The Top of the League Thread

[Craig_H]

My and my misery, you and your abuse all the time.

Who knew!

[nbryan1764]

You still dont get my point?

Our current ratio at home equates to winning 10.64 home league games by the end of the season. Let's call it 11. And it equates to drawing 8.36. Let's call it 8.

Do you think 41 home points is likely to result in a title win?

thank god we play away games then!! maintain the average points per game now we will finish with 84, so you never ever know we could win it!!!

[Neil Young]

It's this very simple point that some people either dont get, or refuse to.

No-one is unaware we could be in a much better position. If you think that then you clearly have a very low opinion of your fellow posters.

As for the idea we won't maintain our position long you said we'd lose it when Chelsea equalised. We haven't.

Of course that doesn't mean we can afford to draw loads more games - unless all our rivals do too - but it does show that your doom-mongering was misplaced. You don't know the future any more than the rest of us which is why your gloomy predictions are simply pessimistic rather than realistic.

Yup, it all comes to back to that. If you accept you're a pessimist and others are optimists then maybe you'd be able to give some of us some credit despite the fact we don't agree with you.

[Craig_H]

Neil, the chelsea thing was pessimistic, although i imagine 90% of this forum must be pessimists too, because i think that many were expecting chelsea to win.

Did you go down to Ladbrokes and put your tenner on a draw?

It's not pessimistic to suggest that our current ratio of home wins is hugely unlikely to be good enough to win the title. When has it ever been good enough to win the PL?

[slimbimjim]

Let's just be happy and grateful that we are still top of the league. We really should be winning our home games but hopefully Rafa will see what needs to be done and will start fielding teams accordingly.

The Arsenal game will be the game that defines the second half of the season as it comes nearly exactly half way through the league and during a poor performing spell of the season.

[Neil Young]

Neil, the chelsea thing was pessimistic, although i imagine 90% of this forum must be pessimists too, because i think that many were expecting chelsea to win.

Did you go down to Ladbrokes and put your tenner on a draw?

It's not pessimistic to suggest that our current ratio of home wins is hugely unlikely to be good enough to win the title. When has it ever been good enough to win the PL?

I don't have any problem with you or anyone else being pessimistic. And yes, I thought Chelsea would go on and win their game too because more often than not in the past that's what would have happened.

No, I agree, that's not pessimistic - it seems a reasonable assessment based on what I assume title-winning records usually look like. What's pessimistic is the prognosis that our ratio of home wins won't improve.

[Craig_H]

I don't have any problem with you or anyone else being pessimistic. And yes, I thought Chelsea would go on and win their game too because more often than not in the past that's what would have happened.

No, I agree, that's not pessimistic - it seems a reasonable assessment based on what I assume title-winning records usually look like. What's pessimistic is the prognosis that our ratio of home wins won't improve.

I do think it'll improve too but to the necessary level? I dunno that i'd put my house on it at the moment. Dont forget we've got harder games ahead.

It's now been 3 games in a row where we've all thought 'it will get better now' and it hasnt. It will certainly improve, i dont for a second think we'll just keep drawing home games. But our margin for error is reducing with every home draw and it's a concern.

[Neil Young]

I don't know either. Time will tell and events may prove your pessimism was well-founded. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy being top of the league and see what happens.

You can't guarantee the title. I know years ago it sometimes felt like it was almost guaranteed but even then it wasn't. So the uncertainty is just part of the deal - we could have an easier life if we were already out of it. You find the uncertainty worrying - I find it exciting.

[Craig_H]

I find the rate at which we're dropping points worrying, not the uncertainty.

[Neil Young]

Really?

And what's going to happen if we continue dropping points as we have?

[lfc1394]

I'm so torn at the moment, obviously over the moon to be top of the league, but so dissapointed with the negative / strange home tactics.

We really need Torres back if we are to have any kind of chance.

I fear Utd coming back from Japan, having to win their games in hand to catch up. Once they get in that sort of mode they will be hard to stop.

[MrMichael]

I'm so torn at the moment, obviously over the moon to be top of the league, but so dissapointed with the negative / strange home tactics.

We really need Torres back if we are to have any kind of chance.

I fear Utd coming back from Japan, having to win their games in hand to catch up. Once they get in that sort of mode they will be hard to stop.

Alternatively, they could return with quite a gap to overcome - I know I'd rather be ahead of them at Christmas than behind them

I think the whole positive/negative arguments about how things are going at the moment are somewhat unnecessary - everyone would much rather we'd won most of the games we've recently drawn and had a much bigger lead than we do, its a shame we haven't and a concern if our home form doesn't improve, and sharpish, but by the same token most people are still hopeful because for the first time in years and years the possibility of winning the league is still completely in our hands. We could be 6 points down on Chelsea after this recent run, maybe even more, but we're not, and that's good enough reason to remain positive.

Under Benitez we've almost always been better in the second half of the season. And we have the best striker on the planet to return, a player who, fit and firing, will ensure we don't have too many silly home draws to come with weaker teams. The future can still be bright, and faith is not a bad thing to have.... nor does having it preclude an awareness that we could be in an even stronger position.

Bring on Arsenal and Christmas at the top

[spanky]

so next week, what do yo think a pised off ex spurs striker will do to prove to his mangager what a good buy he is will do in the emirates?

[Guest]

How many teams win the league by failing to win 44% of their home games?

Do you think our home form, as it is now, is good enough to win this title?

If you could answer the questions i'm asking, rather than addressing different points to the ones i've raised, i'd be grateful.

Those stats are 44% now. How do you know we won't dramatically improve this during the course of the season? And we've got one of the best away record in the league, waaaay better than United.

You're a pessimist and always seeing 'what could have been'. Well we're top of the league and that's where every other team want to be.

'Lesser teams' don't come to attack when they play away from home anymore which makes it the more difficult to beat them. The league will be won by how we fare against the top teams and they don't normally come playing away sitting for a point.

[Craig_H]

It's not though fredo, because there's only 3 other top teams and only 18 points available from beating them.