I think we should stop counting our chickens. This thread could be a laugh in 2 months.
I don't think chickens are being counted.
No one seems to be saying we definitely WILL finish in the top 2/3/4...
I think people are just admitting/acknowledging that at the start of the season most of us were worrying / angsting over whether we would be 5th/6th/7th/ or 8th ish, and that now the focus has shifted to 2nd/3rd/4th/5th
That's a good thing.