A question for all the worried/negative people here

[slimbimjim]

Would you rather we were not playing well and firing blanks -

1. At the top of the table and not yet at Christmas?
2. 15 points behind the top 3 and half way through February?

Yes I know some are concerned rather than being negative but these things happen in football and we play against an opposing team of professionals coached by a professional manager. We won't always beat them but we aren't losing to them which is great.

I'd be happy to maintain this position and play ok rather than lose and play outstanding (seems to be the way at the moment except we are drawing).

So come on all of you, let's get our happy faces on and celebrate our position and look forward to a return to winning ways rather than criticising our previous performances. They are history and we have no influence over them.

[Elvoz]

happy we are top obviously but we arent and havent played well this season bar maybe a game or two

and what looked a tidy run of games is not being being taken advantage of
we also have team lacking in goalscorers

its not the end of the world just yet
but for now lets give it to big time charlie saturday and take it from there

[barnes10]

ermm the way we're playing, both of those options are a distinct possibility are they not?

man u have gone from being 8 points behind to potentially just 3. at that rate, we could well be 15 points behind them in feb.

[Woobus]

ermm the way we're playing, both of those options are a distinct possibility are they not?

man u have gone from being 8 points behind to potentially just 3. at that rate, we could well be 15 points behind them in feb.

Was it not 8 points with a game in hand, which is now 6 points with a game in hand? Them closing the gap by 2 points over a couple of months is pushing it for them to be 15 points ahead in Feb.

[Guest]

Was it not 8 points with a game in hand, which is now 6 points with a game in hand? Them closing the gap by 2 points over a couple of months is pushing it for them to be 15 points ahead in Feb.

It's incredible how some people can be negative. We have always played like that under Rafa and have always finished the season strongly. We have lost only 2 points on manure since the last couple of months.

Hearing from some people it's as if we're languishing into 4th place and 10 points behind.

[Scratch]

Was it not 8 points with a game in hand, which is now 6 points with a game in hand? Them closing the gap by 2 points over a couple of months is pushing it for them to be 15 points ahead in Feb.

Doesn't sound as good as saying 8 point gap is now 3...

8 point gap is now 6.

or

Potential 5 point gap is now a potential 3 are both accurate, but the combination of the two to give

8 point gap is potentially 3 is just plain doom mongering.

[andrewces38]

I can see what your are saying here and to be fair it is a valid point top of the table in December nightmare November over with without to much of a glitch , without our main goalscorer all a lot of positives , BUT last year all our Draws cost us a good shot at the title and I just hope we are not repeating last years form expecially at home, but in Rafa I have faith . Further more the big game on the 21st will see a better performance from us we have already showed that we can top the BIG 4 league and if we beat them in london that would round off a very good year in most peoples eyes even the anti-Rafa bvrigade got to agree with that dont know the exact stats but in the calender year just a handfull of defeats if someone told you last Christmas that we would be in this position today how many of you would have taken that , I would and thats for sure even though Rafa sometimes does my head in with some of his descision,s but you got to agree , THATS PROGRESS

[Elvoz]

we will win the league i have no doubt

it probably suits us that so many are writing us off

we are top of the league ffs

[Guest]

we will win the league i have no doubt

it probably suits us that so many are writing us off

we are top of the league ffs

You could use as much ,,,,, as you want I won,t bother you now,

[Kenneth]

We won't win the league, of that I'm confident. I want us to get as many points as possible. If that means playing ****e for most of the season (which is a pretty unlikely combination if we're being honest) then so be it.

[Guest]

We won't win the league, of that I'm confident. I want us to get as many points as possible. If that means playing ****e for most of the season (which is a pretty unlikely combination if we're being honest) then so be it.

Doom monger

[babylon]

ermm the way we're playing, both of those options are a distinct possibility are they not?

man u have gone from being (POTENTIALLY 5) 8 points behind to potentially just 3. at that rate, we could well be 15 points behind them in feb.

Are you a journalist? If you are going to compare numbers please do compare like with like.

[Woobus]

Are you a journalist? If you are going to compare numbers please do compare like with like.

Yup its funny how some people try to make it sound. Suppose we could look at it this way as well, United went from 0 points in front of us to 6 points behind us, so by Feb we could be 15 points in front of them.
With them missing two matches in December it would be more likely us being 15 in front than them being 15 in front.

[Sadgeek]

Looking through the form guide (which is slightly skewed since you can't compare playing for example West Brom to Chavski):

Scum 16pts fm 18 (at home)
'Pool 12pts fm 18 (at home)

Thankfully, our away record is keeping us up there:

Scum 9pts fm 18
'Pool 13pts fm 18

So in reality over the past 12 matches, the Scum are no closer to us now than they were before these matches.

I don't think any fans of the top 4 are happy about the way their team is playing at the moment, and no-one seems able to make a break from the pack.

At some point though, something will click and we will start to rack the points up, hopefully before any of the others do

[FatTony]

The concerns are justified IMO. We've made a cracking start this season, but Manu have started to gain ground and we've dropped points against teams recently which we shouldn't have...and we've been playing awful.

We're still top yes, great, but where have we finished since the premiership started? Manu & Chelsea have the squads with the experience of winning the EPl, we don't. Its as simple as that and thats why many fans are concerned.

I'm happy to be top of the league obviously, but I don't think for a second thats where we will be come January, let alone May. Torres is a huge loss, we don't have another regular goal scorer in the squad and with this run of games through the xmas period, that is a disaster.

I think theres a huge difference in being negative and being realistic.