Topic: The Battle for 7th

[Jayson]

  praise the graphs 

[Northerngimp]

 

[Beren]

Eventually, our improvement from last season will become so graphically steep, we'll actually start to play less games the more we play.

[Sifu]

Four points away from matching last season's total

Like I've said before, all credit to Pardew and the lads for getting us into such a position. Just have to push on and keep going, we have to stay focused and make sure we don't tail off.

[Stu]

Four points away from last year's total, with 14 games to go.

Remember that ridiculous stat from a couple of weeks ago when we'd not won any of the corresponding fixtures last season - all of those wins are still to be 'defended'

[David28]

Looking at the table makes me really dream about the Champions League - the Europa League at the very least.

[David28]

I think you missed a 1 out in your estimation of where we might finish.

Btw, first post after the opening post.

(I was one of those who said we'd be in a relegation battle, too. Especially after selling Barton.)

[womblemaster]

I hate to say this, but we need to cheer on spurs tonight.... Need the scousers to lose as many points as possible.

tbhi dont see us getting any points vs tottenham on sat; although i am hoping we sneak another draw....2-2 would be very good for us, as we have no tiote.

[bowlingcrofty]

A flukey spurs victory with both teams having 3 red cards each and a few niggly injuries would do nicely.

[beatty]

Eventually, our improvement from last season will become so graphically steep, we'll actually start to play less games the more we play.

brilliant

[gggg]

If we beat Spurs we could definitely make up the other 4 points by the end of March.

[Mole_Toonfan]

I hate to say this, but we need to cheer on spurs tonight.... Need the scousers to lose as many points as possible.

tbhi dont see us getting any points vs tottenham on sat; although i am hoping we sneak another draw....2-2 would be very good for us, as we have no tiote.

Having said this, if Spurs were to lose tonight and we beat them on Saturday then we would be 4 points behind them

[S.S.R.]

I've got a feeling it'll be in the low 60s this year, given the competition.

From who? Stoke?

No, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

[Skeletor]

Average points total to get 4th in the last 5 seasons is 71 points but as already said given the volume of competition for it this year it will probably end up around the 65 mark.

[South Tynedale Mag]

I think strategically and romantically it would be fantastic to finish above Liverpool. If we finish above either Liverpool or Arsenal we will surely see ourselves finish at least 6th, which would be a fantastic achievement and would see European footall return to St James Park. However, to finish above Liverpool would be nice for other reasons, firstly to get one over their deluded fans, secondly to show Enrique and Carroll that grass isn't always greener. Either way I think we have already made ourselves proud this season.

[bowlingcrofty]

I think strategically and romantically it would be fantastic to finish above Liverpool. If we finish above either Liverpool or Arsenal we will surely see ourselves finish at least 6th, which would be a fantastic achievement and would see European footall return to St James Park. However, to finish above Liverpool would be nice for other reasons, firstly to get one over their deluded fans, secondly to show Enrique and Carroll that grass isn't always greener. Either way I think we have already made ourselves proud this season.

Probably, but not certain to be the case. Totally agree with you otherwise. To finish above Liverpool, considering the amount they've spent would be an outstanding effort.

Not often I root for Spurs but I am tonight.

[Optimistic Nut]

Rolling League Table

Manchester City..................38...........+55...........83 (3rd, 71)
Manchester United.............38............+51..........83 (1st, 80)
Tottenham Hotspur.............38............+23..........73 (5th, 62)
Chelsea..............................38.......... ..+26..........69 (2nd, 71)
Newcastle United.................38...........+9...........65  (12th, 46)
Arsenal................................38........ ...+25..........61  (4th, 68)
Liverpool.............................38......... ...+8.........59  (6th, 58)
Everton...............................38......... ....0...........51  (7th, 54)
Stoke City............................38...........-7...........49  (13th, 46)
Norwich City..........................38.........-13............49  (19th, 39)
Swansea City........................38.........-3............46  (20th, 33)
Sunderland..........................38...........-6..........44  (10th, 47)
West Bromwich Albion.........38...........-13............44  (11th, 47)
Fulham................................38......... ...-9...........43  (8th, 49)
Aston Villa...........................38............-12..........42  (9th, 48)
Blackburn Rovers.................38...........-17..........40  (15th, 43)
Bolton Wanderers...............38............-17...........40  (14th, 46)
Wolverhampton Wanderers.38..........-33...........33  (17th, 40)
Queen's Park Rangers..........38.........-23............32  (18th, 39)
Wigan Athletic....................38..........-42...........26  (16th, 42)

[wormy]

FAP TIME.

[eliassenfredrik]

[Optimistic Nut]

2 points off 3rd if we win on Saturday.

[MW]

2 points off 3rd if we win on Saturday.

5 aint it?

[Optimistic Nut]

2 points off 3rd if we win on Saturday.

5 aint it?

Sorry I meant in the Rolling Table.

[Beren]

http://www.football365.com/faves/7491804/XI-Questions

The Newcastle bits:

*Is there a greater sight than Manchester United sensing a comeback?
There's little stopping them when they smell blood. Chelsea went from being a prancing herd of gazelles to a bunch of lumbering wildebeest, wounded by United's persistent predation. It was like watching an Attenborough special at times - there was something so inevitable about the chase; the cruelty of nature in all of its awe-inspiring glory. And what made it worse was that Chelsea were complicit in their own sorry downfall. Everyone knows the herd should stay together, but individual errors from Daniel Sturridge, Branislav Ivanovic and the sleepy-headed David Luiz cost them dearly.

Only time prevented United from taking all three points and now Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool will look to feed on the bloodied blue carcass.


*Are Newcastle genuine Champions League contenders?
Winning when not playing at your best is a common characteristic among teams in the top four and Newcastle seem to have adopted the attribute. The Magpies' fluency has been disrupted in the past month by African Cup of Nations absence, injury and suspension, but two wins in a week has seem them maintain their challenge for fourth place.

What must please Alan Pardew the most is seeing squad players take on the challenge of replacing first-team regulars. The wins against Blackburn and Villa were in no small part down to the performances of the much-improved Danny Guthrie. The midfielder buzzed in both games, committed in his defensive duties and excellent when in possession. A key area in which Newcastle have been lacking - despite the brilliant season they're having - is competition for places, but Guthrie's impressive form and the signing of Papiss Cisse has gone a long way to address that.

Cisse looked as though he'd been playing in the Premier League for a decade when he made his debut against Villa. His workrate was exceptional, he wasn't fazed by the imposing physicality (to put it politely) of Richard Dunne and he took his goal wonderfully; patiently controlling the pass instead of swiping at it first time. With the striker looking immediately settled, and Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote soon to return, Newcastle must now focus their attention on the one-point gap between themselves and Chelsea.

They have a fantastic opportunity, while teams around them are perhaps still struggling with the fact that it's only the start of February and they're already out of the title race. Next Saturday's fixture at Tottenham is a test to see how far the Magpies have come.

The last sentence was a lazy end IMO. Saturday as a standalone fixture doesn't prove thaaat much.

[MW]

http://www.football365.com/faves/7491804/XI-Questions

The Newcastle bits:

*Is there a greater sight than Manchester United sensing a comeback?

Only time prevented United from taking all three points and now Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool will look to feed on the bloodied blue carcass.

thought on first reading that was saying that only time prevented them coming back against us

[Dave]

Here's a nice little bit of info.

For all everyone is saying the top teams are s*** and inconsistent this year, let's have a look at the points tallies of the top five at this point in time in previous years.

Currently:


Last year:


2009/10:


2008/09:


Look at the points for 5th. Are we really up there purely because the so-called big clubs are poo this time? Doesn't look like it.