[Archived] The Relegation Battle Aftermath

[adopted scouser]

Seeing english is my 2nd language

You are from Burnley then

[modes98]

I hate to whizz on anyone chips but Camvenky's IP address does match to a Cambodian ISP and anyway that isn't really the topic. So back on to our impending doom please!

[adopted scouser]

[philipl]

The relegation battle will be completely dog eat dog and be unrelentingly ferocious with every club looking for whatever advantage they can find.

On that basis it will come down not only to the players- all of the clubs have players good enough to achieve survival- but the management too.

So the contenders are:

Roberto Martinez

Mick Macarthy

Roy Hodgson

Avram Grant

Alex McLeish

Mark Hughes

Ian Holloway

Steve Kean

Gerard Houllier

Tony Pulis

Alan Pardew

Steve Bruce

OK there are some names there I wouldn't be happy seeing at Ewood if there were a vacancy but I think it is not difficult to conclude Rovers have by far the weakest and least experienced management and that could well be fatal for our survival chances.

[BPF]

Seeing english is my 2nd language i apoligise profussly,this is a meesageboard about football next time i,ll get my pa to check my posts sir

This is a troll account.

[Ste B]

This is a troll account.

Its Waggy, and its banned.

[Glenn]

Well that was an evening well spent trying to track down the none existent "Suresh Roa" (I assume you were aiming for Rao) when I could have been doing something useful.

Not a happy bunny.

[philipl]

So there is close to zero real support for Steve Kean to continue?

Kean has given an interview in the LT saying we need a minimum of 10 points to survive. Realistic but the ambition level has collapsed from where it was just six weeks ago.

[Bobby G]

Shocking. From finishing better than last season to we need another 9-10 points to survive. Someone should ask why the change Mr. Manager?

[John]

I can understand the panic/anger, but we are still not many points off the top half of the table (I am also aware we are 4 points off the relegation zone).

[Billy Castell]

Are Linghazi and Goulon that crap that they can't get in a team ahead of the dross in our current midfield? Well surely they are worth a go.

[92er]

I can understand the panic/anger, but we are still not many points off the top half of the table (I am also aware we are 4 points off the relegation zone).

Factually you are quite right.

The problem for me is I'm not sure when we'll get our next point. I accept we might get a draw, or even a win, on Saturday, but I think it much more likely we'll lose. There might not be a lot of difference in the squads, but I would expect MH to be able to deal with the challenge of a rookie manager who is going through a dodgy spell. Unless he feels sorry for us.

If we were to lose, we'd be going into an extremely crucial home relegation match on the back of , I think, 1 point out of the last 12.This in turn would put an enormous pressure on Kean in terms of his selection of the original team, his tactics and his substitutions.

Would we expect him to be up to it?

[philipl]

This is the Independent's take on the relegation battle.

Reading between the lines, they are forecasting 17th if we can find a bit of luck from somewhere. Their verdict on Wolves is their game against us will be decisive for their survival....

[Lytham]

I haven't posted for a few weeks, I've avoided the place to be honest.

In the meanwhile Rovers have been transformed from looking to improve on last year's very good 10th place in the Premier League, to wondering where the next point is coming from, to halt a slide towards playing Bournemouth in the League next season.

The two most important positions at a football club are the manager and the chairman. Sam Allardyce and John Williams were the two biggest assets the club had. Both have gone. Allardyce is just about the best in the business for the job we need doing now. John Williams was one of the best chairmen in football.

In their place we now have owners who have never owned a football club before, with a manager who has never managed before, and a chairman that doesn't exist.

I hope things change pretty soon, either a new manager or a new spirit or something. Get Sam back ( it won't happen, of course ).

Otherwise I wouldn't bet against a cull of Lancashire clubs with Rovers, Blackpool and Wigan going down.

It is all so unnecessary.

[John]

Daily Mail think we will get relegated

[Mercer]

Daily Mail think we will get relegated

Very difficult to argue with predicted results unless Kean is replaced.

Obviously, Blackpool match is key and who is likely to have his team more fired-up - Holloway wins hands down. Can see Adam doing real damage with Beattie and Ormerod rubbing our noses in the proverbial !

What oh what have we come to !?!?

[Andy]

What worries me is that I can't disagree with any of their result predictions for us...

[Lytham]

As I said, I haven't been on for a while, is nicko still trumpeting the new regime as the answer to all our prayers ? And bigging up Steve Kean ?

[OJRovers]

Blackpool, Bolton & Birmingham at home - there's our chance of 9 points. Other than that I can't see us getting anything from the other games.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

I think we'll pick up points here and there, maybe 8-10. Not as little as 6 though, I'd hope.

If we can win against Blackpool and Birmingham, I think we'll get a few draws in the mix and pull clear.

We have 10 games, 30 points, up for grabs. We need to average a point per game (we have been at that so far under Kean), to stay up. And we haven't been paying too well either, if we can get a win against Fulham or Blackpool it could be a catalyst to boost the team for the run in.

[67splitscreen]

If we could predict results we'd all be billionaires, some of the predictions for the other clubs are optimistic at best especially the predicted score lines.

Besides when do journo's get anything right.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Very true. I think the important thing to recognise is that we do have a window in which we can stay up, some seem to be preparing for it and accepting it as inevitable.

We can stay up. With a bit of luck, we will stay up. But that requires 1) fan support 2) player effort 3) right tactics 4) a slice of luck.

From looking at MGP's website and JRobs Twitter, the players know they have let themselves down and sound genuinely apologetic for their performances. We'll see if that is reflected in the Fulham game.

[Mercer]

philipl, on 02 March 2011 - 10:43 AM, said:

I believe some people have made discreet enquiries in the event of there being a vacancy but none that anyone on the MB would hope to be front runners.

Philip - in your opinion, are they the type of managers that would get us out of trouble and be able to build from there. Or, would we be, yet again, underwhelmed.

[Iceman]

whats worrying, is that a team like West Ham, who you would have thought would struggle, have already dismissed Liverpool, and got 3 points. Wolves results are on the up. The teams on the down are us, Blackpool and Wigan.

we WILL be safe, but its going to be really nervous times. Stay up, and i reckon next season, we will be in the top 10 pushing Europe.

Stoke

West Ham (a) 0-2 L

Newcastle (h) 1-0 W

Chelsea (h) 1-0 W

Tottenham (a) 0-2 L

Wolves (h) 2-1 W

Aston Villa (a) 0-3 L

Blackpool (a) 1-1 D

Arsenal (h) 0-2 L

Manchester City (a) 0-1 L

Wigan (h) 2-0 W

Thats a tough set of fixtures, they could easily get dragged into it

Blackpool

Chelsea (h) 0-2 L

Blackburn (a) 3-2 W

Fulham (a) 2-1 W

Arsenal (h) 2-2 D

Wigan (h) 1-2 L

Newcastle (h) 1-2 L

Stoke (h) 1-1 D

Tottenham (a) 2-4 L

Bolton (h) 1-1 D

Manchester United (a) 0-5 L

again, tough games and with them on a downward curve, and with Man united away last day, they can go as well.

West Ham

Stoke (h) 2-0 W

Tottenham (a) 1-2 L

Manchester United (h) 1-1 D

Bolton (a) 1-1 D

Aston Villa (h) 1-1 D

Chelsea (a) 0-2 L

Manchester City (a) 0-3 L

Blackburn (h) 2-1 W

Wigan (a) 0-1 L

Sunderland (h) 1-0 W

Off to a good start by beating Liverpool, but still a terrible run in

West Brom

Birmingham (a) 1-1 D

Arsenal (h) 1-2 L

Liverpool (h) 1-2 L

Sunderland (a) 1-2 L

Chelsea (h) 0-2 L

Tottenham (a) 1-4 L

Aston Villa (h) 3-1 W

Wolves (a) 0-1 L

Everton (h) 1-0 W

Newcastle (a) 0-2 L

Not looking good, especially with that fixtures remaining.

looking at our fixtures compared to them, its not all that bad. Fulham will be tough, but if we can come away with at least a point, and then beat Birmingham, Blackpool and bolton, then i would say we are all but home.

[Claytons Left Boot]

The next two games will define our season. Four points from the six and I think we'll be safe. The finishing post will be in sight.

Lose against Fulham and Blackpool and we're down. We will then be in complete freefall and I honestly couldn't see us scraping more than three points from the remaining fixtures. In fact, I feel the Daily mail have been generous.

Desperate times.