Who Will Beat Us To Top 4?

[pdbis]

I'd focus everything on the cups now, for the rest of this season.

When we come up against one of the big boys in Europe we will exit and one of the so called top 6 will win the FA Cup.

[S-H]

When we come up against one of the big boys in Europe we will exit and one of the so called top 6 will win the FA Cup.

That's the spirit!

[bubbles1966]

I'd focus everything on the cups now, for the rest of this season.

I don't think we should.

The club has to try and stay towards the top of the league and ideally break the set of six. Manchester United are now the club we've spent longer below than anyone else. 1986 was the last time we finished a season above them.

Europa is two months away, we've got a non league team in the next round of the cup with something like a 1 in 3 chance of drawing another lower league team in the last 16 if we beat Kidderminster.

Club needs to get it's act together on strengthening and get a result on Saturday.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

When we come up against one of the big boys in Europe we will exit and one of the so called top 6 will win the FA Cup.

Yes, just like last season when European Giants Villarreal won Europa and the big 6 Leicester won the FA Cup.

[Ironing Board]

For me the priorities are Europe and the league. A run to the final would make us a more desirable location for good players.

[bubbles1966]

We could, with a kind draw if we beat Kidderminster, play another half dozen league games before we meet a PL team in the cup or a decent european side again.

Nothing but the league til early March, really.

Focus on the league and see where we are six weeks from now.

[Thekorean]

We won't finish top 4. We should be going all out in Europa League.

Who else is with me?

[Northbank Bar]

We are a bloody good team.but we are not a top 4 team.Man Utd had quite a few out but despite that their bench was far superier to ours.That aint a dig,its a fact.-Liverpool Man City Chelsea and Man U have 2 teams FFS.Ive put up with a lot of **** over the years like the rest of you but always felt a club our size and with our great support should be having regular cup runs,be fighting for 6th or 7th each year,and maybe make Europe every couple of years so at the moment I am very happy with things on the pitch.Off the pitch I am far from happy with the owners continuing to treat the fans with disdain.What does hurt is that a club like ours maybe gets one shot in a lifetime at Champions league.A player like Declan only comes through the ranks maybe once in every 20 or 30 years? last year was the year -or should have been.We werent in Europe,some of the big teams didnt perform,we signed the 2 Chech players who were both a revelation.we had very few injuries.-and Declan came through.The stars aligned,If we had signed cover for Rice/Soucek and or Antonio,we would have got champions League.But the club didnt.-f*** em! Nevertheless we have a good team,better than we usually have so lets enjoy,but never forget how these owners have treated the fans.See you at Wembley in May,Long Live West Ham.

[S-H]

We over achieved last season, naturally expectations grew as a result.

We are a bloody good team these days, but maybe a little reality check won't do us any harm, we've made giant strides over the last 2 years, but in truth we are no where near a top 4 side, yet, if we are all being honest, there's only so far a handful of brilliant players, and an amazing team spirit can take us so early into Moyes project, he's still laying a solid foundation, for us to build upon.

Still plenty to play for, still been a brilliant season, still heading in the right direction under Moyes.

Still massive.

[bubbles1966]

We need this break.

We were flying going into the November one, but have been very hit and miss since then.

We have struggled to pick a settled team throughout due to injuries, AFCON, covid etc.

Let's see how we come back.

Top 4 was there, but we've lost our way a bit since the Zagreb home game where we picked the kids, but top 6 should still be the aspiration. Many of the teams below us games in hand are against each other or tough opponents.

Find our form, win some of the return head to heads and who knows where that leads.

[billtho]

If we don't bring in a couple of players the the clubs to beat us for fourth spot will be man utd..arsenal ....spuds...wolves...Brighton...take your pick

[simonirons]

In the summer we all agreed if we didn’t get enough reinforcements we’d be blowing by Christmas. - I’ve seen nothing to suggest any of us was wrong

[hammer1975]

Is it defeatist to say that I didn’t (and still don’t) think we’d get top four but really, really hope we get some form of European football for next season.

At the moment that is top six but it’s also likely that the FA cup will be won by a self important six side.

So I’m very worried about how effectively (with a little fortune) Wolves are going about their business.

[Bill]

You don't lose the number of games we have and finish top 4. Unless Moyes pulls a decent centre half and striker out of the bag in the next week we will be struggling to get any European football next season. Let's face it recent games show our squad can barely cope with playing Europa League alongside PL, so there's no point in kidding ourselves we would be doing much else than losing in that competition.

It has been refreshing watching us win so many games in the last year, but lack of investment in the right areas has come home to roost recently and the performances have been more what we've come to expect over the years.

[bubbles1966]

Is it defeatist to say that I didn’t (and still don’t) think we’d get top four but really, really hope we get some form of European football for next season.

At the moment that is top six but it’s also likely that the FA cup will be won by a self important six side.

So I’m very worried about how effectively (with a little fortune) Wolves are going about their business.

Personally, I felt the objective this year had to be to replicate last season and qualify for Europe again. That must still be the final aim.

I think we've exceeded expectations in the league, in the Carabao and in Europe in the first half of the season. We should make the last 16 of the FA Cup too.

We've had a very disappointing seven days where everything seems to have gone against us - our results and those of others - but we have to take the break and come back reinvigorated and hopefully reinforced.

I can remember posting something about the club going for Lingard/Tarkowski and Johnstone for next to nothing in fees in this window or the summer. It's still viable, though I prefer Areola.

[Davev]

There's still plenty of football yet to be played and there will be more twists and turns to come.
I think we will probably not get top 4. But then we're so under resourced compared to the 'top 4' and even to the 'top 6' that this has always been a hope rather than expectation for me. But I think we have / will make a good go of it and that's all you can ask for.
We've been brilliant for the last 2 years - the best I've ever seen us be. Lets not lose sight of that.

[BondsoBob]

I think unfortunatey, that ultimitely the last two years will have proven to be yet another false dawn in the history of this club. And having followed this club for 58 years I have seen quite a few false dawns.
It just never seems to quite happen does it?

[The Old Man of Storr]

Not counting the Tevez / Mascherano ' transfers ' when was the last time you were genuinely surprised at a player we signed ?


For me it has to be Phil Parkes - after that signing came the FA Cup and that legendary '85/'86 season .

Signing Phil Parkes changed everything , it was a genuine statement of intent .


If we can pull off another transfer like that of Phil Parkes' then in my opinion anything's possible .

[bubbles1966]

Man U's game in hand is Brighton. Would anyone be surprised by a draw?

Spurs also have Brighton, along with Arsenal. Their 'soft' one is Burnley away.

Arsenal have Wolves and Spurs. wolves have Watford.

I can imagine all five teams being within three points of each other at the end of that run of games.

The head to heads and the business done in the next eight days start to take on out-size significance.

Brighton hardly ever win or lose so will not break the group , nor will brittle Leicester.

[Paolopaul]

Good set of results today in the small hope of top 4.

In terms of maintaining a place in top 6 or 7, that would mean European football again, Wolves look like the main competitors. They have Arsenal, Spurs and Leicester in the next three before coming to us…