Its highly probable; a position that many of us predicted back in the Summer and that was temporarily pushed to the back of our minds on the back of a few showboating displays against the division's lesser lights.TeeCee wrote:The most worrying thing for me is that it's quite possible we could lose around 8 games this season? If that happens then 4th place is seriously in jeopardy.
We have already lost 4 games and there is at least 3 more to come from the remaining games against the big four. Add to that the inevitable gutless surrender at any two from Burnley, Stoke, Birmingham or Bolton, and we are on our way to my early season prediction of 6th place.
And before anyone comes up with the usual stuff about certain people almost wanting us to fail then don't bother. When you've followed the club for 30 years spending thousands of pounds along the way it really isn't like that.
I look at things simply - the squad is no stronger than last year, arguably weaker (certainly weakened further by injuries). We finished 4th then, since when 3 other clubs - Spurs, Villa and Man City - have improved greatly. We have the same gutless approach to games against the other big four clubs, and a manager who the board have allowed to become unaccountable (I look forward to more pearls of wisdom from the virtually faceless Gazidis).
2006 proved to me that we are capable of missing out on the top four by scraping home on the final day with a squad that had Lehmann, Campbell, Cole, Henry, Pires, Bergkamp, Ljungberg, Reyes etc etc. We'd kill for just two players at that level right now, so why shouldn't we be fearful
I am now resigned to thinking that when it does actually happen it will be for the longer term good because the club will be forced into action to save its very existence.
