54 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

Bringing Kovacic on and then keeping him and Jorginho on doesn't help at all, one manager knew the importance of 3 points.

Agree we need a m/f that can score from distance even RLC tries to place it.

Kante is improving running on to strikes in the box yet we need another option too.

We are still in a good position to get 4th.

You would think/hope the results will go our way tomorrow meaning a draw at Old Trafford would leave us in pole position and only in all likelihood needing one more win.

Push has got to go for Europa League IMO. Our chance of top 4 has been obliterated by drawing with Burnley. It's the same amount of matches but I like our chances of winning 3 EL fixtures over our remaining premiership fixtures.  

2 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

Agree we need a m/f that can score from distance even RLC tries to place it.

Kante is improving running on to strikes in the box yet we need another option too.

Yeah I agree, sometimes it just takes someone to get hold of the ball and smash it. 

2 hours ago, TheChelseaBlues said:

Push has got to go for Europa League IMO. Our chance of top 4 has been obliterated by drawing with Burnley.  

No it hasn't, it could be in our hands again tomorrow night.

7 hours ago, Argo said:

We are still in a good position to get 4th.

You would think/hope the results will go our way tomorrow meaning a draw at Old Trafford would leave us in pole position and only in all likelihood needing one more win.

But Arsenal have a game in hand, hence they are still favourites to get 4th place.

Lately, us, Arsenal and United appear to be having a 3 way competition as to who is the least sh*t and there is no obvious winner.

7 hours ago, TheChelseaBlues said:

Push has got to go for Europa League IMO. Our chance of top 4 has been obliterated by drawing with Burnley. It's the same amount of matches but I like our chances of winning 3 EL fixtures over our remaining premiership fixtures.  

Set back but hardly obliterated.

7 minutes ago, Nibs said:

But Arsenal have a game in hand, hence they are still favourites to get 4th place.

Lately, us, Arsenal and United appear to be having a 3 way competition as to who is the least sh*t and there is no obvious winner.

I think Arsenal's game in hand is offset by where they're playing said game, you could argue apart from City or Liverpool they have the worst possible fixture.

If both results go our way tonight (which is a very big chance) i reckon we only need 1 win for 4th.

Edited April 24, 20197 yr by Argo

37 minutes ago, Argo said:

I think Arsenal's game in hand is offset by where they're playing said game, you could argue apart from City or Liverpool they have the worst possible fixture.

If both results go our way tonight (which is a very big chance) i reckon we only need 1 win for 4th.

Argo - Forever the Optimist!!

13 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Argo - Forever the Optimist!!

Not at all, just because I'm declaring our top four shot over when we are still in it isn't "forever the optimist", it's common sense.

Just now, Argo said:

Not at all, just because I'm declaring our top four shot over when we are still in it isn't "forever the optimist", it's common sense.

Lighten Up FFS!

You may refer to is as "common sense" but there is little sense in this season. If we were in any kind of form I might be as optimistic as you are but as we are struggling from game to game I won't build my hopes up and I'll just wait to see what unfolds.

 

5 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Lighten Up FFS!

You may refer to is as "common sense" but there is little sense in this season. If we were in any kind of form I might be as optimistic as you are but as we are struggling from game to game I won't build my hopes up and I'll just wait to see what unfolds.

 

Expect nothing and hope to get a pleasant surprise. Much less taxing than anticipated success and falling short.

Its the hope that kills ya!

Shaping up to a great climax to the season- Premiership, Europe, plus the promotion/ relegation scrambles lower down.

1 hour ago, Argo said:

I think Arsenal's game in hand is offset by where they're playing said game, you could argue apart from City or Liverpool they have the worst possible fixture.

If both results go our way tonight (which is a very big chance) i reckon we only need 1 win for 4th.

Even if by some miracle results go in our favour in Arsenal and United's matches we've still got to deliver the goods ourselves and we saw on Monday night that the team isn't always up to it when the pressure is on. 

We've got to go to Old Trafford and get a good result and with our poor away form this season that's a big ask. We've had 7 losses on the road already and have a negative goal difference. 

And even then, if we do manage a good result we've still got to play Watford and Leicester off the back of our Europa League semi-final matches and our record against top 12 opposition is less than impressive. 

I admire your optimism but the deck is pretty stacked against us at the moment. That result on Monday night was a massive punch in the gut to our top 4 hopes. 

I agree about the top 4 and Europe, but I’m disappointed that two teams are relegated already. I would love it if all 3 could avoid relegation on final day!

2 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Even if by some miracle results go in our favour in Arsenal and United's matches we've still got to deliver the goods ourselves and we saw on Monday night that the team isn't always up to it when the pressure is on. 

We've got to go to Old Trafford and get a good result and with our poor away form this season that's a big ask. We've had 7 losses on the road already and have a negative goal difference. 

And even then, if we do manage a good result we've still got to play Watford and Leicester off the back of our Europa League semi-final matches and our record against top 12 opposition is less than impressive. 

I admire your optimism but the deck is pretty stacked against us at the moment. That result on Monday night was a massive punch in the gut to our top 4 hopes. 

Theoretically we can still lose every match and still get it.

I won't deny we would be up against it if say it was a top 3 and we were up against Spurs but we are up against a team who have relegation form away and another who are on their worse run since the 80's. I would say we are most likely to get it as it stands, by default admittedly but still.

On a serious note, of course I want us to win the EL and finish 4th so we qualify for CL next season. But IF Hazard does leave and we don't (or aren't able to) sign some real quality, I do honestly fear how we might do in the CL. What happens with the winners of the EL - do they qualify for CL proper or would we have to go through qualifying stages, as with no Hazard, I could actually see us do a Celtic or Everton and get knocked out before it begins. Still, we'll worry about that if & when it happens..........................!

2 hours ago, Nibs said:

On a serious note, of course I want us to win the EL and finish 4th so we qualify for CL next season. But IF Hazard does leave and we don't (or aren't able to) sign some real quality, I do honestly fear how we might do in the CL. What happens with the winners of the EL - do they qualify for CL proper or would we have to go through qualifying stages, as with no Hazard, I could actually see us do a Celtic or Everton and get knocked out before it begins. Still, we'll worry about that if & when it happens..........................!

Winners of Europa League go straight in. Top seed as well. So we would avoid Barcelona juve psg and Bayern in the group.

Meaning we'd probably get through the group stage. You'd hope. 

4 hours ago, Argo said:

Theoretically we can still lose every match and still get it.

I won't deny we would be up against it if say it was a top 3 and we were up against Spurs but we are up against a team who have relegation form away and another who are on their worse run since the 80's. I would say we are most likely to get it as it stands, by default admittedly but still.

If arsenal win tonight, we won't get it. I think even arsenal supporters expect to lose tonight. If arsenal lose, it depends on our result against man united. 

Going to be interesting. 

I suspect Arsenal to get a point at Wolves though not 3 points.

6 hours ago, Ewell CFC said:

Set back but hardly obliterated.

 

11 hours ago, Argo said:

No it hasn't, it could be in our hands again tomorrow night.

We're in 4th, 3 points behind one of the best teams in Europe and the two below us have a game in hand. Arsenal winning out would see them finish 4th and United would be level on points if both clubs win their remaining fixtures. I also have no faith in us winning 3 PL matches in a row without Kante and Hazard fully fit when we couldn't get past damn Burnley. 

6 minutes ago, TheChelseaBlues said:

 

We're in 4th, 3 points behind one of the best teams in Europe and the two below us have a game in hand. Arsenal winning out would see them finish 4th and United would be level on points if both clubs win their remaining fixtures. I also have no faith in us winning 3 PL matches in a row without Kante and Hazard fully fit when we couldn't get past damn Burnley. 

I think the premise seems to be that our recent results are blips and the corner is about to be turned whilst those around us will see their blips continue to escalate into slides. Success!

Out of vain statistical curiosity, this is our record in the fixtures immediately after having played midweek in the Europa League: 

 

Overall:

W    4
D    5
L    3

F    14
A    10

Points dropped    14 (plus two cup exits)

 

Home Europa League fixture:

W    3
D    3
L    0

F    12
A    3

Points dropped    4    (+ one League Cup Final defeat on penalties)

 

Away Europa League fixture:

 

W    1
D    2
L    3

F    2
A    7

Points dropped    10    (+ one FA Cup defeat)

 

 

I suppose we can count ourselves quite lucky in the upcoming fixtures that the game immediately after the Eintracht Frankfurt away leg is (on paper) our easiest: Watford at home. The only one of our three remaining league fixtures without a Europa League game immediately preceding it is the Man Utd game. In addition to this, Man Utd have to play Man City tonight, so in theory we should have some sort of advantage. 

I can see us sitting in 4th place going into the final game, only to throw it away against Leicester. 

It's been that kind of season.

6 hours ago, TheChelseaBlues said:

I also have no faith in us winning 3 PL matches in a row 

We won't have to, that's the point.

Winners of Europa League go straight in. Top seed as well. So we would avoid Barcelona juve psg and Bayern in the group.
Meaning we'd probably get through the group stage. You'd hope. 

I like the last sentence.