[Archived] The Relegation Thread

[Clitherover]

Assuming that Bolton lose to Everton this evening which is highly likely, Kean can count himself extremely lucky considering the outcome of the other games involving the bottom five relegation mini league as it's becoming.

The Fulham game really is last chance saloon though and if we don't get at least a win in that game we are finished.

[BuckyRover]

To reach 38 points would see us having to take 24 points from the next 18 games. That rate over a season would see us get to around 50 points? 7th place in the league last season was taken by Everton on 54 points.

I'm not particularly confident of staying up, but Bolton, Wigan, Wolves and QPR all need to go on similar runs to stay up themselves.

They can't all be relegated.

[Mattyblue]

It's our home form that is going to do for us Bucky, as usual we are struggling to win away, yet to lose 8 out of 10 at home is horrendous.

[eire3382]

We have a slim chance of staying up becasue of one simple reason, there are some other very very poor sides in the league this year.

Under kean it is not possible that we will go on any kind of positive run.

Make no bones about it if we do manage to stay up it will have to be down to other teams being god awful.

[jim mk2]

It's our home form that is going to do for us Bucky, as usual we are struggling to win away, yet to lose 8 out of 10 at home is horrendous.

Correct. Even draws in some of those home losses would have made a significant difference.

[booth]

If we ever win, and we've only done it a few times, then you can guarantee we won't get a win from the next game.

Under Kean we've never had a "good run" and I doubt that's going to change.

[Ricky]

Last 3 games all 2-1, if we'd shored up the back line we could have easily been looking at a couple of 1-0's in amongst that. Been some bad goals conceded, how any back 4 can allow Crouch to bring the ball down and finish is beyond me!!

[T4E]

What's the point in staying up? I'm really starting to wonder. In all likelihood it will mean Kean getting a longer contract and us going through the same thing next season.

I know its a risk, but seeing as they clearly aren't going to sack him this season (and they've left it too late now anyway), I'm beginning to think we may be better off going down, sacking Kean, getting the big earners off the wage bill and coming back up with the younger lads playing starring roles. If the likes of Rochina, Goodwillie, Lowe, Hanley, Henley and Morris hang around, along with Bunn, Petrovic and maybe even Andrews, we could have a team well capable of coming back up.

Relegation last time cleansed us of a terrible manager and some very average overpaid players, allowing a young, promising crop to get valuable game time and develop in to one of our better squads in recent memory.

[LeChuck]

Last 3 games all 2-1, if we'd shored up the back line we could have easily been looking at a couple of 1-0's in amongst that. Been some bad goals conceded, how any back 4 can allow Crouch to bring the ball down and finish is beyond me!!

I think Lowe's been a revelation at right back but he was definitely at fault for their second, there is no way Etherington should have gone through him like that. Henley didn't do much better at allowing Crouch to bring the ball down, turn and shoot.

This is the risk we run when we play these inexperienced players. Having said that, we were conceding a shed load when the back line was Salgado, Samba, Dann and Givet.

[booth]

What's the point in staying up? I'm really starting to wonder. In all likelihood it will mean Kean getting a longer contract and us going through the same thing next season.

The real fear is that they keep him on on the championship. Unless there's a clause saying if we go down they don't have to pay compensation.

[John]

Kean is amazing with the younger players so probably worth keeping him in the championship. Phil Jones would not even be alive if it wasn't for him.

Would love to see Kean mould his own team from scratch - playing the youth team players along with some neat, attacking football too - gets me a bit excited to be honest!

After all, as we keep being told, we are going through a transitional period.

[BuckyRover]

I heard that a Blackburn fan was on 5live saying Kean would win us the Premiership within the next ten years and that we need to give him a chance.

[Sparky Marky]

Kean is amazing with the younger players so probably worth keeping him in the championship. Phil Jones would not even be alive if it wasn't for him.

Would love to see Kean mould his own team from scratch - playing the youth team players along with some neat, attacking football too - gets me a bit excited to be honest!

After all, as we keep being told, we are going through a transitional period.

Fantastic

[47er]

What's the point in staying up? I'm really starting to wonder. In all likelihood it will mean Kean getting a longer contract and us going through the same thing next season.

I know its a risk, but seeing as they clearly aren't going to sack him this season (and they've left it too late now anyway), I'm beginning to think we may be better off going down, sacking Kean, getting the big earners off the wage bill and coming back up with the younger lads playing starring roles. If the likes of Rochina, Goodwillie, Lowe, Hanley, Henley and Morris hang around, along with Bunn, Petrovic and maybe even Andrews, we could have a team well capable of coming back up.

Relegation last time cleansed us of a terrible manager and some very average overpaid players, allowing a young, promising crop to get valuable game time and develop in to one of our better squads in recent memory.

You think Goodwillie is even Championship standard?

[jim mk2]

Kean is amazing with the younger players so probably worth keeping him in the championship. Phil Jones would not even be alive if it wasn't for him.

Would love to see Kean mould his own team from scratch - playing the youth team players along with some neat, attacking football too - gets me a bit excited to be honest!

After all, as we keep being told, we are going through a transitional period.

As Captain Mainwaring said, You stupid boy.

What's the point in staying up? I'm really starting to wonder. In all likelihood it will mean Kean getting a longer contract and us going through the same thing next season.

I know its a risk, but seeing as they clearly aren't going to sack him this season (and they've left it too late now anyway), I'm beginning to think we may be better off going down, sacking Kean, getting the big earners off the wage bill and coming back up with the younger lads playing starring roles. If the likes of Rochina, Goodwillie, Lowe, Hanley, Henley and Morris hang around, along with Bunn, Petrovic and maybe even Andrews, we could have a team well capable of coming back up.

Relegation last time cleansed us of a terrible manager and some very average overpaid players, allowing a young, promising crop to get valuable game time and develop in to one of our better squads in recent memory.

We don't want to go down because we are more likely to get relegated again than come back up - I don't think this is fully understood by supporters.

Present circumstances are entirely different to 12 years ago.

[LeChuck]

We don't want to go down because we are more likely to get relegated again than come back up

Totally agree. If you take away our reputation as an established PL club then there is nothing to separate us from all clubs in medium sized towns around the country. Step away and view without bias...what do we have left to separate us from the rest?

There isn't a chance that we would come back up. I think we'd settle to become a Championship/League One yo-yo club eventually, with other town clubs like Huddersfield, Preston etc.

Regardless of what it does to Steve Kean's position as manager, staying up this season is an absolute must. We just have to hope that everything else will sort itself out over time, but considering relegation as a positive really isn't an option.

[Ferrit]

I heard that a Blackburn fan was on 5live saying Kean would win us the Premiership within the next ten years and that we need to give him a chance.

Think my sarcasm detector just exploded.

Kean is amazing with the younger players so probably worth keeping him in the championship. Phil Jones would not even be alive if it wasn't for him.

Would love to see Kean mould his own team from scratch - playing the youth team players along with some neat, attacking football too - gets me a bit excited to be honest!

After all, as we keep being told, we are going through a transitional period.

Hi Steve, didn't realise you were a long time follower.

[Amo]

If sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, why are so many on here dense to it?

[den]

We have a slim chance of staying up becasue of one simple reason, there are some other very very poor sides in the league this year.

You don't avoid relegation because someone judges other teams to be worse than you. You avoid relegation by getting more points than the team finishing third from bottom.

Our form needs to improve from 20 games - 14 points, to 18 games - 24 points just in order to reach 38 points.

That's a massive turn in form and there's nothing, absolutely nothing to suggest it might happen.

[Waggy76]

You think Goodwillie is even Championship standard?

I am bloody sure he isn't !!

[T4E]

We don't want to go down because we are more likely to get relegated again than come back up - I don't think this is fully understood by supporters.

Present circumstances are entirely different to 12 years ago.

I dont know if the present situation is that different. We've a crap manager and we've accumulated a load of average Premier League journeymen, and money is tight. With Bunn in goal, potentially Dann and Hanley in the middle, Lowe and Petrovic and midfield we'd have a strong spine to play with. Would the Yak stay? I doubt it, but if he did we'd be more than half way there. I do think Goodwillie would be very useful in the Championship, he's still young and he scored plenty at a similar level the last couple of seasons.

The young players and academy set up we have would give us an edge in the Championship, and the parachute payments would allow us to perhaps invest a small amount. If we could add a Lambert/Maynard type accomplished Championship striker we'd have a fair chance of coming back.

[JAL]

I heard that a Blackburn fan was on 5live saying Kean would win us the Premiership within the next ten years and that we need to give him a chance.

Braddock anyone.

[thenodrog]

We have a slim chance of staying up becasue of one simple reason, there are some other very very poor sides in the league this year.

Under kean it is not possible that we will go on any kind of positive run.

Make no bones about it if we do manage to stay up it will have to be down to other teams being god awful.

That applies now but I expect this transfer window will turn out to be the coup de grace on our Premier League status.

[phili]

I dont know if the present situation is that different. We've a crap manager and we've accumulated a load of average Premier League journeymen, and money is tight. With Bunn in goal, potentially Dann and Hanley in the middle, Lowe and Petrovic and midfield we'd have a strong spine to play with. Would the Yak stay? I doubt it, but if he did we'd be more than half way there. I do think Goodwillie would be very useful in the Championship, he's still young and he scored plenty at a similar level the last couple of seasons.

The young players and academy set up we have would give us an edge in the Championship, and the parachute payments would allow us to perhaps invest a small amount. If we could add a Lambert/Maynard type accomplished Championship striker we'd have a fair chance of coming back.

the only difference being we don't have Jack/The Trust prepared to bankroll £40m+ to get us back up this time as we did last time.

You'd need to reduce the wage bill by 50-60% to fund the club on parachute payments at the minimum and have a injection of capital of £10m on top of player sales and we'd still be in big trouble if we didn't get up in two seasons.

I think people are forgetting that even with parachute payments our turnover would be reduced by £25m+ a season.

[thenodrog]

I am bloody sure he isn't !!

Correct. There's nowt about him to get excited about. Runs like a duck, slow of thought, can't/won't head the ball. "The new Wayne Rooney" my arse!... (Please don't use that word again) off Kean.