[Archived] Our Remaining 13 Games

[Exiled_Rover]

We will survive, but then...that's it? Last season was about survival, this season was supposed to be about getting back on our own two feet again. But once again our greatest joy has to be relief that we're not going down to the Championship.

Que the muppets with their "we're small time, this is the best we can hope for!" nonsense.

Basically we're left with the prospect of having a poor season or having a catastrophic one (relegation). Fun times.

If you don't spend any money in this league that's what happens. We've only brought it on ourselves. It's not worth worrying over - if it happens we've deserved it, if we stay up then it's a relief.

Personally I think we'll do enough to stay up, but that's a damning statement of the league rather than our achievements.

[Hughesy]

EASY!! We lose 1 game and then another thread like this appears....pathetic.

Back on the piste in Austria for me....

[Blue blood]

Looking at our remaining fixtures we have three very winnable away games - burnley, portsmouth and wolves. In fact with any of the teams around us, - stoke, fulham etc. - I'd reckon 5/6 points is not an unrealistic expectation from those three games.

However we are so dire on the road this cannot be guarenteed. This is a massive danger because it leaves no room for error at home, and many other clubs would be looking at those type of fixtures to get points on the board.

As it is, in terms of away points generically I'd expect around 15 points over the course of a season. This is based on winning 3 away games, probably against the bottom three, then 6 draws from the remaining 16 away games, probably against the rest of the bottom half of the table or maybe some good away performances against the top half of the league teams. I don't think this is ground breaking or unrealistic of a club which wants to stay in the premiership. That we've got only 5 (i think) points away from home shows how good our home record is and how pathetic we are away from ewood.

[Guest Kamy100]

I think that 36/37 points will be enough this season. I just can't see the likes of Portsmouth, Wolves, and Burnley getting near that mark.

However, the next 2 games are critical for Rovers. We must get a minimum of 4 points from these games, anything less and Rovers may be dragged into the dogfight, the two big problems that we could face is that it doesn't look like we are going to pick up many points away from home and for me personally I am worried about where our goals are going to come from.

[Amo]

We'll live to fight another season, but that's about it. We could even squeeze ourselves into mid-table if Sam is proactive and ditches his defeatist tactics, especially away from home, but we all know he's too stubborn for that.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Looking at our remaining fixtures we have three very winnable away games - burnley, portsmouth and wolves.

How can you say 'very winnable' with our dire away form?.These teams will be fighting for their lives....I for one am not looking forward to the Burnley game.I've seen enough away day capitulations this season to last a lifetime and to have one there would be the final humiliation.

[Paul]

There aren't many managers who can run a club like Rovers on a shoestring and keep it in the Premier League.

Your post would have more validity if you suggested an alternative but you can't because there aren't any.

Alternative managers are nothing to do with me. Your posts would have some validity if they didn't include this hoary old chestnut. I comment on the rubbish Allardyce puts in front of us every week. This team is capable of bettter but the manager won't allow them to play. Suggestions are for John Williams not me.

Rovers have had a good run in the league and a bad day at Stoke and everyone jumps on the manager's back again.

It's pathetic.

Good run in the league? Prior to yesterday we had taken 7 from 9 which is excellent. Before that"run" I think we had 11 points from 33, good run in the PL?? I'd hate to see a bad one.

I'll say it again - if Rovers fans force Allardyce out in the same way Charlton supporters forced out Curbishley the end result will be the same.

Relegation and decline.

I think you fail to realise the only thing Rovers have to offer is entertainment, of which we see precious little. Elsewhere in this thread it's been suggested 36/37 points is enough to avoid relegation. This is it then? 36/37 points a season is our target. That's less than one a game and you consider this to be acceptable?

[RibbleValleyRover]

I think we will be fine, but only just. We are lucky in that there are several teams worse than us at this moment in time largely down to them having spent money on absolute rubbish.

Next season could be a huge struggle; i see relegation as an inevitable outcome considering our finances. Might not be next season or the season after but it will come eventually.

[Tom]

EASY!! We lose 1 game and then another thread like this appears....pathetic.

Back on the piste in Austria for me....

Don't forget before the Fulham game you were also joining the Sam out masses

[slough_rover]

Don't forget before the Fulham game you were also joining the Sam out masses

Exactly Hughsey make up your mind your either the love child of Big Sam or your not.

[MarkBRFC71]

I'll say it again - if Rovers fans force Allardyce out in the same way Charlton supporters forced out Curbishley the end result will be the same.

Relegation and decline.

Based on what?

Allardyce cannot get the best out of a decent squad of players. He stubbornly tries to force players into his system to the detriment of the team, instead of picking our best players and getting them to play to their strengths.

He did well in keeping us up last season, but this term he proven to be an arrogant, tactically inept, inflexible dinosaur, who seems to have difficulty in motivating his players. Tony Pulis, Roy Hodgson, Alex McLeish, to name but 3 are getting far more from less talented players than BFS.

If the club is to move forward, he has to go - it's that simple. The only decision to be made is who we get to replace him .... and that's where Mr. Williams earns his handsome salary.

[Exiled_Rover]

It's not a decent squad of players though is it. It's a very weak team with big question marks in goal, midfield, left back (Givet is a centre half) and upfront.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

And three quaters through the season we are still waiting for answers to those big question marks...we are so inconsistant and unpredictable as a team its insane.

[G Somerset Rover]

And three quaters through the season we are still waiting for answers to those big question marks...we are so inconsistant and unpredictable as a team its insane.

Not really SG.

Average to good at home and down right embarrassing and unforgivable away.

I get what your saying though. The worry for Allardyce and the club is even if we do survive (of which we should) our run in is such a nightmare that another winless streak will have a big knock-on effect for next season.

[1864roverite]

vs Hull City (H)....win = MUST WIN

vs Notlob (H)....win = MUST WIN

vs Liverpool (A)....Loss = Bonus if we get anything

vs Big Club (H)....win = MUST NOT LOSE

vs Spuds (A)....Loss = Bonus if we get anything

vs Chelski (H)....Loss = Bonus if we get anything uner a 3 goal defeat

vs Bumley (A)....Win = The RUN simply has to continue

vs Pompey (A)....draw = Take a point but MUST NOT LOSE

vs Man Ure (H)....Loss = Bonus if we get anything under a 3 goal loss

vs Everton (H)....draw = Blue scouse thieves will steal a point.

vs Wolves (A)....win = Got to be a win and definately a MUST NOT LOSE game.

vs L`arse (H)....loss = Bonus of we take anything under a 3 goal loss

vs Villa (A)....loss = Big Big loss, twitchy bum time for all at Rovers.

The biggest thing we have to consider is our goal difference is so poor.

being ever optimistic I think we can take 5 wins which guarantees safety, the big guns will all score heavily against us which concerns me.

Whatever happens, if we survive then next season will be painfully very much the same. If we drop this year, then we simply aint coming back to the promised land.

[bazza]

I hope we can beat Hull City on Wednesday because those three points may be the last we'll get for a while.

I think Bolton W will extract their revenge at Ewood. We may pick up a point at Pompey and home to Brum and Everton but don't hold your breath.

Burnley away will be the delight of their season as they get relegated; no points for us.

I fancy Rovers to win away at Wolves and Villa.

So 9 to 11 points may just be enough to keep us up.

[steverovers]

vs Hull City (H)....win - must win, to keep us clear from those behind us

vs Notlob (H)....win - same as above - if we can win these two games we will almost be safe

vs Liverpool (A)....Loss - never get anything these days from the big 4, especially away

vs Big Club (H)....win - season starting to catch up with them. They will probably be safe already, end of season game for them

vs Spuds (A)....Loss - still striving for top 4 - nothing for us here

vs Chelski (H)....Loss - carnage

vs Bumley (A)....Draw - probably on their last legs and fighting for their lives. Love to send em down. Must not lose this for obvious reasons.

vs Pompey (A)....win - finished by then. Pressure off them, but not good enough. 3 points

vs Man Ure (H)....Loss - carnage

vs Everton (H)....Draw - should be good enough to avoid defeat

vs Wolves (A)....Draw - probably still fighting for life. Can't score goals though. 0-0 draw

vs L`arse (H)....loss - we can't cope with them at all

vs Villa (A)....loss - end of season game for both clubs

I predict 15pts from our remaining games. That will put us on 43pts. More than enough to stay up. I think 37 points will be enough, so a bit of leeway there too.

The bookies are rarely wrong and they have us at 1/40 to stay up.

[ABBEY]

8 points max..with the hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof.

[Guest roverspogges]

I will keep it simple: If we beat Hull and Bolton then we will be safe but if not then we will be up a certain creek without a paddle.

This is my first post ever on brfcs so hello people.

[RevidgeBlue]

If we can get four points from the next two home games I think we'll end up with about another eleven in total for thirty nine points which should be more than enough to stay up.

If the unlikely event we were to lose the next two games it would be very much squeaky bum time.

Next season - god only knows. We seem to be accelerating backwards at a rate of knots and at the same time are running out of family silver to flog off.

[joey_big_nose]

Rovers certainly aren't small time. But I think Sam's done OK with the resources given to him. I think people are slightly spoilt by the heights gained when under Hughes on a similar budget. He did a great job and I doubt Mourinho would have done any better than Hughes.

Lets not go nuts. Hughes was great but hardly God like. We can push on, and we should be looking to replicate what was achieved under Sparky.

It is important we react responsibly. First priority is staying up, which to my mind means stability. And then in the summer we need to take stock and see what the realistic options are for trying to become established in the top half again. That may mean a manager change, but only if there is an outstanding candidate.

Currently I cannot think of one.

[roversfan1]

Wins against Hull, Bolton, Pompey and Wolves should be enough to see us safe and add to that a draw at Turd Moor and Goodison and we should be watching Premiership stuff at Ewood next season...Things are tight at the bottom though and if we slump and a couple of others put a few results together we could be in the mire again and thats why I think the next 2 games are must win!

At the moment yes Im confident but ask me again after the Bolton game....

[ABBEY]

on what basis are you so confident ,given the snooze inducing hoofeast on offer?

[Bazrakats]

If we beat Hull and Bolton we should consider ourselfs safe. Portsmouth are already gone and with teams like West ham and wolves not getting any form or results we shoudl see ourselfs clear of relegation for another season.

[John]

On ESPN just now, on Between the lines programme, Oliver Holt (our friend) and Mark Wright think we are going to slip into relegation trouble.