KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Top 4

Just finished watching the United Southampton game, and I have to say, the race for CL spots looks just as tight as ever. Despite all this talk of United being back and despite their smaller schedule, they are still very vulnerable and not quite the finished article. Van Gaal was outsmarted today, and all those buckets of attacking talent couldn't unlock their defense.

Arsenal and Spurs seem to have woken up in recent weeks, but they've struggled for consistency (as spurs showed with their loss to palace today), just as we have. We've been appalling at times this season, but at only 5 points off 4th, this is a race we're still very much in. If we can get sturridge back on track and sign a new goalkeeper, I think we may salvage this season yet.

If we don't get top4, hope Saints and arsenal do it.

Utd come in europa with us

I'd like us to sign Perin and Lacazette. Those two would be enough, I think. Even just the goal-keeper might be enough if Sturridge can get fit and firing.

Talk coming out of Utd saying they're gonna win the league

The others are all having a mare of a season, but even so I just can't see us putting together a run good enough to have a say in it - we're just not solid enough, consistent enough IMO.

your bang on these signings would secure us top4. FSG and the committee wont do the correct business however

There's no real chance of us getting top 4, all this touching distance talk is desperate grasping, UNLESS we sign some actual quality for the first team, not another debacle like we did in the summer with Lallana and co, genuine real top quality that actually definitively improves the first 11. Otherwise it will pointless talk of touching distances all season long while none of the others really consider us a threat.

+zillion

Yeah it’s hard to argue with that, at least that’s what my head says, but my silly heart says: 'hang on a minute - Markovich looks like he might be in the process of coming good, Sterling will be back rested and rearing to go shortly, Sturridge is on his way back and should be fresh as a daisy, and last but not least, our lost cause Rip Van Balotelli is starting to shake himself from his slumber, so perhaps pheonix like (sorry Liverbird!) we’ll rise from the ashes and scorch all about us!

I'd never have been so happy to be wrong if that does happen. I do think we will improve with Sturridge back of course, I just dont see us winning 3 games more (/2 games more if they lost those comparative games) than arsenal and Utd for the rest of the season. I think we will at best match their runs which means the 2/3 games worth of points deficit is a lot to catch up unless we add first team quality. Of course the picture does look different if we win our head to heads against them but despite playing well in those games we can't seem to put them away, maybe Sturridge can help enough with that.

I seriously think Southampton will finish above us this season.

There's always a team every year that "over performs" and has a good run until the big boys reel them in - but given the form of Utd, Arsenal & Liverpool (not to mention Tottenham and the likes) I genuinely believe that Southampton could finish in the top 4 this season.

As far as we're concerned.. I'd say where we will finish will come down in part to what happens this transfer window, but almost entirely on where we are when Sturridge returns, his form and ability to remain fit for the rest of the season.

We might just put a run together with Sturridge back in the team - without him it very much looks as our season will continue in the same form as it started... stuttering and inconsistent.