Race for Champions League - 2023/2024

[oishiiniku_uk]

6 hours ago, RichW said:

We’ve got a good gap between ourselves and Newcastle but I don’t get how you can completely rule them out at the moment. I’m not saying they will catch us, I’m just saying they will no doubt do business in January and will have players come back from injury and no Europe that will benefit them. Maybe when they rock up to Villa Park end of January and we beat them they will be even further out the picture. 
 

Anyway this isn’t an opinion just because we drew with Sheff Utd, we won’t win every week and there will be games other teams drop points unexpectedly (like Newcastle losing at Luton). I still think Villa are favourites for 4th, we have got 8 of the top 14 all coming to Villa Park. Spurs are the biggest threats but I’m not ruling out Newcastle just yet. 

Newcastle would have to change their style of play mid-season to have any chance of top 4/5. Their players will keep getting knackered/injured otherwise, even without Europe. 

[PaulC]

8 hours ago, VillaChris said:

I actually think Liverpool will drop off a bit now.

They've had a few chances this season to go top and drawn 1-1 every time so don't really have a killer mentality in the squad they had a few seasons ago to keep winning.

Beyond Salah (who remains world class) their forward options aren't actually that great, Bailey is in better form than Gakpo for instance and we have a better midfield structure than they do imo.

Drawn their last two at Anfield so I'd like to think a few more teams will go there in second half of the season, sit in and frustrate them. Their away form isn't much better than ours, needed a 96th minute goal to draw at Luton.

We won't finish above Arsenal as they're very strong all over the pitch and feels like falling short last season is really pushing them on but Liverpool are starting to look a bit vulnerable now and Salah will be missing for over a month pretty shortly.

Diaz is a shadow of his former self. Jota has done nothing in ages. Nunez could come good. TAA has been a revelation in midfield. I agree we could finish above them. Arsenal I said before the season started after signing Rice they could win the lesgue. They lack a goal keeper and cf but otherwise they are exceptional. Really though I think Liverpool should have beat them the amount of times they countered them but their forwards let them down.and a glaring miss from TAA

[PaulC]

3 hours ago, oishiiniku_uk said:

Newcastle would have to change their style of play mid-season to have any chance of top 4/5. Their players will keep getting knackered/injured otherwise, even without Europe. 

I don't see them as contenders this year. Spurs are big threat though. Man u will get it together at some point. The rest are nowhere 

[VillaChris]

3 hours ago, oishiiniku_uk said:

Spurs results have improved but they weren't that impressive vs Forest or Everton. They will also be losing Bissouma, Sarr and Son for a number of games soon.

We saw before what happens to them when Skipp, Hojbjerg and Dier all start or are on the pitch at the same time.

Everton could've easily scored 3/4 goals in that second half so I think Brighton can score a couple v them next week. Solanke in the form he's in will fancy scoring at least once when he plays against them next weekend.

[MSvillain]

On 23/12/2023 at 19:11, GlobalVillan said:

No. I was pointing out that was a significant injury swing in that fixture and so it was contextually accurate as I was pointing out the fine marigins.

Your (rather tiresome and unoriginal) anaolgy misses the point entirely.

*analogy 

no more tiresome than consistent pessimistic and negative posts that certain posters love to perpetuate 

[GlobalVillan]

5 hours ago, MSvillain said:

*analogy 

no more tiresome than consistent pessimistic and negative posts that certain posters love to perpetuate 

Oh look you picked up a typo. Well done. I am sure you have never written a typo before.

Seriously tho, just becasue some posters don't think we will win the league, (I think we will get CL football by finishing 5th as I've repeatedly said), it doesn't make them negative. 

Having a different viewpoint to your own, doesn't make someone negative either. You need to learn that.

Edited December 26, 2023 by GlobalVillan

[VillaChris]

Would be huge for us if Forest can park the bus in spectacular fashion and get a draw today.

It's a total must win for Newcastle given they then have us and Liverpool away and Man. City at home in January so they're potentially going to fall well off the pace, still 10 points off us so no reason to panic if they win a game or two.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Continue the same form since Emery took over and top 4 is ours right ?

[villan95]

30 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Would be huge for us if Forest can park the bus in spectacular fashion and get a draw today.

It's a total must win for Newcastle given they then have us and Liverpool away and Man. City at home in January so they're potentially going to fall well off the pace, still 10 points off us so no reason to panic if they win a game or two.

Might be foolish but I've sort of ruled Newcastle and Man Utd out after recent results. Spurs seem to be the ones to keep an eye on.

[VillaChris]

Big statement....but if we win our next two I think we secure top 5 place already.

We would very likely be 16 points clear of Newcastle (could you have imagined that after the trauma of the opening day) and Man. United would have to go to Forest who've just had an amazing win.

Couldn't see West Ham or Brighton chasing us down tbh.

[villarule123]

How likely is it that 5th place gets CL then? Because a win today could see us 12 points clear. 

Edited December 26, 2023 by villarule123

[VillaChris]

8 minutes ago, villarule123 said:

How likely is it that 5th place gets CL then? Because a win today could see us 12 points clear. 

Man. City should get to at least SFs of CL.

Liverpool should get to at least SFs of Europa and perhaps one of West Ham/Brighton might do aswell.

We should get to last 4 of Europa conference.

Do that and I can't see England not being one of the top 2 co-efficients unless of course two German/Italian sides win the respective competitions.

4th is still in doubt but we're in very very good shape not to finish lower than 5th barring a disaster of second half of season run and I just don't see Emery letting it slip in a way O'Neill used to.

[RichW]

Think I may have been generous with my opinion of Newcastle. Didn’t see that loss coming at all.  IF Villa win tonight that would be 13 points clear of them whilst they have Liverpool, Man City and us next up so could be even further behind. That’s too much of a gap to even try and make up. 
 

Hopefully a Emery masterclass tonight. 

[LondonLax]

I suspect Spurs are going to push us out of the top 4 unfortunately. Hopefully 5th is a place though. 

[Mark Albrighton]

A wake up call hopefully.

[GlobalVillan]

5th is still our best shot. Nothing has changed there. I still think we can do it.

(although apparently that's too negative for some)

[HanoiVillan]

Going to be difficult to prevent this from leading to a tailspin. In previous years, losing 2 goal leads to lose 3-2 have led to our collapse and relegation under Sherwood, and the 5 game losing streak that killed off Smith. You'd hope we're mentally stronger than that now but you do wonder. Certainly a humiliating performance and collapse. 

[Mark Albrighton]

Top four is still there to be won. It’s still in our hands. 

Bad day.

Bollockings dished out (and Emery needs to have a little think about what he could do differently too).

Move on. 

[Mantis]

These players don't deserve top 4 to be honest.

[Tayls]

No chance.