Liverpool FC Forum

[Emerald Red]

We'll make it to fourth, but we are better than fourth so I wouldn't be at all shocked to see us grab third depending on tonights result. We're dragging ourselves out of the mire, and what I found really surprising is that there is not a peep from the press (from what I've seen) regarding our recent resiliance and collecting 20 points out of the last 23, which is solid enough form. But what is more important is that we are slowly starting to look like our old selves, though I'd say we're currently performing to only half of our potential at the moment. The main thing is, we're recovering, and it only highlights the absolute stupidity of those that hastely called for the manager to be sacked when we were at such a vulnerable and dangerous situation. The silence is defeaning. I wonder what Ronny Whelan et al have to say now.

[Emerald Red]

They only money I can see them getting by the end of the season is the TV rights money but even then thay have to pay of that Islandic guy 15mil or so.

Either that or someone else takes them over.

You're forgetting Standard Chartered. That's a big money sponsorship and a great chunk of that should be used for players. If it isn't, well...

[Redman in wales]

They only money I can see them getting by the end of the season is the TV rights money but even then thay have to pay of that Islandic guy 15mil or so.

Either that or someone else takes them over.

You're forgetting Standard Chartered. That's a big money sponsorship and a great chunk of that should be used for players. If it isn't, well...

he was talkin' bout pompey

[damjan193]

If we win Arsenal AND City we will make it, and maybu even make it to 3rd.Id we draw either of them, we will probably be forth ant the end of the season.Id we draw both, we still probably be 4th.If we lose both, then may God help us.The two most important mathces of the season so far.

[Owzat]

Well I wasn't holding out too much hope for a win last night, that makes the citeh game crucial, a win would give us a fighting chance at fourth, a defeat and citeh would be three points clear and with two games still in hand. I think villa and spudz will continue to drop points so the major threat is citeh based on position and games in hand, Wolves doing the double over spudz is quite laughable.

As few points as 60 and 61 have been enough to finish fourth in the past six seasons, but those were terrible seasons. Last four have finished 72, 76, 68 and 67, we're on course for around 67 based on the first 26 games - and we do have two of our six games against the top three left to play, and citeh, in the last 12 games so it isn't unreasonable to assume our form isn't guaranteed to improve in the remaining fixtures. We have played the bitters, villa and spudz home and away, but our away form is P13 W4 D3 L6 so we've shown capable of losing on the road.

We're now only one point better off after 26 games than we were in 04/05 when we last finished outside the top four (by three points then)

Remaining fixtures and corresponding 09/10 results

Man City (a) W3-2
Blackburn (h) W4-0
Wigan (a) D1-1
Portsmouth (h) W1-0
Man Utd (a) W4-1
Sunderland (h) W2-0
Birmingham (a) n/a
Fulham (h) D0-0
West Ham (h) D0-0
Burnley (a) n/a
Chelsea (h) W2-0
Hull (a) W3-1

08/09 P10 W7 D3 L0 PTS 24.

I think we'd settle for a repeat measure, that would put us on 68 points with two results away to brum and Burnley. It won't be easy repeating the wins at old trafford and COMS, or that easy beating Chelsea. Even newly promoted B&B away are not guarantees of three points. And that was last season, we were ELEVEN points better off after 26 games so we're half a point per game worse off give or take.

I think the moment of extreme optimism a lot suffered after the derby should now have passed. Arsenal are eight points ahead, have played all the 'big four' home and away while we still face the top two, one home and one away.

[b]Top sides left to play (ARS & LIV)[/b[

1. LIV vs CHE
2. MNU vs LIV
3 & 4. n/a
5. ARS vs MNC, MNC vs LIV
6. TOT vs ARS
7. n/a

Both have to play Citeh, us away and Arsenal at the Emirates. We've to play the top two while Arsenal have to play away to spudz who haven't beaten Arsenal in the league since 1999. Thereafter we've both got brum away, both face Fulham at home and have both played the bitters. If there is a case to be made for an Arsenal title shot, then I think not having too many demanding top 10 fixtures is probably it. Only brum and spudz away, Fulham and citeh at home. I think we'd take that with eight games against bottom half sides. In fact their forthcoming run in the league is Sunderland (h), Stoke (a), Burnley (h), Hull (a), West Ham (h), Birmingham (a), Wolves (h) and then Tottenham (a) One or two they may well come unstuck on, but if we were voting on how many points from that as a fixture list I think we'd be pencilling in 6-7 wins with all four home games as wins. I'd quite like their last three games, Man City (h), Blackburn (a) and Fulham (h) instead of Burnley (a), Chelsea (h) and Hull (a) - starting and ending the season with away days

[boodiddy1]

5th place im afraid. we cant nick 1-0 till end of season. We needed a srtiker and never got onee in jan. We'll lose a couple more yet and will prob draw  a couple. We miss nando too much. Just right it off. We have to build again in summer with hopefully new money

[Boocity]

I voted yes but we must bounce back and beat city.

[heimdall]

I voted yes but we must bounce back and beat city.

City is THE crunch game for us, if we loose it then I think we might be fecked as regards getting 4th but who knows, it's such a weird league this year.

[tubby]

I think it could even go down to the last game of the season but we can still do it. All it takes is for one of the teams above us to slip up (and it's not like it hasn't happened a few times already) and we will be back in with a shout of 3rd.

I think we will get 4th but it will go down to the wire.

[heimdall]

I think it could even go down to the last game of the season but we can still do it. All it takes is for one of the teams above us to slip up (and it's not like it hasn't happened a few times already) and we will be back in with a shout of 3rd.

I think we will get 4th but it will go down to the wire.

agreed but it's so hard to tell, both Citeh and Villa are capable of going on a solid run of games, just as we are. Then again Arsenal are capable of buggering everything up, it's just too close to call. The one team I'm not so nervous about is Spurs, not quite sure what's happened to them lately but very inconsistent results.

[tubby]

Ok here are the remaining fixtures for us and City. I don't think Spurs will push on any more and Villa will probably drop of a bit further down the line but I believe City are the ones we need to be keeping a close eye on.

Our trickiest away fixtures are probably Birmingham and Utd. We should have a full strengh and fully fit squad for Birmingham and we will be more than up for Utd away. City have a lot of tricky away fixtures including Sunderland, Fulham, Arsenal and West Ham. And they still have to play the mancs, Spurs and Villa at home too.

City

16 February 2010  A     Stoke City
21 February 2010  H     Liverpool
27 February 2010  A     Chelsea

06 March 2010  H     Tottenham Hotspur
14 March 2010  A     Sunderland
20 March 2010  A     Fulham
29 March 2010  H     Wigan Athletic

03 April 2010  A     Burnley
10 April 2010  H     Birmingham City
17 April 2010  H     Manchester United
24 April 2010  A     Arsenal

01 May 2010  H     Aston Villa
09 May 2010  A     West Ham United

Ours

21 Feb 2010  A       Man City
28 Feb 2010  H    Blackburn
8 Mar 2010    A       Wigan
15 Mar 2010  H    Portsmouth   
21 Mar 2010  A       Man United     
28 Mar 2010  H    Sunderland   

3 Apr 2010  A    Birmingham
11 Apr 2010  H    Fulham
17 Apr 2010  H    West Ham
24 Apr 2010  A    Burnley

1 May 2010  H    Chelsea
9 May 2010  A    Hull

[parchpea]

Wont happen this year the way we have been playing.City will need to complete and utter mugs to let this chance slip.They are no world beaters but go for wins and have match winners in that team.We have always managed to keep ahead of the pack by grinding out results but I fear that theres one now that has the resources to move us out of the way. I think we will run it close dont get me wrong but will probably draw too many and lose out this year.

[Owzat]

bav - there's a citeh fixture missing, they have 14 league games left and you and the BBC have only 13 scheduled. By my reckoning they have bitters home left to play as well

ok LIV, MNC, TOT and AVL remaining fixtures by league position, assuming Pompey (fixtures) survive

01. LIV vs CHE, CHE vs MNC, TOT vs CHE, CHE vs AVL
02. MNU vs LIV, MNC vs MNU, MNU vs TOT,  ----------------
03. ----------------, ARS vs MNC, TOT vs ARS,  ----------------
04. ----------------, MNC vs LIV, ----------------,  ----------------
05. MNC vs LIV, ----------------, MNC vs TOT, MNC vs AVL
06. ----------------, MNC vs TOT, ----------------,  ----------------
07. ----------------, MNC vs AVL, ----------------,  ----------------
08. BIR vs LIV, MNC vs BIR, ----------------, AVL vs BIR
09. ----------------, MNC vs EVE, TOT vs EVE, AVL vs EVE
10. LIV vs FUL, FUL vs MNC, ----------------,  ----------------
11. LIV vs BLA, ----------------, TOT vs BLA, BLA vs AVL
12. ----------------, STO vs MNC, STO vs TOT, STO vs AVL
13. LIV vs SUN, SUN vs MNC, SUN vs TOT, AVL vs SUN
14. LIV vs WHU, WHU vs MNC, ----------------,  ----------------
15. ----------------, ----------------, ----------------, AVL vs WOL
16. WIG vs LIV, MNC vs WIG, WIG vs TOT, WIG vs AVL
17. HULL vs LIV, ----------------, ----------------, HUL vs AVL
18. BUR vs LIV, BUR vs MNC, BUR vs TOT, AVL vs BUR
19. ----------------, ----------------, TOT vs BOL, BOL vs AVl
20. LIV vs POR, ----------------, TOT vs POR, POR vs AVL

HOME (split 1-3, 4-10, 11-17, 18-20)

Liverpool : 1-1-3-1
Man City : 1-5-1-0
Tottenham : 2-1-1-2
A Villa : 0-2-2-1

Citeh looking like having the toughest home fixtures, entertaining the mancs, Liverpool, villa and spudz (and Brum) while we look to have relatively winnable home games in the main - Fulham, Blackburn, Sunderland, West Ham and Pompey with Chelsea the biggest team left to visit us with the next highest team mid-table and on no more than 34 points. Everyone but us faces the bitters at home, only villa have Wolves left while the only head to heads left are all at COMS.

AWAY (split 1-3, 4-10, 11-17, 18-20)

Liverpool : 1-2-2-1
Man City : 2-1-3-1
Tottenham : 1-1-3-1
A Villa : 1-1-4-2

Citeh and spudz have the easier looking away fixtures, you'd want four bottom half sides away - most likely you wouldn't have more than five, we've only got three. villa have more away games but SIX against bottom half sides including what might prove tests at Stoke, Bolton, Hull and Blackburn - we're the only side not to play Stoke in the remaining fixtures, the rest face them AWAY. Citeh play all three rivals at home.


We should win most of our remaining games, three of the 12 are against the mancs, Chelsea and Citeh, while the rest are either at home or against mid-table sides. But then our results by league position so far are not that impressive.

01-03 : P4 W1 D0 L3 PTS 3 (Won 25.00%)
04-10 : P9 W4 D2 L3 PTS 14 (Won 44.44%)
11-17 : P9 W5 D3 L1 PTS 18 (Won 55.56%)
18-20 : P4 W3 D0 L1 PTS 9 (Won 75.00%)

Not as impressive as it should be, only winning eight out of 13 against bottom half sides is not clever and six defeats in 13 against top half sides is really not clever. Just as well we only have five games against the top half left, the only game I'd say we shouldn't lose is Fulham at home while Citeh, mancs, and Brum away are well within our losing capabilities and Chelsea at home will be nay picnic.

[fivecups]

Cheers for the summaries Owzat and Bav!

[account deleted by request]

I have had a good look at the remaining fixtures for each club and Villa have far and away the best run in. If they hit reasonable form we could be in trouble

LIVERPOOL

Feb 21 - Man City (a)
Feb 28 - Blackburn (h)
March 8 - Wigan (a)
March 15 - Portsmouth (h)
March 21 - Man Utd (a)
March 28 - Sunderland (h)
April 3 - Birmingham (a)
April 11 - Fulham (h)
April 17 - West Ham (h)
April 24 - Burnley (a)
May 1 - Chelsea (h)
May 9 - Hull (a)

ASTON VILLA

Feb 21 - Burnley (h)
Feb 27 - Hull (a)
March 6 - Sunderland (h)
March 13 - Stoke (a)
March 16 - Wigan (a)
March 20 - Wolves (h)
March 27 - Chelsea (a)
April 3 - Bolton (a)
April 10 - Everton (h)
April 17 - Portsmouth (a)
April 25 - Birmingham (h)
May 1 - Man City (a)
May 9 - Blackburn (h)