Where will Leicester City finish this season....

[Leicester Fan]

If they do not make top 4 now they will be the first team in Prem history to do so with that number of points by xmas by all accounts. They need to sacrifice the FA Cup and play kids to give the first team a rest week if they are gonna avoid fatigue and injuries....Would love to see them break up the CL monopoly

That's not that significant a stat.

Most of the teams that were top at Christmas were one of the favourites to lift the title anyway so it would be a shock if they didn't finish top four from that position.

Leicester were a 5000/1 shot at the start of the season so they still have to overperform to hang on to the top four places despite being top at Christmas.

I'd happily give up the FA Cup to concentrate on the league this season. I'd rather us finish top four than win the FA Cup as it's much more of an achievement and if we get Champions League football a whole new level of players come within reach and success breeds success.

 

[PeruzziWatch]

I'd rather us finish top four than win the FA Cup as it's much more of an achievement and if we get Champions League football a whole new level of players come within reach and success breeds success.

It's actually not.

 

[Leicester Fan]

It's actually not.

It's a lot easier to win the FA Cup than finish top 4.

No one outside the "big six" have finished in the top four since Everton did it over 10 years a go.

Prospective new signings in the summer will be likely to join a club in the Champions League than a club that won a domestic cup.

 

[Bagpuss]

It's actually not.

I would say it massively is, the top 4 has been a closed shop for years that has made this league turgidly boring for most of the teams without rich owners. For a little club like Leicester to gate crash the party on a limited budget (arguably much lower than ours has been in recent years) would give everyone hope that top flight football does not just mean reaching mid table mediocrity every year (although I would happily take that just now)

 

[PeruzziWatch]

It's a lot easier to win the FA Cup than finish top 4.

No one outside the "big six" have finished in the top four since Everton did it over 10 years a go.

Prospective new signings in the summer will be likely to join a club in the Champions League than a club that won a domestic cup.

It's not, you've finished top 4 three times in your history and won the FA cup zero times.

I would say it massively is, the top 4 has been a closed shop for years that has made this league turgidly boring for most of the teams without rich owners. For a little club like Leicester to gate crash the party on a limited budget (arguably much lower than ours has been in recent years) would give everyone hope that top flight football does not just mean reaching mid table mediocrity every year (although I would happily take that just now)

Football didn't start in 1992, teams have finished top 4 randomly for years and years, it's only begun to be a big thing since football became what it is now: all about the money and champions league qualification. As a lot more teams get richer we will begin to see there being less of a gulf between the top sides and the mid-table sides. It's becoming easier to break the mould. Finishing fourth represents a good season, but nobody would talk about it as a huge achievement before the premier league era.

 

[Bagpuss]

It's not, you've finished top 4 three times in your history and won the FA cup zero times.


Football didn't start in 1992, teams have finished top 4 randomly for years and years, it's only begun to be a big thing since football became what it is now: all about the money and champions league qualification. As a lot more teams get richer we will begin to see there being less of a gulf between the top sides and the mid-table sides. It's becoming easier to break the mould. Finishing fourth represents a good season, but nobody would talk about it as a huge achievement before the premier league era.

But we are not playing football pre 1992 we are playing it now and in this era where money talks then finishing in the top 4 is massively harder than winning the FA Cup

 

[PeruzziWatch]

But we are not playing football pre 1992 we are playing it now and in this era where money talks then finishing in the top 4 is massively harder than winning the FA Cup

So the FA cup is really easy to win? It's not, it's unbelievably hard to win. Leicester have never won it, but they have finished top 4 before.

 

[Bagpuss]

So the FA cup is really easy to win? It's not, it's unbelievably hard to win. Leicester have never won it, but they have finished top 4 before.

In this day and age yes, it is easier to win the FA Cup than top 4 in Prem imho

So the FA cup is really easy to win? It's not, it's unbelievably hard to win. Leicester have never won it, but they have finished top 4 before.

Wigan and Portsmouth both done it in the last 10 years, same 6 sides been in top 4 every year for those 10 years and for most of those years it was the same 4

 

[PeruzziWatch]

In this day and age yes, it is easier to win the FA Cup than top 4 in Prem imho

These are the teams that have won the FA Cup since 1988...

Arsenal x 7
Man Utd x 6
Chelsea x5
Liverpool x 4
Spurs
Everton
Man City
Portsmouth
Wigan

It is just as hard to win the FA cup these days if you're not a top team as it is to finish top 4. Football has changed because of money and it's been harder to achieve both things for a while now, but finishing top 4 is still not as big an achievement as winning the FA cup.

 

[Bagpuss]

These are the teams that have won the FA Cup since 1988...

Arsenal x 7
Man Utd x 6
Chelsea x5
Liverpool x 4
Spurs
Everton
Man City
Portsmouth
Wigan

It is just as hard to win the FA cup these days if you're not a top team as it is to finish top 4. Football has changed because of money and it's been harder to achieve both things for a while now, but finishing top 4 is still not as big an achievement as winning the FA cup.

Everton, Wigan, Portsmouth etc have never finished top 4 though, the top 4 is exclusive to pretty much 6 sides.

 

[PeruzziWatch]

Everton, Wigan, Portsmouth etc have never finished top 4 though, the top 4 is exclusive to pretty much 6 sides.

I just burst out laughing

 

[Bagpuss]

Not in last decade they havent which is the period I quoted you and is the period where money has really started talking. During that time both Portsmouth and Wigan have both won it but top 4 has largely been the top 4 with Liverpool and Spurs having a dodge in occasionally unless I am very mistaken.

 

[Deano]

For their sake I hope it's top 3 and Champions League. Fine to be in the title mix but they're unlikely to win it and more important long term that they break into the top echelons with Champions League money.

Looking at the current "Big 4", no reason why it can't change over time. Nothing permanently national about Man City or Chelsea, neither of whom were anywhere near the "Big Five" of the 1980s when I was a lad. Forest and Ipswich were two of the teams to fear when I was getting into football in the early 80s. No empires last forever.

 

[PeruzziWatch]

Not in last decade they havent which is the period I quoted you and is the period where money has really started talking. During that time both Portsmouth and Wigan have both won it but top 4 has largely been the top 4 with Liverpool and Spurs having a dodge in occasionally unless I am very mistaken.

Everton finished top 4 in 2004, it's hardly a long time ago. Before City and Chelsea had money they rarely were consistently top 4, these things go in cycles. Chelsea and City broke into the top 4, and that has mainly been a problem for Liverpool (and Spurs to an extent). But Liverpool used to be the greatest team in England for ages, they're not anymore, more evidence that things don't always stay the same, Man Utd are even looking like they won't be dominant ever again like they were, so things are changing in many ways. Man City winning the league would have been unthinkable in the 90's and early 00's. If Leicester become a new top team for a while then that would be nothing new. There used to be only a few teams who had huge amounts of money, now there seems to be a lot.

 

[FishburnMackem]

Honestly? 6th. Be a cracking season for them. Wish we could manage a top 10 finish never f***ing mind a top 6 finish.

Jelous as fuck at the minute... Or maybe just sick as fuck, can't decide.

 

[PJH]

These are the teams that have won the FA Cup since 1988...

Arsenal x 7
Man Utd x 6
Chelsea x5
Liverpool x 4
Spurs
Everton
Man City
Portsmouth
Wigan

It is just as hard to win the FA cup these days if you're not a top team as it is to finish top 4. Football has changed because of money and it's been harder to achieve both things for a while now, but finishing top 4 is still not as big an achievement as winning the FA cup.

So regular top 4-6 sides are a better bet to win the FA Cup. Why is that? Probably down to having a big, talented squad to push on more than one front. So if Leicester finish top 4, they'll be in a better position to try to emulate that the season after and do well in the cups. Win the cup and slide down the league would be a great cup day, but could be relegated soon after. Where are Portsmouth and Wigan now? True we'd take an FA Cup win and a relegation, but we're fighting for survival. Leicester are currently in the title fight and chase for European league placement. In thier shoes would we take a top 4 spot over an FA Cup win?

 

[UltrasLazio1900]

They'll win it and everybody can start believing in football again.

Or top 6 and it's still an amazing achievement.

The funny thing is that I had a peep at their forum and there are some critiques to their Man City showing...(not many) which I thought was preposterous.

Ffs you're having the season of your lives!

 

[Leicester Fan]

Also in the last ten years there have been 40 Champions League spots available and six clubs have had a monopoly on them.

Leicester would have been about 1000/1 to finish top four at the start of the season and about 33/1 to win the FA Cup so those odds suggests winning the FA Cup is thirty times more likely.

As a fan winning the FA Cup is better as you win a trophy, get a day out at Wembley and the Europa League but getting top four is a better achievement as it's harder to do and it gives you a chance to springboard to the next level. If we got there we'd be able to sign players who would have been looking down their noses at us a year before.

They'll win it and everybody can start believing in football again.

Or top 6 and it's still an amazing achievement.

The funny thing is that I had a peep at their forum and there are some critiques to their Man City showing...(not many) which I thought was preposterous.

Ffs you're having the season of your lives!

We haven't played that well for the last three games, before that we were just blowing teams away. Vardy is apparently carrying an injury and Mahrez has looked a touch jaded. When performances have been so high there becomes expectations, realistic or not.

I had real hopes we would win the league after beating Everton but we've not looked that great the last two games and have been given a reality check.

 

[PeruzziWatch]

Also in the last ten years there have been 40 Champions League spots available and six clubs have had a monopoly on them.

Leicester would have been about 1000/1 to finish top four at the start of the season and about 33/1 to win the FA Cup so those odds suggests winning the FA Cup is thirty times more likely.

As a fan winning the FA Cup is better as you win a trophy, get a day out at Wembley and the Europa League but getting top four is a better achievement as it's harder to do and it gives you a chance to springboard to the next level. If we got there we'd be able to sign players who would have been looking down their noses at us a year before.

You have never ever won the FA cup, 33/1 was wildly optimistic. The FA cup is incredibly hard to win if you're not a top side, even Portsmouth and Wigan were PL sides at the time.

The fact that you're downplaying an FA cup win when you've never won it in your history is frankly hilarious.

 

[Leicester Fan]

You have never ever won the FA cup, 33/1 was wildly optimistic. The FA cup is incredibly hard to win if you're not a top side, even Portsmouth and Wigan were PL sides at the time.

The fact that you're downplaying an FA cup win when you've never won it in your history is frankly hilarious.

I'm not downplaying it at all, I'm just saying finishing top four would be a better achievement and open more doors for us than winning the FA Cup.

If we did either this season I'll be happy but I'd take top four every time just for what it could do for the club.