Liverpool FC Forum

[bigmick]

OK, so we've done great to get ourselves to the top, arguably have wasted a few chances to give ourselves a cushion, but are still right in there. There's still seventeen games to go (quite a lot really when you think about it) but I'm absolutely convinced that the bell has gone and it's all on now for the fight to the finish.

I said in a post earlier that it was now a two horse race, and it probably is. That might seem harsh on Chelsea who are only two points behind the Mancs but have played one game more, but I think it's fair to say that for them they'll need to win at both Anfield and Old Trafford to get back into it. Not impossible, and they could still throw a major spanner in the works for one of the clubs by winning one of the matches, but I can't see them winning both.

Arsenal are six points back and I just can't see anyone giving the Mancs a six point start with this amount of games to go and then reeling them in. Conservatively, the gooners are going to have to win at Anfield and Old Trafford, as well as winning all but maybe one or two of their other matches. Impossible I think.

Villa despite having a fantastic season simply aren't up to it. Those who doubt whther the Premiership is weaker at the top this season would do well to look at their position. They are three points off the top albeit having played one more match than the Mancs. Are they really that much better a team at this stage of the season than we have been for the last four seasons under Rafa? I just can't see it but anyway I'm certain that even this year, they aren't good enough to win it.

So if it is to be us and the Mancs (and if we don't stop 'em nobody else will) we've got to hang on in there. They'll try and put the thing to bed over the next seven or eight matches,and it's vital we stay with them so our game at Old Trafford is still meaningful when it comes around.

These are the next few matches for both teams, and it's not going to be easy. The way things are i should think we are going to need to hit our best form of the season so far, and sharpish.

Man Utd next few games:                 

WBA (A)
Everton (H)
West Ham (A)
Fulham (H)
Blackburn (H)
Portsmouth (H)
Newcastle (A)

Liverpool next few games:

Everton (H)
Wigan (A)
Chelsea (H)
Portsmouth (A)
Man City (H)
Middlesboro (A)
Sunderland (H)

Looking at their games first, WBA looks like an absolute penalty kick in the next match. Fulham, Blackburn and Pompey at Home look like three 3-0's to me, we know how completely sh!t Newcastle are even at Home which leaves only Everton at Home and West Ham Away as potential banana skins IMHO. Even then, they are banana skins which are surrounded by red and white stripy duck tape with DANGER written on it, along with one of those yellow boxes with an amber flashing light next to them. In short, it would be no surprise to me if they won seven out of seven. If I was a betting man though (which I am) I'd be going for 19 points out of 21 or thereabouts. Feck knows which one they'll draw though, I'm a punter not a fortune teller.

As for our games, well the first and most obvious thing is that they're harder, quite a lot harder infact. Eveton at Home for us is obviously harder than it is for them, and Wigan Away is a dodgy little game as well. Hopefully somebody ties up their midfielder before then. We then run into Chelsea who are in all likelyhood going to go to Anfield needing the win the match. Pompey Away has some interesting memories for us, being the scene of one infamously bizarre selection in the past. Man City at Home (with or without Kaka) is a tricky one, while the two North East teams will be in the thick of a relegation dogfight by then. Middlesboro has never been one of our favourite grounds, while Sunderland have got a pacy striker who might be looking to do some damage.

Under normal circumstances, 15 points out of 21 wouldn't be a bad return from those games. 16 would be excellent, five wins, a draw and a defeat somewhere along the lines. There is the distinct possibility though that 15 or 16 wouldn't be enough, we may need six wins and one defeat at worst.

Despite my belief that it is a weaker league this year, it's still unbelieveably difficult to win it. I just hope that when we go to Old Trafford the result still matters. It won't be easy to make it so, but here's hoping.

[SupitsJonF]

Top post.  Full of stats and opinions and no name calling.  I think your right, and the next 7 matches could hold a lot of disappointment ahead.  But everything is so close that even if we cant catch up to the Mancs: Chelsea, AV, and Arsenal will be quick to stomp on us if we slip up.

[bigmick]

The hard thing if we were to slip up Jon, is getting up for a fight for third or fourth. If for instance we were to lose at Home to Chelsea and then they and the Mancs pull clear, we could potentially be in a bit of trouble. We'd go from being title contenders to again fighting for a Champions League slot fairly sharpish and it might get sticky.

People talked earlier in the season about us not wanting to "do an Arsenal" but in the end they finished only five or so points behind Chelsea and the Mancs who were level save for goal difference. Having fallen out of the race they actually did quite well to get back into it. I really think the next few games are make or break. If the worse came to the worse and we did have a bliiiiip, doing "an Arsenal" might actually seem quite pallatable.

It may seem strange that having pronounced it a two horse race I'm considering the possibility of us struggling to stay in the top four. I obviously think we will be in the top four (we'll be in the top two), but the possibility of a blow up is there nontheless I think. I am convinced though that we are the only team who can stop the Mancs from here. If we don't, it's levels you bevels on titles.

[bigmick]

Chelsea who are only two points behind the Mancs but have played one game more, but I think it's fair to say that for them they'll need to win at both Anfield and Old Trafford to get back into it.

As has just been pointed out to me by PM, it'll be hard for them to win at Old Trafford as they've already played there   . I swear I get worse.

OK, they'll have to win everywhere else then (they're probably fecked in truth).

Note to self, leave posts with stats in them to people who don't feck it up every single time     

[andy_g]

while we might trade first spot a couple of times over the course of those games i have to say i'd expect them to be above us by the end of it. like you say though, mick, its vital then when we get to their place a win can either put us level with them, or even better above again. while they have all the opportunity in the world to open a little gap above us we have to be realistic and admit that its highly unlikely we'll be able to do the same to them. if we can keep it as a dogfight we'll be doing well - although the league is going to feel a lot less enjoyable and a lot more stressful over the next weeks.

someone has got to stop the mancs equaling our record, and it really doesn't look like chelsea or arsenal are up to the task this season. that means that it is down to us or villa. it being us is the ideal scenario, getting our hands on the trophy and having 2 more wins than them again - it being villa is highly unlikely, as long as they can pip either or both of arsenal or chelsea it will be good.

so its down to us. the pressure is well and truly on. the next 2 months will really see what we are made of - time for the real liverpool to stand up. hopefully it will be the liverpool that beats chelsea at stamford bridge, the mancs at anfield and newcastle at st james's - and hopefully not the liverpool that draws 0-0 with hull, stoke, fulham, west ham, etc etc etc

[Sabre]

People must know that in a title race you can be off the table 3 points. I see too much defeatism in the "other results" thread. Yes, I know it's frustrating how the win games but the fact is we're there with them.

I'm not saying we'll win the league. I'm not saying we haven't wasted some unvaluable chances to have a cushion of points. I'm saying it's possible, and we have to believe even in the moments we're 3 points off the top.

[tubby]

I guess the only thing we can do is keep the faith and hope we dont drop any more results.

[tonyeh]

If Liverpool lose to Everton tomorrow night and it's certainly a possibility, then they can say goodbye to the title, because Utd WILL NOT lose to WBA or Sunderland and they'll extend their distance and I also think there is the possibility of Liverpool drawing to Wigan in the game after next and losing to Chelsea after that.

Tomorrow night's derby, for me anyway, is the point where we either stay in the race or fück it away. Although, I fear that Benitez's idiotic and foolish nonsense last week has already doomed Liverpool's chances.

On a side note, I certainly wouldn't write off Chelsea just yet. They've had a blip, but they are a strong outfit, albeit with some internal problems.

[tubby]

Yeah. All it takes is a few points lost on our part and they will creep back up over us. But we need to beat them when they come to Anfield. Mentally they should be in a worse state of mind.

[account deleted by request]

I think Chelsea are out of the title race in all but name, but are definately still in the mix for second place. They have huge problems at the moment both with injuries and team spirit, but like a wounded animal they can still do damage to our hopes.

For all the posturing about our being top of the league we have played very well in only a few games so far this season. If we are to have any chance at the league we need TORRES to hit the ground running when he fully returns, and we need to improve both our football and commitment to winning games  rather than accepting draws when the going gets hard.

I think we have received a much needed boost with the return of Skrtel and Torres, but they still need to show the form they did in the second half of last season if its going to actually mean something.

The list of major distractions to our season :- Everton in the cup, Gerrards court case, Real madrid, Rafa's contract is becoming worrying long. We need to focus on taking each game as it comes, but I still think we will need a win at Old Trafford if we are to win the league.

[JC_81]

I agree that we do not have much margin for error from here on, but with 17 games to go, winning or losing the title is still in our own hands.  That's a position we haven't been in for a long time.

I have said it before, but it might suit us better chasing at this stage rather than being chased.  Maybe someone (Owzat ) could do the stats, but I'll bet that United's second half of season form is better when they're chasing a team down rather than holding onto top spot.  Last season Chelsea got close to them despite being way back at one stage.  I can remember the Arsenal team of Vieira/Petit/Anelka/Overmars etc reeling in United and winning the title from 12 points back (maybe more) and winning at Old Trafford on the way, eventually winning the title with games to spare in fact.  On the flipside, United have made up some impressive gaps to win the title over the years, the famous 'I'd love it if we beat them' season being the pick.

People will say that we've blown opportunities to have a cushion at the top, and some are even saying that our chance is gone.  Bollox it is.  There is not point in 'ifs and buts' in football'.  The games against Stoke, Hull etc are gone now.  We are still in a great position and with the best striker in the world to come back into the side.  FFS we haven't even hit top form this season.

Of course United are still favourites.  They have more 'game-breaking' players than we do and of course they have been there and done it before.  But we are still a pretty well oiled machine that has lost only once in the league (undeservedly) and will take some stopping.  We shouldn't have an inferiority complex here because we have a bloody good team this season and are in with more than a shout of winning it.

One game at a time.  Let's get the job done against Everton.  If we beat them the doom and gloom will lift and things will look a hell of a lot rosier.

[Leonmc0708]

Chelsea are out of it ?

Are you people smoking crakc pipes ?

They beat us and the Mancs before the end of the season and they are in pole position.

Personally, I think htere are three in it.

[account deleted by request]

Good post John, the only thing I am having great difficulty with is dismissing the chances we had to have a good cushion by now. I just hope the players have better luck handling it than I have. I know whats gone is gone and can't be undone, but I keep looking back and thinking 5points from 4 games against the bottom 3 clubs, instead of looking at the more positive 7 points from 3 games against the other top four sides.

On the bright side the league is still in our hands to win....... just.

[account deleted by request]

Chelsea are out of it ?

Are you people smoking crakc pipes ?

They beat us and the Mancs before the end of the season and they are in pole position.

Personally, I think htere are three in it.

I think that Chelsea have no chance of beating the mancs this season mate........ they have already played them twice 

[JC_81]

Good post John, the only thing I am having great difficulty with is dismissing the chances we had to have a good cushion by now. I just hope the players have better luck handling it than I have. I know whats gone is gone and can't be undone, but I keep looking back and thinking 4 points from 5 games against the bottom 3 clubs, instead of looking at the more positive 7 points from 3 games against the other top four sides.

On the bright side the league is still in our hands to win....... just.

I know what you mean mate, and I'm not dismissing those games.  They were poor results.  But it'll kill you thinking about it.  The only way the players can move on is to forget about those games, we need to do the same.

What if Alonso's shot wasn't deflected at Stamford bridge?  What if Babel hadn't scuffed his shot into the ground against United so it looped over the defender's head?  What if our goal against Stoke at Anfield rightfully stood?  Let's face it, despite not getting the luck in front of goal in certain games, we have had our fair share of luck too this season.  Luck should even itself out over a season.  None of that matters now though and if I was offered this position at the start of the season I'd have taken it.