IT is fully expected that the majority of people with disagree with this article just from reading the title, however, let us share in some much needed optimism.
When Liverpool FC went down 2-0 at home to West Brom last Monday the majority of fans believe that the ambitious challenge for a top four place was over, and probably rightly so.
Liverpool’s season seemed to come to an end all in the same week by following up the West Brom defeat with a 2-0 loss away to Zenit St. Petersburg in the Europa League – which ultimately, cost the club further progression in the competition.
The Reds bounced back emphatically with a 5-0 win over Swansea at the weekend, albeit against a Swans side full of second-string players. The performance was excellent, however, and the 35 shots the team mustered up broke a Premier League record.
Now, I hear you ask, where is the proof that optimism is necessary in a potential late challenge for the top four? Well, for those of you that have studied not only Liverpool’s remaining fixtures but also the fixtures of those in the hunt for the final Champions League places shows us that there is more to play for than what meets the eye.
Tottenham Hotspur, who currently hold the much coveted fourth place, find themselves in a commanding position – four points ahead of North London rivals Arsenal who are in fifth. However, despite their recent form, Spurs still have some tough games ahead between now and May.
Villas-Boas’ team still have to negotiate fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton (home) as well as Liverpool and Chelsea (away). Not forgetting that trips to Swansea and Stoke, two solid Premier League teams, also await the North Londoners.
With those fixtures in mind, there is potential for a fair few points to be dropped by Spurs and we will just have to wait and see how AVB and his squad handle a tough finish.
Arsenal have a slightly easier run-in than Spurs but still have to face a North London derby away to their neighbours as well as tough home fixtures against Everton and Manchester United.
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Trips to Swansea, West Brom, Fulham and Newcastle won’t prove easy for Arsene Wenger’s men as, similarly to Liverpool, they are renowned for picking up disappointing defeats at any moment. Wenger is also under pressure from the fans and may find it hard to inspire his players following their FA Cup exit to Blackburn Rovers and first-leg loss to Bayern Munich during the same week.
Moving on to our lovely neighbours Everton, who usually finish the season strongly but with a potential trip to Wembley in mind, could find themselves slipping up in the league with some tricky fixtures ahead.
The Blues still have to entertain Manchester City at Goodison Park as well as unsavoury trips to Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and, of course, Anfield to face Liverpool in the end of season Merseyside derby.
For me, Everton are going to struggle to pick up points in their remaining twelve games, especially with whispers that David Moyes could leave the club when his contract runs out in the summer.
Now for the most important fixture list – Liverpool FC’s. The Reds are still to play some top sides including Chelsea, Spurs and Everton, however, all three of those fixtures take place at Anfield and, with Brendan Rodgers’ boys picking up four wins out of their last five at home and scoring 17 goals in the process, Liverpool’s home form is coming good at the right time and the squad will not be daunted by opposition that they will believe they can beat.
As well as those three sides, Liverpool also face West Ham and QPR at Anfield in two games that should see us win, however, both matches should be approached with complete concentration and determination to succeed as our tendency to lose games that should be won is far too frequent.
As for our travels, Liverpool only face trips to teams in the bottom half of the table. Games against Wigan, Aston Villa, Southampton, Reading, Newcastle and Fulham await the Reds and, although usually the opposite, Rodgers and his team have performed well against those in the lower half of the league as opposed to the top half.
As you can see, Liverpool have some very winnable games ahead and the teams around them are in danger of losing points. For me, if the Reds are serious about challenging for the top four, they need to pick up at least 29 points from the 33 that are available to us. That equates to nine wins and two draws. I strongly believe that one more defeat in any of our remaining fixtures ends any hope of a late challenge and restricts us to a top six finish at best.
Whether or not you find this article interesting or just completely farcical is entirely up to you, nevertheless, the full support of the players and staff is essential if Liverpool are to make a late push for a top four place and finish the season with a flourish.
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Anything is still possible! Give me your slant on the rest of the season instead of the boring and negative realists!
ok , stick your head in the clouds and pretend everything is great . Avoid reality
The team is improving all the time but some don’t want to see it or want to see Rodgers fail! You remember “Hope in your heart! Reality? Reality is for the new boring fan who go to watch matches so they can moan and groan! Glad
Anfield wasn’t full of realists on Thursday! They all had hope right up to the final whistle:-) YNWA
daydreamers like you make my laugh . Reality or stupidity ? You choose stupidity . ha ha ha – go play with the fairies
Another dope who doesn’t like reality . Lets all run around like fools chanting “we are the best in the world” hooray . Everything someone like you opens their mouth they don’t sound ‘positive’ -they just sound mental
I was at Anfield on thursday , i sang , i cheered … but i am a realist and so are all my mates who were there
Yeah, we would be celebrating victory too, if Rodgers did’nt meddle with the side at 3-3.
you know what though yeah if we won all our remaining games, but form this season dictates we will throw away some points, so from that view we have no chance, ohhh we may bemoan Suarez ‘offside goal against everton. gerrards peno miss at west brom, chucking wins against city and arsenal away. Oh well all i really want to see is the side jelling for the next 11 games, then a full summer and pre season then a good start to next year.. plus i hope we dont get into europe at all gives us a better chance of the real one people want to be in next season…
don’t talk *, liverpool have has much chance of finishing fourth than city does of winning the title, hang on i just saw someone walking on water
Would that be the City that were 7 points behind Man U last season with about 3 games left but won the title with the last kick of the season? Things like that don’t happen in football do they? City players should have given up with in the last 3 games and faced up to reality that Man U had won the title never mind they have 11 games left of this season to try and do it again.
Stop talking nonsense . Liverpool is a team that havent won three games in a row ALL season , or beaten 1 team above them
Maybe we should try and get re-instated in Europa league and go on and win that too
…. sheeesh , some people !
This is why Liverpool fans are growing a rep for being dreamers and delusionists
We have now won 3 games on the trot, beat a top 4 side and gone above Everton!!!! Yes I am delusional or no it has happened!!!!!!!
LOL . Top 4 ?? come on guys set your sights higher , Rodgers is the best manager in the world . We can WIN the premier league , its still mathematically possible
So you think we’ll beat the magpies away? Based on what?
Possible, but not probable and there in lies the problem.
based on our club being head and shoulders above yours in every concievable way
They’re not my club, and that’s not how you spell conceivable, idiot! I’ve seen some progress this season but nothing to say we’ll beat the magpies away
Farcical!
How can Arsenal lose to Spurs and Spurs lose to Arsenal
And Everton lose to Arsenal and Arsenal lose to Everton??
Shame that these are the only intelligent remarks throughout the entire article and comments on. Can we get Murph writing some articles?
I could see Arsenal losing to Everton
So the Bradford fans were mental yesterday living with the fairies were they? Swansea fans as well in their first major final? What has intelligence got to do with wanting your football team to win? To much rubbish is written about intelligence in football at the moment which is killing the atmosphere at games in all football stadiums in Britain fans want to enjoy themselves not feel embarrassed by the new boring realist fans that fill stadiums now more concerned about their half time pie and getting home early! Take it wanting our team to do well for the rest of the season is a sin then? Might has well tell the Liverpool players to go on their holidays now according to you then and refund all the season ticket holders because strange things don’t happen in football do they??????
I want to win the lottery . Does that mean I should start spending the money now ? Reality tells me I’m not going to win it . Kop on kid .your are acting like a 8 year old who still believes in santa
That really is an illogical insane point of view j75j . Nice sentiment but …insane
They draw.
Lets be honest . We haven’t beaten one half decent team under Rodgers . So even looking at 4th is just being silly
Yep! the blokes out of his depth.
“need to pick up at least 29 points from the 33”
Even Chelsea and two Mans have trouble achieving that. Wake up and face the reality.
Sack BR now. I believe FSG can appoint S. Gerrard or J. Carragher as player-manager until the end of session. Either one is WAY better than BR.
The Defeat to West Brom, and the 4 points dropped against City and Arsenal cost us. If we had the extra 7 points in the bank then i’d fancy our chances looking at the run in… but back in the real world its just not going to happen
Gutted
And Villa game. ‘if’ we had just beaten villa and west Brom those 6 points would’ve still left us with a chance.
if if if if if if if … if my aunt had balls she would be my uncle
Rodgers will probably just be delighted to reach 40 points and be safe from relegation . Average managers think like that .:|
The question is consistency!!
Yo 2-0 up against Arsenal and you concede late goals to lose 2 points, yo 2-1 up against Man City and ur keeper is lost in dreamland. You play one game superbly, and the next you lose to Villa 3-0 at Anfield.
Dreaming is no bad but I only foresee a top ten finish, as has been the case in recent years.
we must only hope and pray 4 dis miracle to happen buh rememba with God all things are possible.This can only happen with consistency and also giving players lyk assaidi,suso and coutinho much playin tym and dropping players lyk allen,sterling and shelvey to help strengthen our teamwork.One important thing is 4 rodgers to be tactically disciplined same applies to the players.
Robbie doesn’t play for us anymore so all things aren’t possible.
Won’t happen,we blew our chances against west brom.here’s hoping!!
In life you get the “glass half full” and the “glass half empty” types. LFC seems to have a lot of the latter type fans. Come on Reds, there is nothing wrong with being positive. If results go our way, there’s no reason why we can’t do it!
There are no glasses you dope. There is being realistic or there is living in cloud cuckoo land .if you don’t want to be realistic then fine run around and pretend we will be top 4 this season….and next season win the league ,and then dominate Europe for the next 10 year’s…. Hell , why stop there ? We will dominate for the next 50 years ! Happy now ?
Pls,downing shouldn’t ply let’s use coutinho 4rm left wing.lfc coach shld use his brain
My Gran should play instead of Downing..and she’s dead!
Fans have a part to play too. Negativity in the stands means a quiet anxious playing environment. Let’s make Anfield a fortress and Beleive . Next year I think well do very well . Luis will stay one more year Stuttgart will be even better add two quality players and you can be ptimistic
True . But fans won’t unite behind Rodgers . Most don’t trust him and think he is useless .we need a top manager we can all unite and get behind . Atmosphere will never be great with Rodgers as boss
So what happened last Thursday then? Did the real fans get tickets to the Zenith game then?
They got behind the team yes to try and raise the team . But most fans are not behind Rodgers and it does show in the atmosphere in the games I’ve been
Did we win on thursday ?
Give Rogers a chance. One season is not enough, give him another season and see what happens. Fourth is still mathematically possible, but its going to be tough. We need to win matches against those on top of us.
Did you want hodgson to have more time ?
It’s not Genetically Modified Football, if at all there is anything like that. Even Man City tried to fast track things but it does work like that. If a baby takes 9 months in its mother’s womb why do you think building a team should take less? Be patient.
Stop talking foolish nonsense . u sound mad
hey , while your fantasizin … its still possible to win the league !
Can’t wait for the day when all this bitching is over … It’s getting boring . Rodgers will achieve nothing if he stays , all he has accomplished this season is to divide the fans and give us our worst season in 60 years