. I might be accused of being a negative sod but at least i'm not little in mentality, we've ****ed it big time, a massive opportunity to kick on pissed away at the last minute again.

Absolutely spot on.

 

[bocadillo]

It'd be a tad strange seeing as we've been mates for two decades and regularly see one another!
I should say he's rather openly admitted to being jealous of LCFC, so it could be tongue in cheek, he tends to celebrate when the other team scores. Of course that's probably to wind me up.

Let’s see what happens on Saturday when we parade the cup in front of those perennial losers.

Saturday?

 

[Payne74]

Our best chance of getting into the top 4 is by beating Spurs and villa drawing or winning against Chelsea.
Liverpool will beat Palace in 1st gear

 

[Brown Nose]

It looks like the top four last year will be the same this year. They just so happen to be the four richest clubs with the four biggest and deepest squads.

That's the story.

For us to be the best of the rest again is exceptional. Our budget means we should be competing in the top half of the league but not winning things or disrupting the bigger boys.

Despite a stupid schedule, 53 matches in 8 months, a shit load of injuries, and the odds stacked against us, we have competed. We have collected more points than last season.

We have also won a trophy that has eluded us for 137 years.

In my opinion this is the second best season in our history. I'm proud of the club and what they have achieved.

 

[Blaarev]

Saturday?

Time zone issue

 

[mabrah]

I can't be pissed off overall. I mean, I've been incredibly pissed off with certain games but that's because we were duff that day. We've also had good performances. I think that's been the problem, sometimes we don't turn up. I've never really been confident before any game because of that.

My fingers are crossed that we don't loose our decent players. I'm hoping they've bought into the club's ethos and project, so they'll want to give it another season. Perhaps even the EPL fiasco has soured the taste of the 'top 6' clubs?? (Yes, hopeful, naïve!) Maybe little but popular Leicester (everyone's 2nd favourite club) and their bucking of the trend make us seem attractive?

Whatever, we deal with it whatever happens. What other choice is there? I'll still watch and no doubt get incredibly pissed off whether we're 5th or 15th.

 

[Jimmy Lad]

And home to Fulham, that was pretty shit. Oh, and Everton.... and Leeds.

Villa?

 

[mabrah]

It looks like the top four last year will be the same this year. They just so happen to be the four richest clubs with the four biggest and deepest squads.

That's the story.

And the moral of the story. It's hardly surprising is it? In fact, almost a statement of the obvious. The teams that can afford to stock their squads with the most talented players, that can rotate for matches ensuring those players are rested and injury fee, well, those will be the teams with the best chance of staying the distance over the season and coming out on top.

To buck that trend, if only a little, is an achievement in itself.

Seriously, look at Man City's squad. It's effectively 2 first teams. How do you compete with that over a season? Nah, we've done bloody well all things considered.

 

[fitz]

Seriously, look at Man City's squad. It's effectively 2 first teams. How do you compete with that over a season? Nah, we've done bloody well all things considered.

I agree that man city were all likely winners as they can rotate a full 11 every week and it doesn't matter . Funnily enough though........ Many said back in 2015/16 that we only won it because everyone else was shit and 81 was a low points tally to win the league.

Hopefully all of those people will be repeating those claims about Man City. If Man Utd lose their final game they finish on the same points as arsenal did that season too.

 

[mabrah]

Villa?

Oh yes, and Villa. Thank you

We've dropped points we shouldn't have all season - and perhaps conversely taken points we shouldn't have. A weird season, on many levels.