[Albion] Top 4 finish

[ConfusedGloryHunter]

I honestly think a Europa League place would be a magnificent achievement this season. I don't know why so many posters are hell bent on breaking into the top four.

As l said on another thread, the Champions League can wait for another season or three. Slow but steady progress is the order of the day.

That is on the old time table. We are on the De Zerbi schedule now. Top 4 this season. Title challenge next. The quadruple 24/25 season.

 

[jimhigham]

While we're not losing we're also not putting together a long string of wins. Since Fulham it has been WDWDW. That's fine to consolidate where we are but it probably isn't going to suffice to overhaul the teams ahead of us.

I'm not greedy. Europa League would be crazy.

 

[martin tyler]

I’d just enjoy the journey. The squad and team lack depth of others but Newcastle seem to struggle with Bruno and United without Casemiro and Eriksen look like the United of last year. Spurs well no one knows what is going on there. Personally I’d enjoy the ride and look back after the final day at an incredibly exciting season. If we are miraculously top 4 then wow if we are top 7 then what an incredible achievement. If we beat last years points total then amazing.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Looking at our fixture list gives a healthy dose of reality check. We will have to play away from home:

- Tottenham (lol)
- Chelsea (lol)
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa

And we have Man City and Man Utd at home.

 

[Simster]

Looking at our fixture list gives a healthy dose of reality check. We will have to play away from home:

- Tottenham (lol)
- Chelsea (lol)
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa

And we have Man City and Man Utd at home.

On the other hand, our next 4 games are Spurs, Chelsea, Forest and Wolves. We couldn't have picked a better time to play those first two, Forest are dire and Wolves are in poor form too.

It's also worth bearing in mind that we still aren't seeing the injuries pile up. One game at a time, but really nobody holds any fear for this team do they?

 

[Machiavelli]

While we're not losing we're also not putting together a long string of wins. Since Fulham it has been WDWDW. That's fine to consolidate where we are but it probably isn't going to suffice to overhaul the teams ahead of us.

I'm not greedy. Europa League would be crazy.

If we carry on like that at 2.2 points per game, we'll make the top 4 in my view; the problem is, with Arse, City, United, Newc, Villa, Spurs coming, it's unlikely that we will.

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

Currently 20-1.

Worth a punt.? 8pts adrift, game in hand and all to play for.

Live the dream.

Down to 5-1 now. It is a 7 horse race for 4 spots according to the bookies.
And Liverpool's odds must just be down to sentiment rather than actual evidence they can get into the top 4 this season

 

[Dibdab]

I honestly think a Europa League place would be a magnificent achievement this season. I don't know why so many posters are hell bent on breaking into the top four.

As l said on another thread, the Champions League can wait for another season or three. Slow but steady progress is the order of the day.

I find it so odd that any fan wouldnt want champions league football if it is achievable. That would be absolute dream land. If we dont make it so be it but why wouldn’t we want to aim for it if it’s within reach?

 

[Zeus]

While we're not losing we're also not putting together a long string of wins. Since Fulham it has been WDWDW. That's fine to consolidate where we are but it probably isn't going to suffice to overhaul the teams ahead of us.

I'm not greedy. Europa League would be crazy.

I’d say if we get 11 points from our next five like that sequence we will be bang in the running for top 4 going into the last 6 matches.

 

[jimhigham]

I’d say if we get 11 points from our next five like that sequence we will be bang in the running for top 4 going into the last 6 matches.

True enough but the point I cack-handedly failed to make is that our form isn't so stratospheric that we can expect to harvest points by the shedload from the five teams above us. Hope I'm wrong, of course and there is always the fact that the "bigger" clubs are more likely to play to our strengths by not sitting back.

Basically I know nothing at all. Ignore me.

 

[Icy Gull]

The first few pages of this thread show how little we believed in this squad and manager in January.

One poster even said we had more chance of being relegated than making the top 4

 

[Weststander]

Leicester winning the Premier League was akin to a miracle. The chances of that happening again in the forseeable future are infinitesimal.

They needed all top 6 clubs to fail to a certain extent over 38 games eg bad managers, club turmoil, new managers bedding in.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Looking at our fixture list gives a healthy dose of reality check. We will have to play away from home:

- Tottenham (lol)
- Chelsea (lol)
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa

And we have Man City and Man Utd at home.

Well the stats tell us do they not, that we have done better whilst on our travels this season?

That said, lwould still be amazed, if we achieved it.

 

[nwgull]

I find it so odd that any fan wouldnt want champions league football if it is achievable. That would be absolute dream land. If we dont make it so be it but why wouldn’t we want to aim for it if it’s within reach?

There’s no reason for us not to want to get into the CL if it were possible. The Europa League prize money would be a nice boost, but the potential money from the CL is about 4x greater.

Not that I wouldn’t be delighted to finish 5-6th and qualify for the Europa League.

 

[brighton_tom]

Looking at our fixture list gives a healthy dose of reality check. We will have to play away from home:

- Tottenham (lol)
- Chelsea (lol)
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa

And we have Man City and Man Utd at home.

For sure there'll be a couple of losses in there, but we can beat anyone in this league. We're at the business end of the season where the players will be incredibly motivated. I expect a few shock results in amongst those, where we beat some teams others might have thought we wouldnt. Hopefully starting with Spurs. Win that and Europe is most definitely a possibility.

 

[rogersix]

Looking at our fixture list gives a healthy dose of reality check. We will have to play away from home:

- Tottenham (lol)
- Chelsea (lol)
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa

And we have Man City and Man Utd at home.

we're the third best team in all england!

 

[Triggaaar]

about 5-1 at the moment.

They're stealing your money because it is mathematically impossible for us to finish in the top 4.

 

[BadFish]

I can’t be the only one thinking we’ve got the hardest run-in there?

That's true we have. But the optimist in me says that it means it is our own hands. If we can beat spurs and man U then who knows.

I am still coming to terms with being in
this position. Bloody hell. What happened to us?

Tony Bloom I suppose. Incredible.

 

[GT49er]

We should absolutely target third. That's the "stretch goal". Have that as our target, and then be satisfied if we land 5th or 6th. I have no doubt the squad and staff at the club will be taking it all a game at a time, but they'll be looking at the current table and the run in and aiming as high as possible.

Man U and Newcastle drop points tonight, we're right in the mix.

That went (predictably) well...................

 

[GT49er]

I find it so odd that any fan wouldnt want champions league football if it is achievable. That would be absolute dream land. If we dont make it so be it but why wouldn’t we want to aim for it if it’s within reach?

Aim for it by all means, but I and obviously some others won't be upset if we don't get there. Next season, realistically is too early; it would be like a team getting into the PL (or top flight) without a hope or the resources for anything other than a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful effort to stay in it, with no good outcomes from a season of turmoil (think Swindon, Orient, Northampton and Carlisle - yes, I have got a long memory!)

I am far more interested in maintaining a top 6 or 7 position to guarantee a season in Europe at a level where we can compete, the Europa League or the Conference, whatever (and that is the Europa Conference, not as some idiot earlier suggested, the other Conference, below the EFL - which obviously we do not have any chance of winning next season!) so still watchng out for those teams who could still rob us of that rather than sweating about the CL!