[Archived] The Relegation Battle Aftermath

[braddock]

I'm not getting carried away as it is a long season. I personally feel we will be OK come the end of the season and the main thing that could put us in danger is the crowd turning on the team. I hope after yesterday this will give the team some time to get through the injury crisis and welcome in the new signings, instead of having to play to the chants of 'you can stick your f'ing chicken up you @rse', not to mention the booing. I do feel that the fans have let the club down recently. Their concerns were genuine and understandable in the main, but the way they went about things didn't help us one bit.

I also didn't enjoy hearing Uncle Jack songs sung for the sole purpose of protest. I didn't see that as respectful to him at all.

Keep getting behind the team!

[BuckyRover]

I think that's just the way it is. The average football fan is an idiot.

[jim mk2]

Twelve more points to relative safety. We should be able to do that even with no midfield.

Right jim.

Are you going to start the "Can Steve Kean qualify us for the Europa League thread?" now?

Twelve more points should see us safe and I'll be thankful if we do it. If we surpass last year's 10th place I'll doff my flat cap to the manager.

But until we do I'm cautious because the new owners have nothing to convince me they're little more than con artists with a yes-man manager.

I prefaced my initial post by saying I hope my relegation fears are misplaced so your sarcasm is unwarranted.

Please don't try to be clever - it doesn't suit you.

[Steve Moss]

I'm with Jim Mk2 on this one. Yes, the result was excellent. Yes, the squad was outstanding. Yes, I was excited and pleased ("entertained") throughout. And yes, Kean deserves credit.

But one game does not half season make. There are quite few matches to go before we can label Kean a success.

As to Venkys, Jim is right in that all they have done so far is talk. And most of that talk has been of pie in the sky celebrity signings (Maradona, Ronaldinho and Beckham). When I see quality squad additions (no celebrity need apply), as opposed to mere talk, then I'll give Venkys credit. Until then I am hopeful but cautious.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I'm with Jim Mk2 on this one. Yes, the result was excellent. Yes, the squad was outstanding. Yes, I was excited and pleased ("entertained") throughout. And yes, Kean deserves credit.

But one game does not half season make. There are quite few matches to go before we can label Kean a success.

As to Venkys, Jim is right in that all they have done so far is talk. And most of that talk has been of pie in the sky celebrity signings (Maradona, Ronaldinho and Beckham). When I see quality squad additions (no celebrity need apply), as opposed to mere talk, then I'll give Venkys credit. Until then I am hopeful but cautious.

I am with you - still a long way to go yet before Kean and our new owners prove themselves. However - the quality of the football last night - and the effort of the players was a welcome change to the norm. Can we now keep this up ? QPR will be tough on Saturday.

[jim mk2]

Lift and dust.

How many points can we glean from the remaining fixtures because after today I have no confidence we can get another win this season never mind the three we need to secure safety.

Our last 3 games are West Ham away, Manu Utd home and finally Wolves away. Nightmare.

[DE.]

We've gone from a season where we were cautiously optimistic of snatching 7th spot to now pondering whether or not we can stay in the league what a nightmare.

[philipl]

That 7 point cushion of two games ago is 4 now. We missed a chance to push Villa deeply into the mire today.

Scary.

[Mercer]

To win a relegation battle, you need a siege mentality.

I fear that Kean cannot engender this.

FFS - a break in Dubai is followed by "heads dropping when we lost the penalty goal". That does not augur well.

Too many 'silly' contracts given out for the wrong reasons coupled with a very poor window, IMO, including letting the one guy go who thrives in this sort of situation - Dioufy.

Scary and in deep s**t.

[Olveres]

Can we recall the El Hadj? Bloody need him!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Our last 3 games are West Ham away, Manu Utd home and finally Wolves away. Nightmare.

Frightening scenario when confidence in the team seems so low.

[Mattyblue]

We've gone from a season where we were cautiously optimistic of snatching 7th spot to now pondering whether or not we can stay in the league what a nightmare.

That in a nutshell is what happens in the Premier League when novices are parachuted in- unfortunately for us this is on and off the pitch.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

That in a nutshell is what happens in the Premier League when novices are parachuted in- unfortunately for us this is on and off the pitch.

...And all so unnecessary.From stability to this shambles in 4 short months!

God help us if we take the drop.

[Waggy76]

Personally I think it is 3 permed from West Ham , Wigan , Wolves ,West Brom , Birmingham ,Blackpool and Rovers for the drop !!!

The Blackpool game is going to be the deciding factor for us , win that one and I suspect we will survive quite easily, lose or draw , nightmare scenario beckons..

We have by far the most inexperianced manager out of the group , which could cost us ...

Time for a few experianced Premier league players , too stand up and be counted !!!

[Paul]

To me there are 11 clubs, all the way to Everton, who must be feeling nervous. Everton and Stoke with a game in hand should be safe leaving 9 clubs fighting for survival.

Five clubs can move to within a point or ahead of Rovers in the next game. Fulham have six breathing down their necks.

Five games will seal our fate, Fulham, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolves, West Ham. If we can find three wins there it will be enough but I don't fancy anything from the last two. I don't know how it can be done but winning the next two would make such a massive difference.

I believe we will stay up but the manager needs the players on his side, which may mean changing the tactics to suit those the team believe in.

[philipl]

Here is something to go to bed and hide under the duvet about.

Extrapolating form over the last 6 matches to the end of the season produces the following bottom end of the table after 38 games:

7 Villa 50pts

8 Newcastle 48pts

9 Bolton 48pts

10 Fulham 47pts

11 Everton 46pts

12 Birmingham 46pts

13 Sunderland 43pts

14 Stoke City 43pts

15 West Ham 42pts

16 Wolves 39pts

17 West Brom 39pts

18 ROVERS 38pts relegated

19 Blackpool 38pts

20 Wigan 35pts

What I do know is we have to do our utmost to avoid dropping into the bottom 3 at any stage in this fight. Wolves and West Ham have been going great guns since Christmas and they have all but found it impossible to avoid the last three places.

[JAL]

Just were is West Brom philipl?

[chocky]

Just were is West Brom philipl?

18th..

[philipl]

Good spot- I missed WBA off that table; before tonight's game they are on course for 39 points.

I edited in the table in case people wonder what JAL and chocky have posted.

[ross-shire rover]

I thought the projected table looked interesting till I saw you had Villa in 8th place with 50 points. That means they'll get 17 more points from a possible 33 ! We may have made them look like world beaters but really they're not that good.

Times are desperate for us but surely we can beat Blackpool, Birmingham and Bolton at Ewood.

[John]

Probably could get away with just winning 2 more matches, we are not that bad.

[philipl]

I thought the projected table looked interesting till I saw you had Villa in 8th place with 50 points. That means they'll get 17 more points from a possible 33 ! We may have made them look like world beaters but really they're not that good.

Times are desperate for us but surely we can beat Blackpool, Birmingham and Bolton at Ewood.

There is no judgement involved in this, only a calculator- Villa have picked up a surprising number of points (11) in their last 6 games so a simple extrapolation lifts them dramatically. I missed off Newcastle so Villa actually end up 7th!

The four worst clubs in the current form table are (reading up from the bottom) Wigan, Rovers, Blackpool and Sunderland and of course who did Wigan get their solitary win against?

Scary isn't it...

[47er]

Twelve more points to relative safety. We should be able to do that even with no midfield.

Right jim.

Are you going to start the "Can Steve Kean qualify us for the Europa League thread?" now?

Wrong Rev!

[bazza]

18 ROVERS 38pts

19 Blackpool 38pts

20 Wigan 35pts

That confirms my thoughts about relegation since the weekend. Was it Robbie Savage that said, Three teams beginning with W will go down"?

I think two beginning with B and one with W will go down.

Those are my three, Philip

[DE.]

Just did the BBC predictor thingy... put my mind at ease a little. Had us finishing 15th, despite losing almost all of our remaining away games and winning one match in the run in.

Had Blackpool, West Ham and Wolves to go down ... it's going to be much tighter than it needed to be though