Champions League Contention

[Rigadon]

It's a funny thing, it means we can't go with a weakened team against Ajax as our performances in Europe are also part of our CL push!

Yes!  I thought the same thing.  When we do great things, we seem to do it the hard way.

[Brazilian Villain]

Even with some pessimistic assumptions regarding the results for English teams, 5th place should be enough for a CL spot.
https://twitter.com/FootRankings/status/1763281942588297472

its just predictions though, at the start of the season did they have Newcastle and Man U finishing bottom of their groups?

Obviously nothing's determined yet, but the predictions don't seem particularly outlandish. Just thought it provided an interesting benchmark for what's likely to be required, for England to overtake Germany for that second spot.

[chrisw1]

The Ramsey injury will make this tougher if he's out for any period of time.  We were already down to bare bones and the step-down in experience/quality of replacements if he is out is now pretty huge.

Safe to say, if we do qualify for the CL we will have done it the hard way and Uani will have done an utterly incredible job.

[itbrvilla]

7 games left in the ECL and 11 in the League if we are to go all the way in Europe. TBH I know we'll go in to each game with a plan but I really don't like our remaining games. potential to have a couple of 2-3 winless runs. I hope I am wrong.

[Pat Mustard]

We need to stop thinking of ourselves as the team in first place in a race for fourth, and start thinking as the team at the back of the pack in the race for the title - the shark just below the surface.

[paul_e]

The Ramsey injury will make this tougher if he's out for any period of time.  We were already down to bare bones and the step-down in experience/quality of replacements if he is out is now pretty huge.

Safe to say, if we do qualify for the CL we will have done it the hard way and Uani will have done an utterly incredible job.

I'm not sure it's right to say we're down to bare bones, Pau was on the bench and Duran is back in training so we're only missing Mings, Buendia, Kamara and Carlos (and he is due back very soon) currently, if JJ is out that's still only 4 or 5 players. We're in a much better position than a few weeks ago when we had 8/9 missing.

[AV82EC]

We need to stop thinking of ourselves as the team in first place in a race for fourth, and start thinking as the team at the back of the pack in the race for the title - the shark just below the surface.

This is the optimism I知 here for. I知 looking at the fixtures for the top 3 clubs and how them all falling flat on their faces will hand us the League title not also rans like Spuds and Man U.

[chrisw1]

The Ramsey injury will make this tougher if he's out for any period of time.  We were already down to bare bones and the step-down in experience/quality of replacements if he is out is now pretty huge.

Safe to say, if we do qualify for the CL we will have done it the hard way and Uani will have done an utterly incredible job.

I'm not sure it's right to say we're down to bare bones, Pau was on the bench and Duran is back in training so we're only missing Mings, Buendia, Kamara and Carlos (and he is due back very soon) currently, if JJ is out that's still only 4 or 5 players. We're in a much better position than a few weeks ago when we had 8/9 missing.

With Kamara out and McGinn covering DM our midfield options are very limited.  Likely a hopelessly out-of-form Zaniolo or the very inexperienced Rogers or Tim.  We could reshuffle with Diaby & moving Tielemans which would be a compromise and leave us pretty much nothing on the bench.  We were a morning fitness test away from having to start Chambers against Luton.

I'd say the squad is incredibly stretched and with us potentially having to play 7 more games than Spurs it could be decisive.

 

[LeeB]

We need to stop thinking of ourselves as the team in first place in a race for fourth, and start thinking as the team at the back of the pack in the race for the title - the shark just below the surface.

This is the optimism I知 here for. I知 looking at the fixtures for the top 3 clubs and how them all falling flat on their faces will hand us the League title not also rans like Spuds and Man U.

Fuck Yeah!

We're going to win at Citeh and Arsenal then beat Liverpool at home to go top, penultimate game for the greatest title win of all time.

[AV82EC]

We need to stop thinking of ourselves as the team in first place in a race for fourth, and start thinking as the team at the back of the pack in the race for the title - the shark just below the surface.

This is the optimism I知 here for. I知 looking at the fixtures for the top 3 clubs and how them all falling flat on their faces will hand us the League title not also rans like Spuds and Man U.

Fuck Yeah!

We're going to win at Citeh and Arsenal then beat Liverpool at home to go top, penultimate game for the greatest title win of all time.

I agree with LeeB.

[Baldy]

We need to stop thinking of ourselves as the team in first place in a race for fourth, and start thinking as the team at the back of the pack in the race for the title - the shark just below the surface.

Agreed 100%.

Liverpool vs Manchester City Asterisk playing next weekend, so someones dropping points.

If we beat Spurs, you just never know!!

[Risso]

He's a great player, and I hope Kamara will be a mainstay of our midfield for may years to come but whisper it, we've been playing better with McGinn in that role recently.

[chrisw1]

He's a great player, and I hope Kamara will be a mainstay of our midfield for may years to come but whisper it, we've been playing better with McGinn in that role recently.

Yes, McGinn is doing a great job tbf.  Kamara can be excellent, but can also be a bit inconsistent. 

[ChicagoLion]

He's a great player, and I hope Kamara will be a mainstay of our midfield for may years to come but whisper it, we've been playing better with McGinn in that role recently.

It looked to me in the second half that we were missing that defensive quality in midfield Kamara brings and why Tim was bought on.
I think SJM has been doing a great job in there though.

[ez]

We need to stop thinking of ourselves as the team in first place in a race for fourth, and start thinking as the team at the back of the pack in the race for the title - the shark just below the surface.

Agreed 100%.

Liverpool vs Manchester City Asterisk playing next weekend, so someones dropping points.

If we beat Spurs, you just never know!!

Yes indeed. I have a feeling we will do the double over either Arsenal or Man City.