Title Race

[ChesterDave]

Think we'll squeeze pot 3.

Team coefficient is made up of team results plus half of Nation average - not much better but a little something at least

[Liverpool]

seems like we're 30th at the moment? And our best year towards the ranking is about to chalked off

[ChesterDave]

Yup, just loaded the site myself. 50th next year before anyone else gets points for the rest of this campaign.

http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2015.html

Edit: By my calculations the teams above us after we lose the good year ranking points are;

7 Spanish
5 English, German, Italian
4 Portuguese, Russian, Dutch,
3 French, Ukranian,
2 Greek, Belgian
1 Swiss, Turkish, Danish, Czech, Romanian

So...

3 Spanish teams can not qualify
2 Italian teams can not qualify
2 (if we are to qualify) English teams can not qualify
1 German can not qualify

We are now ranked 42nd

2 Russian
2 Dutch
1 Portuguese
1 Ukranian

Now we are 36th

Sociedad are ranked below us and are within touching distance of 4th in La Liga -that could put us a place higher up
Top 4 in Bundesliga are all ranked above us but next 4 are below us and within 4 points of 4th - potential extra place gained
Fiorentina could also overhaul one of the above-ranked Italian teams - 1 more spot
Lokomotiv are also in CL spot so that could remove another higher ranked Russian team
Feyenord and Vitesse could also take a CL spot off a higher ranked Dutch team
2nd and 3rd in France are both ranked below us so 2 more potential teams above us not even in CL

That could potentially put us as highly ranked as 27th - before we even count teams knocked out in the qualifying rounds!

[Rigadon]

That is why I'm expecting a number of the players who have been out on loan, Borini, Wisdom etc to be around as well as some new signings, I don't expect as big a clear out as some have been suggesting, simply because we need number as well as quality.

Agree (and Suso ). I also don't think there's pressure, on BR, to reduce the wage bill (as there was in his first 12 months in charge).

Thing is Europa League is different to the CL, our current squad players would probably struggle to cut it even in the "simple" games in the CL

For me - to compete I reckon we will have to spend big in summer 4 or 5 players may need to come in.

Lets hope 'the committee' have started negotiating for those players.

[Fosterbloke]

Yup, just loaded the site myself. 50th next year before anyone else gets points for the rest of this campaign.

http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2015.html

Edit: By my calculations the teams above us after we lose the good year ranking points are;

7 Spanish
5 English, German, Italian
4 Portuguese, Russian, Dutch,
3 French, Ukranian,
2 Greek, Belgian
1 Swiss, Turkish, Danish, Czech, Romanian

So...

3 Spanish teams can not qualify
2 Italian teams can not qualify
2 (if we are to qualify) English teams can not qualify
1 German can not qualify

We are now ranked 42nd

2 Russian
2 Dutch
1 Portuguese
1 Ukranian

Now we are 36th

Sociedad are ranked below us and are within touching distance of 4th in La Liga -that could put us a place higher up
Top 4 in Bundesliga are all ranked above us but next 4 are below us and within 4 points of 4th - potential extra place gained
Fiorentina could also overhaul one of the above-ranked Italian teams - 1 more spot
Lokomotiv are also in CL spot so that could remove another higher ranked Russian team
Feyenord and Vitesse could also take a CL spot off a higher ranked Dutch team
2nd and 3rd in France are both ranked below us so 2 more potential teams above us not even in CL

That could potentially put us as highly ranked as 27th - before we even count teams knocked out in the qualifying rounds!

That gave me a headache! Can you put it in spoilers and just show the result? 6/10.

[magicalbarnes]

Before a ball was kicked this season, I thought City would win the league.

But after the fixtures of the past week, I've now got a sneaky feeling that Chelsea are going to nick it. You just wouldn't put it past Jose to win most of his remaining away games 0-1.

It's amazing that City havn't scored for two consecutive PL games, but Chelsea seem to be peaking at the right time.

Either way we still have a massive say in the race.

[Beary]

Before a ball was kicked this season, I thought City would win the league.

But after the fixtures of the past week, I've now got a sneaky feeling that Chelsea are going to nick it. You just wouldn't put it past Jose to win most of his remaining away games 0-1.

It's amazing that City havn't scored for two consecutive PL games, but Chelsea seem to be peaking at the right time.

Either way we still have a massive say in the race.

Our game vs Chelsea in April end will decide the title.

[RichC]

I'd picked City for this season with Chelsea 2nd, I think it's going to be the other way around now Mourinho just brings about a way of getting the results and I think he's mentally got to the likes of Pellagrini.

The Mancs will no doubt win today but with them playing Arsenal midweek it would be good to see a draw which would have seen us (if we win) taking 5 points away from Arsenal and stretch another couple of points away from the Mancs.

[Muddled]

I think our away form will cause us to fall away from the top three, but our home form will secure fourth without it going down to the wire.

I expected fifith (maybe sixth) this season, but I didn't ever think we would see such a dramatic sign of progression. I can't help but get excited about our future, but the recent results against West Brom and Aston Villa keep me grounded. However, it's the magical third year of Rodgers' tenure next season; the year that you expect teams to click and understand their role within the team ...

[Shaggy]

The perception of our team...from non-LFC fans...is in my experience as good as its ever been in the modern era. A lot of us used to hate how little credit Rafa's great team got from outsiders...we were scoring lots of goals, winning constantly, hardly conceding, yet still called boring etc.....but there's none of that now. We still have doubts about the team/squad...natural kinda self-doubt...but the reaction of my mates....Spurs, United, Everton, City....they all think we're title contenders and laugh when I express any doubt about sewing up top 4. It's pretty refreshing to be liked and admired by everyone.

The match thread on RedCafe is a joy to behold.

http://www.redcafe.net/threads/premier-league-weekend-games-8th-9th-feb.384196/page-3

[RichC]

I don't think 3rd is out of the question, the run Arsenal are on now its tough to see them not dropping more points and if we can continue as we have then we could target nicking that this season.

I fancied we could get 4th this season and as long as we manage to hang on to that you can't be anything other than pretty bloody happy with the season.

[RichC]

The perception of our team...from non-LFC fans...is in my experience as good as its ever been in the modern era. A lot of us used to hate how little credit Rafa's great team got from outsiders...we were scoring lots of goals, winning constantly, hardly conceding, yet still called boring etc.....but there's none of that now. We still have doubts about the team/squad...natural kinda self-doubt...but the reaction of my mates....Spurs, United, Everton, City....they all think we're title contenders and laugh when I express any doubt about sewing up top 4. It's pretty refreshing to be liked and admired by everyone.

The match thread on RedCafe is a joy to behold.

http://www.redcafe.net/threads/premi....384196/page-3

I've never known so many other teams supporters to have said how good we've looked or how good it is to watch Liverpool play at the moment. It's ****ing weird!!!

[Exiled_red]

seems like we're 30th at the moment? And our best year towards the ranking is about to chalked off

Yup, just loaded the site myself. 50th next year before anyone else gets points for the rest of this campaign.

http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2015.html

Edit: By my calculations the teams above us after we lose the good year ranking points are;

7 Spanish
5 English, German, Italian
4 Portuguese, Russian, Dutch,
3 French, Ukranian,
2 Greek, Belgian
1 Swiss, Turkish, Danish, Czech, Romanian

So...

3 Spanish teams can not qualify
2 Italian teams can not qualify
2 (if we are to qualify) English teams can not qualify
1 German can not qualify

We are now ranked 42nd

2 Russian
2 Dutch
1 Portuguese
1 Ukranian

Now we are 36th

Sociedad are ranked below us and are within touching distance of 4th in La Liga -that could put us a place higher up
Top 4 in Bundesliga are all ranked above us but next 4 are below us and within 4 points of 4th - potential extra place gained
Fiorentina could also overhaul one of the above-ranked Italian teams - 1 more spot
Lokomotiv are also in CL spot so that could remove another higher ranked Russian team
Feyenord and Vitesse could also take a CL spot off a higher ranked Dutch team
2nd and 3rd in France are both ranked below us so 2 more potential teams above us not even in CL

That could potentially put us as highly ranked as 27th - before we even count teams knocked out in the qualifying rounds!

If we make the CL Whatever pot we end up in 3rd or 4th we will be the team that no-one will want to draw from that pot, essentially our group will be 'the group of death'.

[Muddled]

I don't think 3rd is out of the question, the run Arsenal are on now its tough to see them not dropping more points and if we can continue as we have then we could target nicking that this season.

I fancied we could get 4th this season and as long as we manage to hang on to that you can't be anything other than pretty bloody happy with the season.

True.

The majority of our fixtures against the teams around us are at Anfield, so you've got to feel slightly confident. The Champions League kicking back in will see the teams above us starting to rest players whilst giving them something else to think about. Third and within, say, nine points of the Champions would be tremendous.

Does third secure Champions League qualification, with fourth having to go through the qualifiers?

[Exiled_red]

True.

The majority of our fixtures against the teams around us are at Anfield, so you've got to feel slightly confident. The Champions League kicking back in will see the teams above us starting to rest players whilst giving them something else to think about. Third and within, say, nine points of the Champions would be tremendous.

Does third secure Champions League qualification, with fourth having to go through the qualifiers?

Yes