Every season there is a specific period of time and series of results which determine who is going to win the league. Its likely the past few weeks will be looked back on as when the title was won (or lost). The game on Thursday has the potential to cement that, provided we don't lose. As things stand, the most points City can get is 101. To do that, they will need to win 19 straight, (including the last game) something that no team has ever done. They got 42 in their last 18 games last season when their form was better and their squad seemed stronger. Pep hasn't ever chased anyone down to the win the title. Their group of players have bottled most high pressure situations they've faced. They have gaping holes in their squad and are reliant on older, injury susceptible players to push them on. They may rather concentrate on the CL. They have the League Cup to bother with. Best case scenario for them is they are able to get 40 to 45 points, which makes it a 92 point title target. To achieve that, we need to go at 2.11 points a game. We've had a rolling 38 game average above that for over a year. We need to have pretty dramatic decrease in performances to not get that many points. I have a real hard time seeing how that happens. Lose on Thursday and nothing really changes. City is still in it, but we have recovery time and pretty kind schedule in January so we should well positioned continue to press our advantage. I may be wrong on the specifics of this, but the general point is correct: over the next 6 - 8 weeks, City has 3 recovery days (days more that 3 between games). We have 15. A draw, and especially a win, and the race for all intents and purposes should be over. I know many of you are superstitious about looking forward to a series of games and one game at a time is all we should be thinking. But this is our reality right now. To be honest, I've been somewhat in a state of shock as each result has fallen in our favor and we continue to gain strength. This is what other clubs have done to us season after season. We stumble, others take advantage and we know our chance for the season is gone. You know in your heart its gone, no matter how you try to convince yourself there is a way back in. This season is different. It's that moment against Newcastle when everyone realized City was going to lose against Leicester. That will be looked back on as the moment everyone finally believed the league was ours to win. What a time to be alive.
Last 6 weeks, Liverpool have taken off, City have fallen off a fucking cliffPoints, Goals, Conceded, XG, XGagainstThis is our fucking year pic.twitter.com/0kvA0G2HMp— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) December 31, 2018
"This is our ********ing year" Oh aye …….just as long as we don't also fall off a cliff at some stage . I don't like to count my chickens etc etc ……. What I do like is how we're playing so far this season . Long may it continue . Up the Reds!
no offense to anyone but this thread is the last thing we need. let's keep on an even keel and avoid counting any points we don't have and may never get. we are one bad injury (VVD) from having our season hit a brick wall.
Feel free not to engage and keep on whatever keel you want. I'm not saying its done. I'm simply saying we are in the best position we've been in since we've won it, and in a similar position to those teams that have won it in years past. I disagree we are 1 injury away from having our season hit a brick wall. We are collectively too good and the players too intelligent to let that happen. I trust this team unlike teams in the past, because we are significantly better than we've been for decades. Put your expectation of inevitable failure to the side. Its different this time and I'm going to enjoy it.
OK but .... yet the thread title is "we're going to do it". inevitable failure??? where'd that come from? I sure as shit don't expect us to fail - how dumb would that be? if I thought failure was inevitable why would I watch? but sports history is littered with teams who seem to be nailed-on winners, but who don't turn out that way. one game at a time.
The thread on RAWK entitled "Chasing the Title, The Pack Chasing Us" - has been opened since October 29. I don't think anyone is advocating NOT taking it one game at a time - especially Klopp. It's a place to talk about the run-in (we've had these threads for the last 3 years running for the CL spots in any case) - and a good way to discuss permutations and results. And to vent some nervous energy.
look I'm not going to get in a big debate here, having a run-in thread is great, but the thread title here is quite different in tone from the one you mention. ("chasing the title" and saying "we're going to do it" are two different things) I vote for leaving any hint of arrogance to the Mancs, and avoid tempting fate. just my view on things.
I lovve it too, Speke, old mate .... but what's interesting to me, is that this is not an even flow. We weren't great between mid-late october and mid-late november, but our defence was great and *crucially* VVD, Allison and Joe Gomez were GREAT with a capital fvcking F in that period. We won a bunch of games one-nil, with Salah seizing a few hard to score % moments in the way that few players can .... (despite not really being the guy he has been since the end of November...) So, now we are playing the way we all knew we could ..... but like Sam says, we need to avoid any key injuries (Allison, VVD, Mane, Salah, Robertson) particularly. If we can continue this form for the next couple of months, the sky's the limit, but, overall, you could say we haven't been as consistent as Man City until recently.... We started all this with a moment of bizarre (played for, admittedly) luck against Everton in the 95th minute.... But, with all that said, this (THIS) is what we live and dream for as LFC fans, so, we'll enjoy it and will it, and not count any chickens ....
Normally, I agree with you, but that isn't correct. We were in the best position since we last won it around mid/late-april 2014. In fact, all we had to do was see out a 3-0 lead for half an hour against an average sideand then play two (?) more games successfully as the best attacking team in the country.....
Or change it to "Pretty Good. Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, prettty .... good!' It's LD - what could go wrong???
Name it whatever you like. I’m happy to be an early adopter on the “we are winning it” bandwagon at the risk of looking foolish later. You will all be joining me eventually. City getting their excuses in already https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...ews/man-city-fixtures-burton-carabao-15613936
In my head I know that my being confident or nervous won't affect the outcome one whit, but in my heart I'm scared to get my hopes up too high, because those hopes and my heart have been crushed too many times. It's so fun to watch this team play, but I have to go back and watch the matches a second time because when it's live I'm always waiting for disaster to strike. Doc, I hope to join you on the bandwagon sooner rather than later, but I admire your willingness to jump onboard while there's still a chance to fall off.
You’re not remembering 2014 correctly. Even if we had not blown the game against Palace, City still would have won the league. The only reason we blew the 3-0 lead is because we were still playing all out attack since we needed 6 or 7 goals to catch up to City’s goal difference. The title was lost when we failed to get at least a point against Chelsea.
The meedja is already starting the drama games, let 'em. Not gonna follow the meedja any more than I usually do, which is not much indeed. Klopp has assembled a very strong squad, that is coming together very nicely. Run-in talk is for the last 8-10 games or so, imo. We're not near that yet. Let's keep setting up to execute a win against the next team on the fixture list. Then see where we are come April or so. Just my approach to this (after 3,745 false dawns).
yeah, my rule of thumb is - the table is meaningful at the end of December, then at Easter to set up the run-in. that's my view also. I'll never ever forget when Stevie slipped and when we effed up against CP.
We'll either win it or we won't . There's loads of football left to play so lets enjoy the ride and see where it takes us .
Yes - why do so many people keep bringing up Palace as the game that lost the title. It’s bad enough when the morons from other teams spin that narrative - but when people who follow Liverpool say it - it aggravates me to no end.
Let's all remember that City lost its points-lead and "humongous" goal difference during a spell when it didn't even play Liverpool. If'n we beat City, the potential for slip ups remains for all the teams in the title race. One game at a time, is all I should say at this time.
I have always felt the thing that lost us the title was Hendersons red card. Not having him for the Chelsea and Palace games cost us.
Also, I think it was more than just the loss of Henderson in those two matches. I look at diabolical results against Crystal Palace, Hull, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton and WBA. That is when the title was truly lost-- the loss of Henderson merely glossed over some very obvious flaws. To be fair, we over-achieved during that season and it led to some dreadful decisions in the transfer market after that by which time it became obvious Rodgers was slightly out of his depth. It was a pure wonder we even pushed City that close.
A good preview of the game and it’s implicactions https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/city-strength-weakness-liverpool