Title Run In

[Jase 43,479]

i am sorry but i dont agree with anything. how was rdm wrong? what did fsw do that rdm did not? did we see fsw give us an identity? make us defensively solid? give us a platform to build our next season? we were 2nd in PL with 4 points behind united which included one of the most biased refreed games i have seen in football (against united at home).

Not saying Benitez's reign was great or perfect but he certainly gave us the defensive stability that was missing in the team. Under RDM, we were practically attacking with 4-5 players and defending with 4-5 players. There wasn't any collective effort both going forward and backward. I still remember the amount of ridiculous goals we conceded from simple cut-backs during his tenure. Opposing teams play the ball out to their winger, cut it back to an onrushing player and bam, goal!

On top of that, Benitez also instilled some tactical nous into the players in terms of what to do during different phases of the play. That ensured we kept the balance in our side and do not get overrun so easily like we did previously. Now, the work Benitez did might look like nothing to some but it certainly provided us a platform to go from there, which Mourinho built on and adjusted according to his liking after he came in.

in CL, we had a tough group and we got owned. but dont forget that we were almost knocked out of the group stages the year ago too. also, against the supposed united reserves did not we play the likes of bertrand, romeu, moses, sturridge, piazon, azpi (who was far from a starter at that point of time).

I don't disagree that we got a tough group back then but I find it somewhat 'convenient' that people throw that excuse around like we're some new team in the Champions League. We have plenty of experience in the competition and should have done better back then. Had we not thrown away the 2-0 lead against Juventus and/or conceded 1 less in the home win against Shakhtar, we would have been in the last 16. But because of the team's and players' defensive deficiencies, we didn't make it.

As for the season before that, we could have been eliminated from the group stage as well but the difference was, fate was in our hands. Beat Valencia and we are through. In the 2012/13 campaign, we had to beat Nordsjaelland and hope Shakhtar beat Juventus, which was a far worse situation than the other one.

[Tomo 21,733]

i am sorry but i dont agree with anything. how was rdm wrong? what did fsw do that rdm did not? did we see fsw give us an identity? make us defensively solid? give us a platform to build our next season? we were 2nd in PL with 4 points behind united which included one of the most biased refreed games i have seen in football (against united at home).

in CL, we had a tough group and we got owned. but dont forget that we were almost knocked out of the group stages the year ago too. also, against the supposed united reserves did not we play the likes of bertrand, romeu, moses, sturridge, piazon, azpi (who was far from a starter at that point of time).

I just checked the table wr were 4 off city, 3 off United so we actually gained on City, United went on a freak run off form after that so hardly fair to use them as a sticking post.

What Rafa did was give us a bit of shape and discipline, he did subtle things like improve Hazards work rate for example, little things Jose built on, I mean Mou needed a year to sort the squad out, if we gave RDM the season it would have took longer, in my opinion.

Re the United game, we needed to throw on Hazard and co to save the day and even then only just managed it.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Call me crazy but I kinda enjoyed the 'mess' that happened in the 2011/12 season. Plenty of ridiculous ups and downs, especially when we were playing a game every 3-4 days from start to finish.

One can only enjoy it knowing what happenend at the end of the season.

[Jase 43,479]

One can only enjoy it knowing what happenend at the end of the season.

Not necessarily. One can always just enjoy the moment without knowing the end result.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Not necessarily. One can always just enjoy the moment without knowing the end result.

I personally don't enjoy pain, JJ.

[Jase 43,479]

I personally don't enjoy pain, JJ.

Embrace pain man.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

when anyone mentions the "dark times" as any time in the last 18 years..that shit is funny.

I think I`d say getting relegated and on the cusp of bankruptcy is the dark times I remember..

[Spike 12,049]

when anyone mentions the "dark times" as any time in the last 18 years..that shit is funny.

I think I`d say getting relegated and on the cusp of bankruptcy is the dark times I remember..

Are you implying the triumvirate of Anelkalouda wasn't the pinnacle of 'dark times'?

[Fulham Broadway 16,835]

Ideal situation for me would be winning the league at home to Palace, meaning coming out to a guard of honour against Liverpool on Gerard's last visit to the Bridge

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Ideal situation for me would be winning the league at home to Palace, meaning coming out to a guard of honour against Liverpool on Gerard's last visit to the Bridge

The last assignment for agent Gerrard should be done

[Fulham Broadway 16,835]

The last assignment for agent Gerrard should be done

During the guard of honour, we will be singing the Demba ba song and "Have you ever seen Gerrard win the league ?"

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

During the guard of honour, we will be singing the Demba ba song and "Have you ever seen Gerrard win the league ?"

It is a little bit too harsh, no?

[DYC. 7,542]

Ideal situation for me would be winning the league at home to Palace, meaning coming out to a guard of honour against Liverpool on Gerard's last visit to the Bridge

Gerrard deciding not to join Chelsea, fully aware of his curse, was the ultimate act of love.

[Kieran. 6,317]

when anyone mentions the "dark times" as any time in the last 18 years..that shit is funny.

I think I`d say getting relegated and on the cusp of bankruptcy is the dark times I remember..

Good to see you around again pal [emoji2]

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

Ideal situation for me would be winning the league at home to Palace, meaning coming out to a guard of honour against Liverpool on Gerard's last visit to the Bridge

I am rather looking forward to Gerrard giving one his beautiful assists to Diego Costa to seal the league like in 2010 to Drogba. Either that or an evergreen slip. NOt sure what is more of Gerrard classic.

But actually winning at vs Palace seems to be a good prediction, given we keep decent form.

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

I am rather looking forward to Gerrard giving one his beautiful assists to Diego Costa to seal the league like in 2010 to Drogba. Either that or an evergreen slip. NOt sure what is more of Gerrard classic.

But actually winning at vs Palace seems to be a good prediction, given we keep decent form.

Liverpool won't even pick Gerrard for the Chelsea game. He has lost his touch and Gerrard will actually ruin LA GALAXY and they will regret paying him to play for them.

[boshman 1,073]

One thing I wouldn't like to happen is to watch City lose a game to give us the title. I don't think it will have the same buzz as actually going out and winning if ourselves.

[didierforever 7,349]

I just checked the table wr were 4 off city, 3 off United so we actually gained on City, United went on a freak run off form after that so hardly fair to use them as a sticking post.

What Rafa did was give us a bit of shape and discipline, he did subtle things like improve Hazards work rate for example, little things Jose built on, I mean Mou needed a year to sort the squad out, if we gave RDM the season it would have took longer, in my opinion.

Re the United game, we needed to throw on Hazard and co to save the day and even then only just managed it.

12 games under RDM 7 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses in PL which includes the farcial united loss. 12 games 24 points while playong united, pool at home and spurs and arsenal away.

We ended up with 75 points in 38 games which means FSW gave us 51 points in 26 games. Which is lesser than RDM's average. I am not sure how people are coming up with "fsw gave us stability" and "fsw was better than rdm". That's wrong. We were below average in every department under FSW.

as for the united game there front 6 was hernandez, welbeck, gigs, nani, fletcher and anderson. If that is there reserves, then so is piazon, sturridge, moses, romeu, mikel, bert, azpi. And that was my point. If they played there reserves, so did we. Lets not act like we played our first team. Even on paper, those teams look pretty equal and if u consider the amount of experience in the united squad, they would be a step ahead of what we had put in on the day.