The Run In

Here is my take on the final games of the season. Where do people see an opportunity to overtake Chelsea, or is it a done deal. Might update this after games to see where the forecast is. Post your take on the run in so we can measure against reality.

 

I think the London derbies and Utd will prove great difficulty.

West Ham won't want to lose at the new stadium to us in our first derby there against them. They've been poor but the chance of killing off our title bid as well as getting one up on us will massively spur them.

Arsenal's form counts for **** in a NLD. I expect an excellent Arsenal to turn up at The Lane, the chance for them to beat us in our final NLD there will really give them a boost.

Utd are just so hard to beat, though I'm not sure how Jose's mindset will be. After the stick he got at the bridge from Chelsea fans, will he be inclined to stick a middle finger up at them and set Utd out to be beat by us (weakened line up with the excuse of focusing on Europa?) or will he show his allegiance to Chelsea and ensure that like throughout this season, they will be set up not to lose and do everything to derail our potential title bid.

Chelsea I see slipping at Everton like you do.

They're picking up some injuries and there seems to be a bit of doubt amongst them, if that's the case, they could be upset by a couple of sides - and by the footballing Gods do I hope so!

 

Personally think we'll end up with 80 pts - agreeing with DH that the Spammers and Goons will be super-motivated. But still don't think we will lose either game.

80? - will be well light of winning the PL, but reckon it will be enough for 2nd!!
COYS!!!

 

If the prediction leagues have taught me anything, then it's that form and position mean a lot less at the start and end of seasons.
All sorts of weird results get thrown up, as sides are very hard to read, changing motivation from day to day.
One week they're on the beach and the next they're playing out of their skin, due to some personal gripe with the other side's right-back or something.
Glad I'm not a betting man.

Chelsea should see this out and keep us at bay, but one slip could really screw with them mentally.
We need to make sure that we're there to take advantage if it happens.
There's nothing else that we can do to affect things.

 

I did one of those PL predictors with about 15 games to go. We finished on 89 points, ahead of Chelsea on GD

I think that's what it's going to take too. Chelsea could drop maybe 4/5 points but with so many games at home and against sides who won't have much to play for it's hard to see anymore than that, unless those sides turn up on the day. I really do think we can win our last 6 though, Leicester and West Ham away are my biggest worries tbh.

 

I've seen it suggested elsewhere that Moronho might consider throwing the game against us for the sole purpose of getting back at Chelsea for sacking him...the second time, I mean, not the first.

I can't think why anyone would think that, after can anyone name a single example of him being childish enough or spiteful enough to do something like this?

 

Squeaky bum time.
What else can you say?

 

Mourinho would never do that. His side might have to rotate because of their Europa fixture, though.
He'll be desperate to win this game, if we're still in contention, as he'd be able to grab some of the glory.
Judas would still have one hand on the crown, as I'm sure he'd phrase it.

 

You lot don't half have some weird ideas.
He will be desperate to win and try to get us top 4, Spurs and Chelsea are non entities to us this season, we can't catch them so they mean nothing. The only thing that matters to us (and Jose) is getting the best place we can.
You have far too high an opinion as to your importance to other teams

 

He'll want to win every game for Utd. He wants to win every game, anyway. That's who he is.
The idea that Chelsea mean nothing to him is just ridiculous though, frankly.
It's like you've never heard anything about the man.

Spurs aren't relevant to him or to my point. It's not about the club or the team, but about the league situation.
Being sacked twice by Chelsea and undermined by his own players, then slagged off by their fans clearly hurt him.
He'd love to be able to do something to throw back at them.
His Judas comments a few weeks ago clearly show that.

 

Looking at Chelsea's games, I don't see them losing any. There's a couple of potential draws in there for me, (Everton and West Brom) which means we'd have to win every game. Unfortunately, I think we'll struggle to beat united, and I feel that Leicester away will be our toughest game of the lot.
It's out of our control anyway and we're running out of games, so all we can hope is that Chelsea have a few more performances like the United one.
Don't see it happening, personally.

By the same logic, 3rd place should not be catching us either. There's enough of a gap and a game in hand. Even if the title looks less and less likely over the next few weeks, we cannot capitulate again. By not doing so, it will show that the team's maturing and progressing.

 

My eyes are firmly on what is behind us...can see our heads dropping at palace...we only got 2 points from our last 4 games last season and can see it being worse this time round.
Hope to God I am wrong but ...

 

we're in such a similar position to last season. The players now need to show they've learned from last year's mistakes over the next few games. To fall away again will mean we've achieved nothing on last season. Yes we'll have scored a few more goals and conceded a few less, but a shift in mentality and evidence of it is a far bigger accolade to take into next season.

 

They do Roo..we cant always be happy with baby step progress..the lads have to show they will not repeat last year's collapse..its all mental..im always telling you boys...we have some serious mental barriers.

 

People keep overlooking the gaping hole we had at the heart of our team in those last few games due to Alli and Dembele picking up suspensions. The Southampton match was the most obvious example of this, as Mason simply isn't a player to grab the game by the scruff of the neck like Dembele is, and it showed.

 

If there is a swing, it will be over the next 2 games. I can't see Chelsea dropping points over their last 4 games. Southampton are a decent side who can hurt anyone when they bother turning up. The problem they've had this season has been chronic inconsistency. Scoring goals has also been a major problem for them but with Gabbiadini now back to full fitness...maybe, just maybe. Best I can see is a draw, perhaps due to the 3 day turnaround from the SF (whereas Soton have had a 9 day break). I can also see a draw at Goodison with Lukaku probably turning the style on as he auditions for a mega-money summer return to his former club.

The bigger problem is - as others have said - our own run-in. Although I would love to see 6 wins on the trot (anything less and we won't win the league, it really is as simple as that), I can't picture it in my mind. I am quietly confident about our home games against United and Arsenal and think we'll narrowly win both. I also think we'll bounce back and beat Palace on Wednesday night. It's the other 3 away game that worry me, all for different reasons. I am praying that Hull will be mathematically safe before the last game of the season but it currently isn't looking that way, in which case they'll be fighting for their lives (although that may play into our hands as they'd have to come at us from the off in search of goals, and we can then pick them off). Wet Sham and Leicester will be fiendishly difficult games in exceptionally hostile atmospheres. Even though neither side will have much to play for, they will still raise their games for their cup final against us. I can see us struggling to a draw in both of those games.

Danny Rose's return could be they key in all of this. There is an outside chance he'll be available for the NLD but I doubt he'll be risked so soon after returning, in which case the cup final at the HMRC Arena will be his comeback (and a perfect one at that: we'll need him to contain Antonio and his battling qualities in general for the hostile atmosphere). If he returns and continues where he left off, I can see us winning those last 4 games.

 

As I said elsewhere ...

If we match the run in for last season like for like (8 pts from 15 - which was
quite poor) , Spurs will end up with 79 pts and a GD of 46.

1. Do you think another 2-3 of the top 7 will be able to better the above ??

2. If Spurs do even worse than 8 pts this time, then nothing was learned from
last season and may be therefore not fit to finish 2nd/3rd.

 

Our run in is looking much harder as days go by.

Palace have improved hugely and have put up a brilliant showing for 70 mins v Liverpool...and are currently 2 -1 up there.

Arsenal have clearly discovered a backbone and a system that they are finding effective and looking at their performance today they look prepared to do the ugly stuff to grind out results.

United have benefited from their injuries as they now play with real speed.

 

Liverpool to win their last 5 games, SD?
Back to the drawing board.
This is the problem with this sort of debate/analysis - one game in and the unpredictable results have started!

 

No better team right now to prove ourselves against after yesterday. palace have had some amazing results against Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. A win on Wednesday will feel like a huge 3 points and is the perfect opportunity to show where we're at mentally.