City Vox Pops, part 9

Fourth place. Who do you see as favourites, what will be the difference, and can we do it?

Gary, We've Got Robinho
"I honestly think that City are favourites for fourth. I am sure if you read my blog you will know I am very very biased at times when it comes to City but in this case I think it's there for all to see that we are favourites. We are level on points with Spurs with a game in hand and we still have to play them at home, we are a point above Liverpool with a game in hand and we are four points clear of Villa and we still have to play them at home as well, it is in our own hands!

My opinion is that we are better than all of the other fourth-place contenders and if we play well for the rest of the season the difference between us getting fourth and one of them getting it will be our class.

Of course, I am going to say that I think City can get fourth, the thing is my optimism this time round is actually backed up by the fact that we have a good team now. We will ultimately just have to wait and see but I am quite sure that we can do it".

Danny, Bitter & Blue
"Although there are four sides going for it, I think Aston Villa will fall away as they have done in previous seasons. I did think it would be a battle between ourselves and Liverpool, but Spurs have impressed (and surprised) me with their consistency.

It's amazing to think we are just six points and nine goals shy of setting new Premier League records and shows just what a good season we have had to date so far even if there has been a sense of underachievement.

People have pointed to our run in as being the toughest, but in our favour is we have to play both Aston Villa and Tottenham at home, plus some other big games in which we usually reserve our best form for. You have a feeling that when the Tottenham game is re-arranged, it will have a huge bearing on the final outcome such will be the tight margins involved.

It will take late 60's, possibly as high as 70 points to secure fourth. Of course we can do it, but from an outsiders point of view you might say Liverpool are favourites.

We had a big win over Chelsea which could be the result to really generate some momentum and if we can profit from the break we are currently on - with Mancini being a key component - then I wouldn't back against us to achieve fourth come the end of the season".

Jason, This Is Our City
"Looking at the four clubs fixtures I think Aston Villa are going to struggle. The Spuds don't have a bad fixture list but still tough and they have lost an influential player in Tom Huddlestone.

I think it's between Liverpool and City. What's needed is a run of wins as of now and I really do think we can do it if we perform like we did at Chelsea".

Alan, Blue Days
"Looking at the league table, we appear to be favourites, but that assumes all remaining games are equal - and in the Premier League that's patently not the case. I think we have the hardest run-in, which more than cancels out our game in hand. If Torres and Gerrard stay fit until the end of the season, then I'd make Liverpool favourites.

One advantage is we're not in any Cup competitions. Spurs and Villa will still be giving their all for the FA Cup while Liverpool are naming strong sides for the Europa League. This could be a costly mistake if fatigue and injuries affect their league form.

The Chelsea result can't be a one-off as we'll require a consistency in churning out victories that we've yet to show. We could do it as the manager's had time to settle in and we've now got Tevez back. Mancini was entitled to focus on the defence when he arrived and, having sorted that out, he needs to restore the attacking balance required to win rather than draw games.

I'd love us to pull away from the pack, but fear it's going down to the wire - which raises the dreaded prospect of a 'typical City' moment. I'll just close my eyes and hope for a Gillingham '99 rather than Luton '83!".

Wallace, ESPN Soccernet
"Can we do it? In a word, no. I thought sixth at the start of the year and I've seen nothing from Hughes and Mancini that ever gave an indication that the club wasn't going to end up in that position. With the exception of right-back, City are a completely rebuilt team over the past 14 months. Such a situation rarely ever generates instant success. Liverpool, for all of their troubles, remain my pick to take fourth. Spurs fifth, followed by City, Villa and Everton.

Injuries remain the key. If Torres is fit then Liverpool should be fine. Modric is critical to Redknapp's regime in North-East London and the fitness of Tim Cahill will help determine where Everton finish. Villa have to get over the psychological barrier of O'Neill's winless March syndrome.

City can play some magical football and are excellent on the counter attack. The diamond formation used in the first thirty minutes against Bolton has potential to open up the most challenging of defences, but our problem remains simple - there is no midfield play-maker and
without such a player we run the risk of drawing against sides they should beat, Stoke being the prime recent example.

Sixth would be a great success for the club and it is disappointing that we seem to be in a cycle of it's either fourth or it is failure. A strong top sixth position and some needed fine tuning in the summer and I would see City as the clear favourite for fourth next season with a points total much closer to the top three than those chasing the pack.

There is no quick fix. I disagreed with Hughes on a lot of issues, but in that point he was dead on".

Lloyd, Man City Issues
"I think it's between us and Liverpool. I'm not sure Villa have enough goals in them and Spurs (like City) are too inconsistent. Obviously, Liverpool slipped up last night at the DW, but it's definitely going to go down to the wire.

Torres has just returned and if he starts scoring again then Liverpool could start to pull away. However, don't write Villa and Spurs off just yet because they could easily go on a run and gain some confidence.

Fourth place is Mancini's to lose and I honestly think that we will can do it, with Tevez and Bellamy making all the difference in attack. But the most important factor will be the defence and to see if Kompany and Lescott can build on the foundations they have already set.

It'll be very interesting and our season will be defined on how we perform against the likes of Villa, Spurs and Everton in the coming weeks".

Boris, CityShout
"When people have asked me about City’s chances, my stock answer all season has been 'Ask me after the next two games' – not because I’m indecisive but because we always seem to be approaching some sort of hurdle or we’re in some sort of mini-crisis. The truth is that we are approaching the business end of the season and there’s nowhere to hide.

This fortnight has seemed like a year. Two weeks is a long time to go without football when all around others are still actively involved, after Sunday though it’s back to business and barring freakish weather or some other catastrophe, the matches will come thick and fast. This will suit City - as long as we get off to a flyer against Sunderland. Historically we’ve had mixed fortunes at the Stadium of Light but it has hardly been one of our graveyards. The trip to Fulham doesn’t usually bode well but they have to shoe-horn our visit in between trips to Old Trafford and Juventus, plus a cup replay against Spurs somewhere in the mix. I just wonder where we lie in Roy Hodgson's plans.

After that it’s more straight forward – nine games left, six at home. Could we remain unbeaten at home this season? Yes we can. The defence is starting to look resolute; the midfield has bite though it’s still missing the Stephen Ireland of last year. Adebayor still has three games left of his ban but Bellamy and Tevez seem to be running on horse adrenalin. The injury list gets shorter by the week and at last we’re starting to gel as a unit.

If you class Villa and Spuds as our true rivals we have to remind ourselves that they have cup distractions and we don’t. Noises from the club suggest we’re going to take a single-minded approach to finishing in the top four. I believe we can do it".

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