We’re five points clear. We’re already on track.
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You’re too optimistic for an old git.
If we get 4 points from Chelsea/Arsenal and City win their games in hand we’d be level on points but we have the better goal difference.
I could live with that for now because the four league games after that are a bit easier on paper and we should have some important players back.
The thing that really pissed me off about the narrative on that game was that Arsenal could have been five nil up at half time. This was largely started by Alan Shearer.
However, three of those chances came in a single, ten second flurry in our box, and if any of them go in, then the others by definition can’t or haven’t. Shearer is perhaps is getting confused about the laws of football or causality, and is confused, like his namesake Partridge, shouting ‘It’s a goal! And another!’ on the commentary.
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We got knocked off track by Merson’s comment.
Wrong. If anything, it’s the opposite.
We could easily be 14 points clear- robbed of three points at Spurs, then the three penalties not awarded against Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal. Okay, there’s no guarantee that Mo would have converted all three spot kicks, but we weren’t even given the chance.
The refs (and Mo’s dodgy penalties) are the only thing keeping the title race close this season; they are doing so in order for City to pip us to the crown again.
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To me, and I know this isn’t an exact science, but 48 points and five clear feels about right for us this season. We had a few rough calls, but there have also been games where we have played poorly and ridden our luck. Other teams have had rough calls as well.
Your talking about our season record being WWWWWWWDWWDWDWWWWWWWW.
As incredible as that would be, I don’t we are quite that team yet.
It touches on another theme in football that always fascinated me. We all like to pretend that football is a discreet, unconnected series of events, rather than chaotic and unpredictable. We tend to assume that if we drew a game, but also had a stonewall goal ruled out, then that automatically robs us of a victory. Well not necessarily, as a change of outcome at one moment means everything else is different.
Let’s say Diaz’ goal is awarded at Spurs. Does that mean we win the game? We’re still a man down against a team in form. There is no guarantee it follows like that.
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They will be tough games but it’s Fulham next, the point I was making in response was it would be far from over but you feel we need to stay ahead of the pack.
We are starting to show in half’s of football at least a side that is at its best and this is with the injuries.
It’s helped certain players have come through like Jones and others have though been injured got a rest such as Dom and Maca.
A lot depends on fitness and refs but so far I’m pleased and some wins this season could prove vital.
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Note that the Spurs game did not just concern the disallowed goal: both of our red cards were debateable, to say the least.
And I haven’t included the Brighton game, where they could easily have had a player sent off and Gravenberch missed an open goal- that last incident is our own failure, but the rest were not.
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Spurs one is the one I will fully agree with cynical on as it was a complete farce.
Others I believe we were conned but games can change for example Arsenal.
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But if you say that we should still be 11 vs 11 then the odds change, and we could feasibly win the match. The Diaz goal isn’t the only injustice in the match.
I agree on the moments we “got away” with, but every challenging team has those. A great win followed by a mediocre struggle etc, its not confined to Liverpool.
City have a few moments over the last few seasons where they have stretched their luck as well.
I think winning a title is a mixture of consistency, brilliance and a dash of luck when needed most. The losing of that title migjt be down to days when everything else intervenes. Like the Spurs match.
Yeah but, the conclusion to this line of thinking is that we end up constructing an argument to blame the refs for why we aren’t P21 W21 D0 L0. 63pts. That way lies madness.
In every season, there will be the ability to point to decisions costing points, and the vast majority of teams will be in this position.
The two that really piss me off are the Spurs one (just because of the farcical nature) and the Arsenal one (again an egregious error in a key match).
The rest I don’t really recall, and I don’t really remember being outraged by penalty shouts in the Chelsea or United games.
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I do agree, and the Spurs game feels by far the most ‘we wuz robbed’ of any other result this season, and especially with the shadiness that surrounded the refereeing team around the fixture. We could be sitting two points behind City at the end of the season and feeling really bitter about that one.
But I also think that it starts to get a bit over the top when bad decisions in five or six other games are the reason why we’re not over the hill and far away.
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Agree with most that’s been said.
But even if things will be fair from now on (the won’t) it’s no guarantee that we will go on to win the league. We haven’t been that dominant and City seem to be back at their best.
I’m looking forward to some potential ‘milestones’
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6 points vs Chelsea/Arsenal (can not see it tbh) would make us first favorites. We’re still well behind City according to bookies.
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if we’re still ahead of City after playing them (match day 28 / first week of march) we’re definitely winning it imo.
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Similarly, 3 of their shots came in a sequence with about 10 minutes left in the 2nd half. Had any one of them been scored, that passage of play would have come to an end. We were perhaps fortunate not to concede a goal there, we would not have conceded two. Those two sequences account for their entire shot advantage.
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When will you learn?
THRIKA!!!
I think its nice that there has been a growth in complex tactical analytical coverage. It fills a hole, but it should only be a supplement to the more basic analysis because that is the level of analysis where the narrative comes from. For the Arsenal game you can explain that in the first half Arsenal were able to pressure us effectively which resulted in them getting a lot of possession in our half, but in the second half we found a way to get Trent on the ball in space more, and gave him better outlets to relieve Arsenal’s pressure. Ok, what does that actually mean? How did we do that. Sure, there is a tactical analysis to show the specific positions players took up that can explain it, but you dont need that to understand the dynamic.
The problem I think comes from doing the deep level tactical thing without summarizing what means to that simple take home message. And also from people who just borrow the language of the deep tactical discussions when giving superficial descriptions who then end up saying lots without saying anything.
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We are going well, the press is kicking up a notch, the mentality is growing again, the defence is solid and there are goals in the team. We have had some bad luck - more than most, and we have also managed injuries and missing players while integrating a new midfield.
And here we are, top of the league, with hopefully more improvement to come.
I would make Man City favorites, but there is so much football to be played I wouldn’t really be thinking about titles or anything yet. It feels as though we are ahead of schedule, and as such, it is a welcome surprise. One game at a time and all that.
So it’s Fulham in the cup today, not even the Premier League. It will be a tough game, not the training session Chelsea enjoyed against Boro.
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Anecdotal, but was in the city today looking for a Liverpool shirt for a nephew and couldn’t find one anywhere. Lots of Man U stuff etc, but LFC sold out.
Sign of our success I think.
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Noticed this with the calendars.
More of ours this year left but I feel it’s down to demand the last couple of Christmases and you couldn’t get one online post Christmas.
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