[Archived] Relegation Watch

[Dan]

That is the only reason we have a chance of staying up. The premiership is such a poor poor league after the 'top 4'.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Wow, I thought Benni was fat until Viduka waddled on.

Martins could and perhaps should have nicked them a point today

[Guest Vinjay606]

Well thank god he didn't.

[speeeeeeedie]

With no midfield to speak of, 1 fit striker, a long injury list, and seemingly no way to win we are still in control of our own fate. I said last week that 4 points from Stoke and Portsmouth would do it, we can't get that now but 2 home wins should.

[sweet]

It will be interesting to see where Owen ends up playing next year and how much he goes for, escpecially if they are relagated.

[stuwilky]

It will be interesting to see where Owen ends up playing next year and how much he goes for, escpecially if they are relagated.

He's unlikely to be on the £100k+ per week he currently enjoys.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Manchester City perhaps would have a look at him.

[Dan]

West Brom have just equalised again Man Shiteh.

[SoccerHQ]

And are losing again surprise surprise.

Boro's next two games in case people haven't noticed are Arsenal away and Manure at home so a point at best from those two games which will take them to 32 points with just three games left.

Newcastle have Liverpool and us (villa) away as their remaining two away games so they'll do well to pick up another point on their travels this season even though we've been @#/? at home this season. So they need minimum 7 points from their last 3 home games to haver a chance imo of staying up. That would take them to 37 points going into the last day.

So I'd say you lot only need another 4 or 5 points to stay up, maybe two wins and 40 points to be totally sure. Boro and Newcastle also play each other in a few weeks so one, if not both will drop points in that one. Loser from that will defo be relegated.

Still struggling big time to come up with a realistic formula that sees Blackburn relegated so sleep easy people. It won't be pretty buy you'll survive.

[gumboots]

And are losing again surprise surprise.

Boro's next two games in case people haven't noticed are Arsenal away and Manure at home so a point at best from those two games which will take them to 32 points with just three games left.

Newcastle have Liverpool and us (villa) away as their remaining two away games so they'll do well to pick up another point on their travels this season even though we've been @#/? at home this season. So they need minimum 7 points from their last 3 home games to haver a chance imo of staying up. That would take them to 37 points going into the last day.

So I'd say you lot only need another 4 or 5 points to stay up, maybe two wins and 40 points to be totally sure. Boro and Newcastle also play each other in a few weeks so one, if not both will drop points in that one. Loser from that will defo be relegated.

Still struggling big time to come up with a realistic formula that sees Blackburn relegated so sleep easy people. It won't be pretty buy you'll survive.

Did you actually watch the game against Stoke yesterday because unless we play rather differently and better we are not getting any more points at all. We were worse than I've ever seen us going forward. Nelsen played well and Ooijer wasn't bad and apart from that we had absolutely nothing.

[DE.]

If we can put together a stronger midfield and get either Roberts or Santa back we'll be OK (or Derbs returning from Greece?), we may even need to stick Dioufy up front with Benni, have Warnock on left wing and Morten Gamst Passenger on the right hand side.

I think we'll be okay, purely by virtue of the teams below us (and Hull) being so, so terrible.

[1864roverite]

Its possible that both of Sunderland and Hull may not win another game this season looking at their fixtures.

Boro wont win any of their next 2 then have the geordies away.

WBA have fluffed any chance of survival after todays loss BUT they have shown a willingness to fight and score goals away from home, BEWARE BRFC.

Geordie FC have to win at least their 3 home games with Villa and Liverpool away, the plus side of them winning all 3 at home is that they will beat Boro who like themselves need points. They play fulham (draw specialists) and Pompy (fellow strugglers).

Like so many say, just 5 or 6 points may do the trick.

3 are essential on Sunday at home to Wigan.

[speeeeeeedie]

3 are essential on Sunday at home to Wigan.

It could well be that both Wigan games define Rovers season. The players owe it to the paying public and even their own pride to show up next week as the game at the JJB was a disgrace.

[JAL]

And are losing again surprise surprise.

Boro's next two games in case people haven't noticed are Arsenal away and Manure at home so a point at best from those two games which will take them to 32 points with just three games left.

Newcastle have Liverpool and us (villa) away as their remaining two away games so they'll do well to pick up another point on their travels this season even though we've been @#/? at home this season. So they need minimum 7 points from their last 3 home games to haver a chance imo of staying up. That would take them to 37 points going into the last day.

So I'd say you lot only need another 4 or 5 points to stay up, maybe two wins and 40 points to be totally sure. Boro and Newcastle also play each other in a few weeks so one, if not both will drop points in that one. Loser from that will defo be relegated.

Still struggling big time to come up with a realistic formula that sees Blackburn relegated so sleep easy people. It won't be pretty buy you'll survive.

Middlesbrough have the capability to beat Manchester United at their place so people shouldnt be suprised as United seem to have taken their foot off the pedal, a Boro win would be great for the premiership if not for ourselves.

Unless out 'top' players suddenly make a miraculous recovery and show an appetite to win then we are right in it.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Genereeally you measure "form" over 6 matches.

I reckon we're about 12th.

That's great, no problem staying up then ! Name me one other team ( not Prem league, any league ) that has gone it's last two games without a shot on their opponents goal.

[philipl]

That's great, no problem staying up then ! Name me one other team ( not Prem league, any league ) that has gone it's last two games without a shot on their opponents goal.

I didn't see it but the only shot on target in the whole of yesterday's first half was our's, according to Opta.

[cn174]

I didn't see it but the only shot on target in the whole of yesterday's first half was our's, according to Opta.

Well Optaman must've been seeing things. I have no recollection of a shot on target that we had, so I checked Lee's minutes by minutes and there is no mention of a shot there unless we are counting this as a Pedersen shot on target:

19 MINS: McCarthy and Diouf a quick free-kick, Pedersen shoots from outside the area, blocked, Nelsen shoots from outside the area, wide.

[Ninjathunder]

Still struggling big time to come up with a realistic formula that sees Blackburn relegated so sleep easy people. It won't be pretty buy you'll survive.

Just did the BBC website predictor with a glass half empty feel (and let's face it, it's bone dry and the moment) and we go down on 37 points. Newcastle escape with 40 points

[DE.]

I can't believe after the amount of awful performances Newcastle give people still think they can gain 10 points I gave us one win for the entire of our run in (WBA home) and we STILL stayed up. Newcastle, Boro and WBA went down. Hull finished below us... we were 16th.

Newcastle have a shocking defence, a midfield as inept as ours and an attacking force that is injury prone and inconsistant. They're going to struggle to make 35, let alone 40.

[Tom]

Not to be pedantic but we actually had a couple of shots on target against pool, weak shots but shot's none the less.

Also while we're being dramatic, what about Hull, 2 defeats in a row against worse opposition than us with a horrendous run in.

[gumboots]

Well Optaman must've been seeing things. I have no recollection of a shot on target that we had, so I checked Lee's minutes by minutes and there is no mention of a shot there unless we are counting this as a Pedersen shot on target:

I didn't see it either. in fact apart from the goal i only recall Robinson having to make one save too. For what it's worth my daughter went ot the post match press conference yesterday and she said Allardyce looked more down than she'd ever seen him. He never looked up at the camera at all.

[DE.]

Hull have won 1 in 17 people have already forgotten that recently we beat Hull 2-1, beat Fulham 2-1 away and also beat Spurs 2-1. The poor performances of the past few games seem to have panicked a lot of people into some serious knee-jerk reactions. Taking into consideration our dire injury situation (especially up front, the area we are undoubtedly weakest right now) losing against Arsenal, Liverpool and Stoke away isn't a huge disaster as long as we can take a win from Wigan next week and Pompey after that.

Losing to Wigan would be cause for serious concern, though I don't foresee Boro or Newcastle picking up points next weekend either.

[Ninjathunder]

Just did the BBC website predictor with a glass half empty feel (and let's face it, it's bone dry and the moment) and we go down on 37 points. Newcastle escape with 40 points

Then again it was on the basis that Hull won a few. Did it again and we survive with 37. Oh what's the point?

[gumboots]

agree it's not a disaster if we can get a couple of wins but the question is, where are those wins coming from? We don't look like getting one at the moment and haven't for a while in that the win against Spurs was completely against the run of play. I've not given up hope yet but realistically i can't see the points coming and think it needs everyone else in our part of the table to be even worse than they look at the moment to get us out of it.

[bob fleming]

I keep doing that BBC Predictor thingy as well. It's good, but takes a bit of time. The good thing is though that with every passing week it takes less time. So that's one positive to take from this season.

I did it earlier today - we picked up just five more points (one win and two draws) and still comfortably stayed up. Yep it means absolutely nothing and if we could all predict the results every week Ladbrokes would be on it's arse. Having said that give it a go - some of the teams around us really do have bad run ins.

Fact is we need either Jason Roberts of Roque Santa Cruz back sharpish. One of the other facts is that if we can't muster 5 or 6 points from the remaining games this season, three of which are at home and are "winnable" (no disrespect to any of those teams there by the way - don't want to fire them up unnecessarily) then we deserve what could well come our way. Oh 'eck.

Finally - on that predictor thingy our win came against WBA on the last day. Pass the valium when you're ready please.