[Archived] Other Premier League Happenings

[Mr. E]

Stoke-Newcastle is going to be massive, if Newcastle don't win I definitely see them as favorites to go down.

[DE.]

Still don't see why people are so confident Newcastle are going to do anything. If they don't beat Stoke next week they're finished, IMO.

[1864roverite]

WBA 10 points behind Rovers with a goal difference of 16 to ours, in effect that is 13 points adrift of us = DOOMED

Boro 7 points behind us again with a vastly inferior goal difference, in effect 9 points adrift of us. They have games away at Arsenal and Newcastle, home games agasint Manure and Villa plus Fulham and Pompy. Have to win at least 5 of those games to stand a chance of survival = DOOMED unless Gareth gets a miracle from the Shearer book of fairy tales.

Newcastle - 5 points behind Rovers. 3 out of next 4 are away at Stoke, Spuds and Liverpool, whilst their last game is Villa away. Similar goal difference to Rovers. They will have to win at least 4 games to stand a chance of surviving.

Sunderland - 2 points behind Rovers. Have crucial games on the horizon in hull and manure at home plus Everton. Still have hard games away at WBA, Pompy and Bolton and finish at home to Chelsea. Need 3 wins at the very least.

Pompy - 1 point behind Rovers. Have some games at home coming up which they would fancy to win easy in WBA and Bolton. Their game in hand looms versus manure. Still have newcastle, Rovers, wigan ans arsenal to play.

Hull - same points but worse goal difference than us. Have sunderland, boro, stoke, villa, liverpool, bolton and manure. Could this be the club that is pivotal to the third relegation spot ? The draw specialist team may come to regret to many of them.

Rovers - 34 points in the bag. Home games versus Wigan, Pompy and WBA should see us get at least 6 points that would see us safe DESPITE our injury list and poor home form. Away game at Liverpool is the one to write off, with a mut no lose game away at Stoke a week on saturday. City away should be comfortable as we will more or less know our fate or at least what is required by the time this game comes around.

Stoke - 35 points in the bag. On the face of it it looks like they have enough about them to survive which would be a remarkable effort. Still have rovers, newcastle bolton arsenal, wba, fulham and wham to play but need only 5 points to be safe. By the tiem Rovers visit Stoke they may well have secured 38 points should they beat newcastle and that is something that Rovers could very easily take advantage of.

All other teams would appear to be safe from being dragged into the battle for the 3rd dropspot.

So, here were go, the last 7 games and all to play for. Thank God that Rovers have it completely in their own hands

[Amo]

I think it's funny to see people like Oliver Holt applauding Steve Gibson for keeping faith in Gareth Southgate - just because he's a young English manager. I'm sure they'll appreciate that pat on the back as they're plummeting towards the Championship.

[DE.]

The decision to keep Southgate on has cost them, it's amazing how he hasn't come under more criticism. Boro are crap, 0-4 Spurs, 1-4 Bolton... yet he comes out week after week, says the same thing, and the media applaud him! I'm convinced that Boro are finished, it only remains to see who takes the third spot. If it's Newcastle, it'll be quality.

[Bobby G]

I also think Gibson's nice guy attitude might cost them too, or has already.

Oliver "I talk rubbish" Holt is an idiot. I bet Boro fans can sleep easy at night in the fizzy pop cause they know Oliver Holt praises them for their decision over Southgate...I feel a bit sorry for Southgate, as you can see he is hurting and he was always one of the nice guys in his career. If they keep him till the end of the season, then it would be idiotic not to retain him to give him the chance to get them back up immediately.

[Amo]

I also think Gibson's nice guy attitude might cost them too, or has already.

Oliver "I talk rubbish" Holt is an idiot. I bet Boro fans can sleep easy at night in the fizzy pop cause they know Oliver Holt praises them for their decision over Southgate...I feel a bit sorry for Southgate, as you can see he is hurting and he was always one of the nice guys in his career. If they keep him till the end of the season, then it would be idiotic not to retain him to give him the chance to get them back up immediately.

That's probably the plan now. I can't see them getting anyone else in at this stage.

Did anyone also see our friend Mr.Holt won Sports Writer of the Year (or a similar accolade) a month ago. Must have been a pretty slow year.

[Exiled_Rover]

Holt wins it a lot.

[speeeeeeedie]

So, here were go, the last 7 games and all to play for. Thank God that Rovers have it completely in their own hands

Good summation.

I see two scenarios for us to stay up without help from other teams;

4 points from Stoke & Pompey alone,

or 7 points from all our remaining games regardless of opposition.

[Gav]

I also think Gibson's nice guy attitude might cost them too, or has already.

Gibson's the last of the good guys, Jack Walker esq. in my book, and despite Boro going down, he sees that sacking the manager will server no purpose, and they'll come back stronger in my book.

Good guy and Boro through and through, supported the club for 40yrs and those blokes are rare in modern day football.

[Hughesy]

A good guy maybe... but a fool for not getting rid of southgate - he has done nothing to improve boro and his best players (Tuncay, Downing, Huth) will all want out if they go down.

I really hope we can nick Adam Johnson off them but i doubt it!!

[Gav]

A good guy maybe... but a fool for not getting rid of southgate - he has done nothing to improve boro and his best players (Tuncay, Downing, Huth) will all want out if they go down.

and replace Southgate with who? nobody on the market who could do any better for me.

But its good for us as Boro are doomed.

[Eddie]

I actually think Southgate has the makings a of good manager. He's built a decent side there, they have just not clicked at all. He likes to go for youth and he's signed some interesting prospects. They are in a good position to come straight back up if they go down and if I were them I'd keep Southgate.

[Hughesy]

You cant just go with youth though - they seem to rely on it too much. They should of signed a few more experienced prem players in there.

As for do better? Do better than what - 1 win in 19 games? The signs have been their since early January.

[Hughesy]

Boro still have Arsenal, Man U & Villa to play yet aswell as West Ham away & the Newcastle derby game. They look doomed.

[DE.]

If/when Boro go down they have to keep Southgate... by this point there's no other choice. I think IF Newcastle and Boro went down both would come straight back up.

[DasGelb]

If/when Boro go down they have to keep Southgate... by this point there's no other choice. I think IF Newcastle and Boro went down both would come straight back up.

Don´t forget that Boro´s in huge debt. When they go down they will have to sell all their best players, and probably their fringe ones aswell because of the wages. Can easily see them turn into a new Southampton or Leicester.

[The Prof.]

West Brom is down and I cant see Boro getting about 4-5 wins to survive now.

Id rather had Stoke lose today and kept them closer to the bottom, but its going to be between us, Hull, Pompey, Stoke and Newcastle for the last spot and it could require up to 40-41 points.

That would mean Newcastle getting 4 wins from somehere - never going to happen with their run in. 37/8 might be enough.

Stoke-Newcastle is going to be massive, if Newcastle don't win I definitely see them as favorites to go down.

Defining game for the season next week (again). Might go and cheer Stoke on! If they loose that I think we are safe.

[Fife Rover]

You cant just go with youth though - they seem to rely on it too much. They should of signed a few more experienced prem players in there.

As for do better? Do better than what - 1 win in 19 games? The signs have been their since early January.

Shouldn't that be "of" Hughesy?

[rover6]

I actually think Southgate has the makings a of good manager. He's built a decent side there, they have just not clicked at all. He likes to go for youth and he's signed some interesting prospects. They are in a good position to come straight back up if they go down and if I were them I'd keep Southgate.

Eddie, you seem to have a strange taste in managers - Sven and now Southgate.

Assembling a decent squad with some good players is the easy bit. Making them work together in a strong team is a whole different matter.

Yes, I like the fact that Southgate likes his team to play football (as opposed to those tactical geniuses with their hit and hope). And I like the fact that he signs technically gifted footballers that are sometimes exciting to watch (Tuncay).

However, many of his signings have been terrible. There all so arty farty, to use a technical term. The attacking players can do little flicks and skills but have got no backbone and some of his defensive signings are just boneheads. I think Aliardiare personifies Boro, all pout and no substance and definitely no heart for a battle. In effect, an expensive version of West Bromich.

You're in a dire situation when your most important midfielder can be nullified by being closely marked. Downing has no skill to evade defenders, so if his pace is taken out of the game with good marking and fast defenders, Boro have no outlet.

Having said all that, the standard of manager out there is terrible, so I have no idea who Boro could/could've called upon to save them.

Sven?

[Iceman]

To get to 41 points, Newcastle will have to get 11 points off their next 7 games. We need 7 points off 7 games. I reckon 39 to 41 points will be whats needed to stay up. Can anybody indicate our last 7 games, as well as Newcastle's last 7 games.

[Eddie]

Eddie, you seem to have a strange taste in managers - Sven and now Southgate.

Assembling a decent squad with some good players is the easy bit. Making them work together in a strong team is a whole different matter.

Yes, I like the fact that Southgate likes his team to play football (as opposed to those tactical geniuses with their hit and hope). And I like the fact that he signs technically gifted footballers that are sometimes exciting to watch (Tuncay).

I think you can put this season down as a blip more than anything else, obviously a very serious one, but he'd been doing a good job up until this year. I think that's his team and they'd be smart to let him stay in charge and work with it, but it's also a side that we should really look at raiding as there's some talent there if they go down. I wouldn't want Southgate appointed as Blackburn manager at the moment, but going into this season I was impressed with what he was doing and, whilst this has obviously been a terrible season for them and potentially a catastrophic one, I still think he knows what he is doing and I'd let him see if he turned things around in the championship. He clearly has some good ideas and with one of the keys to success really being having long-term managerial appointments I think staying with him would be smart. As for Sven, well the track record speaks for itself.

[Iceman]

I dont think the Boro squad is any good. There are just a lack of experience around their youth players or younger players. Southgate will become a decent manager, but i wonder how much the sacking of Ince played a part in Gibson not sacking Southgate. Sounds strange, but we got our fair share of criticism for getting rid of a so called promising,up and coming manager. Gibson was he under pressure to avoid a similar backlash, i doubt it but you never know.

[John]

He clearly has some good ideas

Please elaborate Eddie. Some of your recent posts are a joy to read.

[Eddie]

He' signed some very good players, brought through young players pretty well (obviously the academy's success isn't a result of him, but you still have to manage the players well once they start to get close to the first team) and he gets his team to play good football. They've collapsed in the past few weeks and I haven't been watching many of their games so don't know why, perhaps he is doing something totally idiotic but based on what I have seen I don't think that is the case. Sometimes seasons like this do happen though, even with decent managers.