The Alternate Premier League

[dUMB 189]

Nice 13 points lead sounds great, and you explained everything very good.

I've just read an article about APLT.

http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2015/2/9/8001481/the-title-race-14-to-go

This guy's metodology is slightly different, but both are very good if you ask me.

[Hostedenis 556]

Don't want to type too much this week, still sad about the Burnley game. We had good penalty shouts, Barnes should've seen red and shouldn't have won them the corner that got them the goal, but all in all we should've been able to score two against Burnley. Shit happens, on to the next game. And I'm back, with more APLT:

City coming a little closer but we're still ahead and have an easier fixture list. Strange to see Southampton drop so much points and i don't like Liverpool heading towards Champions League football. But we're still comfortably first and I hope it stays that way. KTBFFH!

[Hostedenis 556]

What's happening to Southampton? Awful bit of form the last couple of weeks! Liverpool, and even more so Arsenal, have been on excellent form though, for about the last 7 games!

Here's what it looks like now, with both us and the Spurs having a game in hand:

[Hostedenis 556]

And I'm back with more APLT!

Arsenal have been on an excellent run, having gone up 4 points in the APLT in the last 12 games. If they could keep up that form for the length of an entire season, they'd end up gathering a staggering 112 points! Well, make that 106 points, because Wenger would obviously drop 6 playing against Chelsea, regardless of form. Southampton have finally played to par again, with a win against Palace. We look like we're still comfortably top. Race for second place looks tighter in the APLT then in the real table, and that's because although Arsenal have fewer points than City in the real table, they've also had harder games so far thus are less likely than City to drop points in the remaining ten games, putting those two teams level. Right now, both Man United and Liverpool look like they might get above the 71 point line if they keep up their recent form, something I see Liverpool more likely to do rather than Lucky Louis's team. But considering those four teams (and excluding Chelsea), it's hard to see which team will miss out on CL football. I think Liverpool might make it to fourth place because United's lucky form can't keep going on, so unless they improve their game they'll lose more points. Newcastle were robbed this week!

[Hostedenis 556]

And I'm back, with more APLT!

We drew a game at home, losing two points in the APLT, but (and especially with City dropping three points), we're still comfortably top. I'm fairly certain we'll win the league this season. This squad, and Jose, should.

However, what's interesting is that Arsenal have now overtook City and are second in the APLT. In fact, if we look at the form over the last 10 matchdays and assume City won't recover and keep playing the way they have been for the last 10 games, they will drop below the 71 points line (CL football) and United and Liverpool will, together with us and Arsenal, make top four.

It'll be interesting to see how things turn out, though I expect City to go up a few points having some par three games coming up. But there's no denying that Arsenal's, Liverpool's and United's form has been very good, although I can't understand how United keep on winning with their terrible football (apart from the Spurs game).

Southampton seem to be stabilizing as well, I hope so for them and hope they can recover a bit.

This is how the table look ATM:

[Hostedenis 556]

Southampton are playing to par again. There was a big clash this weekend, with Liverpool and United fighting for fourth place. United won, getting them to a place above the 71 point line and there are now four teams above that line as the line predicts. An end has come to Liverpool's great 10-game form by dropping three points with a home loss. Arsenal resume their good form and have overtaken City, an illustration that although City is still above Arsenal in the real table, Arsenal have easier fixtures.

I'm curious as to how things will turn out for second, third and fourth place. I still consider us safe and think we'll win it, as long as we don't massively fuck up, but I'm not so sure anymore that City will come in second!

Can't wait till after the international break!

[Hostedenis 556]

Ooooh how I love the Premier League!

As could have been slightly foreseen in the APLT, City has now been overtaken in the regular table as well by Arsenal and United. The time is good for Chelsea fans!

Liverpool is going back to the depths where they belong along with Tottenham. Team on form is Arsenal atm, they play good football but won't catch up with us.

And I would LOVE it if Van Gaal finished his season with terrible (as in, bad) football above City

[The Skipper 20,609]

This is such a fantastic thread, IMO it should be in the MH forum.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

This is such a fantastic thread, IMO it should be in the MH forum.

Agreed

[Hostedenis 556]

Ok guys, sorry for the small delay, I had some things to do! Here's what the APLT looks like right now:

I actually had to deepen the vertical axle on my graph because Tottenham went out of bounds

Other than that, Arsenal just keep on going strong and either play to par or above par. We on the other hand have been playing above par (and above the 90points=title line) since the beginning of the season.

We played a horrible game, and I know there's probably more to be said about that, but for now the three points are the most important I find. The Manchester derby was a far better game to look at and we see City dropping another point in the APLT (losing a par 1 game) and United playing to par (winning a home game) which is probably the best result we could've wished for.

I'd like to see Soton finish above Liverpool actually, and they deserve it.

[Hostedenis 556]

Tottenham are back to winning ways, and this is what the APLT looks like right now, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool having a game in hand. United dropped a point losing a par 1 game to us, Soton lost a difficult fixture as well (dropping 1 point) and Spurs gained two winning a difficult fixture.

All in all, our position is relatively secure on top and I don't think many here doubt we can and will win the title. Next week we've got the game against Arsenal, for us a difficult away fixture, for them a must-win home game. Should we win, we gain 5 points on Arsenal (our closest follower) in the APLT as we will perform +2 to par and they will play -3 to par. Drawing (what I think Mourinho will aim for) will see us stay on par while Arsenal go -2 (meaning we gain 2 points on them), and having Arsenal win will see them play to par and us drop 1 point (meaning they close the gap a point).

Have faith in Mou and hopefully we bash them. Another 0-2 will do.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

@Hostedenis, thanks again for all the great work. I just love reading those.

How do you feel about making these a regular article on the site next season so it would appear on NewsNow and our Facebook page?

[Hostedenis 556]

@Hostedenis, thanks again for all the great work. I just love reading those.

How do you feel about making these a regular article on the site next season so it would appear on NewsNow and our Facebook page?

Hey Choulo, I guess I wouldn't mind doing these again next season. I was actually already planning to do these next season as well, not as an article (just in a thread in the forum as well) but I guess if I do them then why not as an article if you prefer it that way. I do however have a busy schedule (student and sport) which is why I sometimes only update my APLT on here on a Monday or Tuesday instead of match day. If that's not a problem, then I wouldn't mind! Luckily, I did find enough spare time to watch every game this season.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Hey Choulo, I guess I wouldn't mind doing these again next season. I was actually already planning to do these next season as well, not as an article (just in a thread in the forum as well) but I guess if I do them then why not as an article if you prefer it that way. I do however have a busy schedule (student and sport) which is why I sometimes only update my APLT on here on a Monday or Tuesday instead of match day. If that's not a problem, then I wouldn't mind! Luckily, I did find enough spare time to watch every game this season.

Of course it is not a problem It would be your 'gig', you can do whatever you want with it and whenever you want. We just put promote it to the main site and our facebook page for you as long as we see that people are interested in reading it.

[Hostedenis 556]

Liverpool are going down! As a climax to their downfall I would love it if they'd have to honor us as champions!

So here's what the new APLT looks like. I waited till today so I could include Pool's and our games into the chart, so now only Arsenal has a game in hand.

We're still comfortably top, we played to par against Arsenal (a difficult away game - par 1) which means that we have now played all our par 1 games this season. We can't go up in the APLT anymore (having only par three games left), so the max amount of points we can have at the end of the season are 92, the horizontal line we are on right now. The result against Arsenal was a good one though, they played at home (par 3) so dropped two points finally giving them a (small) blow to their outstanding form, having gone up for weeks in the APLT.

We've been on par form for the last 9 games, which isn't bad at all. A lot of people on here are complaining about our play, and while I admit it's definitely not as great as at the start of the season, the results are there and there's only one number to think about for now: +13. It might be a big cliché, but winning games the ugly way is the mark of champions.