• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

The Immense Struggle to avoid the European Conference League

FatBloke said:
Absolutely. The run-in last season was brilliant. We were playing swashbuckling football, full of confidence. It was like 2016 all over again. I had very high hopes going into this season. And all we got was turgid defensive first halves followed by desperate second halves. Okay, Conte (and players) are preserving energy before the WC. Or something like that. But it just didn't get any better.

Maybe we're about to go on a run again. We've got easier games on paper and plenty of time for preparation. I can but hope.
Click to expand...

Yeh, my frustration, even hypercritical as it is at times could probably count 5 halves of good football before the WC, since we have had probably another 4, following on from last season with a WC that everyone has to navigate, it just was not good TBH. And I know we had individuals making mistakes but that was only compounding the poor football, was never the sole cause of issues
 
Grays_1890 said:
The realities of the modern game though are that clubs and teams need to move forward, I personally, maybe with hindsight would take a season out the CL and no trophies if I truly believed there was a greater dawn. Regardless how I think everyone else including the powers that matter and players want progress and wins, thats just the nature of the game now. No bigger picture
Click to expand...

One doesn't lead to the other though. You could have a season without cl and be brick.
 
Grays_1890 said:
I know thats why I said I would take it "if" based on hindsight, not saying I would literally take it because I think thats how it works
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Just think the mentality of would you take a cup win over top 4 or such is a dangerous mentality.

We'll take anything to be fair and should alway just concentrate on winning every game.
 
Lilbaz said:
Fair enough. Just think the mentality of would you take a cup win over top 4 or such is a dangerous mentality.

We'll take anything to be fair and should alway just concentrate on winning every game.
Click to expand...

Yeh and at the end of the day, players force the agenda there, they all wanna play in the CL so its a real dangerous game to play IMO. Its the stage its where their money comes from.
 
Grays_1890 said:
Yeh and at the end of the day, players force the agenda there, they all wanna play in the CL so its a real dangerous game to play IMO. Its the stage its where their money comes from.
Click to expand...

I really don't know. No player will want to lose a game. But maybe not give 100% to save themselves? Maybe not go in for the 50/50 tackle?

As i said i don't know.
 
Lilbaz said:
I really don't know. No player will want to lose a game. But maybe not give 100% to save themselves? Maybe not go in for the 50/50 tackle?

As i said i don't know.
Click to expand...

I meant in the situation you don't qualify for the CL your prospects on signing top players goes down significantly both monetary and prospect, especially if you do so to win trophies and that does not happen also. You hear all the time players say "Its a dream to play in the CL" you rarely here them say they dream of winning the Carabau Cup and finishing 8th. Maybe they do....but I am yet to hear one
 
Grays_1890 said:
I meant in the situation you don't qualify for the CL your prospects on signing top players goes down significantly both monetary and prospect, especially if you do so to win trophies and that does not happen also. You hear all the time players say "Its a dream to play in the CL" you rarely here them say they dream of winning the Carabau Cup and finishing 8th. Maybe they do....but I am yet to hear one
Click to expand...

After the display they all turned in last Wednesday I dont want to hear any of our players trot that line out until its true, because to me it looked a nightmare, not a dream
 
I'm going to tempt fate by saying that we could be 3rd by 5pm today!!

Then first weekend after the international break is Saudi Sportswashing Machine - Man U, and any result in that game wouldnt then be a bad result for us
 
markysimmo said:
View attachment 15294
Click to expand...

Thanks. The graphic though understates the congestion issue for others - our SOuthampton game is obviously today whereas the first game shown for others is post the break. Therefore over April/May we have two more weeks where we'll have a clear week build up before the PL game compared to Liverpool and Saudi Sportswashing Machine, and at least 4 more than Man U given their EL games. That should allow us to be more consistent over the last couple months
 
AdamB said:
Thanks. The graphic though understates the congestion issue for others - our SOuthampton game is obviously today whereas the first game shown for others is post the break. Therefore over April/May we have two more weeks where we'll have a clear week build up before the PL game compared to Liverpool and Saudi Sportswashing Machine, and at least 4 more than Man U given their EL games. That should allow us to be more consistent over the last couple months
Click to expand...
I might do my table but by date to show what you said
 
Looking at Utd's fixtures, given their EL QFs are 13/4 and 20/4, it means they'll have two games per week throughout April

EL semis are 11/5 and 18/5, so if they win their QF then, given the Brighton game will need to go first midweek of May, they'll have 2 games per week from 2nd April through to Bournemouth on 20th May

That surely has to lead to them dropping points unexpectedly in 1 or 2 more games
 
AdamB said:
Looking at Utd's fixtures, given their EL QFs are 13/4 and 20/4, it means they'll have two games per week throughout April

EL semis are 11/5 and 18/5, so if they win their QF then, given the Brighton game will need to go first midweek of May, they'll have 2 games per week from 2nd April through to Bournemouth on 20th May

That surely has to lead to them dropping points unexpectedly in 1 or 2 more games
Click to expand...

Think we need 70 points.
 
Grays_1890 said:
You need to be going into Saudi Sportswashing Machine with 9 points from 4 IMO, no pressure Conte
Click to expand...
We need to be going into Saudi Sportswashing Machine with 12 pts out of 4 to have some buffer if we happen to lose or draw, because we will have United and Pool following our game with them. We could conceivably get only 1-3 pts out of these 3 games and Saudi Sportswashing Machine has a slightly easier schedule than us, so we need to put as much daylight between them as possible before we go into that 3-game stretch.
 
alekaras said:
We need to be going into Saudi Sportswashing Machine with 12 pts out of 4 to have some buffer if we happen to lose or draw, because we will have United and Pool following our game with them. We could conceivably get only 1-3 pts out of these 3 games and Saudi Sportswashing Machine has a slightly easier schedule than us, so we need to put as much daylight between them as possible before we go into that 3-game stretch.
Click to expand...

If we perform in the other games, then 3 draws in the Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Utd, Liverpool run is probably enough

Given Utd's run, 3rd is a very realistic possibility too
 
AdamB said:
If we perform in the other games, then 3 draws in the Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Utd, Liverpool run is probably enough

Given Utd's run, 3rd is a very realistic possibility too
Click to expand...

?? United could quite easily win all their 6 home games, which gives them a hell of an advantage
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back