Champions League Contention

[VillaTim]

This will sound stupid, but does anyone else find, in some ways, being really good very nearly as stressful as being really bad?

Being up there in the CL places has made me appreciate how fucking tough it is to be amongst the best. I get monumentally stressed before pretty much every game now, the stakes seem so high - when you're good and at the upper reaches, the margins are very thin, every dropped point means something.

I think what gets me is the thought that, if we were to let it slip and piss it all away, people would be saying "told you so", that'd royally, royally fuck me off.

For clarity, being really good is way better than being shit, but it's still quite stressful.

Thats not stupid at all paulie as i feel the same. I feel that being so good is more stressful. When we were losing games a few years back when we were in bottom half i didnt really care so much. But now when we lose it feels more srressful and abit more anxiety as so much at stake.

I think because we havent been here since the MON days thats whats causing us to be so stressed about games like today. Feels such a relief when we deliver

I don't think I'll find anything more stressful than the great escape season to be honest.

[Brazilian Villain]

We did Citeh and Arsenal inside 72 hours, we can do Rapid Mashed-Potato and Spudz just the same.

Disappointing that you didn't say we'd Smash them.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

This will sound stupid, but does anyone else find, in some ways, being really good very nearly as stressful as being really bad?

Being up there in the CL places has made me appreciate how fucking tough it is to be amongst the best. I get monumentally stressed before pretty much every game now, the stakes seem so high - when you're good and at the upper reaches, the margins are very thin, every dropped point means something.

I think what gets me is the thought that, if we were to let it slip and piss it all away, people would be saying "told you so", that'd royally, royally fuck me off.

For clarity, being really good is way better than being shit, but it's still quite stressful.

It's more stressful because there's something at stake.

Being shit, just endgenders a low level of constant misery rather than stress.

[Demitri_C]

This will sound stupid, but does anyone else find, in some ways, being really good very nearly as stressful as being really bad?

Being up there in the CL places has made me appreciate how fucking tough it is to be amongst the best. I get monumentally stressed before pretty much every game now, the stakes seem so high - when you're good and at the upper reaches, the margins are very thin, every dropped point means something.

I think what gets me is the thought that, if we were to let it slip and piss it all away, people would be saying "told you so", that'd royally, royally fuck me off.

For clarity, being really good is way better than being shit, but it's still quite stressful.

Thats not stupid at all paulie as i feel the same. I feel that being so good is more stressful. When we were losing games a few years back when we were in bottom half i didnt really care so much. But now when we lose it feels more srressful and abit more anxiety as so much at stake.

I think because we havent been here since the MON days thats whats causing us to be so stressed about games like today. Feels such a relief when we deliver

I don't think I'll find anything more stressful than the great escape season to be honest.

Yeah good point that was. Felt abit sub due thought with no fans there though

[johnc]

This will sound stupid, but does anyone else find, in some ways, being really good very nearly as stressful as being really bad?

Being up there in the CL places has made me appreciate how fucking tough it is to be amongst the best. I get monumentally stressed before pretty much every game now, the stakes seem so high - when you're good and at the upper reaches, the margins are very thin, every dropped point means something.

I think what gets me is the thought that, if we were to let it slip and piss it all away, people would be saying "told you so", that'd royally, royally fuck me off.

For clarity, being really good is way better than being shit, but it's still quite stressful.

It's more stressful because there's something at stake.

Being shit, just endgenders a low level of constant misery rather than stress.

You can cope with disappointment.  It's the hope that kills you!

[brontebilly]

This will sound stupid, but does anyone else find, in some ways, being really good very nearly as stressful as being really bad?

Being up there in the CL places has made me appreciate how fucking tough it is to be amongst the best. I get monumentally stressed before pretty much every game now, the stakes seem so high - when you're good and at the upper reaches, the margins are very thin, every dropped point means something.

I think what gets me is the thought that, if we were to let it slip and piss it all away, people would be saying "told you so", that'd royally, royally fuck me off.

For clarity, being really good is way better than being shit, but it's still quite stressful.

I was stressed beyond belief watching the Man United game....not good. We played well enough that night to bury them which made it worse.

This isn't like the end of last season where you just knew we were going to win most games and nab a spot in the third rate Euro competition. This feels like a pivotal season for the club and this group of players/Emery. CL football would be some achievement.

[Goldenballs]

This season really does feel massive. Top 4 and all the money it brings, we keep whichever player we like and I really think we'd do it again next season, 6th or 7th and maybe we have to sell a couple and take 2 steps back. FFP in its current state is a bag of wank.

[Goldenballs]

Although staying up under Smith was just as massive for different reasons. So in answer to your question, dunno.

[Somniloquism]

Im not miserable or feeljnv negative thanks. Im just stating  a valid point that we could do having a free week that week would you not agree?

Chill out

We have had free weeks recently and played like shit. We haven't lost a match played after a European match so far either. We will either beat them, draw with them or lose to them. I don't think previous matches can be blamed either way.

[Demitri_C]

Im not miserable or feeljnv negative thanks. Im just stating  a valid point that we could do having a free week that week would you not agree?

Chill out

We have had free weeks recently and played like shit. We haven't lost a match played after a European match so far either. We will either beat them, draw with them or lose to them. I don't think previous matches can be blamed either way.

Yeah hope your right. Its such a huge game for us rather it was a free week but it is what it is. Unai has always said priority is league so wooldnt be siprised of we bench a few regulars

[AV82EC]

Im not miserable or feeljnv negative thanks. Im just stating  a valid point that we could do having a free week that week would you not agree?

Chill out

We have had free weeks recently and played like shit. We haven't lost a match played after a European match so far either. We will either beat them, draw with them or lose to them. I don't think previous matches can be blamed either way.

Yeah hope your right. Its such a huge game for us rather it was a free week but it is what it is. Unai has always said priority is league so wooldnt be siprised of we bench a few regulars

Exactly, let Unai do the worrying and the rotation  and managing the resources like he’s done brilliantly so far and just enjoy it (with added stress of being competitive for the first time in years)

[Smirker]

This will sound stupid, but does anyone else find, in some ways, being really good very nearly as stressful as being really bad?

Being up there in the CL places has made me appreciate how fucking tough it is to be amongst the best. I get monumentally stressed before pretty much every game now, the stakes seem so high - when you're good and at the upper reaches, the margins are very thin, every dropped point means something.

I think what gets me is the thought that, if we were to let it slip and piss it all away, people would be saying "told you so", that'd royally, royally fuck me off.

For clarity, being really good is way better than being shit, but it's still quite stressful.

No it makes sense. It's a different kind of stress. So much riding on it.

[Meanwood Villa]

Some analysis of our run in compared to Spurs and Man Utd.

Separating the league into top 6, "bubbling under" next 5  (Brighton, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham, Wolves) and bottom 9.

Our split is 4-4-5
Spurs 4-3-6
Man Utd 3-3-8

So we have marginally the hardest run in on paper. Man Utd's looks quite a bit easier, which makes last week's robbery all the more frustrating.

The only game between the three of us is us v Spurs on 10th March. We all have to play all of the top 3. Spurs and Man Utd both have Burnley, Sheff U and Luton to play, whereas we only have Luton. Spurs play the top 3 in consecutive weekends towards the end of the season before finishing against Burnley and Sheff U.

[IFWaters]

If we can win 3 of the next 5 I think we're out of sight for Newcastle and all those below. I know teams can go on '10 game winning runs' but I don't see that happening outside the top 3.

In the last 10 years 71 points was enough to get 4th in all but one season so that's a good target.

22 points from 13 games and I think we could get half of them in the next 5 :

Forest (h) : W
Luton (a) : W
Spurts (h) : D
Spam (a) : D
Wolfs (h) : W

[Meanwood Villa]

We really need to try and consolidate a lead over them before the next international break with the fixtures we've got.

This is the stress Paulie was talking about.