Race for fourth....

[Aussie_gunner_14]

Thought it would be good to start a race for fourth thread, with news on teams with a chance, such as injuries, results, stats and runs home, key players etc...
as of 13/3/06
(in order of tabel position)

Spurs-

4th place-
49 points, 13 wins, 10 draws, 6 losses.
home- 9 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss.
away- 4 wins, 5 draws, 5 losses.

Recent form- LWDDWL

scoring stats- 41 goals scored, 28 conceded, goal diff +13
Average of 1.4 goals/ game
shots-289
top scorers- mido 11, keane 10, defoe 8, jenas 5, king 3.

Disciplinary- 373 fouls commited, 45 yellow cards, 3 red cards.

Injuries- L Barnard foot sprain- due back 18th Mar 06, M El Hamdaoui groin- due back 15th Apr 06

run home-
A Sat 18th Mar Birmingham (W)
H Mon 27th Mar West Brom (W)
April 2006
A Sat 1st Apr Newcastle (L)
H Sat 8th Apr Man City (W)
A Sat 15th Apr Everton (D)
H Mon 17th Apr Man Utd (L)
A Sat 22nd Apr Arsenal (L)
H Sat 29th Apr Bolton (W)
May 2006
A Sun 7th May West Ham (D)

probable points gained =10

last 4 games all very hard, against top teams and teams also chasing that top 4 spot. Hard games in bold, Predictions in brackets.

Key players:
Robbie Keane; seems to have turned on the turbo button since being named ireland captain.
1st goal vs blakcburn was very special, starting too prove the doubters wrong after his ill-fortune spell with inter milan.

Ledley King; Captain courageous at white heart lane, leads the team with authority, consistent performer that only made a recent blunder in the blackburn game. Martin Jol regularly refers to him as "my best player."


Arsenal

5th place-
14 wins, 5 draws, 10 losses
home- 10 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses
away- 4 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses

Recent form: WWLLDW

Goals: 45
Goals conceded: 23
goal diff: +22
Avg goals/game: 1.6
Shots: 346

top scorers :Henry 19, Pires 4,Van Persie 4, Reyes 3, Adebayor 2

disciplinary:Total fouls: 394
Yellow cards: 49
Red cards: 2

Injuries:
Robin Van Persie, toe, due back- back in training, uncertain.

Ashley Cole, ankle, due back- end of march.

Gael Clichy, foot, due back- april.

Sol Campbell,foot, due back- back in training- uncertain.

Pascal Cygan, hamstring, due back- back in training, uncertain.

Lauren, knee, due back- end of season.

Kerrera Gilbert,- end of march back, due back-end of march.

run home:
18th march H Charlton Athletic (w)
25th march A Portsmouth (w)
1st april H Aston Villa (w)
9th april A Manchester United (L)
15th april H West Bromwich Albion (w)
17th april A Manchester City (d)
22th april H Tottenham Hotspur (w)
29th april A Sunderland (w)

7th may H Wigan Athletic (w)

Probable points gained= 13
prediction in brackets, hard games in bold.
Away vs Man u is the most obvious hard game, it will most likely be a loss, and the home game vs spurs is a big one, the winner will probably be in bst position to claim 4th spot.

Key players:
Thierry Henry; what can i say, he can get to fourth spot by himself if he has to, but are the team good enough to get there with him? second in the premierleague goalscorers, rapidly ascending to the top.

Cesc Fabregas; all year has been called to lightweight for the prem, but recent performances in CL and the EPL have shown what he can do with time and space, and as the team showed they can play against a physical 451 formation against liverpool. Cecs should be freed-up to go on with his oustanding passing game that can tear teams to pieces.


i will post on bolton, blackburn and West ham soon, please comment or make the anaylisys yourelves if you wish.

[Arsonists]

Ask and you shall receive. Or me my case think about it and have Aussie put it on a silver platter.

I just went through all of the fixtures and made my own list and was thinking about how nice it would be to have a BS thread about it. Wow.

We have no excuses if we do not make 4th.

[Gooner_for_Life]

Obviously spurs is above us but they are really low on my list of concernsof teams who are in the race. I think bolton is the team that we should be worried about. We need them to drop points desperately, they are only 2 behind with 2 games in hand. They just drubbed w. ham 4-1. No positive factors for us.

[KozIsCul]

Next two fixtures are key. Charlton home and Portsmouth away just scream for six points. I got a feeling that if we get those six points by Apr 1st, we'll qualify. The air up there will be getting a lot thinner no matter what anyone else does.

By then, we should be getting significant reinforcements off the injury list.

[Bluto11]

i'm more worried about Bolton then I am about Spurs

[KozIsCul]

i'm more worried about Bolton then I am about Spurs

I'm not worried about either one, I'm worried about Arsenal. A solid run of three points a match every match will get the job done. Anything less might not.

[billyho96]

Arsenal

5th place-
14 wins, 5 draws, 10 losses
home- 10 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses
away- 4 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses

Recent form: WWLLDW

Goals: 45
Goals conceded: 23
goal diff: +22
Avg goals/game: 1.6
Shots: 346

top scorers :Henry 19, Pires 4,Van Persie 4, Reyes 3, Adebayor 2

disciplinary:Total fouls: 394
Yellow cards: 49
Red cards: 2

Injuries:
Robin Van Persie, toe, due back- back in training, uncertain.

Ashley Cole, ankle, due back- end of march.

Gael Clichy, foot, due back- april.

Sol Campbell,foot, due back- back in training- uncertain.

Pascal Cygan, hamstring, due back- back in training, NEVER.

Lauren, knee, due back- end of season.

Kerrera Gilbert,- end of march back, due back-end of march.

run home:
18th march H Charlton Athletic (w)
25th march A Portsmouth (w)
1st april H Aston Villa (w)
9th april A Manchester United (L)
15th april H West Bromwich Albion (w)
17th april A Manchester City (d)
22th april H Tottenham Hotspur (w)
29th april A Sunderland (w)

7th may H Wigan Athletic (w)

Probable points gained= 13


we must win Chalrton, Portsmouth, Villa, WBA, Citeh, Spurs, Sunderland, and Wigan. Got to beat Spurs, our closet rival for 4th though it will be tough and we must be Wigan as it the fairwell at Highbury........thats 21 points and hopefully a draw or the full 3 from Manu, be tough our away form is poor, but who know.

[49unbeaten]

I think we'll pull this out...the past few results seem to have given the boys a bit of a boost....the defense seems to be pretty solid, lets just get rvp back and scoring and we'll be ok....cant wait for that spurs game though

[billyho96]

If we could get 19 points from what we have left


Bolton have: probable result
West Ham..........D
Sunderland.........W
Boro..................W
Untied................L
Liverpool.............D
Chelsea...............L
WBA...................W
Charlton..............W
Spurs..................D/L
Bimingham............W

thats 18 points

that would leave Arsenal on 66 and Bolton on 63, so it will be tight. Need Charlton, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Boro to get results they are capable/

Bolton definitely have the tougher run in with United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs.

[billyho96]

Spurs don't have a single really easy match left, most they should win, but several they could lose that you might not expect.

[Aussie_gunner_14]

gee bolton look even more likely to get 4th than i thought, ill get to them later today.....

[ZonaGunner]

I agree that the biggest threat to Arsenal's designs on 4th place is Bolton. But if Arsenal can build on their recent play, they should take 4th.

[evanpemsocr]

I really do think that it is ours. we have finally been playing good lately and we will overtake spurs. the only team that can stop arsenal is arsenal.

[Dave_M]

I'm not worried about either one, I'm worried about Arsenal. A solid run of three points a match every match will get the job done. Anything less might not.

You're not worried that they have TWO games in hand over us?

Wow fellas - looks like Zani's a Gooner

[Aussie_gunner_14]

Blackburn

6th place-
14 wins, 4 draws, 11 losses
home
W D L
10 2 2
away
W D L
4 2 9
Recent form: WLWWLL

Goals: 38
Goals conceded: 34
Avg goals/game: 1.3
Shots: 318

top scorers
Bellamy 9, Pedersen 8, Dickov 5, Kuqi 5, Bentley 3,

Disciplinary

Total fouls: 451
Yellow cards: 58
Red cards: 4

injuries:
K Tugay, calf, due back- 18th Mar 06
L Amoruso, ankle, due back-no return date
J McEveley, knee, due back-25th Mar 06

run home-
18-Mar-06 H Middlesbrough (w)
25-Mar-06 A Sunderland (w)
03-Apr-06 H Wigan Athletic (d)
08-Apr-06 A Portsmouth (w)
15-Apr-06 H Liverpool (d)
19-Apr-06 A Birmingham City (w)
22-Apr-06 H Chelsea (l)
29-Apr-06 A Charlton Athletic (l)
07-May-06 H Manchester City (w)
probable points:12
They seem to have a very good run home, they are dark horses to claim the
4th spot.

key players: morten gamst pedersen; adds the extra spark in a very solid lineup, creative and deadley if left lightly marked, class player, has proven it time and time again this year.

Brad freidel: a rock between the posts, consistent performer and one of the reasons blackburn are doing so well.

[KozIsCul]

You're not worried that they have TWO games in hand over us?


No, I'm really not. Look at the fixture list. We should win every game on it except for the road tie at Old Trafford. Counting that one as a loss even, that leaves Arsenal with a possible 24 points remaining in the League, finishing with 71. If we get those 24 points, whatever Bolton (or Tottenham, etc.) do will not be very important.

[gunner0007]

It wont be important what Bolton and Tottenham do? Of course it will be! What if they win every game with an exception of 1 game....Then we wont be 4th.!

No, I'm really not. Look at the fixture list. We should win every game on it except for the road tie at Old Trafford. Counting that one as a loss even, that leaves Arsenal with a possible 24 points remaining in the League, finishing with 71. If we get those 24 points, whatever Bolton (or Tottenham, etc.) do will not be very important.

[Miles Brasher]

It wont be important what Bolton and Tottenham do? Of course it will be! What if they win every game with an exception of 1 game....Then we wont be 4th.!

I think he makes a good point, Arsenal have the ability to get a result in pretty much every game from now to the end of the season. If we do that, we don't need to worry about Spurs or Bolton, as it's highly unlikely they'll do the same

[gunner0007]

OK, your saying its highly unlikely they'll do the same? Its highly unlikely that Arsenal are in 5th right now fighting for a 4th spot, are in the last 8 of the CL, but this is football, anything is possible.

I think he makes a good point, Arsenal have the ability to get a result in pretty much every game from now to the end of the season. If we do that, we don't need to worry about Spurs or Bolton, as it's highly unlikely they'll do the same

[KozIsCul]

It wont be important what Bolton and Tottenham do? Of course it will be! What if they win every game with an exception of 1 game....Then we wont be 4th.!

If they do that, bully for them. Frankly, I'm not worried.