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Could we finish in the top half of the table?!


SaintJackoInHurworth

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OK... don't take this too seriously but...

 

If we win every one of our remaining games we would have 51 points. Every team from seventh place down has achieved an average of less than one and a half points per game. On that basis winning every game would most likely find us finishing in at least 11th place and possibly higher! :)

 

If the teams already in the top half of the table keep up their form from the rest of the season we wouldn't catch them and looking at their fixtures it would be quite unlikely (quite aside from the unlikelihood of us winning every match!) but for those that like to look at these things, here are the remaining fixtures of those currently placed between 7th and 10th:

 

Watford: Arsenal (H), Huddersfield (A), Saints (H), Wolves (H), Chelsea (A), West Ham (H)

Everton: Man Utd (H), C.Palace (A), Burnley (H), Spurs (A)

Wolves: Brighton (H), Arsenal (H), Watford (A), Fulham (H), Liverpool (A)

Leicester: West Ham (A), Arsenal (H), Man City (A), Chelsea (H)

 

If we were to catch any of those it would most likely be either Everton or Leicester and their superior goaldifference would also add an extra obstacle!!

 

On a more serious note, how high can we finish? Personally I think we could possibly finish as high as thirteenth and would love it if we could finish above Bournemouth!

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One more win and players will be on the beach.

 

I'll be glad to be mathematically safe. Then fingers crossed for a positive summer rebuild

 

To be fair, the team has a target of 40 points. When (if) they reach that, of course they'll down tools. Either that or they'll destroy Huddersfield on the last day 8-0 ... Saints are weird, always have been. Love them.

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Anything is possible under Ralph in my opinion. I think we could even target finishing somewhere between 9th-12th. We have to play some of the teams directly above us too. The higher we finish up the more PL prize money to add to the summer transfer budget.

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To be fair, the team has a target of 40 points. When (if) they reach that, of course they'll down tools. Either that or they'll destroy Huddersfield on the last day 8-0 ... Saints are weird, always have been. Love them.

 

I can't see Ralph accepting a 'down tools' approach in any shape or form!

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Personally I think we could possibly finish as high as thirteenth and would love it if we could finish above Bournemouth!

 

That's certainly achievable. We're currently 5 points behind them but with a game in hand and they have to come to St Mary's. Win both of those and we are above them!

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Looking at the table only the top 6 have a decent positive goal difference in at least double figures. 2 others have a 1 and 2 positive GD I think this shows what an unequal league this is and for most teams avoiding relegation is the only realistic goal.

 

I do think it will be more interesting next season with the top six, Chelsea maybe losing their best players, Liverpool's players will be coveted by bigger clubs than them, Spurs adapting to a new stadium potentially without Poch, United finding their feet under Solskjaer maybe without Rashford and Pogba, depending on the outs, the top 6 could shrink next season and you may find one or two of them in with the common crowd! We can hope.

 

I have Saints finishing 14th this season, I stick by that for now.

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I do think it will be more interesting next season with the top six, Chelsea maybe losing their best players, Liverpool's players will be coveted by bigger clubs than them, Spurs adapting to a new stadium potentially without Poch, United finding their feet under Solskjaer maybe without Rashford and Pogba, depending on the outs, the top 6 could shrink next season and you may find one or two of them in with the common crowd! We can hope.

 

I have Saints finishing 14th this season, I stick by that for now.

 

IF Chelsea lose Hazard, which is looking likely, then I'd probably nominate them as the most likely of the big 6 to potentially have a bad season. He has 16 goals and 12 assists this year, pretty much half all the goals scored are down to Hazard. Realistically they are not going to replace him, no player that level is going to go to them and Abramovich seems to be spending less of the cash as well. I doubt Pulisic will step up considering he's not exactly a first teamer at Dortmund.

 

Man Utds a maybe but they can realistically go out and spend like £250 million if they want, even if they lose Pogba and Rashford.

 

I doubt many will leave pool, maybe VVD if one of Real or Barca came knocking, he might throw a wobbly but if they win the league or just miss out can't see them leaving.

 

Hard for any team to close that gap I reckon, we'd need to have to an exceptional season and one of them to have a bad one. But I reckon we are probably as likely as anyone else based on our performances under Ralph, a young improving team, a full pre-season of Ralf working on them as well, and hopefully some key signings, who knows?

 

I think this season getting ahead of Bournemouth, Palace, Burnley and Newcastle would be a decent achievement, looking at our fixtures they are all winnable so its possible, it would be great to look at the season and end up comfortably clear of the bottom 3.

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I do think it will be more interesting next season with the top six, Chelsea maybe losing their best players, Liverpool's players will be coveted by bigger clubs than them, Spurs adapting to a new stadium potentially without Poch, United finding their feet under Solskjaer maybe without Rashford and Pogba, depending on the outs, the top 6 could shrink next season and you may find one or two of them in with the common crowd! We can hope.

 

I have Saints finishing 14th this season, I stick by that for now.

 

For me, every season it's Arsenal that look like they have the ability to "implode" and have (by top 6 standards) a terrible season. And every year they have a few games to give me hope it's happening but always seem to recover and finish the season strongly. Maybe next year could be the year.

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I think I would rather go for an under the radar finish. Anything too spectacular, and we will have other clubs sniffing around Ralph.........

Not that soon. But what I would be worried about, if we finish strongly, is that Gao would think our squad was strong enough without having to spend a penny in the summer.

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Gao would think our squad was strong enough

 

Depending on what you mean by "strong enough" then Goa may well be correct coming to that conclusion...

 

Under Hassenhuttl, we are currently 'strong enough' for 7th or 8th.

 

Yes, I know that clubs have to improve the squad to even stand still these days, but the bottom line is that we're not a million miles away from being 'strong enough' to reach the premier league glass ceiling as things stand.

 

(That doesn't mean that I don't want us to improve the quality of the squad during the transfer window btw)

Edited by trousers
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Hasn't Ralph already said that he is expecting new players in?

He said that in January as well.

 

Depending on what you mean by "strong enough" then Goa may well be correct coming to that conclusion...

 

Under Hassenhuttl, we are currently 'strong enough' for 7th or 8th.

 

Yes, I know that clubs have to improve the squad to even stand still these days, but the bottom line is that we're not a million miles away from being 'strong enough' to reach the premier league glass ceiling as things stand.

 

(That doesn't mean that I don't want us to improve the quality of the squad during the transfer window btw)

What about injuries/suspensions? We are desperately short up front (and have been for years), and also at RB. If (when) Ings gets injured again we are relying on Long, Austin and kids. We got away with it for the last couple of months, but it would be insane to do this for the whole season.

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