Gap to European qualification spots.

[Insidious]

jr81 has been updating the injury/suspension thread with a view to keeping an eye on how many matches are missed by individual players.

In a similar train of thought, I want to keep a tab on our distance from the Champion's League and Europa League spots.

Not doing so to say "we can still make 4th" or to spark debate/analysis particularly. For what little it's worth, we're in a rut right now and whilst I do think we will escape it to some extent later in the season, I think it will be a "too little, too late" job.

Week on week the distance will fluctuate - a 7-point gap can become a 10-point gap or a 4-point gap over the span of one set of fixtures and I just want to keep tabs on how much ground we claw back or how badly we descend by updating intermittently. It'll save me that awkward crap with typing in custom dates to the Premier League historical table.

Currently 10 points off the Champion's League spots after 18 games played (ouch!!!) which is a 4-game swing.

Currently 5 points off the Europa League spot, which is a 2-game swing.

[Kev0909]

"Gap to european qualification"

Recent seasons "gap to 1st 1-3 pts"

fucking depressing

[jozza800]

If we still have any ambition of finishing in the top 4, it's going to take an enormous turnaround from ourselves. I fancy the sides aboves all dropping enough points. I just cant see us getting out of the current malaise.

We're likely to need 42 points to be there or there abouts in our remaining 20 games. 13W 3D 4L

It's certainly doable, as we saw a few years ago. I just cant see it this year.

If we end up in this stupid Conference thing, I would just treat it as an out and out youth competition.

[jr81]

In the last 10 league games, man City have taken 1 point more than us. They got 19points to our 18points. It shows how inconsistent both of us have been this season. If we can a little bit of consistency going then we will creep up the table.

Saying that, I have fully accepted that we won't get top 4 this season.

[dicko1969]

19 points from top , nearly half way through the season.
If we carry on this way 56points for the season.
That's really awful.
Challenge for the title , that's what we thought.
City / Liverpool, the rest far behind.

Lucky to get top 10 let alone top 4.

Nothing impossible, but so far what we have seen in the league is inconsistencies, and now awful performances.

[miller0863]

Did you though dicko? Did you think that Really?? With no midfield recruitment I really could see anything but a slog to try and finish in the top four.

[Creator Supremes]

Stunning Palace free kick in the 90th mi ute pulls back a draw for them at home to Utd. Casemiro booked means he misses their trip to Arsenal. Then he let the ball get past him from a corner when stood inches from the goal line that would've won it😄
Slim chance maybe but any of the current top 4 dropping points can give us a bit of hope.

[Insidious]

That may well prove to be what happens dicko - hard to say. Klopp's last season with Dortmund was a tale of two halves and 20/21 was a tale of an awful middle third (6 losses in a row) but we have no idea what will transpire in the remaining 20 League games.

I was looking at it earlier and thinking in terms of two sets of 10 games. To claw back a 10-point gap behind then we need to claw back 5 points in each 10-game set and realistically an extra point in one of them, or goal difference.

The situation can change quickly. Man United played Crystal Palace tonight. Got a draw due to a 91st-minute Palace goal. That could put them 11 points ahead of us after 19 games (if we lose to Chelsea) but could also put them 8 points ahead of us if we beat Chelsea - meaning we would have clawed back 2 points over a single set of fixtures.

Champion's League qualification "races" are generally full of plot twists so while we are still massive outsiders, it's worth keeping an eye on. We'll be praying to the football Gods for a win against Chelsea and for Man United to lose to Arsenal - and so on and so forth.

The picture will constantly change, for better or worse.

[dicko1969]

Mills & Sid
Probably not , the charity shield was a surprise.
Pre-season was awful.
No momentum.
No synergy.
Preseason was amateur.
Almost like a pub team getting together after 2 weeks on the piss in magaluf.
You could see everything was wrong.

I remember Preseason 2019/20
Matip and vvd had a proper Preseason.
And that season we were awesome.

Last summer Liverpool desperately needed 1 or 2 new midfielders.
Neither keita or Oxlade were sold (understandably because no one in their right mind are going to pay a transfer fee as well as £120k a week)

So Liverpool were stuck with 10 midfielders, but non at the level for a top 6 club starting XI.

I'd doubt any of the other top 6 would want any of Liverpool midfielders in their starting line up.

Ok it was never flamboyant.
Fab Hendo Gini .
Workers, grafters, running , pressing.

Now the dynamics are very different.
Like been said Thiago is an amazing midfielder , a harleem globetrotter type.

Last season was amazing , nearly 4 trophies, instead 2.

But the midfield, we could all see it wasn't right.
Everyone saw it , even the African/ Asian knee jerkers , "bro" we need midfielders now Where's the £120m for jude ?

[Steveo]

Correct.