[Archived] Relegation Watch

[dingles staying down 4ever]

The hard work is done. We are back in the pack. Now the really hard work begins.....lets see if we can get clear of the pack. Three points tonight would be a great start.

BTW, an Everton fan at work thinks we'll beat them as they are playing terrible.

COYB.

[67splitscreen]

Not sure if this is the rite thread for your sales pitch.

[67splitscreen]

Not sure if this is the rite thread for your sales pitch.

How silly this post looks now the mod's have removed the previous one.

[bob fleming]

Lost 1-0. Your car breaks down on the way home.

Sorry Sam for not getting back to you sooner. We didn't and it didn't. Thanks though, I did check the oil and water before setting off if that's any consolation.

[dave birch]

Your checked the tyre pressure too, eh Bob

[T4E]

Liverpool win v Sunderland, 20:00 2-0

Portsmouth v Chelsea win, 19:45 0-1

West Brom v Arsena winl, 19:45 0-3

Blackburn win v Everton, 20:00 1-0

Fulham win v Hull, 20:00 1-0

Man City v Aston Villa, 19:45 0-0

Newcastle v Man Utd win, 19:45 0-3

Stoke v Bolton win/draw, 19:45 0-1

Tottenham v Middlesbrough draw, 20:00 0-0

Wigan v West Ham, 19:45 0-0

Wow.....................hope you carry on in that vein tonight!

[Bobby G]

We play Fulham (a), Arsenal (a), West Ham (h), Spurs (h), Liverpool (a), Stoke (a), Wigan (h), Man City (a), Pompey (h), Chelsea (a), West Brom (h).

Games are running out to hit the 40-42 point mark, which I think will have to be reached.

A win against Fulham will go a long away in reducing pressure, cause defeat and follow that up with an expected defeat at Arsenal and we will be in deep trouble going into our home games against the two Londoners. 7 points out of those 4 matches is the minimum expectation but we may need 9. We will have games against Wigan, Portsmouth and West Brom, where we can pick up another 7 and hopefully we avoid defeat against Stoke, a vital vital match. That leaves the Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea games, where I dont expect us to pick up points at all.

Potentially 42 points. Should be enough. But will it be?

[tchocky]

42 would probably be enough. I can only see us getting 35-36 points though. Fingers crossed it will be enough

[SoccerHQ]

42 would probably be enough. I can only see us getting 35-36 points though. Fingers crossed it will be enough

Why, look at your remaining home games.

West Ham- PLaying well and didn't realise they're your bogey team but a win is achieveable as they're losing loads of players to injuries and struggle to score.

Spurs- Don't like the North.

Pompey- Big scrap but I fancy you to beat them at home.

Wigan- Safe and on holdiay already. Nailed on 3 points.

WBA- @#/? and relegated by easter. 3 points no problem.

I reckon from that you'll get 4 wins and a draw which will get you 40 points.

That's without taking into account away games and you've been regularly picking up points since Big Sam came in.

Take a look at your run in compared to Newcastle's and Pompey's and you'll be fine.

[thenodrog]

That's without taking into account away games and you've been regularly picking up points since Big Sam came in.

Our home record is awful. In fact we have just 1 point more from our home matches than our away fixtures.

[Iceman]

3 points dropped rather than 1 point gained. While our relegation rivals all won, we managed to stuff it up against a good, but injury hit team. We cant afford to keep on drawing games, next we will be known as Artists.

[Rover4ever]

3 points dropped rather than 1 point gained. While our relegation rivals all won, we managed to stuff it up against a good, but injury hit team. We cant afford to keep on drawing games, next we will be known as Artists.

Difference is Everton played with their hearts and were content with a point, while Notlob/Fulham seemed to be much more relaxed/nonchalant about losing.

or maybe its just my Rover's bias

[Ricky]

Just did the predictor and ended up with us mid table. Had Boro, West Brom and Hull going down.

I don't think I was too generous with our results.

Hull D

Everton W

Fulham L

Arsenal L

West Ham W

Spurs W

Liverpool L

Stoke D

Wigan W

Man City L

Pompey W

Chelsea L

West Brom W

Got the first two results the wrong way around but still 4 points from the two games as predicted. Anything from Fulham is a bonus.

[jim mk2]

Got the first two results the wrong way around but still 4 points from the two games as predicted. Anything from Fulham is a bonus.

West Ham are Rovers' bogey team and I never fancy our chances against Tottenham so I think 6 points from those games is optimistic. The others look about right but will they be enough to save us ? I don't think so.

[SoccerHQ]

Our home record is awful. In fact we have just 1 point more from our home matches than our away fixtures.

Dosen't mean it can't change.

Fulham have been @#/? away from home for years but still managed to string 3 away wins on the spin at the end of last season to improbably stay up. Bolton also put on a run from nowhere.

Your home form was o.k when Big Sam first came in, 3-0 wins against Stoke and Newcastle and should've beaten Man. City but for a ridiculous collapse so i can't see why youy can't beat Pompey and Spurs.

And on the last day, if you need to improve your goal difference just to make sure, what better way than playing West Brom who are utterly hopeless.

Another big thing that indicates to me you won't be relegated is your record against other relegation rivals is pretty good under Big Sam and even under Ince you took points off them so I jsut can't see anyway you'll go down.

This will be similar to the season when you were looking doomed when Mark Hughes came in and won a string of home games towards the end and survived with something to spare.

[RevidgeBlue]

The failure to put away toothless Everton last night now means the Fulham game comes into the "must win" category imo.

Take away the three away games against three of the "big four" and we will still need about twelve or thirteen points from the other eight games.

If we lose at Fulham then it could be twelve or thirteen from seven - a very stiff task.

If we could somehow miraculously get one win at either the Emirates, Anfield or Stamford Bridge, it would completely transform the situation.

[Paul Mellelieu]

There was an element of fight (as far as i could tell from computer screen) in last night's performance, which is of some comfort. I just can't see us winning enough games.

[SoccerHQ]

Both Boro and Newcastle will seriously struggle to get 40 points looking at their run-ins, 38 points at best for both of them imo.

[Billy Castell]

I somehow get the feeling that Boro and Newcastle are stumbling in some sort of zombie-like state, and that one or both will go down. As it stands, newcastle have no real guile, no leaders and no spirit, and if you take away the Liverpool result, Boro are just not doing anything. At the moment, it looks like we could be safe, but only just.

[JC4LAB]

Robbie Keane will save Spurs and Owen will save Newcastle...Thinks its just between Boro Stoke Portsmouth West Brom and us unfortunately

[Billy Castell]

Owen will play two games and then they'll have to cellotape his legs back together. He'll probably score in those two games, but if you have to rely on someone in his physical state, then you should worry, no matter how good he is or was.

[Hughesy]

We should really break this down. Games we should really be targetting a win, where it will most hurt. Games we should be able to get something, and then finally games where its difficult and even a point is a great result.

Games we need to really need to target a win - Spurs, Stoke, Pompey, West Brom. (That gets us the magical 40 points)

Games we can get something: Fulham, West Ham, Wigan, City

Games where anything is a bonus: Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea

[67splitscreen]

W 3 D 5 L 2 in the Prem under Sam so far.

I don't see those results changing much in the remaining fixtures.

1.4 points from 10.

33 to play for, 15 points gained will be more than enough.

So much for me playing each game as it comes.

Fulham is going to be a real tough result for us, at home there record is exceptional, Home, W8 D 3 L2 GF 21 GA 10, we will need to score at least 2 to take the 3 points. UTD., to give them a hammering, hopefully leaving the door open for us. Draw..

Arsenal, have been blowing hot and cold since there visit to Ewood, there home form is on a par with Chelsea though,Home, W7 D5 L2, watched them against WBA, they looked good, against Stoke not so good, they will be desperate to maintain there status as a top 4 club.

No points this season against the top 5, best we can hope for a draw. Defeat.

WHU, well who knows, Away, W4 D4 L5. Draw.

Spuds, good result against Boro, there next two, Sunderland and Villa away, should indicate if it was a flash in the pan., Away, W3 D4 L8. Win.

Liverpool, will be out of the running for the top spot by then, but still can't see any joy at Anfield, Home, W8 D6 L0. Defeat.

Stoke is going to be a very tough game, Jan signings have come good for them (Beattie) never say die attitude. Home, W7 D4 L3 Draw.

Wigan, will be in no mans land, we have to win, Away, W 3 D4 L7. Win

City, again hot and cold seem to do OK at home no draws though, we need one, Home, W9 D 0 L 5. Draw.

So hopefully 37 points with 3 to go, anything better, I'll be singing the blues. COYB.

Two wins from the last 3 to buck the trend under Sam, here's hoping for 43 points, get the feeling it will be 4 points from the last three.

Pompey, will be in the same boat as us. Away, W2 D5 L6. Draw,

Chelsea, Home, W7 D5 L2. Defeat,

WBA, Already down but will have a point to prove. Away, W1 D2 L11. Win.

E.& E.O.

[steelcityblue]

Table of results of relegation rivals since Big Sam took over

Pos Team Played Points GD

9 West Ham 12 21 +7

10 M City 11 17 +4

11 ROVERS 10 14 +4

12 Sunderland 10 14 0

13 Bolton 11 13 -7

14 Spurs 10 12 +2

15 N'cstle 12 12 -6

16 WBA 11 10 -9

17 Stoke 11 9 -7

18 M'boro 11 6 -13

19 Portsmth 11 5 -11

20 Hull 11 5 -15

Apologies if errors but I think that's largely right. So plenty of teams doing worse than us. Next 10 games overall generally tougher than last 10 but looking at this encouraged me at least. Keep the faith!

[47er]

We should really break this down. Games we should really be targetting a win, where it will most hurt. Games we should be able to get something, and then finally games where its difficult and even a point is a great result.

Games we need to really need to target a win - Spurs, Stoke, Pompey, West Brom. (That gets us the magical 40 points)

Games we can get something: Fulham, West Ham, Wigan, City

Games where anything is a bonus: Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea

Yes-absolutely agree with that. The hardest game in the "must-win" category is Spurs and we usually perform in that fixture.

In the "games where we can get something" I can see us beating Fulham because we usually do, perhaps a draw against West Ham because its way overdue and really anything could happen against Wigan or City. 7 points from those 4 would be great and not at all beyond us.

I could see us keeping Arsenal goal-less but that's all. Chelsea are back to scraping through 1-0 and surely Liberpool have made their big blunder against Boro.

Realistically, a minimum of 14 points and a max of 16. Thats how I see it.