Top 4 Champions League Race

Top 4

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  • Total voters
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Shibbywiggles said:
With all the focus at the moment being on unsavoury hatred from that lot about Pickford’s clumsy challenge I thought we needed a different topic so who else believes we can make the top 4 this season?

Five games into the season and we’re top of the league, won four and drawn one.
Long way to go and not enough time passed to judge it but here’s why I think with a bit of luck and without big injuries.

We’ve got a team who can beat anyone
Carlo Ancelotti is world class and has done it all
James Rodríguez is world class and has done it all
Digne, Allan, Richarlison, Doucoure, Keane are all top players in their position
DCL is a goal scoring machine
We have competition for places with even under-performers from last season looking ok (Sigurdsson/Iwobi)
We have some good looking youth to learn and challenge the first team (Gordon/Nkounkou/Godfrey)

Our challengers look ropey:
Spurs just threw away a 3 goal lead against West Ham and created very little against us
Liverpool got smashed by Villa and don’t have VVD now
Man U are still completely inconsistent and got beat by Palace who we beat
Chelsea drew with WBA who we beat (and they nearly lost) and then threw away a lead against Southampton today
Arsenal look better this season and there’s no shame in losing to City and Liverpool but we got a point against Liverpool
City will probably win the league but got smashed by Leicester
Leicester lost to West Ham 3-0 who we beat in the cup (not like for like granted but 3-0 to West Ham is never good!

So, point is, so far we’re the most consistent performers whilst everyone else has been erratic. What do you think?
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Long way to go. Strangely at home v West Brom and RS it has gone our way when not playing too well. Not used to this.
 
Well yes, clearly it’s currently on.

Players like Bernard, Iwobi, Sigurdsson need to pull their fingers out over the next few weeks and show they want to be a part of the future under Carlo. That will be what decides our success this term as more injuries and suspensions will happen.
 
Have to beat Southampton and Newcastle in our upcoming games. That would be a sign that everything is moving in the right direction. It won't be easy without Richarlison, who takes defenders away from DCL and is our other genuine threat (along with James). They only have to mark two now so will be interesting if we still have that attacking verve.

After these 4 games then we are nearly a quarter way through the season to give a better appraisal.
 

The binman chronicles said:
Have to beat Southampton and Newcastle in our upcoming games. That would be a sign that everything is moving in the right direction. It won't be easy without Richarlison, who takes defenders away from DCL and is our other genuine threat (along with James). They only have to mark two now so will be interesting if we still have that attacking verve.

After these 4 games then we are nearly a quarter way through the season to give a better appraisal.
Click to expand...


Southampton is the game I’m least excited for.

Frustrating that that’s before Newcastle. If we take 6 from that then we’ve got a fantastic season brewing, could easily go wrong and the wheels start to buckle.

But need as many points on the board before December because City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester and a cup game against United. We need everyone fit and available for that run... if we go in to that near the top of the league we’ve got every chance of getting in a European spot come end of the season.
 
a moot discussion as long as we have Pickford between the sticks - he is a 15 point handicap on the season relative to the competition for top 4; that's too big a cross to bear
 
barneygumble said:
Southampton is the game I’m least excited for.

Frustrating that that’s before Newcastle. If we take 6 from that then we’ve got a fantastic season brewing, could easily go wrong and the wheels start to buckle.

But need as many points on the board before December because City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester and a cup game against United. We need everyone fit and available for that run... if we go in to that near the top of the league we’ve got every chance of getting in a European spot come end of the season.
Click to expand...
Will them teams have mid week European games? Which may help us
 

All depends on injuries up top for us.

. Solid defensive cover
. Solid enough midfield cover (with gbamin back as well)
. Not as quality cover up top

James, DCL and Richarlison balance each other out perfectly. When one is out we are instantly a different proposition.

Weirdly even though he’s brilliant - richarlison is the one I feel we could cope without. Think we’d struggle to break teams down again without James in the team.
 
Why not, we look just as good as Spurs, United, Arsenal. We’ve got a world class front three, a decent midfield, two top quality full backs and decent centrebacks. Just need to keep players fit and a bit of luck and could make it.
 

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