The 2019/20 Race for Europe

[Stan]

3 hours ago, DNA said:

Garth Crooks, BBC Sport football expert on Final Score

On Sheffield United's survival hopes: "They're going to struggle. They lack potency at the front and their style of football is quite basic for the Premier League. They're going to work hard and really frustrate teams and have a go but I can't see them surviving with this quality of football."

Savage called this out on 606 as pretty much bullshit. 

He was honest that he thought they'd get relegated too but not because of 'basic' football. More so because of the expansive and dynamic football you play and that that could have been the downfall. He was very praising of you in the end and rightly so. To be so high in first season back is special. 

[Dan+]

10 hours ago, DNA said:

Garth Crooks, BBC Sport football expert on Final Score

On Sheffield United's survival hopes: "They're going to struggle. They lack potency at the front and their style of football is quite basic for the Premier League. They're going to work hard and really frustrate teams and have a go but I can't see them surviving with this quality of football."

I had you to go down simply through the lack of quality and thoughts that your system may get exposed (and it could still) but it just hasn't been the case. I find it funny how many put you down as simply a hard working side as well. Totally typical of the laziness of pundits and media in this country.

[Stan]

Wonder if we could see Palace, Wolves and Sheff Utd all in Europe next season . Not that inconceivable given one of Leicester, Man City, Man Utd could win the League Cup and then the next spot in the league qualifies for Europe (is that still the rule?). 

Chelsea's top 4 spot in great danger despite beating Spurs last weekend. Home form is letting them down.

[Cicero]

I'd say no one is safe bar Liverpool. 

[Stan]

17 minutes ago, Cicero said:

I'd say no one is safe bar Liverpool. 

Think they'll avoid relegation comfortably tbf.

[Dr. Gonzo]

3 hours ago, Stan said:

Think they'll avoid relegation comfortably tbf.

We hit the magic 40 point mark a few weeks ago, so I'm fairly confident we'll be staying up.

It's remarkable how close it from 4th place and below. Any midtable side that develops a bit of consistency could pretty easily end up in Europe.

[Dan+]

Really think Wolves have a shot of the top 4. Europa League may cost them though.

We need a win tomorrow. Get some confidence back. I think we'll make the top 4 but it isn't a given.

[Stan]

8 hours ago, Dan said:

Really think Wolves have a shot of the top 4. Europa League may cost them though.

We need a win tomorrow. Get some confidence back. I think we'll make the top 4 but it isn't a given.

I thought Europa League would cost them this season so far but they've come through it and regularly played their first-teamers I think. I know they may have tougher games as the competition progresses but they don't seem too effected. Plus the rest of the league has been shite so that goes for them too

 

[Dan+]

I'm having my first real doubts about us making the top 4. Nothing major yet as we've still got a very nice gap on 5th but a couple of trends are worrying me a bit.

Home form. After a run of 8 straight wins, we've now won 1 in 5 at home in all comps and failed to beat Aston Villa, Norwich & Southampton in that period. I also couple this with the early season where I felt we were getting the results but weren't totally convincing in them. We've had some fortune at home this season in my opinion. Deserved to win a lot of the games but we've had a lot of rub of the green - the Tottenham, Burnley and Everton wins I feel had their share of fortune.

Fixture congestion. I don't think we're handling it very well on the pitch and our performances have gone massively downhill ever since the fixtures have become more frequent. Given there's a bit more of this to come in the next fortnight I don't think it bodes well. I also think there's a correlation here - we have been an exceptional second half team. We often don't get going properly until the second half but of late, it's been different and this kind of backs up my theory. The Southampton loss was in a different manner to most of our losses. We never lose at home from a winning position.

February is also very tricky. I think it's imperative we win our next two of Burnley (a) on Sunday and West Ham (h) on the Wednesday and without Ndidi this is a big ask. The good thing for us is Man Utd going to Anfield so you would think this weekend is a good chance to build that gap up again, but I can see it shrinking in February because we have a nasty little run of games. At the minute I have no faith in us to win any of them.

I do still think we'll do it but I've spotted a couple of worrying trends with us lately. The frequent failure to turn up in big games too is slightly unnerving given our last two games are against Tottenham and Manchester United.

[Mel81x+]

5 hours ago, Dan said:

I'm having my first real doubts about us making the top 4. Nothing major yet as we've still got a very nice gap on 5th but a couple of trends are worrying me a bit.

I think the real tests come in February for you'll, as you alluded to in your post. You've got three difficult fixtures against Chelsea (H), Wolves (A) and then City (H) [This one is a key battle for both you and us]. The plus point post that is that you play Norwich and Villa after all that, the latter of whom you'll struggled with and the added fact that they both are now fighting against relegation and will put in a performance to walk away with a point at the least.  How are you'll coping with injuries? I know that Vardy just came back and my question is more around how the team works when key players get injured or have to be rotated?

[Stan]

15 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

I think the real tests come in February for you'll, as you alluded to in your post. You've got three difficult fixtures against Chelsea (H), Wolves (A) and then City (H) [This one is a key battle for both you and us]. The plus point post that is that you play Norwich and Villa after all that, the latter of whom you'll struggled with and the added fact that they both are now fighting against relegation and will put in a performance to walk away with a point at the least.  How are you'll coping with injuries? I know that Vardy just came back and my question is more around how the team works when key players get injured or have to be rotated?

We're lucky in that we haven't had that many injuries. Ndidi is the most serious being out until mid-Feb and with how he's performed so far it's going to be difficult without him. 

We'll struggle if Vardy or either of the CBs get injured long term. 

[Mel81x+]

2 minutes ago, Stan said:

We're lucky in that we haven't had that many injuries. Ndidi is the most serious being out until mid-Feb and with how he's performed so far it's going to be difficult without him. 

We'll struggle if Vardy or either of the CBs get injured long term. 

I'd presume that with that as a problem a winter-transfer acquisition might be necessary? Bolstering key areas of your squad will help with the tough period and you could potentially open up more doors for the manager to tinker with your system and get more out of your squad as well?

[Stan]

11 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

I'd presume that with that as a problem a winter-transfer acquisition might be necessary? Bolstering key areas of your squad will help with the tough period and you could potentially open up more doors for the manager to tinker with your system and get more out of your squad as well?

We're looking at Demiral of Juve but they're holding out for 40m Euros apparently and we've only bid 30m.

For ages I've wanted us to get another striker on board. The priority is a winger though - the ones we have currently just don't seem good enough to sustain form once teams have worked us out. We need someone with a bit of flair and magic. Gray, Barnes, Albrighton and Pèrez don't provide that. 

[Mel81x+]

20 minutes ago, Stan said:

For ages I've wanted us to get another striker on board. The priority is a winger though - the ones we have currently just don't seem good enough to sustain form once teams have worked us out. We need someone with a bit of flair and magic. Gray, Barnes, Albrighton and Pèrez don't provide that. 

Think that's a top priority considering you've probably got Vardy at another year operating at optimal efficiency for you'll. The man is 33 and with age will come a deprecation is performance but looking at his history its more likely that he'll give you'll atleast another 2 more years.

[Dan+]

19 hours ago, Mel81x said:

I think the real tests come in February for you'll, as you alluded to in your post. You've got three difficult fixtures against Chelsea (H), Wolves (A) and then City (H) [This one is a key battle for both you and us]. The plus point post that is that you play Norwich and Villa after all that, the latter of whom you'll struggled with and the added fact that they both are now fighting against relegation and will put in a performance to walk away with a point at the least.  How are you'll coping with injuries? I know that Vardy just came back and my question is more around how the team works when key players get injured or have to be rotated?

I agree that February is a key month for us - Norwich will likely be in March or April if we make the cup final though.

I feel it's important for us to keep a big gap before that Chelsea game on 1st February. There's just something, bit of a gut feeling that instinctively tells me we're going to panic a bit if the gap closes and really wobble. I could be well wrong, and I really hope I am, but when the chips are down there's something a bit missing with us.

The Chelsea game comes just after the Villa 2nd leg and I can see this benefitting Chelsea big time regardless of the outcome.

Injuries we've been generally fine bar Ndidi's recently, and the way we've folded since it reminds me a bit of when we sold Kante - that the others have such a dependance on him winning the ball so often that they're all over the place without him. I feel like Ndidi is the glue that holds this team together.

It's fatigue that worries me about us. We've looked knackered in games lately.

 

18 hours ago, Stan said:

We're looking at Demiral of Juve but they're holding out for 40m Euros apparently and we've only bid 30m.

For ages I've wanted us to get another striker on board. The priority is a winger though - the ones we have currently just don't seem good enough to sustain form once teams have worked us out. We need someone with a bit of flair and magic. Gray, Barnes, Albrighton and Pèrez don't provide that. 

He's out for the season now. Won't be happening.

I think we really need a winger, and possibly a centre half, but I just aren't seeing the links and I don't think it will happen, which is a shame.

I think Iheanacho's recovery of form has made the need for another striker a lot less pressing. I wouldn't be upset with another, but he's really got his act together in recent weeks. I don't think he'll ever be Vardy's replacement in the long run but I do think he's got his part to play now and the fans actually quite like him. You cannot argue with what he's produced this year. I think he'll be like our Origi.

[Mel81x+]

8 minutes ago, Dan said:

I feel it's important for us to keep a big gap before that Chelsea game on 1st February. There's just something, bit of a gut feeling that instinctively tells me we're going to panic a bit if the gap closes and really wobble. I could be well wrong, and I really hope I am, but when the chips are down there's something a bit missing with us.

The Chelsea game comes just after the Villa 2nd leg and I can see this benefiting Chelsea big time regardless of the outcome.

Right now you're sitting 6 points ahead of Chelsea who still have to play you and more importantly they will be playing an Arsenal with a returning Aubameyang as well. Keep in mind that their run is also very tedious as they go forward because they have to play a lot of hard teams like City, us, etc. so they might actually drop more points. I still think you'll make top four bar a complete collapse of the team and its confidence which is going to take something very massive. 

[Dan+]

23 hours ago, Mel81x said:

Right now you're sitting 6 points ahead of Chelsea who still have to play you and more importantly they will be playing an Arsenal with a returning Aubameyang as well. Keep in mind that their run is also very tedious as they go forward because they have to play a lot of hard teams like City, us, etc. so they might actually drop more points. I still think you'll make top four bar a complete collapse of the team and its confidence which is going to take something very massive. 

Chelsea aren't really the big concern, I do think it helps if they falter too as it puts them in the firing line rather than us but ultimately it's Manchester United, Tottenham, Wolves and you've got to be fair, they've earned this, Sheffield United that you have to worry about. Now I still feel like I'm forcing the latter a bit there but we're in mid-January now. They haven't dropped off. I think what worries me less with them is if they lose a game nobody bats an eyelid. It's largely different with the others.

It's Manchester United who worry me the most but thankfully I don't think they're really up to much. We should do it. Excuses are futile.

[LFCMadLad]

3 hours ago, Dan said:

Chelsea aren't really the big concern, I do think it helps if they falter too as it puts them in the firing line rather than us but ultimately it's Manchester United, Tottenham, Wolves and you've got to be fair, they've earned this, Sheffield United that you have to worry about. Now I still feel like I'm forcing the latter a bit there but we're in mid-January now. They haven't dropped off. I think what worries me less with them is if they lose a game nobody bats an eyelid. It's largely different with the others.

It's Manchester United who worry me the most but thankfully I don't think they're really up to much. We should do it. Excuses are futile.

You could do with us giving them a good hiding on Sunday but it won't happen. Rarely do we show up 100% in this fixture, we more sort of 'scrape through'.

[True Blue]

On 14/01/2020 at 04:05, Mel81x said:

Right now you're sitting 6 points ahead of Chelsea who still have to play you and more importantly they will be playing an Arsenal with a returning Aubameyang as well. Keep in mind that their run is also very tedious as they go forward because they have to play a lot of hard teams like City, us, etc. so they might actually drop more points. I still think you'll make top four bar a complete collapse of the team and its confidence which is going to take something very massive. 

Isn't he banned for three games? He should miss Sheffield, Chelsea and the Cherries.

[Mel81x+]

3 minutes ago, True Blue said:

Isn't he banned for three games? He should miss Sheffield, Chelsea and the Cherries.

Thought it was a one game ban? 

Just checked and you're right it is a three-game ban which bodes very well for you'll since he is Arsenal's real goal threat.

[Mel81x+]

1 hour ago, LFCMadLad said:

You could do with us giving them a good hiding on Sunday but it won't happen. Rarely do we show up 100% in this fixture, we more sort of 'scrape through'.

This is true and we are playing at home. This is like when we used to play Crystal Palace and even Stoke to an extent. Something about these fixtures just trips this team up no matter who we field. 

[True Blue]

Just now, Mel81x said:

Thought it was a one game ban? 

Just checked and you're right it is a three-game ban which bodes very well for you'll since he is Arsenal's real goal threat.

I reckoned it was three since it was a straight red, if it was two yellow's he would just sit out the Sheffield game. They will certainly miss him in all three games.

[Dan+]

13 hours ago, LFCMadLad said:

You could do with us giving them a good hiding on Sunday but it won't happen. Rarely do we show up 100% in this fixture, we more sort of 'scrape through'.

Win's a win. If we both win then we go 14 clear of them. I think it's one of them where if the gap's big enough we'll keep getting the results but if the gap shrinks we may freeze. 14 points at this stage I don't see being overthrown, certainly not by a Solskjaer side.

[LFCMike]

Where does everyone see Sheffield United finishing? 

Three defeats in their last five but they were against Liverpool and Man City (twice). Chelsea, Tottenham and Wolves have all still got to go to Bramall Lane in April.

[DeadLinesman]

It’ll be top 3 as is and Chelsea. They’re the best of the worst teams remaining.