The Race For 7th

[Get in!]

14 points minimum needed in our next 6 games, I reckon before heading into that tricky spell starting from Newcastle away.

That's 4 wins and 2 draws. Not a pipe dream, but not that easy either. We play Villa after their midweek game away to Ajax. It's in their interest to do well, as it will contribute to the England coefficient and help with 5th getting CL, and allow them to hedge their bets. On the flip side, they might save their strongest team for the game against us, as that would put them solidly in the driver's seat for 4th and progressing in the ECL be damned. Interesting times...

 

[Starks]

That's 4 wins and 2 draws. Not a pipe dream, but not that easy either. We play Villa after their midweek game away to Ajax. It's in their interest to do well, as it will contribute to the England coefficient and help with 5th getting CL, and allow them to hedge their bets. On the flip side, they might save their strongest team for the game against us, as that would put them solidly in the driver's seat for 4th and progressing in the ECL be damned. Interesting times...

I think we draw the Villa game tbh.

 

[Get in!]

I think we draw the Villa game tbh.

On paper I would agree, but my gut tells me it may be a clobbering by either one team or the other. One thing's for sure: both teams will be up for this game like no other on their calendar.

 

[Perryman]

That's 4 wins and 2 draws. Not a pipe dream, but not that easy either. We play Villa after their midweek game away to Ajax. It's in their interest to do well, as it will contribute to the England coefficient and help with 5th getting CL, and allow them to hedge their bets. On the flip side, they might save their strongest team for the game against us, as that would put them solidly in the driver's seat for 4th and progressing in the ECL be damned. Interesting times...

Unai likes his European trophies. They are head and shoulders above any club left in that competition .
Plus I’ve got a bet on at 4/1.
Their defence is poor with Lenglet in a back 4. We’ll score goals at Villa, just don’t let any in !

 

[Perryman]

Would love some of that mentality kloop instilled in his team and club in ours. Just how he got those young players to beat chavs is beyond me. They kept going and playing football. Want to see some of that in our players. Like the commentator said it’s not all about money but also need desire and mentality.

Do you not think it was more down to Chelsea. For Poch to admit they played for pens because they were tired was ridiculous. Their front 3 were all subs . Tired?

 

[nicoclaesen]

About 12 games left. We are going to have to pull up our socks as we are running out of fixtures to get some playing form together.

We have 13 and a possible 39 points to play for. I think after Saturday we will have closed the gap on Villa and we don’t need to worry about anyone below us as they won’t be near us come the end of the season.

 

[Brian Fantana]

We have 13 and a possible 39 points to play for. I think after Saturday we will have closed the gap on Villa and we don’t need to worry about anyone below us as they won’t be near us come the end of the season.

We can probably only afford to lose 3 of those games max.

 

[Airfixx]

We can probably only afford to lose 3 of those games max.

Arse (H)
Man C (H)
Pool (A)
Villa (A)
Chavs (A) - Cup Finalism.
WHam (A) - Cup Finalism.
NuCastle (A) - Pricks are the latest to probably see us as rivals now.

With the above still to play; dropping points to the likes of CP and - as per previous - Wolves is too damaging.

CP (H)
Fulham (A)
Luton (H)
Forest (H)
Burnley (H)
Sheff U (A)

 

[DJ Check Complete]

Still is the race for Top 4. I think we can do it. No need for a missing out on Champions League thread yet.

 

[skywalker68]

What are the remaining games for villa.

 

[rolling boh]

Still have to play the top three Pool at home other two away ,look to have about seven winnable kind of similar to us .

 

[Spursidol]

Given the thread title, relevant to report that Spurs are in 5th place with 50 points and :

- 8 points ahead of 7th placed Wham with a game in hand on them too
- 10 points ahead of 8th placed Newcastle with a game in hand on them too.

So with a game in hand on both, with 11 games left for both, its getting to be too tight for Spurs to be competing for 7th !

We are also 6 points clear of 6th placed ManU with a game in hand, which is a decent position to be in !

Looking upwards :

Villa are only 5 points ahead in 4th place, and we have a game in hand on them.
Woolwich are only 8 points ahead in 3rd place.

So 4th is still very possible, but 3rd might be a stretch.

Given the sentiment at the time the thread was started of aiming for 7th and the average score (given by village idiots admittedly !) for last summer window of 4/10 we are nicely ahead of plan !

Just need to get back to scoring goals and conceding very few if any !

 

[Sir Archibald Crooks]

Probably only need around 16pts to get 5th, likely less. With GD against them Utd would need 23pts from their last 11. Doesnt seem likely. Looking at our fixtures though suspect 4th might prove to be out of reach. Think we have to beat Villa to stand a decent chance.

 

[Spursidol]

Over last decade or so about 72 points have been enough for 4th place - Liverpool needing 76 points in 16-17 the highest, whilst the lowest about 20 years ago was 60 points, again with Liverpool.

Currently we are on 50 points from 26 matches or 1.92 ppg, so if we continue at the current rate of ppg after 38 games we get to 73 points so we are currently in the right place.

And to get to 73 points means we need another 23 points or 7 wins and 2 draws ....... so lets aim to get at least 8 straight wins from our remaining 12 games.

 

[Billy Bob mate]

MASSIVE NEWS

Following this weekend's results, we can no longer finish 20th or 19th!!

The odds of us finishing in that last relegation spot must be a little long now!

Not quite the time for celebration yet but soon hopefully!

 

[sudoku]

1		Liverpool	27	39	63
2		Man City	27	35	62
3		Woolwich	26	39	58
4		Aston Villa	27	22	55
5		Tottenham	26	16	50
6		Man Utd	27	-2	44
7		West Ham	27	-4	42

 

[sudoku]

SAME TEAM

+/-

SAME GAME

+/-

26

Crystal Palace

H

3-1

W

10

H

1-0

W

Wolves

5

A

0-1

L

27

Aston Villa

A

A

1-2

L

Nottingham Forest

H

3-1

W

28

Fulham

A

A

1-0

W

Southampton

A

3-3

D

29

Luton Town (Soton)

H

H

4-1

W

Everton

A

1-1

D

30

West Ham United

A

A

1-1

D

Brighton

H

2-1

W

31

Nottingham Forest

H

H

3-1

W

Bournemouth

H

2-3

L

We are + 10 "same" teams.
Same games +5.

2023-24		2022-23
15-5-6	55-39	14-3-9	46-36

 

[sudoku]

PPG 1.92 .
5th best in our top flight history.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	Pos	PPG	Pts
1	1960-61	42	31	4	7	115	55	60	66	1	2.31	97	87.8
2	2016-17	38	26	8	4	86	26	60	86	2	2.26	86	86
3	2017-18	38	23	8	7	74	36	38	77	3	2.03	77	77
4	1950-51	42	25	10	7	82	44	38	60	1	2.02	85	76.9
5	2023-24	26	15	5	6	55	39	16	50		1.92
6	1966-67	42	24	8	10	71	48	23	56	3	1.90	80	72.4
7	2012-13	38	21	9	8	66	46	20	72	5	1.89	72	72
7	2021-22	38	22	5	11	69	40	29	71	4	1.87	71	71
9	2018-19	38	23	2	13	67	39	28	71	4	1.87	71	71
10	1956-57	42	22	12	8	104	56	48	56	2	1.86	78	70.6
11	1962-63	42	23	9	10	111	62	49	55	2	1.86	78	70.6

 

[Kid Chameleon]

Unai likes his European trophies. They are head and shoulders above any club left in that competition .
Plus I’ve got a bet on at 4/1.
Their defence is poor with Lenglet in a back 4. We’ll score goals at Villa, just don’t let any in !

Which has hardly happened all season. Everton have conceded less goals than us.

 

[Kid Chameleon]

PPG 1.92 .
5th best in our top flight history.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	Pos	PPG	Pts
1	1960-61	42	31	4	7	115	55	60	66	1	2.31	97	87.8
2	2016-17	38	26	8	4	86	26	60	86	2	2.26	86	86
3	2017-18	38	23	8	7	74	36	38	77	3	2.03	77	77.0
4	1950-51	42	25	10	7	82	44	38	60	1	2.02	85	76.9
5	2023-24	26	15	5	6	55	39	16	50		1.92
6	1966-67	42	24	8	10	71	48	23	56	3	1.90	80	72.4
7	2012-13	38	21	9	8	66	46	20	72	5	1.89	72	72
7	2021-22	38	22	5	11	69	40	29	71	4	1.87	71	71
9	2018-19	38	23	2	13	67	39	28	71	4	1.87	71	71
10	1956-57	42	22	12	8	104	56	48	56	2	1.86	78	70.6
11	1962-63	42	23	9	10	111	62	49	55	2	1.86	78	70.6

Let's see how that PPG average is at the end of the season. There are still another 12 matches to play.