[Archived] The Relegation Thread

[No Nay Never]

I bet you a tenner right now that we will get more than 10 points between now and the end of the season.

8 winnable games. I reckon we can take 14 points or so from that. 4 wins 2 draws.

Would 35 points keep us up?

Yes I think it will this year, 35 points in my opinion will be the magic number.

[Mattyblue]

If McCarthy clings on, they will take one of the slots for me, they looked a complete shambles yesterday.

Let's just hope Morgan listens to the LMA self interest brigade and "gives 'im more time".

[LeChuck]

One thing, most people presumed QPR are autmotically safe due to Mark Hughes but he has to have a quick effect, so far that isn't obvious and they have a bad run in.

I've been surprised at how poorly Hughes has started. Mind you, didn't he start poorly at Fulham as well before finishing strongly? There has been a lot of disruption with changes in management and playing staff.

I think Cisse and Zamora will see them safe if they can get both fit and playing together.

[krypton1980]

I've been surprised at how poorly Hughes has started. Mind you, didn't he start poorly at Fulham as well before finishing strongly? There has been a lot of disruption with changes in management and playing staff.

I think Cisse and Zamora will see them safe if they can get both fit and playing together.

Hughes first 5 league games at Rovers:

Won 1

Drawn 1

Lost 3

Next 10 games:

Won 2

Drawn 7

Lost 1

He might be slow to get going but he will get QPR results

[rigger]

Agere with Tom M. Qpr haven't really had the new manager effect, and even though they have spent some cash their team isn't great. I thin wigan Bolton and qpr will get relegated. It very rarely that all three teams who got Promoted to the pl stay up (has it ever happened?) and Norwich and Swansea looks safe. Mark Hughes is not Jesus, he can't do miracles. He has to rely on the 11 men on the field doing a good job.

Us, Fulham, and Bolton

[martmitch]

McCarthy sacked...

dont spose they want kean do they?

[BuckyRover]

Hughes first 5 league games at Rovers:

Won 1

Drawn 1

Lost 3

Next 10 games:

Won 2

Drawn 7

Lost 1

He might be slow to get going but he will get QPR results

It took much longer at Fulham for him to get going and that was from the start of the season not mid way through and already in trouble.

I think they probably will be ok but I'm not saying that they are safe just because Hughes is there. He isn't infallible.

[47er]

McCarthy sacked...

dont spose they want kean do they?

That could be bad news for us...........

[BuckyRover]

That could be bad news for us...........

I sometimes think I want us to get relegated. I don't want Venky's to have their decisions vindicated. Every team in the bottom 5 (apart from Wigan) has changed managers bar us and I think they all had better managers than us to begin with.

[martmitch]

That could be bad news for us...........

yep, new manager in, teams normally get that boost - we have them (away) 3 games from now sh.it.

lets hope they appoint someone truely useless

[Earlydoors]

I think McCarthy going will be good news for us. I'm not sure who Wolves could bring in to lift the players because although mccarthy is a bit gloomy it's not as though they have lots of disgruntled flair players who are suddenly going to turn it on now.

They have a regimented plan A only and if it doesn't work they lose. I think they'll have a distatrous month ahead before a spirited last stand in April.

We have to pull away from them over next 4 weeks

we need 10 points from March games

home to villa

away to wolves

home to sunderland

away to bolton

[krypton1980]

I sometimes think I want us to get relegated. I don't want Venky's to have their decisions vindicated. Every team in the bottom 5 (apart from Wigan) has changed managers bar us and I think they all had better managers than us to begin with.

Bolton? Owen Coyle hasn't gone anywhere yet.

On the rest I understand where you are coming from and feel the same way myself sometimes.

[LeChuck]

I sometimes think I want us to get relegated. I don't want Venky's to have their decisions vindicated. Every team in the bottom 5 (apart from Wigan) has changed managers bar us and I think they all had better managers than us to begin with.

I kind of get the point you were making, but I can't help feeling you've warped that stat a little bit!

3 out of the bottom 5 teams have the same manager that they ended last season with...

[BuckyRover]

Bolton? Owen Coyle hasn't gone anywhere yet.

On the rest I understand where you are coming from and feel the same way myself sometimes.

It appears I've made a point without even thinking about.

Sunderland, QPR and now Wolves.

I think it just feels like everyone and not us. I think we will be waiting a long time.

[Rover_Shaun]

With Wolves sacking McCarthy we will get to see if the owners were right in their weak decision to keep Coco

[Earlydoors]

Its that time of the year to start doing the BBC predictor

16 QPR 40

17 Wigan 37

18 Blackburn 36

19 Bolton 36

20 Wolves 33

Yikes!

[J*B]

Bruce in, Black out. You can see it coming.

[bob fleming]

Bruce in, Black out. You can see it coming.

Well in all fairness Black has been in place for 2 or 3 games now. Normally that's when our assistant managers start to look around the market.

[alexanders]

Next round sees these fixtures:

Chelsea V Bolton

Newcastle V Wolves

QPR V Fulham

Wigan V Aston Villa

Man City V Blackburn

I cant see us getting anything. QPR might sneak a win at home against Fulham, even though Fulham seem to have got their act together.

Bolton I think will lose. Newcastle get all their players ready for the game and I think the GD for Wolves might take another hit (Maybe 3-1?)

Wigan can win against Villa. Villa on the other hand are not all sure yet themselves. They have terrible form, but they also have a somewhat easy fixture list coming up. Maybe a draw here?

That would leave us with the following scenario

15 Aston Villa 29

16 QPR 24

17 Blackburn 21

18 Wolves 21

19 Bolton 20

20 Wigan 20

[davulsukur]

Bruce in, Black out. You can see it coming.

Haha, sounds about right. Seriously they better have put a clause in his contract that states he at least has to see out the season with us.

[gumboots]

Haha, sounds about right. Seriously they better have put a clause in his contract that states he at least has to see out the season with us.

didn't he say something in the intervie on Roversworld about not just wanting to be seena s someone who can only work with Bruce. It suggested to me that he's not overenamoured with Bruce either. But then you can always read things into innocent comments.

[DE.]

Its that time of the year to start doing the BBC predictor

16 QPR 40

17 Wigan 37

18 Blackburn 36

19 Bolton 36

20 Wolves 33

Yikes!

I had us relegated by some distance in 19th on the predictor. That was inclusive of our mammoth win against QPR at home.

Not sure sacking McCarthy is the right thing for Wolves to do. Horrific loss yesterday but I don't see Bruce or Warnock doing a whole lot better. Wolves have a pretty poor squad.

[Hughesy]

Positives –

Best form in last 8 games over any team in bottom 8 (11 pts)

Most goals for, exc top 5 in league (37 goals)

Won more home games than any of other bottom 8 (4 – so have Stoke)

Lost less away games than any of other bottom 5

Negatives

0 clean sheets

Worst defensive record in league (56 against)

Least away wins in bottom 8

Steve Kean is our manager

[davulsukur]

And that last negative is probably why we will go down.

[LeChuck]

Not sure sacking McCarthy is the right thing for Wolves to do. Horrific loss yesterday but I don't see Bruce or Warnock doing a whole lot better. Wolves have a pretty poor squad.

I think Wolves were nailed on for the drop if McCarthy had stayed, it's a risk they have to take. They've been appalling recently. McCarthy was obviously desperate, he played Fletcher and Ebanks-Blake together up front yesterday with Kevin Doyle on the right of midfield. It completely failed and he had nothing left offer, and looked like a broken man after the game.

A good manager could turn them into a decent team. The centre back pairing of Johnson and Bassong looks excellent and very well balanced on paper, although they've only played two games together so far. In midfield, O'Hara and Jarvis are good players, and up front Fletcher seems a regular source of goals, and Doyle is a good all round player if less prolific. That's a solid base - significantly better than Bolton & Wigan for me.

Steve Bruce and Alan Curbishley are early favourites. Either would be dangerous for us, both are better managers than McCarthy. Hopefully they go for someone less proven to do well in relegation fights.