The Race For Fourth

Donnielighto

Going into the business end of the season we have a real scrap for the last champions league spot. City, West ham, Manchester United, Liverpool and maybe Southampton. Who will get the last spot? I think it's a toss up between the two Manchester teams myself.

Harry Palmr

Honestly its still anyone's - todays results prove it really.

West Ham will I suspect be looking at the FA Cup first as Bilic really does seem to want it which is old fashioned of him. City are drifting like a barge in a swell, Utd are in and out but doing just enough again the FA Cup is a distraction but not a useful one. Liverpool have game/s in hand but can they win them, I think today's defeat once again puts 4th just out of sight. Soton are hard to predict.

Hammer Archer

Were it not for the referee yesterday we'd likely be fourth today. But the fact that we came away from Stamford Bridge feeling cheated out of three points shows how far we've come this season.
I'm actually beginning to start to believe that we could actually get fourth. We've had the likes of Sakho, Valencia, Reid, Carroll and Lanzini come back from injury recently and by the next league game we'll probably have Tomkins and Collins too. This will mean Antonio (who's been standing in as right back) can get back into a more attacking role. Also, it helps that Payet is an absolute animal. Just hoping that he stays fit. Our only slight rough patch came when he was injured.

No reason why we can't do it. But I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

rmchmufc

As a Man Utd fan I hope they get it but wouldn't be putting money on it. I think West Ham deserve it the most out of the lot of them, Bilic is having an incredible first season in England

GavRedKing

Between City, Utd and West Ham IMO.

Of the 3 I'd prefer if it was West Ham, auld fella is a Hammers fan and would be good to see Guardiola take over City in the Europa League.

HigginsJ

On paper it would have to be City, they are a good deal better than the other 4 sides but their performance against United today was piss poor. They have some laughably bad reserves in the likes of Bony, Navas & Demechelis.

I would love to have faith in United doing it but the way we have been going this year, there is nothing to believe we will. Being out of Europe at this point is no bad thing as Van Gaal was going to run Martial & Rashford into the ground otherwise.

West Ham are the dark horse in this battle, the job Bilic has done is outstanding.

I think City get their act together long enough to snatch it.

HalloweenJack

West Ham seem to be the only team with any kind of consistency so I fancy them for it.

City are falling apart, reckon they've all given up on Pellegrini and are just waiting for Guardiola to come in and as he's pretty busy with Bayern, he probably can't spend too much time checking up on them. Only saving grace for City is if they can win the CL (obviously a massive IF) and I reckon PSG (league wrapped up) will take care of them fairly handy enough. Once that happens, I can see them falling even further.

United, I dunno. I saw a stat earlier that they've taken the most points from the top six of all teams but then they lose games against teams you'd expect them to win. A few good wins lately but I reckon there's going to be another dip soon, it's the story of their season. Also, all the speculation hanging over LVG can't help them.

I'd be very surprised to see Liverpool or Southampton do it, both are just too inconsistent.

Paully D

Manchester City.

I'd really like to see West Ham do it though considering I tipped them for relegation at the start of the season. :pac:

~Rebel~

Arsenal aren't quite safe from getting pulled back into it either, only 4 points ahead of City.

In a vacuum, i'd love to see Leicester, Spurs, West Ham, Arsenal (well, Liverpool, but that's looking more unlikely now) but that would absolutely murder England's European performance's next season and screw everyone over with a dropping coefficient.

So in that case, objectively speaking, i'd go; Leicester, Spurs, Arsenal, Man City, which is what I think it will actually be if the City players can cop themselves on and realize they're playing for European competition next season.

Shanotheslayer

England teams could be really feel the pain if it's Leicester/Spurs/Arsenal/West Ham in the CL next year. Could be a disaster for Co-effiecent. But a remarkable achievement from all teams excluding Arsenal.

Fancy WH to do it myself, best run of form and look most consistent.

Kristopherus

I'll give a reluctant vote for City to make 4th.

kevthegaff

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

England teams could be really feel the pain if it's Leicester/Spurs/Arsenal/West Ham in the CL next year. Could be a disaster for Co-effiecent. But a remarkable achievement from all teams excluding Arsenal.

Fancy WH to do it myself, best run of form and look most consistent.

They could do better than the big four

keano_afc

As an Arsenal fan I'm disappointed we're not in the poll.

Hammer Archer

Gonna go with Man City. Think Man Utd will get fifth and we'll end up in sixth which I'd be delighted with.

Mushy

Went with West Ham, although I think its more wishful thinking almost on my behalf. Think they've enough to do it, are quite consistent too. Bilic has done an excellent job, I was expecting them to be in the bottom half this season.

cson

City only have 3 games out of their 8 remaining at home I think? And Arsenal are one of those so not a guaranteed win there either. They've PSG as a distraction too. On that basis I don't think they're going to get it. Liverpool are too inconsistent to credibly take it imo. So between United and West Ham for me with United getting it on the last day of the season!

Maximus Alexander

I don't even think there's any question that it will be City tbh. They do this all the time - look sh*te for a while and then switch it back on like a light bulb. They'll end up doing enough to get over the line.

theteal

For purely selfish reasons and living where I live..... come on you Irons!

RobertKK

City have been poor since Guardiola was announced as the new manager from the summer on.
West Ham have been good, and if City stay in their slump and given their injuries, one would not be surprised if they do stay in a slump for the next couple of games.
United have been up and down, some signs of an improvement, but really need to beat teams they are expected to beat.
It is a bit of a lottery, the teams with momentum at the moment are Southampton, West Ham and United.
City are on a real slide.
With Europa league out of the way, it will be a big help to United, I think in the second half of the game yesterday they were feeling the effects of it.
If Rooney comes back in good form which he was in when he got injured, it might be the difference.

Korat

It's too hard to call at this stage. The international week could have a bearing on things if important players pick-up injuries or others recover/get a rest.

I'd say it will be between two teams by the 11th of April.

Liam McPoyle

Still City's to lose IMO, they have too much quality and have some key players to come back.

Liam O

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I don't even think there's any question that it will be City tbh. They do this all the time - look sh*te for a while and then switch it back on like a light bulb. They'll end up doing enough to get over the line.

If United can find some consistency I'd actually fancy them. I know I'm a fool to think so but the fact that United have performed fantastically against the good teams would indicate to me that the quality is there a lot more than I'd be convinced of that with City who now have Demichelis and Mangala in CB again and look to have lost Sterling and Hart for a couple of weeks (though the international break will obviously help with that.)

What's annoying is how the exact same personnel can go from being on fire one game to being useless together the next for United. It's hard for me to explain when I see a game like yesterday when they were there was interplay and good direct play at times the games where Martial runs into the defender with the head down 20 times instead of playing it between the other attackers you wonder what's wrong.