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The glorious march to CL qualification

Max points each team can achieve (and current Gd):
Spurs - 82 (+30)
Woolwich - 81 (+25)
Man U - 79 (+19)
Chelsea - 78 (+21)

However both Man U and cannot both achieve full maximum as they play each other (which means when they play if Man U win they can get 79 Chelsea 75 - Chelsea win Chelsea 78, Man U 76 and a draw means Man u 77 Chelsea 76)
This means a draw would be the best result for us as it lowers the threshold for points we definitely need to 77 (as our goal difference should be superior); worst case scenario is that Man U win meaning we would need 79 points (again dependent on superior goal difference).

The biggest variable in all these calculations is how Woolwich will perform in their remaining 4 away games - tonight will be a good test. Really they need to collect at least 6 points from the Watford, Wolves and Leicester games and then Burnley on final day will have a different feel depending on Burnley's situation.

Woolwich and/or Chelsea going all the way to the Europa final would also have an impact!
 
SPURSBOY said:
west ham game is the worry for me, things will be easier for us if we go out of the champs league
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Share this thinking. They've been shocking of late all in all, but you just know they're saving themselves for one last hurrah against us. And should we beat Brighton, nothing will give them more joy than to be first team to win/get something at NWHL. Yep, this is the one that worries me as we'd be expected to win.


Then again, Bournemouth away didn't look too troublesome a week ago. Now with our injuries and them on the back of a great away demolition win, it may prove trickier than it once was.
 
SPURSBOY said:
west ham game is the worry for me, things will be easier for us if we go out of the champs league
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Yes I feel the same! They were the first away team to win at The Emirates and are still going on about it! They played well at Old Trafford and were a bit unlucky not to get anything and despite an insipid 1st half at Chelsea had good periods in the second half.
That said take the emotion out and we've beaten them twice already this season and should be more motivated than they are and have the superior quality too.

If we then have a CL semi-final on the Tuesday though it may affect selection?
 
NaijaSpurs said:
:eek: Let me get this right, you are suggesting that it would be easier for us to qualify for the CL next season if we get knocked out of the CL this season. Seriously dude, I have no words.
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I know what he's saying....until we have a full clean bill of health we will have to chop and change to meet demands of both league and Champions League and therefore if we have a CL SF 2/3 days after West Ham and then Bournemouth we may see a similar side to the one that played Huddersfield at the weekend. Not the end of the world by any means but does undeniably reduce the quality on the teamsheet and therefore the chances of winning.
Should we get knocked out at City then we can play our strongest XI for each remaining PL games without fear of recrimination.
 
GPRD81 said:
Should we get knocked out at City then we can play our strongest XI for each remaining PL games without fear of recrimination.
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What is the point of striving to win our remaining league matches if when we qualify for the CL we are going to bitch about playing too many matches? If we lose our next 5 matches at least next season we will not have that problem.
 
I think the issue we have this season, is that it's hopefully the last where we see this greater-than-usual necessity to reach CL via top 4. The new stadium; the financial benefits in transfer market; the players we need to both keep and attract; even perhaps Poch's commitment. All of these things have been hanging over us with extra pressure than usual. We've come so far the past few years and I think we're still in danger of it all unravelling quickly if we don't make top 4 this time around.

Qualify this year and I think the club can confidently take the next steps to be bigger and better. Fail and end up in Europa and it will stagnate badly.

Of course we aim to win every game, whatever the competition, but I do think there's a greater risk in resting players against B'mth and West Ham to cope with CL ties, than there was against Hudds.

It's unfortunate, but the realistic side of the club has to be to ensure top 4. Any further progress in CL will be seen as a good bonus and great for club's exposure.
 
Ade's folks are ok really said:
I think the issue we have this season, is that it's hopefully the last where we see this greater-than-usual necessity to reach CL via top 4. The new stadium; the financial benefits in transfer market; the players we need to both keep and attract; even perhaps Poch's commitment. All of these things have been hanging over us with extra pressure than usual. We've come so far the past few years and I think we're still in danger of it all unravelling quickly if we don't make top 4 this time around.

Qualify this year and I think the club can confidently take the next steps to be bigger and better. Fail and end up in Europa and it will stagnate badly.

Of course we aim to win every game, whatever the competition, but I do think there's a greater risk in resting players against B'mth and West Ham to cope with CL ties, than there was against Hudds.

It's unfortunate, but the realistic side of the club has to be to ensure top 4. Any further progress in CL will be seen as a good bonus and great for club's exposure.
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I see the sense in what you’re saying. It just feels wrong to pretty much give up on winning the CL so that we can focus on being in it next year. It feels like the absolute opposite of everything we should be hoping for as fans.

I know winning it is unlikely anyway but if Liverpool could win it in 2005 and Porto in 2004, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
 
DeanoAustin said:
I see the sense in what you’re saying. It just feels wrong to pretty much give up on winning the CL so that we can focus on being in it next year. It feels like the absolute opposite of everything we should be hoping for as fans.

I know winning it is unlikely anyway but if Liverpool could win it in 2005 and Porto in 2004, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
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I'd prefer to not see it as "giving up" as such. More Poch being a little more sensible with his rotation policy and ensuring he honours the league a little more.
Those latest injuries really haven't helped though.
 
Ade's folks are ok really said:
I think the issue we have this season, is that it's hopefully the last where we see this greater-than-usual necessity to reach CL via top 4. The new stadium; the financial benefits in transfer market; the players we need to both keep and attract; even perhaps Poch's commitment. All of these things have been hanging over us with extra pressure than usual. We've come so far the past few years and I think we're still in danger of it all unravelling quickly if we don't make top 4 this time around.

Qualify this year and I think the club can confidently take the next steps to be bigger and better. Fail and end up in Europa and it will stagnate badly.

Of course we aim to win every game, whatever the competition, but I do think there's a greater risk in resting players against B'mth and West Ham to cope with CL ties, than there was against Hudds.

It's unfortunate, but the realistic side of the club has to be to ensure top 4. Any further progress in CL will be seen as a good bonus and great for club's exposure.
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The aim has to be to win it
It’s the biggest competion in club football in the world and we’re ahead in a 2 legged quarter final
If we lose but give it our everything then so be it but there is no point entering it if we ain’t thinking we can win it
 
Bedfordspurs said:
The aim has to be to win it
It’s the biggest competion in club football in the world and we’re ahead in a 2 legged quarter final
If we lose but give it our everything then so be it but there is no point entering it if we ain’t thinking we can win it
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Not disputing that mate - it was just on the back of the hypothetical where we'd only win one of the two, and I believe the league position just edges it if I had to pick.

Had we not of royally fudged up a healthy points advantage in league we needn't even entertain this situation. Just go all out for CL knowing we can afford to drop league points.
Alas...
 
Ade's folks are ok really said:
Not disputing that mate - it was just on the back of the hypothetical where we'd only win one of the two, and I believe the league position just edges it if I had to pick.

Had we not of royally fudged up a healthy points advantage in league we needn't even entertain this situation. Just go all out for CL knowing we can afford to drop league points.
Alas...
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Why does it have to be either or? Why would progressing in the CL mean we drop points in the League? Our squad has coped with the CL all season, we are still third after having a tough group, Dortmund and now City and all after our players being involved deep into the World Cup. We have demonstrated over Pochs' tenure that having to balance CL and the League isnt an issue for us. You really think two extra games in a CL semi final means we are all of a sudden more likely to lose at home to the likes of Brighton and West Ham? I dont....
 
NaijaSpurs said:
What is the point of striving to win our remaining league matches if when we qualify for the CL we are going to bitch about playing too many matches? If we lose our next 5 matches at least next season we will not have that problem.
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You're slightly missing my point. Of course we should strive to win the CL especially now that we're at this stage of the competition where we've got a finger in the semi-final. My point is that the reality of our current situation is that we have too many players in 'the red zone' whereby they cant cope with the physical exertions of a fully blooded high-intensity and mentally draining champions league tie and then to play a blood and thunder PL fixture in between (to reference the original point when one of those games is West Ham who we know will treat it as a cup final).
I believe, based on team selections throughout the season, Poch doesn't believe we can use the same 12/13 players successively and therefore he needs to make some sacrifices to leave players out in order to keep them fresh.

We are at a point in the season, and competition (with regards to CL) that we have to put all into those games and the league games will probably take a back seat - although Poch will feel confident that whichever XI he puts out it is strong enough to win.

I think we can all agree though that whether we have a CL SF 3 days later will have a big impact on the starting XI v West Ham?
 
GPRD81 said:
You're slightly missing my point. Of course we should strive to win the CL especially now that we're at this stage of the competition where we've got a finger in the semi-final. My point is that the reality of our current situation is that we have too many players in 'the red zone' whereby they cant cope with the physical exertions of a fully blooded high-intensity and mentally draining champions league tie and then to play a blood and thunder PL fixture in between (to reference the original point when one of those games is West Ham who we know will treat it as a cup final).
I believe, based on team selections throughout the season, Poch doesn't believe we can use the same 12/13 players successively and therefore he needs to make some sacrifices to leave players out in order to keep them fresh.

We are at a point in the season, and competition (with regards to CL) that we have to put all into those games and the league games will probably take a back seat - although Poch will feel confident that whichever XI he puts out it is strong enough to win.

I think we can all agree though that whether we have a CL SF 3 days later will have a big impact on the starting XI v West Ham?
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Hopefully the landscape as the games come along will be ever changing as Dele, Dier, Aurier, Winks, Lamela all become available so the ability to rotate and the quality of rotation will be back in our favour.
 
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