[Archived] Relegation Watch

[Paul Mellelieu]

Liverpool 1-0.

[rovers1993]

pool 2-0 up... feel sorry for the toons mainly because my bro is a avid fan of them and it'll be sad not seeing a family derby any more but anyhow this is an excellent result for us.

[brfcshabba]

First time I have supported Liverpool in a match I think, anyhow we could do with a few more going in.

[yoda]

First time I have supported Liverpool in a match I think, anyhow we could do with a few more going in.

Looks likely, Liverpoo are all over the toons

[1864roverite]

Cheer up Alan Shearer oh what can it mean, to a sad barcode muppet with a shyte football team......

Definately he bit off more than he could chew in thinking he could achieve the impossible.

Will be really intrigueing if Hull snatched a point at Villa !

Cant wait for the most biggest match EVER next week. Pick it as a definate draw.

[John]

Thought the same when they were playing Pompey, but Newcastle are dreadful. So bad, they are sinking....

We looked abysmal too against Liverpool, but this is crunch time for the Geordies.

I think the worrying can nearly stop, there are some truly awful teams in the Premiership!!

[Paul]

So seven of the bottom eight have now played this weekend and have managed to score ONE goal between them and all seven have been defeated in apparently very one-sided games - Rovers excepted by accounts from some who went.

This is a real indictment of the quality of the PREMIER league. Pathetic is the only word I can think of to describe the poverty of the football in the bottom third of the table. How the chairmen of the PL have the brass neck to leave the word "premier" in there I don't know. It's time the people who run the game took a long hard look at the so called "best league in the world." I haven't a clue what goes on in leagues in other countries but if this is the best world has to offer the rest must be indecribably bad.

How much longer are we all going to put up with this ridiculous hype? I've seen two decent matches in recent months, Rovers at home to City and then Wigan (which hardly qualified as a classic). I realise I tend to bang on about this every now and again but looking at the weekend's results and performances one has to wonder what is happening.

It isn't going to last much longer.

[brfcshabba]

indecribably

Nice Word

[1864roverite]

Paul, this season is a freak season with the bottom 13 all fighting to stave off the threat of the drop.

Chelsea, Manure, Liverpool and Arsenal aside, there is not one team from the rest that is "better" than the rest.

City have spent net £100m are they really threatening the top 7 ?

Villa have spent an incredible amount of money themselves are they consistently better than the rest ?

Everton have spent little but wisely, are they any better than the rest ?

Stock answer is not really. Rovers have given all 3 of the above good games and look at where we are.

Next season, the league will be different. The bottom 6 teams will consist of Wolves, Brum, Bolton, Stoke, and whoever survives from Boro, Hull, Pompy, Sunderland or Newcastle.

There will then be the next phase of the mini Premiership and I am certain that Rovers will be in that group that includes Spurs, Fulham, City, Wham and Villa.

Even with the players we have today, we have shown we can compete at times and its only consistency and injuries that have cost the 7 or 8 points we should have had in the bag.

I consistently look at us and compare Rovers to City. They spend Millions and they are a tad better than us. Thats the stock reality of the situation this season, its a freak season to have so many performing below standard. the reason being simple MONEY and ATTITUDE.

[DE.]

So seven of the bottom eight have now played this weekend and have managed to score ONE goal between them and all seven have been defeated in apparently very one-sided games - Rovers excepted by accounts from some who went.

This is a real indictment of the quality of the PREMIER league. Pathetic is the only word I can think of to describe the poverty of the football in the bottom third of the table. How the chairmen of the PL have the brass neck to leave the word "premier" in there I don't know. It's time the people who run the game took a long hard look at the so called "best league in the world." I haven't a clue what goes on in leagues in other countries but if this is the best world has to offer the rest must be indecribably bad.

How much longer are we all going to put up with this ridiculous hype? I've seen two decent matches in recent months, Rovers at home to City and then Wigan (which hardly qualified as a classic). I realise I tend to bang on about this every now and again but looking at the weekend's results and performances one has to wonder what is happening.

It isn't going to last much longer.

I'd argue it only shows the increasing gap between those who can spend money (Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Villa) and those who can't (everybody else, with a couple of clubs such as Spurs and Man City who will eventually break away if they continue to spend the money they're spending). The clubs around 6th - 10th are okay, but still beatable by anybody beneath them.

Championship football is far more entertaining to watch... mainly because it's not a league crowded with teams so desperate to cling to the financial rewrads of the league that they will sacrifice playing football in favour of grinding out results.

[Paul]

Nice Word

thanks

[leftfooter]

The gap between the top clubs and the also-rans is becoming a European wide trend. La Liga resembles the SPL such is the gap between the top 2 and the third place team.

[chocky]

The gap between the top clubs and the also-rans is becoming a European wide trend. La Liga resembles the SPL such is the gap between the top 2 and the third place team.

Any regular watcher of La Liga knows the football can be dire...dominated even more than the premiership by just two teams..The diving cheating and trying to get your opponants booked is a disgrace...At least the premiership has a closer top 6....I know that Manchester United have dominated the premiership but it has been closer on many occasions than the results show...

[leftfooter]

Any regular watcher of La Liga knows the football can be dire...dominated even more than the premiership by just two teams..The diving cheating and trying to get your opponants booked is a disgrace...At least the premiership has a closer top 6....I know that Manchester United have diminated the premiership but it has been closer on many occasions than the results show...

Chelsea will probably never win the Premier League again. Liverpool are unlikely to (barring Dubai takeover). Only Arsenal might and that's a big might.

As for the 'diving cheating and trying to get your opponants booked' yes true, but couldn't we say similar re the Liverpool v Chelsea encounters we've witnessed recently?

[chocky]

Chelsea will probably never win the Premier League again. Liverpool are unlikely to (barring Dubai takeover). Only Arsenal might and that's a big might.

As for the 'diving cheating and trying to get your opponants booked' yes true, but couldn't we say similar re the Liverpool v Chelsea encounters we've witnessed recently?

I don't agree that Chelsea will never win again...They get the right manager and they will be in the mix again...As for cheating premiership clubs unfortunately you are right, it has started to edge into our game...but not in the same league as the Spanish....If only the refs had more balls and booked a few for their efforts it could be sqashed very quickly...

[leftfooter]

Next season, the league will be different. The bottom 6 teams will consist of Wolves, Brum, Bolton, Stoke, and whoever survives from Boro, Hull, Pompy, Sunderland or Newcastle.

There will then be the next phase of the mini Premiership and I am certain that Rovers will be in that group that includes Spurs, Fulham, City, Wham and Villa.

Even with the players we have today, we have shown we can compete at times and its only consistency and injuries that have cost the 7 or 8 points we should have had in the bag.

Agree with virtually all your post 1864, only edited it for brevity.

A agree that presuming we stay up 'we shouldthe next phase of the mini Premiership and I am certain that Rovers will be in that group that includes Spurs, Fulham, City, Wham and Villa'.

The reason why it is/was so important to stay up this season is that the likes of Pompey, Wham and poss' Sland can only buck the market once before finding the air exceedingly rarified sitting on such mountains of debt. I expect Pompey to continue selling the family silver and making do with ageing warhorses like James and Hreiddson.

It's important we invest though.

[yoda]

maybe the prem should take a leaf out of the F1 book and have a cap on spending

[gumboots]

The French league is poor. They are actually having a bit of a battle at the top this year with Marseille and Bordeaux currently ahead of Lyon and there's a possibility Lyon could even finish 4th but below that there's very lttle. They score very few goals and although I love going to watch my team, Lorient, play when I'm over there, I reckon Rovers would beat them 9 times out of 10 at least.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Wow, are they that bad ?

[The Prof.]

maybe the prem should take a leaf out of the F1 book and have a cap on spending

They should but with matchday revenues at OT in the region of £1m why would MU etc. go for that?

[champions1995]

Great result for Rovers today with Sunderland losing and apparently they were dire. I really can't see Sunderland winning one of their remaining three games.

They've got:

Bolton (A) - Bolton have been so inconsistent this season, but they have been reasonably good at home against the poorer clubs and Sunderland haven't won away since December when they beat Hull.

Pompey (A) - Pompey have improved of late and have become much harder to beat under Paul Hart and have lost just three in their last 11 games - compared to 10 in 16 under Tony Adams. Big ask for Sunderland to take maximum points here.

Chelsea (H) - Chelsea's championship bid will be over by then, but they are still a formidable force and far to good for Sunderland.

Great result with Newcastle losing, but I still feel they may just stay up.

We should be ok

[Fylde Coast Fan]

Anything at all from next week's game with Pompey and we should be safe. Newcastle-Boro has 1-1 written all over it.

[Hughesy]

I can see Boro beating Newcastle. Also just seen Sunderland on MOTD - they are awful.

[McClarky]

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if all the teams below us failed to win another game, they are a dire lot. This weekend the only teams in the bottom half to not lose were Wigan and Bolton who drew with each other. There hasn't ben a run of form from anyone which is reflected in how we have managed to surge away from the bottom despite losing our last 4 away games on the bounce. Incredibly I think we have enough points already although a win next wek would round it off.

Best league in the world you know.

[BRFC1995]

my desire to see newcastle go and implode in the championship weighed against what is best for our own survival makes me both want to see hull win tomorrow and also lose......being a gambler i think we will do enough off our own bat to survive and i can see me getting behind hull on the tv tomorrow, newcastle go down, preston to come up to be whipping boys next season,leeds to lose in play off semis that along with our survival will be a great end to the season.