Minhosa Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Before the season started, I was of the view that top half would be good, steady progress. As we've done so well, I struggle to think of what is reasonable progress given the backstory etc. Gut feel is that anything in the top 6 is probably over-achieving tbh so I'll be delighted with that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowlingcrofty Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 (edited) I think top 4 is still a tall order as Man United and Liverpool are coming in to form. Spurs and Chelsea look woefully out of form though. Edited January 1, 2023 by bowlingcrofty Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Chelsea are poor everytime I see them. Spurs are poor every time I see them. Arsenal City Man U Liverpool Finish above one of these and we get CL football. It's criminal that we're only 4 points ahead of Chelsea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisMcQuillan Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 (edited) 1 minute ago, The College Dropout said: Chelsea are poor everytime I see them. Spurs are poor every time I see them. Arsenal City Man U Liverpool Finish above one of these and we get CL football. It's criminal that we're only 4 points ahead of Chelsea. Erm, 9 points ahead of Chelsea, no? Edited January 1, 2023 by ChrisMcQuillan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbandit Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 I agree that Chelsea and Spurs should fall away. I can’t see Spurs strengthening much in January as Conte is probably out in the summer. Chelsea will strengthen to a ridiculous degree but it’s no guarantee of anything, the one position they need is a 1 in 2 striker and I’ve not seen any links for them there Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie Ahmed Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Whilst top 4 would be immense but even top 6 would be massive, would give us Europe and also more importantly kicks out one of the so called big 6 sides Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbandit Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 At the other end of the table, 13th-20th are divided by five points. Going to be an incredibly tight relegation battle this season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie Ahmed Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Aye, looking to be a tough battle at the bottom and it's glorious we don't have to worry about it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minhosa Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 8 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said: Aye, looking to be a tough battle at the bottom and it's glorious we don't have to worry about it Said this exact thing yesterday. Really nice to be able to enjoy an open relegation battle without any fear that we'll be dragged in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 28 minutes ago, ChrisMcQuillan said: Erm, 9 points ahead of Chelsea, no? Sorry it's Spurs we are only 4 points ahead of. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 21 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said: Whilst top 4 would be immense but even top 6 would be massive, would give us Europe and also more importantly kicks out one of the so called big 6 sides Kicking someone out of the top 4 matters. Kicking them outside Europa or Conference - does not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midds Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Teams I used to look out for (or equivalents) - Southampton, Bournemouth, Forest, Leeds Teams I thought we'd be directly competing with this season - West Ham, Leicester, Villa, Brighton Teams I now look out for - Man U, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea I think that says an awful lot tbh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Icarus Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 1 minute ago, The College Dropout said: Sorry it's Spurs we are only 4 points ahead of. Spurs should honestly be mid table, they don't belong anywhere near the top 4 with the way they're playing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie Ahmed Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 1 hour ago, The College Dropout said: Kicking someone out of the top 4 matters. Kicking them outside Europa or Conference - does not. I think it still has a psychological impact The so called big 6 will be no more and we can then target top 4 next Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prophet Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 1 hour ago, Geordie Ahmed said: Whilst top 4 would be immense but even top 6 would be massive, would give us Europe and also more importantly kicks out one of the so called big 6 sides I'd be fucking delighted with top six. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holloway Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Hard to say until the transfer window is done, but I'd suggest keeping Bruno healthy for the rest of the season is worth a place in the table Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyCisse Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 1 hour ago, bowlingcrofty said: I think top 4 is still a tall order as Man United and Liverpool are coming in to form. Spurs and Chelsea look woefully out of form though. Way more worried about Liverpool than Man U. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 3 hours ago, Geordie Ahmed said: I think it still has a psychological impact The so called big 6 will be no more and we can then target top 4 next Leicester did it twice. West Ham did it. Finish top 4. We can start to eat their dinner. That's what really matters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paullow Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 13 minutes ago, The College Dropout said: Leicester did it twice. West Ham did it. Finish top 4. We can start to eat their dinner. That's what really matters. Yeah, but this would be a bit different and those sides wouldn't have been expected to at the start of the season and more a case of them over performing and one or two big 6 sides not doing so. The top 6 know that eventually we are coming, and once we do, we'll very likely stay there, whereas there was more chance the other no tradition big 6 sides would quickly fall away. Our pre season title odds were in line with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs and miles clear of 8th favourites Leicester, and if we get top 6 this season, and continue to go about our business, I'm not sure we'll ever see 6 teams deemed more likely to win the league than us for as long as the Saudi's are here. Finishing top 6, even 6th, this season would be a massive statement of intent at this stage of our 'project'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Fundamentally, nobody cares significantly if we finish 5th, 6th or 7th. That just means we're coming - emerging. Finishing 4th means we are here. We have arrived. We've taken their seat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnbull2000 Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 15 minutes ago, Paullow said: Yeah, but this would be a bit different and those sides wouldn't have been expected to at the start of the season and more a case of them over performing and one or two big 6 sides not doing so. The top 6 know that eventually we are coming, and once we do, we'll very likely stay there, whereas there was more chance the other no tradition big 6 sides would quickly fall away. Our pre season title odds were in line with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs and miles clear of 8th favourites Leicester, and if we get top 6 this season, and continue to go about our business, I'm not sure we'll ever see 6 teams deemed more likely to win the league than us for as long as the Saudi's are here. Finishing top 6, even 6th, this season would be a massive statement of intent at this stage of our 'project'. I'll believe it when I see it. There's still no guarantee PIF will spend big, and we're up against rules designed to inhibit potential big six challengers. Regularly challenging for 7th-5th seem possible by means of just being a well run club, but breaking into that all important top 4 season after season will take something else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaqen Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 1 hour ago, The College Dropout said: Leicester did it twice. West Ham did it. Finish top 4. We can start to eat their dinner. That's what really matters. Those were never really going to be able to capitalise on it though. Leicester regularly get their best players taken by the top sides whenever they do well they aren't much of a concern to the top 6. We won't be the same, we will only get better and invest more and that will scare them. Within one year we've gone from bottom of the league to top 4, that's huge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paullow Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 8 minutes ago, Turnbull2000 said: I'll believe it when I see it. There's still no guarantee PIF will spend big, and we're up against rules designed to inhibit potential big six challengers. Regularly challenging for 7th-5th seem possible by means of just being a well run club, but breaking into that all important top 4 season after season will take something else. I was talking about becoming a regular top 6 team, whether that be 4th, 5th, 6th, and not a team that will have one good season, but then could easily finish 11th or 12th the next season and nobody would really bat an eye lid. Most of the top 6 clubs have had seasons outside the top 6 over the past 13 years or so to make way for West Ham having one season there, Leicester having 3, Everton maybe once or twice, us under Pardew - Chelsea have finished 10th, Arsenal and Liverpool 8th, Man Utd and Spurs 7th etc. but near enough 9 times out of 10, as individual clubs, they will finish in the top 6, and be expected to at the start of the season, but soon I don't think that will be the case, and someone like say Spurs in a couple of years will be 7th favourites in the title odds, or top 6, or top 4 odds at the start of the season, and they won't be used to that. Obviously finishing in the top 4 this season will be much more significant and powerful, but given the hype of the takeover, and away fans expectations, I genuinely believe if we finish in the top 6 this season then that will be a statement of intent, and the one or two 'big' clubs we finish above will be concerned about their potential standing in the English game going forward. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
et tu brute Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 21 minutes ago, Turnbull2000 said: I'll believe it when I see it. There's still no guarantee PIF will spend big, and we're up against rules designed to inhibit potential big six challengers. Regularly challenging for 7th-5th seem possible by means of just being a well run club, but breaking into that all important top 4 season after season will take something else. You haven't obviously been taken much notice of what the owners have been saying about their ambitions then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee_Johnny Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Here’s the end of December update. Tracking progress towards 56 points (seemed appropriately ambitious in June!) taking into account quality of opposition (on previous season’s position) and home/away fixture variation. 8 points ahead of target, at turn of year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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