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Post by gonzonev on Mar 2, 2015 11:35:43 GMT
After 27 games last season we were 12 points behind southampton and ended the season 6 points behind. We are currently 7 points behind so it could be close. The losing finalist in the league cup dose NOT qualify for the Europa not matter what happens elsewhere.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Mar 2, 2015 11:36:47 GMT
I think we need the FA Cup final to be contested by clubs who would qualify for Europe by virtue of their League position and then 7th place would qualify for the Europa League. I'm not 100% sure that is the position but I think it is. Tottenham will qualify for Europa League next season as runners up in the League Cup, unless Chelsea drop out of top four, which just isn't going to happen, barring freak results. That leaves one place left for FA Cup winners. If the table finishes as it stands now, the losing semi finalist will get into Europa League. So one from either Villa, WBA, Bradford or Reading. Unless I am missing something, 7th place wont come into play. I thought they had changed the rule this season so that the League Cup runner up no longer qualifies? I may be wrong though - that may be the case next season. In any case even if the runners up did still qualify, 7th would still be a qualifying place for the Europa if Spurs also qualified for Europe by League position.
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Post by onlyonesirstan on Mar 2, 2015 11:41:26 GMT
After 27 games last season we were 12 points behind southampton and ended the season 6 points behind. We are currently 7 points behind so it could be close. The losing finalist in the league cup dose NOT qualify for the Europa not matter what happens elsewhere. My apologies, and you are right. Tottenham do not qualify for Europa league as losing finalists.
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Post by jimmygscfc on Mar 2, 2015 11:44:11 GMT
I personally think 8th would be absolutely fantastic but we need Swansea to start dropping points and for West Ham to keep up with their poor form.
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Post by davejohnno1 on Mar 2, 2015 13:03:30 GMT
I personally think 8th would be absolutely fantastic but we need Swansea to start dropping points and for West Ham to keep up with their poor form. Swansea will drop points. They aren't a very good side. My little lad said they were awful at Burnley on Saturday, even in victory, and scored from one of only two shots at goal. He may be 7, but he knows his stuff. As for us, I get the feeling that I am on my own about being really excited about this end of season run in. If we finished 7th, we have effectively won the league. It might not win us a trophy or even a Europa league spot, but either way, it would be a phenomenal achievement, even without injuries. With the injury list we've endured, it would be unbelievable. We are 7 points behind Southampton and they still have to come to the Brit. 7th spot is well and truly on. Our players will need all the help they can get but if we could somehow muster the spirit and atmosphere of our first season in the Premier League, where every game was an occasion, I feel that it is very "do-able". The season is alive and kicking and we are on the cusp of a real achievement. Can we be "the best of the rest". For a club such as ours, that is probably the very best we could hope for in the modern era of Premiership football. Can't wait for Wednesday.
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Post by stokiemarc on Mar 2, 2015 13:39:39 GMT
Spurs and Southampton have still got to come to the Brit, could be a couple of 6 pointer a, it's a long shot but we are only 7 points from Southampton in 6th so that could easily be cut down as they have hit a bit of bad form. It's going to be an exciting end to the season that's for sure.
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Post by miggo on Mar 2, 2015 19:44:34 GMT
Very interesting run in and it will depend on how the games against each other go, but I fancy our run in than that of those around us.
Southampton:
Palace (H) Chelsea (A) Burnley (H) Everton (A) Hull (H) STOKE (A) Spurs (H) Sunderland (A) Leicester (A) Villa (H) Man City (A)
West Ham:
Chelsea (H) Arsenal (A) Sunderland (H) Leicester (A) STOKE (A) Man City (A) QPR (A) Burnley (H) Villa (A) Everton (H) Newcastle (A)
Swansea:
Spurs (A) Liverpool (H) Villa (A ) Hull (H) Everton (H) Leicester (A) Newcastle (A) STOKE (H) Arsenal (A) Man City (H) Palace (A)
Stoke:
Everton (H) West Brom (A) Palace (H) Chelsea (A) West Ham (A) Southampton (H) Sunderland (H) Swansea (A) Spurs (H) Burnley (A) Liverpool (H)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2015 19:50:43 GMT
Dont forget -this seasons already over, in the eyes of some of our unique and fantastic support (wink)
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Post by march4 on Mar 2, 2015 19:57:38 GMT
Haven't Palace just won the last 5 away games.
That's a tough game for us for starters.
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Post by miggo on Mar 2, 2015 21:02:33 GMT
Haven't Palace just won the last 5 away games. That's a tough game for us for starters. They are in very good form as are we, hopefully a couple of good results against Everton and West Brazil will see us keep up the confidence going into that one but all 3 of these games are dangerous for different reasons as is every game at this stage of the season.
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Post by Davef on Mar 2, 2015 21:06:50 GMT
Haven't Palace just won the last 5 away games. That's a tough game for us for starters. They're the kind of runs I like. It's when teams come here with five defeats on the trot that I start to worry. It's also why I'm not confident about the trip to West Brom after five straight wins there, regardless of who their manager is.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2015 10:48:00 GMT
I think we need the FA Cup final to be contested by clubs who would qualify for Europe by virtue of their League position and then 7th place would qualify for the Europa League. I'm not 100% sure that is the position but I think it is. Tottenham will qualify for Europa League next season as runners up in the League Cup, unless Chelsea drop out of top four, which just isn't going to happen, barring freak results. That leaves one place left for FA Cup winners. If the table finishes as it stands now, the losing semi finalist will get into Europa League. So one from either Villa, WBA, Bradford or Reading. Unless I am missing something, 7th place wont come into play. No they don't, League cup runners up get no automatic spot, FA cup does, obviously, but if Lge cup winners already in Europe the place goes to 6th. And if FA Cup winners and losers both already in Europe then that place goes to 7th. So we really want a Liverpool v Manure or Arse final.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2015 10:49:49 GMT
I think we need the FA Cup final to be contested by clubs who would qualify for Europe by virtue of their League position and then 7th place would qualify for the Europa League. I'm not 100% sure that is the position but I think it is. Tottenham will qualify for Europa League next season as runners up in the League Cup, unless Chelsea drop out of top four, which just isn't going to happen, barring freak results. That leaves one place left for FA Cup winners. If the table finishes as it stands now, the losing semi finalist will get into Europa League. So one from either Villa, WBA, Bradford or Reading. Unless I am missing something, 7th place wont come into play. Wrong...semi finalists get absolutely zero consideration...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2015 11:09:35 GMT
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Post by sage on Mar 3, 2015 11:41:15 GMT
7th would be an incredible achievement and very unlikely, but if Southampton become completely demoralised now it looks like their recent string of bad results have put top 4 beyond them, we will have a real chance. They're the only team in the top 7 we could realistically hope to catch (though I'd love a spectacular collapse from the Shit...) and if they lose to Palace tonight, and if we can then win at home to Everton - there'd be 4 points between us and 7th (assuming Spurs beat Swansea, which would also be a boost for us) and we'd be in the best form out of us, Soton, Swansea and West Ham. Then we might start to dream a little bit. Tonight & tomorrow's games are going to be big in deciding whether the race for 7th is truly on or not. MH is saying all the right things in his pressers - hopefully we can find a little more drive and motivation for the final stretch than the teams around us. West Ham look like they're already thinking about the summer hols, and if Southampton fall completely out of the CL race they'll probably lose their drive too. That last European spot is within reach for us, if we can show 100% desire to grab it.
I don't care what anyone else says about the EL, I would absolutely love another European adventure.
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Post by FullerMagic on Mar 3, 2015 14:47:20 GMT
MH: We are still trying to improve on last year's total. We weren't anticipating we could challenge for Europe but when you get to this stage of the season and you get on a decent run, which we are at the moment, you never know...
MH: Maybe teams who have started brightly will fall back. Southampton are a little bit ahead of us but are not playing as well as at the start of the season. Maybe West Ham too. If these teams slip up then we have to be ready... but European football wasn't something we talked about this season.
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Mar 3, 2015 17:25:30 GMT
I think our run in is tough. Of the 3 games against the teams around us two are away and the home game is against a Saints side who have breezed past us twice already this season, albeit both sides seem transformed since then. 3 games against top 6 teams, two upcoming games against Palace and WBA who are very much in form and a visit to Burnley on what might be a do or die game.
Not saying we're going to go on a big losing streak but I find it likely that our current 2 points per game form is going to drop much closer to 1 given the injuries we have.
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Post by davejohnno1 on Mar 3, 2015 17:56:07 GMT
MH: We are still trying to improve on last year's total. We weren't anticipating we could challenge for Europe but when you get to this stage of the season and you get on a decent run, which we are at the moment, you never know...
MH: Maybe teams who have started brightly will fall back. Southampton are a little bit ahead of us but are not playing as well as at the start of the season. Maybe West Ham too. If these teams slip up then we have to be ready... but European football wasn't something we talked about this season.
Mark Hughes is awesome
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Mar 3, 2015 17:57:48 GMT
I think our run in is tough. Of the 3 games against the teams around us two are away and the home game is against a Saints side who have breezed past us twice already this season, albeit both sides seem transformed since then. 3 games against top 6 teams, two upcoming games against Palace and WBA who are very much in form and a visit to Burnley on what might be a do or die game. Not saying we're going to go on a big losing streak but I find it likely that our current 2 points per game form is going to drop much closer to 1 given the injuries we have. Looking at the run ins, I reckon ours is easier than most. I wouldn't say Southampton breezed past us in the Cup game. We were abysmal in the first half which we lost 2-0. Played well in the second half to even the scores and looked likely winners until Crouch had a rush of blood to the head and got himself sent off - AND Southampton don't look in such good form as they were at the time that cup game was played. West ham and Swansea both look vulnerable as well. The odds will be against us but I'd say a bookie might make us close second favourites after Southampton to get 7th.
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Mar 3, 2015 18:25:36 GMT
I think our run in is tough. Of the 3 games against the teams around us two are away and the home game is against a Saints side who have breezed past us twice already this season, albeit both sides seem transformed since then. 3 games against top 6 teams, two upcoming games against Palace and WBA who are very much in form and a visit to Burnley on what might be a do or die game. Not saying we're going to go on a big losing streak but I find it likely that our current 2 points per game form is going to drop much closer to 1 given the injuries we have. Looking at the run ins, I reckon ours is easier than most. I wouldn't say Southampton breezed past us in the Cup game. We were abysmal in the first half which we lost 2-0. Played well in the second half to even the scores and looked likely winners until Crouch had a rush of blood to the head and got himself sent off - AND Southampton don't look in such good form as they were at the time that cup game was played. West ham and Swansea both look vulnerable as well. The odds will be against us but I'd say a bookie might make us close second favourites after Southampton to get 7th. Yeah fair comment.
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Post by mrcoke on Mar 3, 2015 18:38:08 GMT
IMO Everton are above the relegation fight which is between the 6 teams below them. How Stoke will finish up will not only depend on their own performances*, but also how the 6 relegation teams perform. Most of Stokes peer group (Swansea excluded) have to play quite a few games against the teams in trouble, whereas Stoke only have a couple of games. (* particularly at home to Liverpool, Southampton, & Spurs.)
If the relegation threatened sides capitulate and go out with a whimper that will not help Stoke. I suspect Leicester do not have a lot of fight in them. Conversely if the relegation threatened sides, show some character and produce a rush of form (like Wigan and Sunderland have done in the past) then they could cause quite a few upsets a deny significant points to the likes of Southampton, Spurs, & WHU, who all have to play 5 matches against relegation threatened sides.
At the end of the day the only thing Stoke can control is their own performances. We don't expect miracles like winning at Chelsea but we do want them to put in winning performances against teams lower in the table even if they don't always collect all 3 points.
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