Title Race

[fah-q]

Yeah, it's weird. Most of my mates and colleagues who support other teams are convinced we are going to win it and won't have a bar of me downplaying our chances.

[McDermotX]

Players are so short sighted these days. The fact that they won the league the year before last would be completely irrelevant for them. They look for:

- Money
- Champions League Football
- Chance of winning trophies.

Past glories doesn't even come into these days as us Liverpool fans should know well enough after being snubbed for Spurs several times!

Man United can offer money, and a chance of winning trophies going forward, but what they cant offer next season is Champions League football. That's really going to hamper them when trying to sign the likes of Kroos etc.

London can be massive draw for some as well of course, not the deciding factor by any means, but it can be important for some.

Lack of CL football is a huge downside of course, but some players can think longer term, and with a huge signing on fee and doubling of wages, no doubt some can be swayed.
I'm not for one minute suggesting that Kroos or Gundogan are likely signings, but in the end, Rooney could have left for similar money, be playing in the CL next season, have a far better chance of winning trophies and probably wouldn't have had to move far beyond London to do so.
Yet he remained when more than one on here suggested the idea of Rooney remaining at ManU after the World Cup as pure folly.

With someone like Klopp at the helm, I'd be more concerned, but I'd try to keep ManU future prospects in perspective, rather than hoping/wishing they're going to fall into a mediocre heap. We'll need to strengthen, City and Chelsea will naturally, Arsenal will always be about etc etc, but ManU will do what is necessary to avoid missing out on CL football twice in a row.
It's not being alarmist to look on it that way (what I actually find alarmist is some here fretting over the last few weeks about how far ManU are behind us etc etc, as if they're even a threat this season).

[ronanm]

Don't care what other teams fans think. I'd take 4th now if offered.

[Pablo]

I think we've got some seriously pessimistic, glass half empty fans

You know I'm glad the players are more ambitious than the fans. I'm glad they have more belief.

I'd say 4th is ours to lose now and we have a rare opportunity for a title challenge. A free shot at is as Shaggy puts it. I wouldn't swap that for 4th because that's the bare minimum this squad is going to achieve.

Dare to dream Ronan, dare to dream.

[ronanm]

I think we've got some seriously pessimistic, glass half empty fans

You know I'm glad the players are more ambitious than the fans. I'm glad they have more belief.

I'd say 4th is ours to lose now and we have a rare opportunity for a title challenge. A free shot at is as Shaggy puts it. I wouldn't swap that for 4th because that's the bare minimum this squad is going to achieve.

Dare to dream Ronan, dare to dream.

It isn't a free shot though - it's not beyond the realms of possibility for us to lose our next two games. We'd could win the league but, even more likely, we could still finish 5th. I'm a realist, not a fantasist.

[Pablo]

You're a pessimist, not a realist. I'm the one basing things on the facts, you seem to be basing your judgements on emotions.

How is it more likely for us to finish 5th than win the league? Look at the table. We are currently four points off the top, and six points off 5th (7 essentially with our goal difference).

"it's not beyond the realms of possibility for us to lose our next two games." - It's not beyond the realms of possibility we could win them both. In fact form suggests (we've got more points in 2014 than anyone else) that we're more likely to win them both.

Why so negative?

[Buzzo]

Don't care what other teams fans think. I'd take 4th now if offered.

Thats nuts.

This (the position we are in) is what it is all about.

We might not win it, but we have to try. To get close and not win would hurt, but it is experience for everyone involved, and a hell of a lot better than finishing 7th.

Its about keeping your nerve and winning every game. Imagine it was just us in second place hunting down the top team to make up 4 points? That would be a lot of pressure, but there are 4 teams and we are the dark horses. We have a chance, and off course we are going for it - we just will not be broadcasting it.

[Buzzo]

I think we've got some seriously pessimistic, glass half empty fans

You know I'm glad the players are more ambitious than the fans. I'm glad they have more belief.

I'd say 4th is ours to lose now and we have a rare opportunity for a title challenge. A free shot at is as Shaggy puts it. I wouldn't swap that for 4th because that's the bare minimum this squad is going to achieve.

Dare to dream Ronan, dare to dream.

[The Birdman]

Completely agree Pablo, don't Spurs play Chelsea and Man C before they come to Anfield?
We could be 9/10 points clear of them by then, Everton have gone and Utd were never there, absolutely no chance of them winning every game between now and the end of the season. (which is what they would need to do)

Funnily enough Southampton away will be suited to us, less pressure on us away and while they are a good side but they play attacking football at home and we are lethal on the counter attack.

EDIT - Just checked, Spurs play Chelsea, Arsenal, Southampton and then us with I presume Europa league games in-between as well.
After us they have an 'easier' run in on paper but still play relegation threatened sides like Sunderland, Villa, West Brom and Stoke

[Mark79]

Players are so short sighted these days. The fact that they won the league the year before last would be completely irrelevant for them. They look for:

- Money
- Champions League Football
- Chance of winning trophies.

Past glories doesn't even come into these days as us Liverpool fans should know well enough after being snubbed for Spurs several times!

Man United can offer money, and a chance of winning trophies going forward, but what they cant offer next season is Champions League football. That's really going to hamper them when trying to sign the likes of Kroos etc.

Plenty of top players forgone Champions League in return for big money.

Man City hadn't qualified for the Champions League the years they signed Tevez, Yaya, Silva, Kompany and others.

[john316]

We might not get a better opportunity. City will surely find a partner for Kompany next season and Chelsea won't roll out washed up has-beens in Eto'o and Torres up front either. Both are as vulnerable as they will likely ever be for somebody with our current squad. All we need is one more set of fixtures to go our way and some how the Premier League title is ours to lose!!!!

[Pablo]

Plenty of top players forgone Champions League in return for big money.

Man City hadn't qualified for the Champions League the years they signed Tevez, Yaya, Silva, Kompany and others.

City, PSG, Monaco, Chelsea in the past. Yep, granted.

But they are a rarity. They can spend without implication. They were also forced to overpay massively initially to get those players in. Man United just aren't in that bracket. They have a massive debt to service. They can't behave so financially irresponsibly. They can't allow their wage bill to explode like that. It's a tricky balancing act they've got on their hands this summer.

[red g]

Plenty of top players forgone Champions League in return for big money.

Man City hadn't qualified for the Champions League the years they signed Tevez, Yaya, Silva, Kompany and others.

I don't see how United have that sought of money though, This is the Glaziers we are talking about not a Sheikh. Do you really think Glaziers would sanction another 1.5m a week in wages for 4/5 top class players with at best the Europa Money ( dont think they will get that either)

Its Bull****. Tony Kroos

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

I've said this about each of our last 10 games probably but this Southampton games is HUGE! It's one that I've had us down for losing all season when doing that final league prediction thing but with Arsenal's run of fixtures plus City have a few weeks off we could be 2nd very shortly, plus United away form doesn't matter anything could happen.

[red g]

City, PSG, Monaco, Chelsea in the past. Yep, granted.

But they are a rarity. They can spend without implication. They were also forced to overpay massively initially to get those players in. Man United just aren't in that bracket. They have a massive debt to service. They can't behave so financially irresponsibly. They can't allow their wage bill to explode like that. It's a tricky balancing act they've got on their hands this summer.

Apart from when it comes to Rooney, That will **** them up over this summer to