Will we qualify for the CL?

[manic-road]

Having a weekend off 7-8 March will help with rest, and hopefully McGinn being available around then should help.

[brontebilly]

Beat Leeds and the pressure eases just a little.

I think we have to win the next two games.

12 games to go to get 15/16 points? Brighton win when playing terribly likely to be key. 4/6 points from next 2 and returning cavalry should get the job done.

As said on another thread, I saw positive signs yesterday. Tammy's best performance by a distance, Luiz very good in first half and Bailey offers a lot more than Sancho on right. They should all start v Leeds and that's what we brought them back for. Rogers on left gave him a bit of a change and he was very good in first half. Lindelof is pushing hard to get into the starting team. Barkley got much needed minutes into him. Throw in some imminent returnees - Cash might be back for Leeds and McGinn for Wolves.

Negatives, Digne, Torres and Buendia of late - their form has dropped off to varying degrees. Onana was appalling v Brighton, ok yesterday in fairness but we need more Newcastle type performances from him in the next two games.

[Percy McCarthy]

^^ Agreed*. Blimey.

*Although I’m more optimistic about Sancho. Ah, that’s better.

[exigo]

Having a weekend off 7-8 March will help with rest, and hopefully McGinn being available around then should help.

We've now got two clear weekends before the next two rounds of the Europa 1st leg, both away from home. Much as Bizot was stupid, the 4d chess outcome is that we're going to have a rest just at the right time before big games. Advantage Emery.

[Goldenballs]

Need 6 from the next 2 games, looking at the 2 in the league after that. Massive few weeks.

Chelsea and Man Utd 1st and 2nd in the form table over the last 5 games.

[eamonn]

Is there an updated fixture list anywhere with the Europa games flagged?

[Brazilian Villain]

Need 6 from the next 2 games, looking at the 2 in the league after that. Massive few weeks.

That would be nice, but four points then 2 points against Yanited and Chelsea would be fine.

[Goldenballs]

Need 6 from the next 2 games, looking at the 2 in the league after that. Massive few weeks.

That would be nice, but four points then 2 points against Yanited and Chelsea would be fine.

Yeah I'd take that 100%.

[AV82EC]

Is there an updated fixture list anywhere with the Europa games flagged?

Nope, they don’t seem to update the fixtures on the Google/Apple things until after each round.

However, assuming we keep progressing

R16 - 12/3 A 19/3 H
Qtr - 9/4 A 16/4 H
Semi - 30/4 A 7/5 H
Final - 20/5

[luke95]

If Arse or Man city were you win thiscseasons Champions league, does that open up another CL place ?

[cdbearsfan]

Not unless they finish fifth, which is pretty unlikely. Feasible for Liverpool, I suppose. Same applies if Villa finish fifth and win the Europa, I think.

[Somniloquism]

The only way UK can get more teams in the CL is if 5 teams qualify through league places, then the CL and Europa winners are not in that top 5. So if Spurs/Newcastle win the CL and Forest win the Europa then we could have seven. If Arse/Citeh win the league/CL and we win the Europa but finish 3rd, only 5 will go through with some lower ranked countries getting guranteed CL without needing to go through qualifying rounds.

[Legion]

Possibly. Hopefully.

[Percy McCarthy]

Not unless they finish fifth, which is pretty unlikely. Feasible for Liverpool, I suppose. Same applies if Villa finish fifth and win the Europa, I think.

Sixth, surely?

[cdbearsfan]

No. The "extra" place that England will earn cannot not be awarded, so if the fifth placed team qualify by winning either Champions League or Europa League, then the sixth place team would qualify. I guess that if fifth and sixth, respectively, won the Champions League and Europa League between them, then seventh would also qualify, though I don't think it has come close to happening since the new format was adopted.