"Top 6"

[Jreverton1]

No, we'll be seen as punching above our weight. Any of the 'top 6' we finish above will be criticised for having a poor season.

HaHa yeah defo. We haven't done well, the others have done poorly.

 

[Stephen Gibson]

Spot on mate.

"Top 6" is for the birds. A phoney extended elite when everyone knows that only top four matters.

It reminds of that Groucho Marx comment (repeated by Woody Allen) "I dont want to be a part of any club that would have someone like me as a member".

I just want to clarify that i never said the term 'top 6' ever but it feels that some on here have taken it that way & are now quoting convenient sections of my remarks to satisfy thier arguement about hating the term 'top 6'. The teams that are perceived year on year to be the better teams in the league are all above us & are currently stronger than we are at the moment.

 

[davek]

I just want to clarify that i never said the term 'top 6' ever but it feels that some on here have taken it that way & are now quoting convenient sections of my remarks to satisfy thier arguement about hating the term 'top 6'. The teams that are perceived year on year to be the better teams in the league are all above us & are currently stronger than we are at the moment.

I know mate.

"Top 6" is daft and it suits the football media to have it in place to cover all their favourite teams. We cant get dragged into that. It might suit some of our own to portray a top six finish as us entering the elite, but it means bugger all and we'll remain with our noses pressed up against the window on the outside looking in.

There is only a top four. They finish in the top four slots each season. The rest are nowhere.

 

[Khalekan]

I know mate.

"Top 6" is daft and it suits the football media to have it in place to cover all their favourite teams. We cant get dragged into that. It might suit some of our own to portray a top six finish as us entering the elite, but it means bugger all and we'll remain with our noses pressed up against the window on the outside looking in.

There is only a top four. They finish in the top four slots each season. The rest are nowhere.

Yip.

For years the target for EFC was to break into the "top four".

Purely because that was were a team needed to be to make the CL.

Suddenly the glass ceiling has got lower and making the "top six" has become the holy grail.

And this is purely because Manchester United are having difficulty making the top four.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

Apart from this "top 6" concept, which has only come to the fore this season (and I believe is simply down to Spurs, over the last few years, finishing consistently above established media darling such as RS and Utd) I've not really noticed any OTT media attention for them mate. Similar to the barcodes, I agree they've attracted more attention than us over the last 20 years or so, but as I said, I just put that down to them being London based. Do you think there's more to it than that? If so, please tell.

I'm not disputing what you say mate. I've just not noticed it myself so it's never really bothered me that much. I get more worked up over the coverage Newcastle get, as they've literally done nothing to warrant it whatsoever.

Possibly I'm judging more by the attention they used to get when I still lived in England. Back before the prem the media always used to talk about the big 5 of Everton, the rs, Utd, Arsenal and Spurs. Even when Clubs like Villa had won more league titles and had won the EC.

As you say they've deserved the attention recently with consistant high place finishes.

 

[davek]

Yip.

For years the target for EFC was to break into the "top four".

Purely because that was were a team needed to be to make the CL.

Suddenly the glass ceiling has got lower and making the "top six" has become the holy grail.

And this is purely because Manchester United are having difficulty making the top four.

Moyes and Martinez between them got top 5/6 for half of the last decade of seasons. It meant nothing.

Not
one
thing

To our credit as fans we all recognised that and demanded better. But suddenly it's an acceptable low bar for us.

Sorry. 5th and 6th is nowhere. It's failure. We need this feller Koeman to go beyond that. That's why he's here and thats what he'll be judged on.

£6M a pop on him...I should think so too.

 

[Stephen Gibson]

Moyes and Martinez between them got top 5/6 for half of the last decade of seasons. It meant nothing.

Not
one
thing

To our credit as fans we all recognised that and demanded better. But suddenly it's an acceptable low bar for us.

Sorry. 5th and 6th is nowhere. It's failure. We need this feller Koeman to go beyond that. That's why he's here and thats what he'll be judged on.

£6M a pop on him...I should think so too.

It's a very hard job mind. Leicester winning the title has made everyone usually at the upper end of the table pull thier fingers out & that is shown by a more traditional looking table so far. It is going in right direction for us but the consistency needs proving before we can consider ourselves regular 'top 4' contenders.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

I think Saturday proved that the current top 7 in the league are miles ahead of everyone else, both on and off the pitch. I reckon we can safely consider ourselves amongst the 'top' teams in the league.

 

[Parkender]

Anyone from West Bromwich down have the ability to bad enough to get relegated on a given season. Anyone above us is good enough to finish top 4 & are currently better than us (overall). We are special. We are unique. The best of the worst. The worst of the best. We stand alone as a beacon of hope for those below us & as a warning to those above that they are not guaranteed European footie.
As it stands we can finish our season closer to the upper league than the lower. I think there will be over 10 points separating 7th & 8th come the end. Probably more.

This is a fair comment. The top 6 (Chelsea aside) could probably all finish anywhere in the top 6 and are all fighting for fourth. Were 7th and being realistic we won't get any higher unless one of the 6 above have a catastrophic meltdown.

I've no issue with it being a top 6 because we're not in it yet until we're in amongst it which were not this year.

 

[toffeejack]

Liverpool will not be in the top 6 next season, mark my words, look at their bench again today, they need to buy about 10 players in the summer for their europa league campaign. But they'll still be related to as "top 6", just like Chelsea weren't removed from it after last season. It's all media BS anyway, nobody gets prize money for being labeled as top 6. If any of the teams fail, they should be openly mocked. If they do finish as the top 6, shoulders are shrugged because the amount of money these teams spend mean that's what they should achieve.

 

[toffeejack]

We aren't as good as any of the teams above us, but we are better than teh teams below us.

We are effectively in a league of our own for now.

Yep, which is not bad for the transitional season which this season is. Some food summer business and we'll be ahead of a couple of those teams very possibly. Liverpool have massively over achieved so they can be reigned in and who knows what state arsenal will be in next season.

 

[Parkender]

Liverpool will not be in the top 6 next season, mark my words, look at their bench again today, they need to buy about 10 players in the summer for their europa league campaign. But they'll still be related to as "top 6", just like Chelsea weren't removed from it after last season. It's all media BS anyway, nobody gets prize money for being labeled as top 6. If any of the teams fail, they should be openly mocked. If they do finish as the top 6, shoulders are shrugged because the amount of money these teams spend mean that's what they should achieve.

I'd be more convinced of arsenal dropping away if they keep wenger. They're best players will leave and offering fannies like ozil 250k a week means less money for them to spend on actual proper players who will win leagues.

 

[Stephen Gibson]

I'd be more convinced of arsenal dropping away if they keep wenger. They're best players will leave and offering fannies like ozil 250k a week means less money for them to spend on actual proper players who will win leagues.

If Wenger does go at the end of the season then the next guy will demand transfer funds & Arsenal are still a big enough fish to attract the big name players. For some reason Wenger chooses not too.

 

[Parkender]

If Wenger does go at the end of the season then the next guy will demand transfer funds & Arsenal are still a big enough fish to attract the big name players. For some reason Wenger chooses not too.

I worry about that. A new manager will want to spend dough and their squad is potentially a very good one already. Plus there's the worry they might go after Ronnie

 

[Stephen Gibson]

I worry about that. A new manager will want to spend dough and their squad is potentially a very good one already. Plus there's the worry they might go after Ronnie

Arsenal have upwards of 200m kicking around in the bank. That's impressive considering they bought a new stadium. Proves also what qualifying for the champions league season after season can really do. They are a sleeping monster...... But choose not to be awake.