[Archived] Relegation Watch 2009-10 Season

[tcj_jones]

Niemi's a quality keeper. I'd be disappointed if he were joining a club at his age just to be the number two.

[Ronin]

Isn't James supposed to be off to Sunderland? If he does go, Pompey definitely for the drop. Niemi probably retired for a reason, could be suicidal for Pompey.

[Roversider]

Niemi's a quality keeper. I'd be disappointed if he were joining a club at his age just to be the number two.

Quality keeper - well he certainly has been but I question the present tense. After all he has been injured and that was one of the reasons cited for his retirement.

Pompey are due a fall, spending well beyond their means and not certain yet to be bought. I would bang them down as favourites to go down. I think Burnley are, surprisingly, better set for this season. Still going down though.

[The Rover of Finland]

Niemi retired because he had a wrist surgery and couldn´t have played before New Year. He coached young Finnish national team keepers for a while. He was also in pay TV studio commenting PL matches. His comeback was a big surprise even himself. He admitted that he gets good money from Pompey and it was part of his desicion to continue his career.

[Nafe_rovers]

i just hope burnley go down!! .... but it has to be

Brum

wolves

burnley

but with hull, stoke, bolton, wigan and maybe us.

We do need to sign someone who has a reputable name.... obviously a striker, need reid back.... but am 100% certain we will be safe.

I do not understand why people say without roque you will not stay up.... but he was terrible last year!!.... people must have more faith in who we have at the moment. I know it is difficult at the best of times :-)....

[vintageadidas]

We'll be in the dog fight......no doubt about it! The pool is getting smaller....

[tcj_jones]

We'll be in the dog fight......no doubt about it! The pool is getting smaller....

Really? Long established Premier League sides in Newcastle and 'Boro have been relegated. Pompey and Hull are in dire straights with Wigan weakening significantly. Bolton and Stoke have barely strengthened - and I'd expect the latter to struggle from 'second season syndrome' - Fulham will be stretched with their European commitments and small squad, while West Ham have one recognized striker, two if you count the crock Ashton. And that's not even taking into consideration the newly promoted sides!

I doubt there's ever been a better season for a club to be promoted from the Championship and I'd say we're definitely in a more healthy position than Birmingham, Burnley, Wolves, Hull, Portsmouth and Wigan and probably Stoke, Bolton and West Ham as well.

[champions1995]

Lawro released his predictions for the new Premier League season in Saturday's Daily Mirror. He put Rovers 13th with Hull, Birmingham and Burnley finishing in the bottom three.

Eight experts from the News of the World also predicted who they think will go down, with Burnley, Hull and Pompey being chosen 5 times, Birmingham 4 times, Wolves 3 times and Stoke twice.

[Steve Moss]

We'll be in the dog fight......no doubt about it! The pool is getting smaller....

I really don't see us in a dogfight. Sam's done nothing but improve a squad that he had playing at a top ten form last half of the season. None of the squads behind us from last season have gotten noticeably stronger. And most of those ahead of us I think are actually weaker, after Man City's escapades.

If I were in England and allowed to bet, I would drop 10 on Blackburn being a top half squad this year. Is that an available bet?

[RibbleValleyRover]

Lawro has done an audio/video piece with his views on Rovers ahead of the new season:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ers/8193908.stm

[Montfort]

I would like to see Portsmouth go down and feel that they deserve to. Last year they were playing with players that they could simply not afford. If they had had to pay back the interest on their loans in June rather than August they would not have had a team. There should be some visible consquences for financial impropriety

[Hughesy]

I thought that when we played Pompey at home last season that they looked as poor of a team as any id seen for some time. Now add into that they have lost more key players (Davis, Crouch, Johnson, Campbell) and they look very weak!

They could also go bust very soon if they dont get this takeover - therefore starting on a minus.

For what its worth - I dont believe we will end lower than 14th.

[insiderover79]

Sky Bet's Dale Tempest says: "Blackburn are 7/1 shots to be relegated and have signed nobody and they have nobody coming in. Their squad looks very thin on the ground. Santa Cruz's £17million has gone to pay off debts. They've got Franco Di Santo on loan from Chelsea but he's not proven in the Premier League and I don't know where they are going to get the goals from. Big Sam is going to play in a certain style and is going to give nothing away but I think they could easily get into a downward slide. They also have had the worst disciplinary record in two of last three years and are 9/2 to top that market and must be strongly fancied."

Thought we had signed a few players mind you!!!!

[super_arran]

Lawro has done an audio/video piece with his views on Rovers ahead of the new season:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ers/8193908.stm

for once Lawro isn't talkin through his ar$e, and not one mention of liverpool

[Blue blood]

Sky Bet's Dale Tempest says: "Blackburn are 7/1 shots to be relegated and have signed nobody and they have nobody coming in. Their squad looks very thin on the ground. Santa Cruz's £17million has gone to pay off debts. They've got Franco Di Santo on loan from Chelsea but he's not proven in the Premier League and I don't know where they are going to get the goals from. Big Sam is going to play in a certain style and is going to give nothing away but I think they could easily get into a downward slide. They also have had the worst disciplinary record in two of last three years and are 9/2 to top that market and must be strongly fancied."

Thought we had signed a few players mind you!!!!

Goodness me, I know reporting can be of a shoddy standard but this has to be one of the worst bits ever. So many holes in it it's untrue. Even if we hadn't strengthened at all, we'd be in a much better position than quite a few of the teams around us. Oh well, underestimation will only aid our cause. Can't see any manager - bar Ince - being as stupid as this so called pundit.

[philipl]

Goodness me, I know reporting can be of a shoddy standard but this has to be one of the worst bits ever. So many holes in it it's untrue. Even if we hadn't strengthened at all, we'd be in a much better position than quite a few of the teams around us. Oh well, underestimation will only aid our cause. Can't see any manager - bar Ince - being as stupid as this so called pundit.

Come on, its all about getting suckers to lose their money betting.

Its an excellent recommendation that Rovers will be safe if you read between the lines.

[Miker]

I don't see us being in a relegation fight, it's possible, but if you use reasoning based on what we know of the state of current teams then there's no way we will be fighting for survival. I expect us to be fighting for a top 10 spot, but I'm not sure if we will get it.

Everton, Aston Villa, Spurs and Man City will all be challenging the big four... and you have to imagine they'll all finish in the top 10. Fulham haven't lost any players really and Sunderland have bought some very good players for the new season so they will be definitely challenging for the top 10. I see us as being better or at around the same level as all the other teams, but I would expect us to finish 11th or 12th realistically.

If Portsmouth and Wigan stay up it will be a miracle.

[Blue blood]

Come on, its all about getting suckers to lose their money betting. Its an excellent recommendation that Rovers will be safe if you read between the lines.

Of course, completely passed me by that one.

One thing which has struck me reading this thread is that the board should gamble and give Sam a bit more money, whatever they can scrape together. I'm not talking portsmouth overspending, but there must be some cash which can be committed from being saved somewhere. The reason I say this now, is that this season must be the smallest gamble in terms of it going wrong and us getting relegated. There has never been to my recollection so many teams that would be favourites to go down, in any other premier league season. Since this is the case, this would make any extra money committed to Sam much less of a gamble.

[brfcs5359]

After Round 1 have things changed?

I think Wigan showed pace and power and solidity. Enough to not be involved. Their opponents Villa and Everton as well look poor and may find it difficult to qualify for Europe BTW

Wolves looked awful. Burnley weak. Hull stronger than expected. Sunderland clearly have enough to avoid the dogfight. West Ham had an easy win but minus Upson? Pompey look in a total mess and even if this guy is the richest owner EVER, transfer deadline is almost upon us sealing Pompey's fate.

This is a bit of a wild guess. Knocked West ham down a peg on what most people would predicts and Spuds up one.

-------------- (no particular order in each category)

Arsenal

Man Utd

Chelsea

----------------------

Liverpool

----------------------

Man City

Spurs

---------------------

Aston Villa

Everton

Fulham

Blackburn

Wigan

Sunderland

---------------------

Stoke

Bolton

West Ham

--------------------

Burnley

Hull

Wolves

Birmingham

Pompey

[American]

Hull brought in a lot of quality in the last few weeks.

I just think that this year will be about who is too bad to stay up, not who is too good to stay up.

[slough_rover]

If Hull sign Negredo as supposedly agreed they will definately have the fire power to avoid relegation

[Billy Castell]

I think Hull have a better chance of staying up now. The players they have bought in are pretty useful, and if they get a decent striker they'll battle their way out of trouble.

As things stand, I'd say its going to be Burnley, Big Club and Pompey.

[Paul]

The only way Rovers will struggle is if they make a hash of the first five games (no Fulham fixture remember) then get tanked, predictably, in three out of four October fixtures. Other than that risk, we are naturally a top ten club.

Sorry to drag this up philip. We've made a hash of the first three, only two to go.

[joey_big_nose]

Sorry to drag this up philip. We've made a hash of the first three, only two to go.

Yup, worrying times. All the more bitter because we have actually been playing very well, if not particularly creatively.

We need a win and two or three goals.

[Doogs]

Rovers to go down with two others. After the crap yesterday, I can not beleave there are three sides worse than the Rovers.