No reason why we cant win every game.

[coco]

No reason why we cant win every game left in the prem, even if we cant win the league.

H Wigan Athletic

A Portsmouth

H Manchester City

A Tottenham Hotspur

A Newcastle United

H Bolton Wanderers

H Everton

A West Ham United

H Fulham

A Arsenal

H Blackburn Rovers

A Sunderland

[abramovich]

I guess we have to take it one game at a time but we can realistically finish second if we play at our best and scousers drop a few along the way. We're only three points behind them now so leapfrogging over them to a second place would be great, plus it would mean we won't have to play CL qualifiers next season and go straight to the group stage.

[Ruh Buh Juh]

I guess we have to take it one game at a time but we can realistically finish second if we play at our best and scousers drop a few along the way. We're only three points behind them now so leapfrogging over them to a second place would be great, plus it would mean we won't have to play CL qualifiers next season and go straight to the group stage.

Said on Sky Sports before the Villa game on Saturday that it's first 3 get automatic qualification anyway...but still finishing ahead of Liverpool would be a great outcome! :D

[Chippy]

I always thought we'd get our act together and finish above Liverpool and still do, I really don't think UTD are as good as they were last year and cant understand how they are not dropping points..I know on paper they look great but I am surprised they are not drawing more games.

That said the gap now is a big one and we have got no say in any of their games,

I suppose realistically if you had to bet every penny you had on where we would finish I would have to stick it on Runners up..

I would be very happy if we got more points than UTD between now and the end of the season though..just love to have them looking nervously over their shoulders, I think that is genuinely possible.

[TheWestwayWonder]

I think second is realistic. Definitely. I think LFC will lose at Old Trafford, so those three can be made up, but that expecting man utd to throw away 10 is a big reach

And i would love to see us beat Arsenal at the Emirates to keep them out of the CL. As well as Spuds to cast them back into the relegation zone

[Mr Chelsea]

the everton fixture looks the most dodgy on there, i cant see anyone else who can give us any real problems

[Nibs]

I always thought we'd get our act together and finish above Liverpool and still do, I really don't think UTD are as good as they were last year and cant understand how they are not dropping points..I know on paper they look great but I am surprised they are not drawing more games.

That said the gap now is a big one and we have got no say in any of their games,

I suppose realistically if you had to bet every penny you had on where we would finish I would have to stick it on Runners up..

I would be very happy if we got more points than UTD between now and the end of the season though..just love to have them looking nervously over their shoulders, I think that is genuinely possible.

During the last few weeks of the Scolari reign I didn't and I wouldn't if he was still in charge. I think we were looking at 5th spot at best under Big Phil.

Now, who knows? There is reason to be optimistic.

[Chippy]

During the last few weeks of the Scolari reign I didn't and I wouldn't if he was still in charge. I think we were looking at 5th spot at best under Big Phil.

Now, who knows? There is reason to be optimistic.

I think getting Drogba interested was a big factor and I think Scolari had done that and was bringing him in half a game at a time,

The main thing was getting the players playing for him and contrary to everyone else's opinion I think he was gradually winning them round.

we have had one game under Hiddink and yes there was good signs but as usual we only had half a good game and I am not convinced anything was done that we could't have done under Scolari..I know everyone will quote the 0-0 at Hull and I can understand that but if you look at our home game with Villa we were a lot better than Saturday..I know the tactics had been found out and teams had learned to play against it but my opinion is Scolari would have found another way given time.

Hiddink still never went 4-4-2 and still played Anelka wide (ok a few tweaks and he drifted into spaces better) he still never used Youngsters but one good result and all that Scolari was slated for is forgotten when similar is done by the new man.

I am behind him fully and think the players are likely more happy with him so there must have been a problem maybe in communication, Training or whatever so I am not denying it might (and I hope it does) work out for the best but I can't alter my opinion that if the players had given their all under Scolari he could have been a success here.

[Nibs]

The main thing was getting the players playing for him and contrary to everyone else's opinion I think he was gradually winning them round.

but I can't alter my opinion that if the players had given their all under Scolari he could have been a success here.

I do think you're pretty much in a minority of one there Chippy. Bar the Stoke win, we appeared to be getting worse each & every game.

And players not giving their all? That's a big debate, but only a weak coach would let a player(s) get away with that. It wouldn't happen under a Mourinho or Ferguson and I'm guessing it won't happen under Hiddink.

[abramovich]

Disagree completely Chippy. The team was going backwards ever since the loss at home to Liverpool. The man was clueless and shouldn't have been given the job in the first place but as far as his sacking I wish he was gone earlier because then we'd have a better chance of salvaging the season and winning trophies.

The players may have liked his personality but we didn't give him big money contract to be everybody's friend.

Every team is the reflection of its manager. We all remember Mourinho's version of Chelsea and can witness Fergie's MU that currently dominates the league. Scolari's team was anything but.

Plus, you're comparing Hiddink to Scolari already. The man hasn't been on the job more than a few days, surely he deserves a little more time before we draw any conclusions.

[ethicalstrategy]

and contrary to everyone else's opinion

Surely not?

[Chippy]

Disagree completely Chippy. The team was going backwards ever since the loss at home to Liverpool. The man was clueless and shouldn't have been given the job in the first place but as far as his sacking I wish he was gone earlier because then we'd have a better chance of salvaging the season and winning trophies.

The players may have liked his personality but we didn't give him big money contract to be everybody's friend.

Every team is the reflection of its manager. We all remember Mourinho's version of Chelsea and can witness Fergie's MU that currently dominates the league. Scolari's team was anything but.

Plus, you're comparing Hiddink to Scolari already. The man hasn't been on the job more than a few days, surely he deserves a little more time before we draw any conclusions.

I dont really want to go into all this again But I will just answer a few points (Nibs sorry mate you know we just disagree on it and my reasons have been written to much already)

Point one, Calling Scolari Clueless is in my opinion ridiculas and coming from someone with likely no background in the game it is only an opinion and not one that should be stated as fact.

I realise this post could well be underlined with loads of posts reiterating that Scolari is clueless but he has proved that he is a good manager and I can't come back on and put no he isn't after every post.

I am not sure all the players liked his personality as I feel they could have tried harder for him but we'll never know the truth of that.

Mourinhos Chelsea was a different thing entirely (imo) as they were on the up when he arrived, Mourinhos Chelsea when he went was more comparable and could have deteriorated more for all we know if he had stayed.

Fergusons UTD have had a manager in place for a long time and his record in his first season was worse than Scolaris by far.

And the bit I highlighted..If you think you can ever accuse me of not giving a manager time then whats the point of us discussing anything..you surely have never read any of my posts.

To clarify the comparison for anybody who's interested and didn't somehow get the gist It was aimed at the fact that he chose a very similar line up and tactic that Scolari chose...meaning Scolari had his reasons for playing Anelka wide and not choosing to play Stoch or Di Santo and Hiddink must have agreed with them.

as I said this has been discussed to death and I realise I am the only person on the forum who thinks Scolari was and is a decent manager, I am not going to change my opinion but that doesn't mean for a minute I want Hiddink to fail, I want Chelsea to succeed whoever is in charge and whoever is in charge if they f**k up within a year I will be here saying they need more time.

[ethicalstrategy]

I'll give you a bit of support here Chippy.

Because he didn't do well at Chelsea doesn't mean Scolari is useless or that he won't succeed elsewhere. You only need to look at Ramos at Madrid to see that there are a lot of factors which go to deciding whether or not someone is successful in any particular post.

I think Scolari's two big problems at Chelsea were not speaking the language fluently and having to adapt to the demands of club football and all that entails. The end result was that he struggled. It is a moot point as to whether he could have turned it around but the signs were that he couldn't unless he was allowed to make wholesale changes to the squad and that wasn't on the cards.

If we are able to produce the type of performance that we did against Villa on saturday for the rest of the season then I'd be comfortable that we would finish in the top three, probably second, and that we would have a good chance of making progress in the CL and FA Cup. My views on that could change again after tomorrow night's game depending on what happens.

[abramovich]

I called Scolari clueless concerning his stint with Chelsea, and only that. Of course he is a great manager who deserves respect for his past accomplishments but he clearly wasn't up to the task on his last job and it was blatantly obvious for many months.

I wouldn't blame Scolari for not winning the title this year because I believe MU are objectively still the best side in the country and over the last couple of seasons improved their squad where we stagnated. But it doesn't justify the long poor run of performances and results we have witnessed under Scolari. He lost to every top side we faced and struggled time after time against lesser teams. At the rate we were going we were sure to miss out on the top four spot and with this squad it's simply unacceptable and the buck stops at his door.

Maybe he got too old, maybe he was out of club management far too long or maybe he simply overestimated his ability as a manager and underestimated the toughness of running the club like Chelsea and the pressure it involves, I don't know. But I do believe that sacking him was the right choice, the only choice under the circumstances in fact , just like offering him the job in the first place proved to be a big mistake on part of the CFC board.

[Chippy]

I'll give you a bit of support here Chippy.

Because he didn't do well at Chelsea doesn't mean Scolari is useless or that he won't succeed elsewhere. You only need to look at Ramos at Madrid to see that there are a lot of factors which go to deciding whether or not someone is successful in any particular post.

I think Scolari's two big problems at Chelsea were not speaking the language fluently and having to adapt to the demands of club football and all that entails. The end result was that he struggled. It is a moot point as to whether he could have turned it around but the signs were that he couldn't unless he was allowed to make wholesale changes to the squad and that wasn't on the cards.

If we are able to produce the type of performance that we did against Villa on saturday for the rest of the season then I'd be comfortable that we would finish in the top three, probably second, and that we would have a good chance of making progress in the CL and FA Cup. My views on that could change again after tomorrow night's game depending on what happens.

Cheers mate..unlikely source but I'll welcome it ;)

I'd say that was a very fair summarisation and can't really disagree with any of it,

I agree with both of the reasons you think Scolari had problems and agree he would have needed money to spend to get us challenging realistically for the title, I do still think we would have come second as I think Drogba was/is getting some interest back and the emergance of Stoch and the loan signing of Quaresma could have givem him a few more options while Drogbas attitude getting better would (imo) have had a knock on effect on team morale.

I can't possibly rate Hiddink on one game and wont have been able to form a fair opinion of him by the time he leaves as I think it takes longer than he will be here for a manger to get a team fully playing in his style but he is undoubtably a decent manager and as I always say I believe any decent manager with this squad can get them challenging in all competitions...I don't think at this time we have the best Squad in the Prem but it certainly is in the top three and if they all play for the Manager and the Shirt they can still beat the best.