Blackpool (Away) - Build up thread.

[Craig_H]

Dont wish to tempt fate.

But assuming we beat Blackpool - we then have Everton at home, while Spurs play Man Utd on Sunday.

Not that we'd be cheering on the mancs, but assuming we win wednesday night and despatch the bitters, there's every chance that we'll end Sunday night just 5 points behind Spurs. With them still to visit anfield.

[Exiled_red]

Last 5 years points totals for 4th and 5th place teams

...............4th...5th
2009-10....70....67
2008-09....72....63
2007-08....76....65
2006-07....68....60
2005-06....67....65
Average..70.6..64

So we're looking at another 40-45 points from 18 games. If you consider that in order to get 4th spot you have to just do better than the team in 5th, a total in the high 60s is usually enough. This season there are alot of teams battling it out so that could reduce it slightly.

[Rudo]

Target is 4th place now

That's unrealistic fella.

[Drago]

It might of been possible if Kenny was here from August. **** that, it would've happened. It's a very big ask now though.

[DannyMan2006]

I dont think you'll be needing 75 for 4th place. Not even necessarily 70. It's been that kind of season. Whoever wins it will probably end up on about 82.

I mean, just to guarantee it. As you said, could probably get away with a final points tally of 65-70 points for 4th. But with 5 teams other than ourselves all on course to get that total or higher, it makes it tough.

If we were chasing just 4 teams I'd give us a better chance since you could easily see one of the teams slipping up. But for two teams to slip up, it's expecting a lot. If we do get 4th, it will be totally down to our side suddenly hitting title winning form from nothing as opposed to other teams being so bad that we scrape it with a low points total.

I've had a look at our next 5 fixtures and a title chasing team would view them all as winnable. Since we need to hit that kind of form to have any chance of 4th, we have to also view them all as winnable.

So I guess for a proper idea of where we can come, we should reassess the situation in 5 games time. Hopefully after those games we'd have closed the gap to 4th from 11 points to around 4 points. The game in hand would make it 8, so it's not unrealistic to want to knock off another 4 points over 4 games. After those games we have Chelsea away and that game could be bigger than we think if we get off to a flyer in the league under Kenny.

[DannyMan2006]

Dont wish to tempt fate.

But assuming we beat Blackpool - we then have Everton at home, while Spurs play Man Utd on Sunday.

Not that we'd be cheering on the mancs, but assuming we win wednesday night and despatch the bitters, there's every chance that we'll end Sunday night just 5 points behind Spurs. With them still to visit anfield.

I remember doing the maths last season and Spurs went and beat Chelsea and Arsenal whilst we bottled it in easier games. But there's still a long way to go and in football anything is possible.

[DannyMan2006]

It might of been possible if Kenny was here from August. **** that, it would've happened. It's a very big ask now though.

It's crazy to think back now, but I seriously think we could have been title contenders had Kenny taken over and made some different signings to what Hodgson made.

[Craig_H]

It's crazy to think back now, but I seriously think we could have been title contenders had Kenny taken over and made some different signings to what Hodgson made.

Yep, and if we get our arse into gear this summer with good signings, some ****er will rattle off 95 points next season

[AnfieldForever]

It's crazy to think back now, but I seriously think we could have been title contenders had Kenny taken over and made some different signings to what Hodgson made.

Are you for real?

[DannyMan2006]

Are you for real?

Deadly serious.

Under any normal Premier League season, no chance. But this season has seen a far lower standard than normal.

And of course I'm not saying we'd challenge for the title with the likes of Konchesky and Poulsen in the first team squad. I'd have hoped Kenny would have gone for some better players. He may have even convinced Masch to stay - though that would have been unlikely I guess.

That said, had we been of to a flyer G+H may have found some way to hang on, so I guess our collapse was probably a blessing in some ways.

[Craig_H]

Are you for real?

Given how inconsistent the top 4 have been, i dont think Dannyman is too far off in what he has said.

As things stand, Man City have averaged just 1.9 points per game, and they are 2nd. That works out to finishing the season on 72.5 points.

With a high class manager, i am sure we'd have been competing with that kind of total.

I cant wait for Kenny to take us higher up the table and completely shut the 'Hodgson did as well as anyone could with that squad' brigade up.

[AnfieldForever]

Deadly serious.

Under any normal Premier League season, no chance. But this season has seen a far lower standard than normal.

And of course I'm not saying we'd challenge for the title with the likes of Konchesky and Poulsen in the first team squad. I'd have hoped Kenny would have gone for some better players. He may have even convinced Masch to stay - though that would have been unlikely I guess.

That said, had we been of to a flyer G+H may have found some way to hang on, so I guess our collapse was probably a blessing in some ways.

I just can't see anyone being able to get this current squad challenging with the amount spent on Konk & Raul. Agree with the standard, but we're not even close. Even if Roy wasn't the manager.

[Craig_H]

The point is, if Kenny had been given the job in the summer, we wouldnt HAVE Konchesky or Poulsen.

As for not being good enough - that's largely based on judgement during Hodgson's tenure, which i would advise against.

[AnfieldForever]

Given how inconsistent the top 4 have been, i dont think Dannyman is too far off in what he has said.

As things stand, Man City have averaged just 1.9 points per game, and they are 2nd. That works out to finishing the season on 72.5 points.

With a high class manager, i am sure we'd have been competing with that kind of total.

I cant wait for Kenny to take us higher up the table and completely shut the 'Hodgson did as well as anyone could with that squad' brigade up.

At the moment, we've probably got the 6th best squad in the league, so I think we should be finishing in the top six. I'm not saying that our league position correctly reflects where we should be.

Roy ****ed up, but us and Spurs (at the moment) are in the second tier compared to the top 4 of United, City, Arsenal, & Chelsea.

[AnfieldForever]

The point is, if Kenny had been given the job in the summer, we wouldnt HAVE Konchesky or Poulsen.

As for not being good enough - that's largely based on judgement during Hodgson's tenure, which i would advise against.

And Rafa's too. I'll judge on what ever I want mate, that's what makes these discussions so interesting