is reaching 4th/5th possible ?

[HighPeakFox]

Puel should be saying something down the lines of 'Arsenal are 8 points ahead, that's the next target'. 

[Foxxed]

If we don't beat Everton a few days after Peterborough we're unlikely to be seventh. First things first and that.

[Corky]

This is fvcking on!!

[Guest Col city fan]

I think that anyone criticizing Puel so far is just crazy. As in, I just don't getcha?

Look where we are in the league, look at how he's got Mahrez playing, look at how he's got Dan Amartey playing

We are keeping the ball so much better, are changing our tactics each game and the players are grafting.

He's done a brilliant job so far.

[Beechey]

Just now, Col city fan said:

I think that anyone criticizing Puel so far is just crazy. As in, I just don't getcha?

Look where we are in the league, look at how he's got Mahrez playing, look at how he's got Dan Amartey playing

We are keeping the ball so much better, are changing our tactics each game and the players are grafting.

He's done a brilliant job so far.

But can they flick it on?

[Foxaholic ME]

10 hours ago, Fox92 said:

I wish football was that easy. We'll drop points in other games - like we did against Palace at home. You or I wouldn't have predicted them to beat us, especially 0-3.

 

Speaking of Palace, it's a difficult away game as are Burnley, Everton and Spurs.

 

I think Arsenal are beatable at home.

 

I cannot see us making the gap up. It'd take a remarkable dip in form from Arsenal/Spurs which won't happen.

Arsenal is the hardest left however we play our luck is always out against them and a draw would be miracalous

[Wymsey]

Are we, potentially, as big/strong a club as Arsenal?..

[Dan]

11 hours ago, LCCFox96 said:

 

True but no time like the present to amend that record. We've been unlucky on multiple occasions since we came back up:

 

1-1 at home in 14/15 - could easily have knicked it - Ulloa had a great chance to win it iirc.

2-1 away in 14/15 - We were playing very well having gone 2 down. Kramaric got one back and could easily have gone on for a point or maybe all 3.

2-1 away in 15/16 - But for Simpson red card and Wasilewski going rogue last minute the win was very realistic (helped us in the long run mind)

0-0 at home in 16/17 - Not great but hardly a mile away from a win

1-0 away in 16/17 - Late OG having played decent

4-3 away this season - Could have had all 3 points but for a late meltdown in part due to questionable subs.

 

Arsenal are very beatable but like you say always seem to dig something out against us. Must be the only team we haven't beaten since coming back up.

 

 

And an absolute stonewall penalty turned down in the 90th minute.

[richardsfoxes]

Let's not get carried away, one game at a time.

[NewEnglandFox]

10 hours ago, st albans fox said:

the FA cup would deliver European football (and without the preseason qualification starting late july that 7th would bring)

 

That is a very important point. There is a tweak to the Europa League structure in which the League Cup/7th place spot goes into the second qualifying round. That means playing 6 consecutive Thursdays from the last week of July to the end of August to make the group stage. At least 2 but probably 3 of those games are before the Prem starts. The other 2 Europa spots are into the group stage. West Ham got caught out to a Maltese club in the 2nd round a couple years ago when they won that fair play wildcard spot into the Europa League. I'll take qualifying over no Europe at all but it'd be great to sneak into the group stage and I'd love to do that by winning the cup.

 

[Leeds Fox]

7 hours ago, Wymeswold fox said:

Are we, potentially, as big/strong a club as Arsenal?..

 

Been thinking this for a few weeks. 

 

I don’t think you can really compare our clubs in size and stature, but the current squads aren’t a mile apart.

 

They do probably edge it player wise, just. Our mentality is what brings us on par. Sure we’ve capitulated in one or two games, but we have a squad who fights for each other. They sulk, moan and think the world is against them when things don’t go their way. 

 

Next season, it’s looking like we’ll be without Mahrez and they’ll be without Sanchez (already gone I know), Ozil and possibly Wenger. 

 

I think we’ll finish above them and possibly even Spurs next season.

[Gillies Apprentice]

Our next six games include four teams who have replaced their managers and will now be far more difficult .The two games against Swansea and Stoke that were six points in the bank with another 4 fairly assured from Everton and West Brom away, now look a lot more tricky .With the trip to Man City unlikely to yield anything and bogey team Bournemouth a perennial banana skin, a reasonable estimate was 11 points , but I'm fearing it might only be 8 or 9 .

 

 

   

[Strokes]

Spurs have got some really tough fixtures coming up, sandwiched in between the champions league fixture with Juventus. They will definitely drop a few points. If we can win our games we will definitely put them under pressure.

[Bluetintedspecs]

12 hours ago, Col city fan said:

I think that anyone criticizing Puel so far is just crazy. As in, I just don't getcha?

Look where we are in the league, look at how he's got Mahrez playing, look at how he's got Dan Amartey playing

We are keeping the ball so much better, are changing our tactics each game and the players are grafting.

He's done a brilliant job so far.

Lovely to see you doing some happy clapping Col 

Yes I get the passion and knee-jerk reactions happen sometimes but this board is top of the league for overreaction!

Freak results happen ala  Liverpool last night, we had Palace at home off day, and they turned up, as an example.

I put it down to just that 'one of those days' yet some on here massively overreacted to a moronic level....can you believe that eh bud? ?

Edited 23 January 2018 by Bluetintedspecs

[FoxFossil]

6 hours ago, richardsfoxes said:

Let's not get carried away, one game at a time.

New to Foxestalk eh?

[ZeGuy]

On ‎22‎.‎01‎.‎2018 at 11:21, Area88 said:

Looking at the fixtures and our current form. Also the fact we kept Mahrez and the team is gelling better and better every week.

 

I would say a high probability of finishing anywhere between 5th, 6th or 7th. 4th means beating Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.

 

Probability of 5th is much higher than 4th. Can we really say we are better than Arsenal right now? No but that doesn't mean we can't outperform them.

 

I think impressively we've taken a Jose Mourinho approach and we start very strong at the back and this gives us much more confidence in our attacks.

 

4th would have been very likely or possible, even higher, if Puel had started the season as manager. Add all those points lost with Craig Shakespeare and who knows... All the points over the table are spread pretty evenly so that would suggest we could have even finished 2nd.

Mate, a reality check you need.

 

We only beat Watford and lost 3-0 to Palace at home not long ago. Puel is doing well but we're far from a stable, consistently performing team which is the difference between the 6th upward and the rest.

 

Hoping for anything higher than 7th this season is just wishful thinking and for some, the return to earth will be painful.

Edited 23 January 2018 by ZeGuy

[NotTheMarketLeader]

Not going to happen

[Area88]

Liverpool dropped 3 points. 

 

IT BEGINS.

[Daggers]

On 20/01/2018 at 17:11, foxfanazer said:

No.

Came into the thread wondering how many posts I’d have to skip through till I got to this answer. Well done 

[Harry - LCFC]

On 1/22/2018 at 19:36, Foxxed said:

If we don't beat Everton a few days after Peterborough we're unlikely to be seventh. First things first and that.

I we draw with Everton we'd be six points ahead. You're just inventing another 'must win' game if you're saying we need the three points from that one.

[ARM1968]

We’re going to batter Arsenal for once 

[Bablemikey]

49 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

We’re going to batter Arsenal for once 

I'd be more than happy with 7th and this

 

[cc_star]

Attached is the league table since Puel took over

 

We've got the same number of points as Spurs & one fewer than Arsenal

 

Being realistic, we're punching above our weight & not just equalling them but overhauling them will most likely be beyond us.

 

However, being around this area of the table could be the new normal for us, particularly as Southampton, Everton & Stoke have (temporarily at least) vacated it.

 

 

Turning 7th into 6th in a semi-permanent fashion would be a significant undertaking.

 

[HighPeakFox]

I get why people say that LCFC are punching above their weight, but I wish they thought twice before doing so. First of all, it's one of those established easy-to-say cliches that pundits and hacks like to trot out, and secondly, it reinforces a (psychological) glass ceiling that I hope our club is trying to smash.

[lestajigs]

I say we have a 2% chance finishing 5th and that’s generous 

Edited 28 January 2018 by lestajigs