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Suddenly, second place doesn't look like such a moonshot

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greatwhitenorf

Edgar Davids
Yeah, there's a lot of football to still be played and some tough matches to get through, but Spurs sit only five points back of Emirates Marketing Project today, one back of Chelsea in third.

Neither of those clubs are in what anyone would describe as a harmonious, cohesive state just now. City have nothing left to realistically play for anymore except a top four finish. What a let down that must feel like and doesn't it show?

With a new manager - even it were Mourinho - needing time to develop a squad to suit his vision, how many of their top players are already discussing exit strategies? Aguero? Silva? Dzeko? I would think so. If Alan Ford were narrating this story, he'd be calling them 'moody goods'. 'It's time to move on and they know it.'

Chelsea have an unloved manager and a squad beginning to fray around the edges. Cech's battling injuries, the defence is suspect, Fernando Torres continues to misfire and the graceless end to Frank Lampard's great service to the club is becoming a distraction. There'll be a new manager. That much is certain. Who will have a role to play at Chelsea under that new leader is far less certain.

At a time when teamwork and unity are paramount to close the season successfully, neither club is showing the chemistry needed to make that happen.

We're spending a lot of time looking back at pursuers.Take a good look and there's Wheelchair laid out and crocked, Walcott bent double, in tears, over a harsh glance or rude word from a very insensitive boy, Czeczscny imitating a stoned condor. Perhaps we should begin looking ahead.

With a two-week gap until league play resumes, it's an excellent time for AVB to let reserve players take a lead role against Lyon and let some starters enjoy a little time off to get rejunevated. It's nice to pay lip service to the Europa league, but it's become a bit of a luxury item that we need to treat as a secondary goal to a top-four finish.

With Kaboul's return expected soon, we'll as deep at the back as any club in the league. Lloris has been awesome and Friedel remains a solid backup. Our midfield is coping well with Sandro's absence and if Defoe can return to form soon, we'll be in great shape to push upward in the table.

Unlike the two clubs immediately above us, we seem to have a group of players getting along well and battling hard for one another and the manager. It's time Spurs supporters began thinking a little more ambitiously. It might rub off on the players. So why not second place?
 
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This time last year people ('Arry?) started talking about a title chance.

City are far stronger than us in depth and have more goalscoring options (even without Balotelli). They do see heavily reliant on Yaya, though, and when he's fully integrated again I would expect them to pull away again. I wouldn't be surpised if at the end of the season, the points dropped during the ANC will be the difference between first and second.
 
It's not impossible, even though it doesn't seem likely either of course.

As you say both City and Chelsea are vulnerable and we look quite good. As long as AVB, Freund and the rest of the staff keep the players working hard and together and keep improving it's better to aim high.
 
If we still didnt have trips to Chelsea and Liverpool I might start to believe 2nd place was in our sights, but sadly I dont see us picking up more than a point from those two games.
Even trips to Swansea and Stoke will be no walks in the park either.

Still think 4th is our primary target, and beating both Arsenal and Everton at home, as well as avoiding defeat at Anfield are the 3 key ingredients in that battle.
 
We could just as easy lose the next few games if Bale got injured. I'll take 4th right now.
 
I'm not talking title here. But we've got a great group of players that are rolling along nicely and we're winning ugly with below-strength squads. We're in good shape. We're not playing history. We're not playing 45,000 spectators. We're going 11 on 11 with a group that is as good as any below Manu's squad.

A little belief is more than justified.
 
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It's a cliche but we just need to concentrate on getting as many points as we can in each game as it comes and we'll end up where we'll end up, anything in the top 4 would be excellent!
 
paxtonwolf said:
If we still didnt have trips to Chelsea and Liverpool I might start to believe 2nd place was in our sights, but sadly I dont see us picking up more than a point from those two games.
Even trips to Swansea and Stoke will be no walks in the park either.

Still think 4th is our primary target, and beating both Arsenal and Everton at home, as well as avoiding defeat at Anfield are the 3 key ingredients in that battle.
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City still have to go to Goodison, Old Trafford, Liberty and of course to WHL. Around a third of the season remaining, of course everyone will have some tough games to go.

4th is of course still our primary target, and of course the team should just focus on the next game, but looking at the table and remaining fixtures I don't think there's anything wrong with hoping and looking up the table as well as down.
 
NWND said:
It's a cliche but we just need to concentrate on getting as many points as we can in each game as it comes and we'll end up where we'll end up, anything in the top 4 would be excellent!
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You're in Bradford and you're playing Captain Sensible?!
 
We've got a tough run of fixtures coming up. I think that 3rd is certainly up for grabs. We'll learn a lot about this team and AVB in the next ten weeks.
 
Keep Bale fit, and we can achieve anything. In mood he's in no defence can stop him. He has proven now that he doesn't need space to run into to be deadly. His shooting at distance is proving to be extremely accurate, I can't remember the last time he didn't hit the target with his left foot. Teams can't stop him now by purely doubling up on him.
 
Can't say I get the popcorn thinking about finishing second but I certainly do about winning the Europa.
I am completely confident about a top 4 finish and about 65% (why not?) about top 3.
 
greatwhitenorf said:
With a two-week gap until league play resumes, it's an excellent time for AVB to let reserve players take a lead role against Lyon and let some starters enjoy a little time off to get rejunevated.
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He wont be playing reserve players against Lyon. He rest Vert and Benny this weekend, I'm guessing, with a view to them starting v Lyon. However am sure he'll play a full strength team on Thurs
 
Although implausible, there is still a mathematical possibility that we could finish second. Remember, "to dare is to do", so I will keep everything crossed and hope that those footballing Gods that have been so cruel to us over the years will now smile benignly on us for once.
 
Nah. Forget league positions.
Just concentrate on winning whatever game's up next, and then we'll see how we did at the end of the season.
 
I guess, as always, it's the 6 pointers that are key.

The games against Everton, gooners and Chelsea will go a long way to determining where we all end up. As it stands, the gooners only need a 3 game swing to go their way and they're above us but maybe that will focus ours minds as around this time last year they needed an 8 game swing.

Man U can do us a favour today which would be welcome after yesterday's other results, and if we see Pool as a threat, then are Swansea?

Hopefully the league break will do us good in terms of our injuries and get us ready for W Ham; a game I'd expect us to win. I can take or leave the UEFA, for me it's about the league, and isn't it great that we're well in the mix - credit to AVB and his team.
 
No, just no. We are yet to go through and sticky patch and we will have one of some sorts between now and the end of the season. City will pick up I'm afraid.

4th and maybe even 3rd if one of the big boys are massively off colour will always be the best we can go for until we get that coveted top class striker....
 
shaney said:
We could just as easy lose the next few games if Bale got injured. I'll take 4th right now.
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Yep i think unless some of the other players pull their socks up we are in danger of being a one man team. We need ade to find some form and defoe to get his scoring touch back, would also help if siggy had a good second half of the season after a slightly poor first half.

The defence needs to play tighter but we do look more of a club then city or chelsea but i would put money on both of them finishing above us as they have better players and the experince.

Whether we can finally finish above those ****s down the road is the big question.
 
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