La Liga 2017/18

[khaled_a_d]

you're right that we have been robbed 4 points in the last two matches. my point more generally is that our lead in the table, with or without those points, is artificially inflated. we have not played well, and it just so happens that our competitors have been off form as well. it is a strange year in la liga. the reason i say it's hard to be cheery about it is that in any other year, we would be paying dearly--for example, madrid would not be far behind, or might indeed have been ahead, had they not unwisely sold morata and loaned james. but those things are out of our hands, and that is what i mean by our 'luck'.

Hmmm, I totally disagree with that.
We lost 6 points,that make us on our way of 99 or 98 point season.It happened like 3 seasons that a team came close to that. if we weren't robbed 4 points we were have been in way greater position. The other teams are on the normal level of other contenders usually are.
We made our luck, same way if season spiraled downward it will be us not them

 

[Horatio]

my point more generally is that our lead in the table, with or without those points, is artificially inflated. we have not played well

It's not artificially inflated. The games we won were deservingly done so. With a sharper team we would have scored even more goals with the countless of times we wasted big chances and hit the bar.
Also this claim that we are leading because of other teams failing is nonsense. How many teams even when in form will be able to better an 11 win 3 draw start of the season.
-Valencia is actually performing better than they usually do.
-Real dropped:
In 11/12 8 points at this point
In 12/13 13 points at this point (supposedly one of the best performing Real team)
In 13/14 8 points (ditto)
14/15 6 points
15/16 15 points
16/17 8 points

So highly likely we would still be in lead if Real were 'in form'.

We are not playing well according to Barca standards, but that doesn't mean we are not playing well enough to deserve the lead we have now.

The other teams are on the normal level of other contenders usually are.

Exactly this. People somehow created this idea that because Barca is not playing the level that they are used to but still gotten good results on their own merit they are suddenly lucky that the other teams are performing as their usual expected selfs.

 

[Alik]

Hmmm, I totally disagree with that.
We lost 6 points,that make us on our way of 99 or 98 point season.It happened like 3 seasons that a team came close to that. if we weren't robbed 4 points we were have been in way greater position. The other teams are on the normal level of other contenders usually are.
We made our luck, same way if season spiraled downward it will be us not them

According to Lee Romeno's thread, we're on to an 88 point season.

 

[khaled_a_d]

According to Lee Romeno's thread, we're on to an 88 point season.

36 points per 14 games. How is that 88 points season?

 

[Alik]

36 points per 14 games. How is that 88 points season?

It compares the results of the matches we have played this season to the same matches (vs same clubs) that we played last season.

In other words, if we take the our current results and if the results of our remaining matches turn out to be exactly the same as last season, we will get 88 points.

 

[Messi983]

It compares the results of the matches we have played this season to the same matches (vs same clubs) that we played last season.

In other words, if we take the our current results and if the results of our remaining matches turn out to be exactly the same as last season, we will get 88 points.

Yeah, but he also wrote this...

Barcelona now looking to head to around 88 points, while Atletico is really close behind Real with expected 83/81 points.

So even if we "only" end up with 88 points we should still win the league comfortable based on his predictions. But things don't work like this. Just because we lost against Alaves at home last season it doesn't mean we'll lose against them again this season when they are much worse team. Teams, especially those mid-and-lower table change their squads and coaches a lot from season to season and their form can also vary a lot. It also depends on when you play against those teams. Maybe you have "good luck" to play against them when they are in bad form or have injury problems. Or maybe they are "lucky" enough to caught us on our bad day. Also, there are 3 newly promoted teams in the league that we can't compare our results against them from last year. So I think it's really hard to make any conclussions based on head to head result comparision between two seasons.

But anyway, hats off to [MENTION=17987]LeeRomeno[/MENTION] for doing a great job in his thread.

 

[LeeRomeno]

Yeah, but he also wrote this...



So even if we "only" end up with 88 points we should still win the league comfortable based on his predictions. But things don't work like this. Just because we lost against Alaves at home last season it doesn't mean we'll lose against them again this season when they are much worse team. Teams, especially those mid-and-lower table change their squads and coaches a lot from season to season and their form can also vary a lot. It also depends on when you play against those teams. Maybe you have "good luck" to play against them when they are in bad form or have injury problems. Or maybe they are "lucky" enough to caught us on our bad day. Also, there are 3 newly promoted teams in the league that we can't compare our results against them from last year. So I think it's really hard to make any conclussions based on head to head result comparision between two seasons.

But anyway, hats off to [MENTION=17987]LeeRomeno[/MENTION] for doing a great job in his thread.

Hey!

Of course this is not scientific, but essentially should show in perspective how we and main opponents are doing compared to previous season. My biggest surprise was that although our results have been ok this season, they are actually worse compared to same fixtures last year, which shows we have had relatively easy schedule so far and many chokepoints are still ahead.
When it comes to 3 new teams, I have just compared results to respective 3 worst teams who got relegated. In most of cases newcomers fall straight back, so it should be similar strength teams. Not always of course.

 

[serghei]

Hey!

Of course this is not scientific, but essentially should show in perspective how we and main opponents are doing compared to previous season. My biggest surprise was that although our results have been ok this season, they are actually worse compared to same fixtures last year, which shows we have had relatively easy schedule so far and many chokepoints are still ahead.
When it comes to 3 new teams, I have just compared results to respective 3 worst teams who got relegated. In most of cases newcomers fall straight back, so it should be similar strength teams. Not always of course.

They are not worse.

 

[Messi983]

Alaves coming back from 2 goals down to 3-2 last second away win at Girona, Ibai Gomez with a hattrick. Great start for Abelardo on Alaves's bench.

 

[aaron101]

Ok. But Atleti needs to go to RM and Barça. So they are a bit "downhill" cause of that.

Valencia flopped as I suspected... That was to good to be true for them.

Leicester story type is once in 10 years.

Valencia didn't flop lol. It's their FIRST loss this season. They're not even supposed to be 2nd on the table, it's supposed to be Real Madrid or Atletico. They are over achieving so far.

 

[JerseyAddict]

Valencia didn't flop lol. It's their FIRST loss this season. They're not even supposed to be 2nd on the table, it's supposed to be Real Madrid or Atletico. They are over achieving so far.

Tell me more. FIRST loss? Wouldn't know.

 

[Horatio]

Tell me more. FIRST loss? Wouldn't know.

It's Valencia's first loss.

 

[JerseyAddict]

In the moment when All other 3 contenders are playing in Europe, refs are cutting Barça's feet and RM has shitty form while Barça has a shitload of injuries, Valencia plays vs Getafe with 1 player more for 75 minutes. And what they do? They LOOOOOSE... There is no better word for it. For a team that has only La Liga (CDR is more like a side dish) to concentrate on they have a player more for 75 minutes. They KNOW that everything is going in their hands (RM shitty form and refs stopping Barça's run) what they do? They lose with player more.

That is a FLOP.

2.
[COLOR=#878787 !important]informal
a total failure.
[COLOR=#878787 !important]"the play had been a flop"
[/COLOR]

failure, disaster, debacle, catastrophe, loser;

[/COLOR]

 

[te amo barca]

In the moment when All other 3 contenders are playing in Europe, refs are cutting Barça's feet and RM has shitty form while Barça has a shitload of injuries, Valencia plays vs Getafe with 1 player more for 75 minutes. And what they do? They LOOOOOSE... There is no better word for it. For a team that has only La Liga (CDR is more like a side dish) to concentrate on they have a player more for 75 minutes. They KNOW that everything is going in their hands (RM shitty form and refs stopping Barça's run) what they do? They lose with player more.

That is a FLOP.

2.
[COLOR=#878787 !important]informal
a total failure.
[COLOR=#878787 !important]"the play had been a flop"
[/COLOR]

failure, disaster, debacle, catastrophe, loser;

[/COLOR]

This is not flopping. They choked in this very situation, but some losses here and there are almost inevitable.

 

[Horatio]

This is not flopping. They choked in this very situation, but some losses here and there are almost inevitable.

I don't even think it is a case of choking. Getafe was resilient and keeper had match of a lifetime.