2020/21 - The Run In and Top 4 chances - an Ongoing Analysis

[An Away Move]

20 minutes ago, brucey said:

 

 

That is shit luck for us. 

[jerry]

16 minutes ago, Always Next Year said:

It’s all bullshit they lost the FA Cup and they call it a tin pot, they will do the same when they get trashed by Man City in the CL Final.

Trophies this year Chelsea 0 Leicester 1 and we are back at Wembley for another day out in the Community Shield.

Looking forward to the Europa League. Add quality to the squad and have a chance of another 🏆 

[CosbehFox]

13 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

It is horrific isn't it.

It's why I don't ever want to be one of the 'Elite'

 

On the way to Wembley, me and my Dad were talking about the faces you see down the City - don't know their name, don't know what they do or where they are from. But you have a wave and say hello. 

 

Wembley High Road bumped into my season ticket holder neighbour, ended up being a row behind a bloke my Dad played football with 25 years ago and my brother played alongside his lad and then watching the FA Cup highlightS closing montage seen a bloke who'd we had been discussing on the way to Wembley from our Filbert Street days. 

 

This club is the perfect mix of county, city and those like me who are elsewhere. It's about pride in your upbringing and your origin. 

 

We won a trophy on Saturday what satisfied a two generational itch and gave a crowning moment to one of our best ever XI. They won't ever feel what we felt 

[CosbehFox]

2 minutes ago, Farrington fox said:

Whatever happens on Sunday, we will be bloody awesome next season.

If its Europa, I reckon we are good enough to win it. Format a bit less hard work. Pad the squad better. 

[RonnieTodger]

Hard to take when you've spent 98% of the last two seasons in top 4 and miss out on both occasions.

 

Thank goodness for Saturday.

[Fox92]

42 minutes ago, Rusko187 said:

Do you know what's really sad, I'm seeing tweets from Chelsea fans saying they'd prefer Top 4 over a cup.... what's football come to, when a trophy is deemed inferior to being 3rd or 4th in the league?!

 

For the record, before all of this, I was of the opinion that FA Cup winners should get the 4th place CL spot and 4th place actually is Europa spot.

Sky make me laugh. They've spent the last month against this European Football League and "we want fair competition". Tyler opened up the viewing last night with something along the lines of "£40m at stake for Leicester if they win today". He then, during the game, asked Smith if he'd rather finish top 4 or win the FA Cup to which Smith rightly said "it's about winning trophies". Tyler then laughed and said "I'm just trying to big up the FA Cup". Absoloute cvnt.

 

Sky are the problem all this started when they formed "The Premier League".

[fuchsntf]

2 hours ago, happy85 said:

Think yesterday game shows we are not ready for champions lge, let be honest we was out classed throughout the game 

Agee Like it or not, those top 4, do Play at a different level...their Triangles, 1-2s and movement 90 % precision,their Counter checking is top..

I would of liked to have seen us, how we would fair, without the decimation of our squad, Not One returnee has Comeback Really fit...

& Thats what One needs to even have a real chance...

 

sometimes in this forum, the hate & desperation, make many forget, who our competitors are, & how Good they are...!!

The odd periods they will slip...but not over the 38 game season...

 

[CosbehFox]

3 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Sky make me laugh. They've spent the last month against this European Football League and "we want fair competition". Tyler opened up the viewing last night with something along the lines of "£40m at stake for Leicester if they win today". He then, during the game, asked Smith if he'd rather finish top 4 or win the FA Cup to which Smith rightly said "it's about winning trophies". Tyler then laughed and said "I'm just trying to big up the FA Cup". Absoloute cvnt.

 

Sky are the problem all this started when they formed "The Premier League".

The only reason they objected to the ESL was their lack of inclusion - both TV broadcasters hated the idea of internet streaming and club specific channels as satellite subscriptions would quickly be deemed worthless. 

[North Leeds Fox]

We looked shattered last night and no doubt that the fans helped chelsea find that extra zip. Thought we could have made a couple more changes to the team as even if the subs aren't of the same standard, they are a lot fresher.

 

Still think there will be a slip up by Chelsea or Liverpool but shame if we did drop out after being in there all season. Regardless what happens around us, hope they just give it their all for one final 90 and beat spurs to finish off the season. Been a brilliant effort by all considering the schedule and be a real achievement to get across the line. 

[LCCFox96]

Should we beat Spurs, Liverpool dropping something at Turf Moor is probably our best chance. If they lose tonight, then Chelsea have Top 4 wrapped up meaning: 1) we only need a point to guarantee it. 2) Chelsea will hopefully be more comfortable vs Villa and hopefully more likely to drop something themselves.

 

Not holding my breathe though, and a real shame our fate could be out of our hands on the final day. A point last night would have been just the ticket - Perez's chance at the death was a glorious opportunity. One things for sure, we need to win our game and be the grateful recipient of a favour or too from elsewhere.

[Simoken]

On 16/04/2021 at 11:18, Simoken said:

Im no way a miserable negative nancy im very positive and optimisitic usually on here but i just think we have blew it. Last weeks performance to me i think will set up the remaining season for us and missing out on a final if we lose to an average Southampton will just be the last kick in the nuts. Truth is when pressure mounts on the top teams to finish in top4, they pull out performances it happened last season with Man Utd and i can see the same happening with Chelsea/Liverpool. I can see the table finishing like this. K thanks

 

1 -Man City

2 - Man Utd

3 - Liverpool

4 - Chelsea

Just gonna repost this from April lol.... starting to age well lol. fml

[BenTheFox]

I also thought I'd mention that if we're in the Europa League next season we will have a genuine chance of winning it. Now that would be special. 

[KFS]

22 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

I also thought I'd mention that if we're in the Europa League next season we will have a genuine chance of winning it. Now that would be special. 

This is the thing I keep going back to. That should really be a goal of ours. Even winning the conference would be the start of our European trophy set now we’ve won it all domestically.

 

Just have to get the community shield next  

[Paninistickers]

55 minutes ago, fuchsntf said:

Agee Like it or not, those top 4, do Play at a different level...their Triangles, 1-2s and movement 90 % precision,their Counter checking is top..

I would of liked to have seen us, how we would fair, without the decimation of our squad, Not One returnee has Comeback Really fit...

& Thats what One needs to even have a real chance...

 

sometimes in this forum, the hate & desperation, make many forget, who our competitors are, & how Good they are...!!

The odd periods they will slip...but not over the 38 game season...

 

Agree. 

 

Tbh, until these last two seasons, I never knew how difficult it is to be a top club. 

 

Players like de Bruyne being totally exhausted by club and Country. Juggling European football and then, three days later, having to visit a well rested, pumped up Leeds desperate for a scalp. And winning both. Reaching at least the semis each year of one, or both, of the domestic cups. 

 

You can't attain top 4 by a decent winning streak or two. Ask West Ham. An excellent season yet still miles off a CL place. It's relentless, week in week out of winning..Exhausting stuff. 

 

As sickening as it'll be to spend 72 of 74 weeks in the top 4, and the only two weeks out being the only two that count.....5th, Europa league and a good cup team is about right and where we are.

 

 

[Fox92]

30 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

I also thought I'd mention that if we're in the Europa League next season we will have a genuine chance of winning it. Now that would be special. 

A European Trophy would be lovely wouldn't it.

 

6 minutes ago, KFS said:

This is the thing I keep going back to. That should really be a goal of ours. Even winning the conference would be the start of our European trophy set now we’ve won it all domestically.

 

Just have to get the community shield next  

We've won the Community Shield, 1971. So full domestic set really. Just need a European tophy next!

Edited 19 May 2021 by Fox92

[Koke]

37 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

I also thought I'd mention that if we're in the Europa League next season we will have a genuine chance of winning it. Now that would be special. 

 

We had a genuine chance to get to the semis or final this season but went out with a whimper to a Czech racist institution.

[OhYesNdidi]

2 minutes ago, Koke said:

 

We had a genuine chance to get to the semis or final this season but went out with a whimper to a Czech racist institution.

Tbf, the squad look absolutely knackered! Going out was a blessing I’d say! Need a much stronger squad.

[StanSP]

1 hour ago, Rusko187 said:

It goes head to head if we cannot be separated by goal difference, doesn't it? As they beat us 3-0 at Anfield and we beat them 3-1 at KP, they'd pip us on the goal.

 

1 hour ago, Happy Fox said:

I thought it was first Goal difference than Goals Scored, If these are both the same then it’s head to head?

It's GD then goals scored, then H2H

[BenTheFox]

2 minutes ago, Koke said:

 

We had a genuine chance to get to the semis or final this season but went out with a whimper to a Czech racist institution.

I am fully aware of that. However, this time around we should hopefully have more players available, a less hectic schedule and the experience of winning a trophy. On paper at least we should be better than many other teams in the competition. 

[brucey]

The CL money would have been useful for a one off strengthening of the squad. Without it, I fear we'll struggle to balance a serious EL challenge with another top 6 league finish, unless we decide to exit the domestic cups early this time. I imagine the players would want to seriously attempt defending their FA cup at least. 

[OhYesNdidi]

Just now, brucey said:

The CL money would have been useful for a one off strengthening of the squad. Without it, I fear we'll struggle to balance a serious EL challenge with another top 6 league finish, unless we decide to exit the domestic cups early this time. I imagine the players would want to seriously attempt defending their FA cup at least. 

Probably should have been back to back champions league campaigns 

[Dan LCFC]

Lets be honest, we don't really deserve it. I think injuries have largely killed us, Justin and Barnes are two huge losses in hindsight, since we lost both we've been poor in a good three quarters of games we've played in, and I include even the FA Cup performances in that as well.

 

Yet again, if Iheanacho doesn't score, what threat is there? Vardy I think next season has to become more of a squad player, 100% someone you'll still use but he can't be starting every game playing like this. Perez needs moving on, he's totally out of his depth.

 

All in all it's just a bad set up, one I think injury has forced us into to an extent but I don't think we've really found the solution to it. If we qualify now it's pure luck of the others being worse, but I don't hold out much hope now and I don't think anybody can say we really deserve it now.

 

It's just such a blow for it to slip away this late again. It's ridiculous.

[Bazly]

4 point from 4 games isn't a strong run in especially since three were against the Man U juniors. We just don't have a deep enough squad to have three first choice players injured and a couple of others out of form following return from injury and one Perez. We need to add half a dozen additional first team players and that isn't going to happen in injuries and suspensions aren't going to deliver these crap end of season run ins. We were lucky with injuries in 2015/16 and had problems since.

[MGLCFC]

I remember where we were 13 years ago and if someone had told me by 2021 we would have won the league, the FA cup, CL quarter finalists, qualified for Europe 3 times and have 3 top 5 finishes, I'd have told them to stop taking the p1ss.

Personally, I think it's about building small steps and the EL offers us another chance to build. IMO the EL has been ideal this year as it has allowed squad players to play competitive matches, so that when they have been called upon, they have slotted in well. Yes, we all know the financial benefits of CL, but I'd rather see the squad develop, than be out of their depth next season and league form suffers. 

[HoChiMinhFOX]

I just hope if we do end up with Europa League again, we really give it a go and progress as far as possible. Saying that I still believe CL is on. So fingers crossed 🤞 but either way it's definitely a season we can look back on with great fondness and pride knowing how well we represented ourselves on and off the pitch.