[Archived] Soton Winning, Oh Dear!

[arachnica]

more worringly tho it means that Blackburn have now scored the least goals in the premiership.. wasn't it west brom beneath us originally by one goal???

[S15]

Which three games do you see us winning then ?

Southampton, Palace, Man City, Fulham all at home.... West Brom and Brum away....

We need 9 points from that lot.

Thats HALF.

You really can't see that?

Have you actually seen us recently?

[philipl]

Which three games do you see us winning then ?

On the basis we now have the third tightest defence in the league so 1-0 will do nicely and we have already beaten:

Norwich H

Portsmouth H

Charlton H

Bolton A

Portsmouth A

Fulham A

take any three wins from the following six:

Southampton H

Palace H

Citeh H

Fulham H

Birmingham A

West Brom A

Plus five other less likely candidates.

Incidentally, Rovers last 17 Premiership results:

W5 D7 L5 F17 A13.

What's your problem?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

To win games you have to score goals, thats my problem!

[philipl]

...and we have scored 17 in the last 17 games and let in just 13.

More of the same and none of us have a problem (except for staying awake).

[S15]

To win games you have to score goals, thats my problem!

Convincing argument.

[Hasta]

I'm still confident we'll beat the drop but accept that after the next 4 games we could be in or around the relegation zone. However I've been through the fixtgure lists and have identified late April as being crucial (yes I know thats bleeding obvious).

We play Palace at home on Wednesday the 20th April. Then our next three games are City (H), Birmingham (A), Fulham (H) whilst Crystal Palace face Liverpool (H) , Newcastle (A) and then Southampton (H).

Keeping in mind that before we even play Palace we face Southampton (H) and West Brom (A) then if we go down it really would be a disaster.

[cn_barlow]

looking at the fixtures we have remaining if rovers do not stay up it will be an absolute catastophe!!

If we can pick up a few points where they're not expected (starting today hopefully) and win the games against the teams around us we could still attain a respectable league position this season. That coupled with a cup final appearance would put a smile back on my face for sure!

[rover6]

We just need one striker to hit a bit of form - permitting that we create more chances and we'll be safe.

[1864roverite]

Steads your man

[BRFC4EVA]

Which three games do you see us winning then ?

On the basis we now have the third tightest defence in the league so 1-0 will do nicely and we have already beaten:

Norwich H

Portsmouth H

Charlton H

Bolton A

Portsmouth A

Fulham A

take any three wins from the following six:

Southampton H

Palace H

Citeh H

Fulham H

Birmingham A

West Brom A

Plus five other less likely candidates.

Incidentally, Rovers last 17 Premiership results:

W5 D7 L5 F17 A13.

What's your problem?

There we go, there is 1 win out of the 3 we need. How can anybody say they dont know where our next win is coming from when you consider how well we are playing at the mo!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Great performance today ,thats the best we've played for a long while. If we can maintain that level of commitment we should have no problems. What a difference a day makes, --- sound of me eating humble pie !

[philipl]

Well we are through the nightmare run of fixtures and sure enough, had we lost all four we would have been a precarious 1 point above a relegation place.

Fulham winning by a margin of two has dropped us to 15th on goals scored whilst the win for the Baggies against Everton not only makes Liverpool favourites for 4th place but really stirs things up at the bottom.

Palace, Southampton and West Brom are in a two from three scrap but with Pompey somewhere between dead slow and stalled, they may well be in deep trouble very soon as well.

Rovers have a bunch of games coming up which we have to avoid loosing- victories would be nice but not essential in terms of Prem survival. Seven games to go, six points and goal difference in hand should be more than sufficient to see us OK, especially as the strugglers have a preponderance of fixtures against the top half clubs with European places at stake.

It is easy to see the Prem survival mark coming at around 36 points this season because the battle to avoid the drop is going to produce some heroic performances. Rovers might not be in the battle themselves but how we play against Southampton, Palace and West Brom could well determine their survival and relegation issues.

It all adds to the clubs at the bottom looking at their remaining games and counting the Rovers as amongst the likelier sources of three points. Far from having opponents sitting back and defending, I suspect the next four games at Ewood will be amongst the most entertaining this season, even if we play 4-5-1.

Here's hoping we see no wild celebrations but lots of tears at the Darwen End.

"You're going down with the Norwich"

[1864roverite]

for the record

wba = (h) Rovers, Arsenal and Pompy

(a) Villa,spurs,Boro and Manure

Norwich = (h) manure,Newcastle,Charlton and Brum

(a) Palace, Southampton and fulham

Palace = (h) Norwich,Liverpool and Southampton

(a) Everton, Rovers, Newcastle and Charlton

Southampton = (h) Villa, Norwich and Manure

(a) Rovers, Bolton, Portsmouth and Palace

Simple maths says that The Rovers need to avoid defeat against Southampton and Palace and hopefully a win from the other home games against City and Fulham.

my prediction

wba to get a further 3 points

norwich to get 3 points

southampton to get 6 points

palace to get 6 points

Rovers to snaffle a further 11 points

[philipl]

1864, four draws against Palace, Soton, Baggies and Fulham will see us safe on 37 points even though that would be massively disappointing in terms of looking up the table for place prize money. Apart from anything else, it runs down another game for the clubs below/around us to make up the points deficit. In that scenario for us to go down, two of these three unlikely outcomes have to happen:

Southampton to get 9 points from the other 6 games

West Brom to get 10 points from the other 6 games (assuming they don't overhaul the 9 goal difference disadvantage)

Palace to get 10 points from the other 6 games.

It also assumes, Pompey pick up 6 or 7 points from (h) Charlton, Liverpool, Southampton, Bolton and (a) Man City, West Brom (that could be a tasty end of season affair!)

For the record Fulham have (h) Man City, Newcastle, Everton, Norwich and (a) Bolton, Boro, Rovers so I don't think either they or Brum (already on 36)are in any real trouble.

My end of season prediction looking at the fixtures:

Norwich 23

Palace 33

Soton 34

Baggies 35

Pompey 35

Rovers more than 37

Southampton's game at Ewood next week is absolutely MASSIVE for them.

[1864roverite]

baggies to survive phil ? the sun has obvioisly got to your bonce

[Manchester Blue]

They have won their last two games so on current form you have to think they have a chance. It's all about which teams can put a good run on at the right time like we did last year. West Brom are doing that at the moment.

[Blue blood]

Blimey this is one of the most exciting and closest relegation battles for some time. Southampton WBA and Crystal Palace are all picking up points whilst Portsmouth continue to play absymally. Any of these four could stay up or go down, I really wouldn't like to predict who at the moment.

Rovers can't afford to be too complacent what with the strong form of the aformentioned teams. Relegation is still a possibility and what with the way the bottom 5 bar Norwich are playing the teams just above them should not be breathing too big a sigh of relief just yet.

Having said that our own current form is impressive, and with only draws needed against the bottom teams to stay out of trouble we should do it. Not sure that these 'easy' fixtures will be as comfortable or as rewarding as previously hoped a month or so ago.

[philipl]

Look at the Baggies' current form (three wins in four). They are the team down there producing the results at the moment and with the near £20m spent on transfers, they probably have the most class, most depth and best-balanced squad of the strugglers. They had two against the woodwork as well as the one they scored against Everton today. The 4-1 win at Charlton two weeks ago didn't flatter them either and unlike Palace and Saints, they kept their good run going inspite of the long break.

I don't fancy our chances of getting three points when we go to The Hawthorns and am only grateful that the Semi has pushed that fixture back.

As for the sun, it has been 13 and raining all day today.

[Blue blood]

and with the near £20m spent on transfers, they probably have the most class, most depth and best-balanced squad of the strugglers.

20 million on transfers? Its probably me but I can't think of 5million worth of transfers let alone 20. Ok there's Earnshaw, but other than him I can't remember them spending any big money.

[Manchester Blue]

This says it was £7.45m so think the sun may well have got to Phil ;-)

[Blue blood]

I'm suprised at how busy WBA have been in the transfer market. there's quite a few decent players in that list. They might not have cost 20 mill but there's still a fair bit of talent and a few good pieces of business amongst them. WBA might stay up after all.

Maybe the sun isn't out after all

[American]

Philip inflate transfer numbers?!?!? Never!

[philipl]

That £7.75m list starts from 1 July.

Add Darren Purse £500k, Martin Albrechtson £2.5m, Richard Scimeca undisclosed (rumoured £1m+) who were bought in June 2004 and its in the £12m range.

I thought Horsfield, Gaardsoe and Kinsella (another £4m to £5m for those three) were closed season signings but they arrived last season. Contra is a loan and Kanu and Campbell were completely free transfers.

OK I was wrong - but its still a significant transfer outlay.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Harry Redknapp is still licking his wounds after Saturday's capitulation against Aston Villa.

The Saints were 2-0 up at half-time, before allowing Villa to come back and win the game 3-2.

Redknapp says: "We've got it all to do now. It's about nerves."

The Saints are at the Reebok stadium tomorrow night (Tuesday) and Harry's side have won fewer Premiership points on the road than any other club.

On 24th April, Southampton are away to Portsmouth. Wouldn't the Pompey fans just love it if they helped to send Harry down....

The Saints, who've been in the top flight since 1978 - before Thatcher came to power, haven't got an easy final match of the season either. Their last game, on 15th May, is against Man United. The Saints' penultimate match of the season is at Selhurst Park, away to Crystal Palace.

That looks like being the proverbial classic six-pointer....

A win for Rovers on Wednesday against Palace should virtually guarantee us Premiership football for next season.

Le Sauxs been playing well for Southampton at the moment.

Harry Redknapp doesn't seem to think so Flopsy - Le Saux was dropped to the bench for the Villa match.

A lucrative media career beckons....