Top 4 race 2016/17

Too many games against our direct rivals to hope for top 4 now, I feel.

Before today, I expected to finish top 4. Now, I think it'll be a massive achievement considering the number of games left and the opposition.
 
Damien said:
Was a must-win game when this is one of the opportunities where our top four rivals are playing each other.

We now need to forget about the league and focus on the Europa. That is currently the most realistic route to Champions League football next season.
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Yeah, my take on it.
 
I've been saying all along we aren't good enough. I was ridiculed when I suggested that our squad needs major rebuilding. Based on what I see it's obvious. We have so many players who simply aren't that good and have no composure whatsoever. Poor owners have done all that can be expected but our buys have been poor for the large part.
 
Raoul said:
Here come the suicidal bedwetters..
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If we can't beat a 10 man Bournemouth at home we have no business being in the top 4. They have alllowed 31 away goals and we score 1 goal and even manage to miss a penalty.

When we struggle to score a few times it's bad luck. But when it happens game after game, it's a systematic issue where both the manager and players are at fault.
 
Definitely the weekend it slipped out of our hands.

With 12 games left now, including Tottenham, Arsenal and City away, and Chelsea home, we're really asking a lot now.
Especially as Mourinho hasn't got the team up to his usual standard for big games.
 
Footyislife said:
If we can't beat a 10 man Bournemouth at home we have no business being in the top 4. They have alllowed 31 away goals and we score 1 goal and even manage to miss a penalty.

When we struggle to score a few times it's bad luck. But when it happens game after game, it's a systematic issue where both the manager and players are at fault.
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That's definitely the gloom and doom view. Alternatively, we haven't lost a game in ages which somewhat makes up for the draws. The worst thing we can do is dwell on this. WE need to get prepared for the next game and play better.
 
Raoul said:
We haven't had Mourinho during that period. Anyone writing off our chances with 12 games left when we are within a couple of points off 4th just doesn't believe in our players and manager.
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But they are reasonable points being raised on why we might not either.

We have a difficult run to end the season with 3 tough away games(4 if you count Boro as we have an awful record at the Riverside).

I believe in Jose, but this group of players have hardly given us much to believe in under 3 managers now. I think it's reasonable to have doubts about our chances considering all that and doesn't necessarily make one a bedwetter. I know they are people who overreact but the doubts arent completely unfounded.
 
Raoul said:
We haven't had Mourinho during that period. Anyone writing off our chances with 12 games left when we are within a couple of points off 4th just doesn't believe in our players and manager.
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They don't deserve belief after a performance like today.
 
We won't focus solely on the Europa though. Jose will field strong sides.

I still think we will finish 5th but 4th is a bridge too far just now.
 
So draw for the game later then (or possibly pool win as they will drop points again?), no changes this weekend. Forget about it and move on
 
Van Piorsing said:
Struggling against 10 men B-mouth.

The answer is there.
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A one off could be ok.

It's the basket of home game draws v Burnley, Stoke, West Ham, Hull and now Bournemouth.
Adding in the Liverpool and Arsenal home draws.
And City home defeat.

Wow, that's 8 home dropped points, and I don't even know if I've missed any!
With 5 homes left, it means even if I haven't, we've won 6 at home, by March!!
 
Forget TOP 4. Every single time we have a chance to move up the table we draw against shit teams like bournemouth, burnley or stoke. When we need our big players like Pogba to step up, they have shocking performances. We deserve to be 6th and that's where we will finish.
 
Peanut Butter said:
2 trophies last 2 seasons. Not need to wet the bed. Today was frustrating and I am gutted about the result but you'd think the world is ending judging by the crap posted on here.
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Does any opposing view to your need to be seen as bedwetting?

No one is saying there hasn't been any progress. People are saying that results like today put a serious damper on our top 4 ambitions and as such are extremely disappointing.

If you fail to comprehend that simple point, then I'm wasting my time having this conversation with you.
 
It's not over until it's over but this side clearly lacks the mentality to win when it counts. We're going to finish 6th.
 
I still think we will finish above Liverpool. As for getting top 4 - I guarantee we will have another chance to get in there towards the end and blow it. I'm thinking Spurs away will be a carbon copy of the West Ham game from last May.

We have to go and win that Europa Cup. We can't keep missing out on the CL even if we are winning trophies. The EL would do both for us. That should be our priority.
 
Europa League please. Drop the league. We have to go to Emirates, Etihad, WHL and we have Chelsea.

Europa League we should commit to.
 
I'd rather win the Europa or FA Cup or hopefully both. What fecks me off though is the consistency in which we blow our chances and particularly against usual cannon fodder teams. Very frustrating having hope but always coming up short. Table never lies and we are not good enough, yes we have good players but as a team to draw 7 of 12 games in the league is quite frankly shit.
 
SirHenryPercy said:
It's the time where these types of results seem to become more and more common. It's probably just a myth but it always seems that way. We have to try and avoid them ourselves.

I'm not opposed to an Arsenal win later today, if that happens and if we could get a win tomorrow then a small gap will be appearing.
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Actually it would be quite a gap: effectively 8 points to both 5th and 6th, tho' United would have a game in hand.
 
Sandikan said:
A one off could be ok.

It's the basket of home game draws v Burnley, Stoke, West Ham, Hull and now Bournemouth.
Adding in the Liverpool and Arsenal home draws.
And City home defeat.

Wow, that's 8 home dropped points, and I don't even know if I've missed any!
With 5 homes left, it means even if I haven't, we've won 6 at home, by March!!
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We can mathematically calculate multiple factors all day but when both defense and attack fail at the same time in a match what could one of the easiest fixture then the situation is simpler than it looks.

Fergie's United after Rojo's goal would just keep that result to the end and Fergie would be happy because he knows he got Rostov & Chelsea next.
 
I don't think we're quite good enough to finish top four. We don't score enough goals and we lacked cool heads in the game today. Zlatan's experience was useless to us on a day like this when he completely shit the bed. Being unbeaten may seem good but turning draws into wins is what gets you ahead. We can't do it.
 
I was confident we'd be in the top four come early April. But that confidence was founded on winning games like today.

As it is, playing for draws at the Etihad, the Emirates and White Hart Lane will not suffice.

Barring winning the Europa League, we're not making the Champions League. We're done.
 
Sandikan said:
A one off could be ok.

It's the basket of home game draws v Burnley, Stoke, West Ham, Hull and now Bournemouth.
Adding in the Liverpool and Arsenal home draws.
And City home defeat.

Wow, that's 8 home dropped points, and I don't even know if I've missed any!
With 5 homes left, it means even if I haven't, we've won 6 at home, by March!!
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Our remaining home games are pretty tough too.

April:
West Brom
Everton
Chelsea
Swansea City

May:
Crystal Palace (final game of the season, might still have a chance of survival)
 
This was a banker game before the real tough games begin. I'm still not getting as much enjoyment out of it as I should be. I continue to maintain we'll finish ahead of Utd this season but only in fifth thus my lack of enthusiasm.
 
Raoul said:
We haven't had Mourinho during that period. Anyone writing off our chances with 12 games left when we are within a couple of points off 4th just doesn't believe in our players and manager.
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I think when a team has not been in the top 4 in the league for 6 of the 7 months the league has been going, it's a fairly decent shout to suggest that team probably wont finish in the top 4, It doesn't mean there's a lack of belief in the manager and players. There are just better teams than us that's all. Everton can still mathematically finish in the top 4, would you accuse Everton fans of not believing in their players and manager for NOT thinking they'll finish in the Top 4.
 
Leroy The Red said:
I think when a team has not been in the top 4 in the league for 6 of the 7 months the league has been going, it's a fairly decent shout to suggest that team probably wont finish in the top 4, It doesn't mean there's a lack of belief in the manager and players. There are just better teams than us that's all. Everton can still mathematically finish in the top 4, would you accuse Everton fans of not believing in their players and manager for NOT thinking they'll finish in the Top 4.
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I don't think its a fair shout at all. We have been playing very well since December and haven't lost a game in ages. The other teams above us have managed to scrape by and remain above us, but that won't last much longer.
 
We won't make it... too dependent on Zlatan.. missing too many chances... best hope is Europa.. but Southampton played us off the park last week.... so I wouldn't be too confident there too
 
Raoul said:
We haven't had Mourinho during that period. Anyone writing off our chances with 12 games left when we are within a couple of points off 4th just doesn't believe in our players and manager.
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You can see why people don't believe in the players though surely? The number of goals we've scored at Old Trafford this season is terrible. We're definitely better than we've been at any time since Fergie retired but there's still at least 4 teams better than us at the minute.
 
Are we unable to overtake Arsenal? I'm sick of finishing below the cnuts since SAF left. It's as if there's a barrier.
 
Dumbstar said:
This was a banker game before the real tough games begin. I'm still not getting as much enjoyment out of it as I should be. I continue to maintain we'll finish ahead of Utd this season but only in fifth thus my lack of enthusiasm.
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I wouldn't be too enthusiastic in your position either pal, as you've had a free shot at top 4 with a minimum of cup outings.
If you don't get in there this season, you'll have blown a great chance.
 
Shark said:
Are we unable to overtake Arsenal? I'm sick of finishing below the cnuts since SAF left. It's as if there's a barrier.
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If we'd won today, and Arsenal lost, that would have put a real psychological blow into their camp.

But erm, we didn't, so it's off the table again.
And we now have 15 days to stew on this, by which time we'll probably be right out of the mixer
 
acnumber9 said:
You can see why people don't believe in the players though surely? The number of goals we've scored at Old Trafford this season is terrible. We're definitely better than we've been at any time since Fergie retired but there's still at least 4 teams better than us at the minute.
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I disagree strongly. We squandered points on draws but the others are not better than us. Half of Arsenal want their manager sacked and Liverpool have definitely not been better than we have, especially since the beginning of the year.
 
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