Battle Of 4th, 5th, 6th Position

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

David Pleat has us down to finish 4th in today's Grauniad, tomorrow's match is assuming massive proportions. Come On Rovers.

[Eddie]

I watch the Spanish, German, Italian and English leagues regularly live cause I follow some of the teams or players there.

In terms of quality the English Premier League is DEFINITELY not the best league. In terms of end-to-end action, its probably the best but with the Spanish league very very close to it.

In terms of pure football, then its got to be Spain and Italy with England third.

In terms of tactical football, the Italians are King.

388217[/snapback]

I would always be interested to see what would happen if English players were given the time and space that they are here on the continent. Teams like Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United would thrive from that week-in-week-out. I think Spain is the only league that can seriously claim to challenge the Premiership for best league, Italy isn't great on quality when you look at the teams lower down. Very sound at the back but I don't think they'd really challenge their Spanish or English equivalents.

Part of the reason I'd love us to make Europe is the fact that I could see us doing very well in European competition. I feel our style would be difficult for the opposition to handle and we have enough skill (especially if we improve over the summer as we most certainly would on the back of European football) to beat a lot of sides.

[tcj_jones]

Good news that Bolton lost and West Ham drew. In my end of season predictions, the final places are dependent upon West Ham and Bolton draws today. I have Bolton finishing about 5 or 6 points ahead of us and every point they drop counts.

[Eddie]

Yeah, results went our way today as far as we could have seen them really, no surprises that Arsenal won.

[Bobby G]

Newcastle won and I think we might have to start considering that they may figure in the final run up for 4th - 8th.

[greggyk]

Cant see it. They have a very hard fixture list in the next few weeks and also have the FA Cup to think about.

[tcj_jones]

Maybe not as high as 4th, but maybe high enough to top us.

[philipl]

Newcastle won and I think we might have to start considering that they may figure in the final run up for 4th - 8th.

388348[/snapback]

Well they are only 4 points behind us!

Every team down to Everton (12th) is within three wins of 4th place and every team down to Boro (15th) is within three wins of 6th.

So a few bad games and we are back down to the bottom half double quick.

[Wild Irish Rover]

Great isn't it??!!

The Premiership is a roller coaster. Look at Steve McClaren at Boro - their bods were screaming for his head after their shocking run around Christmas when we tubbed em twice, yet now he is back in the frame for the kiss of death job after the Swede moves on.

It will certainly be an interesting run in, of that thee is no doubt. Tomorrow is a perfect chance for Hughesey and the lads to signal our clear intent and it would be very very sweet to rub a few Spurs noses in it at the same time. Oops will post my thoughts on t'other thread

Edited March 4, 2006 by Wild Irish Rover

[tchocky]

It is now imperative that we do not lose against the spuds. This is really becoming a make or break game.

[Mr. E]

I think that we can definitely get 7th place, which might just squeeze us inot Europe if the FA Cup results go our way.

Although if we can beat Spurs tonight...who knows ?

[Ozz]

As I read the last post, I was thinking yea, whatever. But it is now clear to me, if we finish in a euro place, we can suddenly attract AND afford a proper partner for Bellamy. And if someone like Benni or similar signs and proves succesful, we would really be moving up to the top table, at long last.

[philipl]

Why don't we merge this thread with the fixed "where are we going to finish?"

dillo dillo's fixture list is very handy.

[philipl]

fixed rivals fixture

and, this season's data

http://itv.stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/t...ackburnRov.html

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This is the post which should be pinned.

Just looked at this again and the fixture list is in theory so favourable to Rovers its scary! Arsenal have to be the biggest threat to Rovers going by those games.

Edited March 5, 2006 by philipl

[frosty]

Maybe Champions league is out of our sights now. Maybe

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Some of you are being unrealistically greedy....champions league was a VERY long shot at best.

[Bobby G]

Definitely wont finish 4th now.

6 points off Spurs and Arsenal possibly with a run in them still.

It will be between those two as I see Bolton losing a few now.

[dillo_dillo]

[Bobby G]

Had we won today, with the fixtures Spurs have, it wouldnt have been beyond possibility for us to have finished ahead of Spurs.

I think we need 7 wins to guarantee European football. 6 should do it too. You can easily see 6 wins in there, but unfortunately we rarely make things easy for ourselves.

If we win our next 4 games, we could be well on our way but I see one or two banana skins there.

[trueblue]

Some of you are being unrealistically greedy....champions league was a VERY long shot at best.

388509[/snapback]

So wanting Blackburn Rovers to do well is being 'unrealistically greedy' is it?

Then all Rovers fans are being 'greedy' - even Mark Hughes who suggested we should be aiming for that 4th spot !

There's nothing wrong with ambition in my book

[Eddie]

I really don't want to predict where we will finish now. I was so encouraged by how we went out and played even if I am really disapointed with the result. If we keep playing like that then you never know. All the other sides have some tricky fixtures, but we then also have a fair few that we tend to struggle with. I just don't know anymore.

[den]

Definitely wont finish 4th now.

6 points off Spurs and Arsenal possibly with a run in them still.

It will be between those two as I see Bolton losing a few now.

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Next weekend spurs are away to Chelsea, while we play Villa at Ewood. The gap could be back to three points.

I would imagine our remaining fixtures are easier, on paper than Spurs.

[G Somerset Rover]

Very good point Den. I think it'l be Arsenal if anyone who gets 4th.

[Bing]

We should certainly be looking at winning our next 5 games. 3 home games against mid-table opposition and 2 away games against very poor teams in Sunderland and Pompey.

[tcj_jones]

Come on guys, we were never going to get 4th.

However, I have Spurs down as finishing 6th and to have beaten them could have secured us European football. I still think we will finish 7th, but will be a fair way off European qualification.

I think people need to prepare themselves for the intertoto and some disapointment.