[Archived] Relegation Watch

[DE.]

and my question still stands - what have the optimistic few on here seen that suggests something WILL change?

I'll repeat it for you one more time.

- Defence is vastly improved, we don't leak anymore as much goals. We've also brought in Givet who looks to be a solid addition to defence. Right-back in the one area we're somewhat weak in, but it's not a crippling weakness.

- Strikeforce is also an improved area, we have seen that McCarthy and Roberts can work well together and score goals. RSC can score, but I am unsure as to whether his heart is in it anymore. Part of me wishes he'd been sold in the transfer window and a replacement brought in, but what's done is done. He can score goals if he wants to.

- Heart. I know some are desperate to convince themselves the team is dead in the water but the fact is we fought from 2-0 back against Bolton to gain a point, and we're not letting teams overrun us in the same way we did under the Ince tenure which is encouraging.

Our big issue is midfield, but with a bit of luck we'll be okay there too.

Hopefully that clears up your confusion a little. It is possible to be optimistic, but if you're going to look at everything in a negative light then I suppose it won't make much sense to you. I'd rather be optimistic than pessimistic, as I don't have the need to say "I told you so" if we go down, I'll just be disappointed.

[RevidgeBlue]

We need 4 points, ideally 6 from our next 3 games (United A, Hull A, Everton H).

If we dont manage that, then its time to start worrying.

Extremely optimistic that Hughesey, I think things will get a lot worse before they get better.

I did that predictor thingy a few weeks ago and had us staying up but could only see us getting two points from the next five games and having to rely on a late rally including winning the last two home games against Pompey and WBA.

I think those of a nervous disposition had better look away as I'm fairly convinced we'll be playing 90 minutes football for 40m quid and our very existence at this level against The Baggies on the last day.

No pressure there then.

[Wolverine]

Of course we want it

The atmosphere at Ewood suggests otherwise.

I know Coventry wasn't a league game, but jesus. The bloke behind me complained about our first goal for gods sake.

[philipl]

At this stage with 15 games remaining, there are no hard or easy run ins as every club has roughly the same mix of clubs to play.

It will look differently at 6 games out by which time our fixtures will look relatively better than others' will.

We've still got to get the points though- in '99, nobody would have forecast the Forest home defeat which in the end was the difference between relegation and staying up.

[BRFC1995]

aaaaaaaaggggggghhhhh

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

2-1 Stoke.

We're buggered.

[TimmyJimmy]

Can't agree with anything you've said there... I for one am a season ticket holder sat in the pocket of fans who DO still stand and sing in the BB End, whether we're winning or losing. I'll back the players and sing my heart out from minute 1 to 90, but I reserve the right to express my frustrations on here when we're still bottom 3 and look likely to go down. Fans can speculate about who's better than who all day long, but unless we start winning games against whichever team we come up against, we're going to get relegated, and that's the cold, hard truth of the matter. At the moment we're statistically better than two teams in the league, and that might not be true in just over 24 hours unless our boys pull their socks up.

The idea that "the negative garbage spouted on here" is what will relegate us is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on here. If that were the case then by the same token Newcastle "Sack The Board" United should've been relegated a long, long time ago and Hull should be winning the league.

Incectide / Den, you miss the point. It's not about who has the right to an opinion and by the way you're not the only ones to have followed the team home and away for decades, this isn't a dick measuring competition. The point of the post is that there's a time and place critique the players, the attitudes, the trustees, the pies, whatever, but the time is not now. We are in dire sh*t and we ALL need to get together to drag us out of the mess. It's about controllable variances ie focus only on the things we can control and as fans the ONLY thing we can control is the atmosphere at the ground. All this negative stuff drains people and when they get to the matches they are already half defeated before they turn up. There's no place for your frustrations right now, we all need to do our jobs and mine is to get to matches and make as much positive noise as I can get out. Hopefully you feel the same way. Ask yourself how many battles were won by going into the fight saying there's zero chance of victory. Up and at 'em! Come the close season I'll join you in lynching a few people but right now let's do our job.

[Plastic Head]

We're definately going down after today.

Can not see us getting even close to 40 points, I doubt we'll get 35.

Prepare for the next league down and see what we can salvage for next season.

By the way, Andrews still won't be good enough.

[Manc Rover]

pompey equalised, get in!

[1864roverite]

as long as we dont ship 5 or more we stay where we are with a game in hand

[den]

as long as we dont ship 5 or more we stay where we are with a game in hand

What's the chances of conceding 5 or less? Evens?

[philipl]

Had a good laugh catching up with this thread this evening!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We're definately going down after today.

With all respect mate your username suits you well!

[blue phil]

Had a good laugh catching up with this thread this evening!

Hindsight eh , Philip ?

I'll be honest anyway . I predicted a 4-0 defeat after watching the Coventry debacle last week .

Good performance today .....but no points . At this stage I'd rather play garbage and get something . Especially against lesser teams than the Mancs .

[DE.]

Have we taken ANY points from a top 4 team this year (or top 5, including Villa)? I'm not surprised by the result, but you would have thought we might have at least managed a draw against one of the 'big' four by now...

Anyone saying we're down after today is just being ridiculous. The next few games are crucial, though.

[The Prof.]

Hindsight eh , Philip ?

I'll be honest anyway . I predicted a 4-0 defeat after watching the Coventry debacle last week .

Good performance today .....but no points . At this stage I'd rather play garbage and get something . Especially against lesser teams than the Mancs .

6-0!

[philipl]

No real time.

Sooner or later the teams at the bottom around us are going to start picking up surprise results so I half expect the Baggies to win at Fulham today.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

We're definately going down after today.

Can not see us getting even close to 40 points, I doubt we'll get 35.

Prepare for the next league down and see what we can salvage for next season.

By the way, Andrews still won't be good enough.

So, by the sounds of it you were expecting three points off Man Utd. I can't see how yesterday's result affects anything as nobody was expecting anything other than a very heavy defeat.

Lets see what we get at Hull....if we lose there then I'll probably agree with you

[67splitscreen]

All though I'm 50/50 of use surviving, I have decided to adopt the old football adage of, take each game as it comes. No one can predict with certainty even the points required to stay up as yet, never mind who will be relegated, when they can say 4-5 games from the finish line, need X points, then the reality set's in, and we know exactly where we lie.

I will not give up hope until it is mathematically impossible for us to stay up.

Going off the second half performance at OT, if we can produce even 80% of that commitment, resilience and the will to win we showed, we will maybe get the results we need. The stall was set out well, nothing more we could have done. On the day decisions by the ref governed the outcome.

Over the next four games (inc. learse) IMO we must pick up 7-8 points from 12 to stand any chance in the run in, hoping that one or two of the others start losing a few more than us.

We all know it's the points already lost, that have put us in this position, it's the points we don't lose and the games we win from now on in that will keep us in the top flight a little longer.

Our last two home games will be crucial, six points from them, and just maybe it will save us.

[Alan75]

Interesting exclusive by our Nicko, in today’s People, where he states that Rovers and Sam could part company this summer if Rovers are relegated.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

If Rovers do get relegated, then it'll depends on who would want Sam as their manager and that includes Rovers.

[tony gale's mic]

Even if we get relegated, I hope we hang onto Sam since IMO he's done a good job so far, except for the several glaring errors he made for the Villa game I haven't been able to pick much wrong with his time here. His signings have also looked good so far and his style of football should work better in the Championship. I can't see why he'd leave either unless another PL club came in for him, and I can't see that happening if he'd just got us relegated.

[Billy Castell]

I think we are in real trouble, especially if we don't win the game in hand.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

I think we are in real trouble, especially if we don't win the game in hand.

Well done Einstein

[Billy Castell]

Well done Einstein

Bet you feel so big after typing that. Good God, I wonder why I even bother looking at this site with all the name calling, point scoring and general bitchiness here.