These next few months...thinking with a clear mind at last.

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

This was not me saying oh yeah we can finish in the Champions league easy deffo, it's me saying there is still a lot to play for, including a Europa League 5th place finish, which we are 2 points off now and would involve us denying Liverpool and Arteta's Arsenal of European football, it's not time to throw the towel in and put the kids on is it? It's time to see big performances from Fellaini and Bainaar and a return to form for Jelavic and give us something to shout about and add a new dimension to next season.

The current momentum is downwards, morale will have been smashed by last week, this combined with general poor team form, the managers situation, Fellaini showing all the signs of man who's 'done' at the club, our main striker not being able to hit a barn door, is a toxic mix, that imo will lead to a really poor seasons end.

 

[LTblue]

The current momentum is downwards, morale will have been smashed by last week, this combined with general poor team form, the managers situation, Fellaini showing all the signs of man who's 'done' at the club, our main striker not being able to hit a barn door, is a toxic mix, that imo will lead to a really poor seasons end.

I don't believe there could be a better game this weekend than one against the current Premier League champions at home for this reason, a big motivation is there already to beat one of the best teams in the country with your home crowd behind you, our last league game was a victory don't forget and if Moyes is at all worth his salt he will have these players fired up massively to give a big big performance. I have been right in the past about these things, I have also been wrong, here's hoping for the latter.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

I don't believe there could be a better game this weekend than one against the current Premier League champions at home for this reason, a big motivation is there already to beat one of the best teams in the country with your home crowd behind you, our last league game was a victory don't forget and if Moyes is at all worth his salt he will have these players fired up massively to give a big big performance. I have been right in the past about these things, I have also been wrong, here's hoping for the latter.

Love the optimism mate, but I just can't see anything other than an away win & an horrendous atmosphere on Saturday. I hope I'm wrong like.

 

[steken1]

Of course it's all still possible, just not probable. But your asking a hypothetical question anyway so it makes no odds.

For me no. If you think back to the qualifiers for the EL against Bucharest, Kharkiv, Liege and I think there was another we were very lucky to get through the ones we did, Metalist in particular. The ones we never shows that we'd struggle to get through the qualifier if we managed to finish 4th.

 

[sbbefc]

Of course if we got 4th the Wigan game would be forgotten, we wont though, so it wont be.

 

[Tubey]

Of course it's all still possible, just not probable. But your asking a hypothetical question anyway so it makes no odds.

For me no. If you think back to the qualifiers for the EL against Bucharest, Kharkiv, Liege and I think there was another we were very lucky to get through the ones we did, Metalist in particular. The ones we never shows that we'd struggle to get through the qualifier if we managed to finish 4th.

I'll never understand this logic. "We'd fail anyway so what's the point in trying."

Odd.

 

[sheeds]

I remember a lot of if we win the cup will we forgive the humiliation at anfield last year, more of the same old for me and all very predictable both I suppose the question and the end result

 

[steken1]

I'll never understand this logic. "We'd fail anyway so what's the point in trying."

Odd.

Probably because you haven't understood my point.

The question asked was would you forgive the Wigan game if we finished 4th. My answer is no because this manager has proven he'd struggle to get us past the CL qualifier as he doesn't do knockout football well.

Nothing to do with whether I'd like to finish there. That answers obvious. I still start every season with a faint hope of winning the league.

 

[Tubey]

Probably because you haven't understood my point.

The question asked was would you forgive the Wigan game if we finished 4th. My answer is no because this manager has proven he'd struggle to get us past the CL qualifier as he doesn't do knockout football well.

Nothing to do with whether I'd like to finish there. That answers obvious. I still start every season with a faint hope of winning the league.

That bold sentence means I understood you perfectly well. I understand it because that's the exact feeling I have for Moyes in the FA Cup and I don't believe he'll ever win a trophy at Everton, but you're talking about rolling the dice in a qualifier for a chance to turn around the fortunes of the club. Finishing 4th is vastly superior to winning the FA Cup in the modern game whether we like it or not.

If Moyes turned this season round and finished 4th, my opinion of him would complete reverse and I'd hail him as a genius.

It won't happen like because he's not a genius But anyone saying they wouldn't forgive him based on this hypothetical question if we went on a nine game winning streak now are being a bit silly.

 

[sbbefc]

15 points is the most I can see us getting and that's being very kind, 60 points will get us 7th

 

[Fearthainn]

There's realistic levels of optimism and then there's kopite levels of optimism. This thread falls in the latter category.

 

[Carlito]

Everton's run-in is horrendous, but if they somehow finished fourth then yes, I'd forgive Moyes for Saturday.

I wouldn't be surprised if Everton ended up finishing below West Brom.

 

[njligernj]

I'm going to go ahead and answer your actual questions rather then speculating on how likely any of this would be.

If a minor miracle occurs....and we end up in a Champions League position, would all be forgiven over the Wigan debacle?

Yes. 100%.

A big performance against City(again debatable whether we will see that or not.) and a couple of slip-ups around us and we will be right back in the mix.

I think the slip-ups will happen -- nobody (bar Man U) has been consistent this season.

I look at what has happened in previous seasons following similar defeats, Liverpool in league 08/09, Hull City defeat in league 09/10, Bolton home defeat 11/12, Liverpool semi defeat 11/12 and I can't help but think at least a 5th place finish and Europa League football(which I know a lot of our fans including myself would be quite pleased with) remains entirely possible.

True and we were all very depressed after all of those events. Feels different this year though.

COYB!

x2!

 

[tasslehoff]

Optimistic hat on... 4w 1d at home. Away - Sunderland win. 4 draws at the other 4 (any win would be wonderful). That's 20 points. Is that enough for 5th? About 5th or 6th probably.

Pessimistic hat: 8 points at home about 4 away - 12. 7th.

Average of 16 probably means 6th or 7th.

4th 100/1
5th 10/1
6th 6/4
7th 5/6

100/1 its on!

 

[Jayhow15]

I think we are fighting for 6th at best to be honest .

As for next season I suspect that promises to be a very different proposition on so many levels

Suppose we've not battled relegation for a while or suffered a mediocre mid table type of season eh?

Or, do you know something you're not letting on?