how close do we need to be.....

[Montana]

We need a similar run and second half to the season as we had in 2005/06 when people forget we finished on 82 points. How far behind did we finish? 9 points if I remember correctly, that's a good challenge in my book despite what the media want us to believe.

82 points would have won us the title in many previous years. This year 82 points could be enough as there a lot of teams around places 6th-12th that can take points off the big four.

The key is beating our rivals away which is going to be very difficult but not impossible. That's where we can really start to close the gap. We've beaten both Utd & Arsenal away before with much weaker teams when they were better than us. Don't write off the Reds yet.

[Sir Bob]

Personally, i don't think we can be any points off the pace and still win the league. In fact i'd like us to be about 6 pts clear to say we've got a realistic chance.

i'm not being defeatest, just realistic. i've seen nothing this season to suggest we will match Utd & arsenal from Xmas onwards, neverminds make up 6 points or more. I really don't see how anyone can hold aa realistic hope of landing the title given not only our current position but our overall ability compared to Arsenal & Utd. Quite simply we aren't good enough to win the league.

[Charlie_B]

I think it's a case of being just slightly off the top again unfortunately; can we do it, of course we can, it's not impossible. I was in the mind that it was just a case of waiting for the wheels to come off as far as Arsenal are concerned, but I'm feeling less like that the more points they pick up. United too, seem to pick up point after point without breaking a sweat; the second half they didn't look like conceding on Sunday; they didn't have to create hardly anything as they'd snatched a goal out of nowhere and relied on their defence to shut us out - which they did.

[Howard_lfc]

after the new year? If we are within 10pts at christmas and judging by scums form is that to much?

do we realistically need to be within 6/7 points after christmas to have a realistic title shot?

Have only read the first few replies to this thread and can't believe what I'm reading. Am I the only realist on here who believes we wont win the league this season? We still have to go away to manu, arse and the chavs in the second half of the season so we will defo drop points in all of those games so how people think were gonna come from behind to overtake the leaders when we're already too far behind really puzzles me.

Sorry to dampen all the enthusiasm on here.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Am I the only realist on here who believes we wont win the league this season?

Nope.

[red g]

Have only read the first few replies to this thread and can't believe what I'm reading. Am I the only realist on here who believes we wont win the league this season? We still have to go away to manu, arse and the chavs in the second half of the season so we will defo drop points in all of those games so how people think were gonna come from behind to overtake the leaders when we're already too far behind really puzzles me.

Sorry to dampen all the enthusiasm on here.

i posed this question prior to the man u game, The reality is at best we have a very slim chance but no chance?? We live in hope.

all it will take is rooney, ronaldo, fabregas etc and a few more injuries when we play them for us to turn them over at there grounds.....also they all have to play each other as well.

The fact is though I dont believe we have got enough strength in depth to win the league anyway

[FatTony]

15/18 points short short come the end of the year so what does it matter where we are come January.

Ahh, thats the spirit.

[FatTony]

We're actually 5 points better off now than we were last season, however we finished 21 points off the top, so on that basis we'll finish 15 or 16 points short this season. The premiership is getting better though and I see the points to win the title reducing.

[Kopite_Colin]

The fact is we're a much better side this year away from home. That may actually help us against the top 3. Add that to the fact that we appear to be stronger post-Xmas than pre-Xmas generally, means we may actually be in with a shout (albeit a slimone)> I don't think we'll win it this year. That said I expect us to spend in Jan and bed in the new players for a good assault next season.

LB / CB
RM / RW
LM / RW
Striker
Mascherano is what we need to get close. In truth approx. half a team..and at least 2-3 TOP CLASS additions.

[desertscouser]

Have only read the first few replies to this thread and can't believe what I'm reading. Am I the only realist on here who believes we wont win the league this season? We still have to go away to manu, arse and the chavs in the second half of the season so we will defo drop points in all of those games so how people think were gonna come from behind to overtake the leaders when we're already too far behind really puzzles me.

Sorry to dampen all the enthusiasm on here.

Deep down I don't think we'll win the league. In fact I haven't thought we'd win the league for many many years.

[tomasjj]

I don't want to resign the league yet, but all logic indicates that we won't win it.
Sorry.

If we get past the next round in the CL, then we can win no. 6.
That I do believe.

We are still a cup team.

[rage]

i dream every year, then by xmas its over most years. hand on heart both arsenal & utd are better than us. Think we'll fight it out for 3rd and 4th with chelsea & city.

I'd much rather rafa put the team he wants next year together in january and give then half a season to gel.

I still think, even with that upheaval we'll compete for a top 4 finish and start really strong next season.

[fasteddie]

Have only read the first few replies to this thread and can't believe what I'm reading. Am I the only realist on here who believes we wont win the league this season? We still have to go away to manu, arse and the chavs in the second half of the season so we will defo drop points in all of those games so how people think were gonna come from behind to overtake the leaders when we're already too far behind really puzzles me.

Sorry to dampen all the enthusiasm on here.

I'd personally take 'competing' for the title well into next year, who knows what will happen come the end of the season. We don't seem to even have the mentality for the league nevermind the quality though.

[Dhav]

Deep down I don't think we'll win the league. In fact I haven't thought we'd win the league for many many years.

Same here. Never for a second thought we'd win it this yr, certainly not even when we were sitting pretty at the top after smashing Derby and looking good. My only hope was that we'd put up a serious fist of it and close the gap, certainly to single figures, and ideally to less than 6 pts, and really go for it next yr after getting rid of a bit of dead wood and signing another couple of top players. Sadly with the current state of the club I don't know if Rafa will get sufficient funds to improve the team this summer to make us a genuine title winning team, I just hope we make a killing on player sales.

Last time I thought we'd win the league was the day in Oct 2002 we beat Leeds at Elland Rd with Diao's goal and Arse lost to Everton to Rooney's last minute winner. We were clear at the top of the table and the only unbeaten team in the league. Then we lost to Boro a couple of games later...

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Deep down I don't think we'll win the league. In fact I haven't thought we'd win the league for many many years.

The Reading debacle sealed it for me.

Was sceptical when the season started, but then we won at Villa and Torres looked epic against the Chavs. Maybe, just maybe...

Another false dawn though.

Still we have all three cups to play for, a format we excel at.