The race to stay in the race - Has begun.....
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:39 am
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.
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.