[Archived] The Relegation Thread

[Exiled in Toronto]

4 points from 6 games now for Hughes, including consecutive losses to Wolves, us and Fulham, and a horrendous run-in to come.

He's beginning to look like another victim of the curse of leaving Ewood for better things.

[DE.]

He's a victim of his own disloyalty. Should never have left Fulham.

[Waggy76]

He's a victim of his own disloyalty. Should never have left Fulham.

You may , have hit the nail on the head there ..

[roverandout]

you can say the same thing about every big league, in spain, its the same, outside of barce and real madrid, there are some pretty poor teams, same as italy

back onto rovers, so we survive? then what? i dont think i could go through the same thing next season and we will, our squad will get weaker and weaker and eventually at some point we will sucumb, would rather go down this season, have venkys and kean walk and start over!!!

[MarkBRFC]

Roverandout, it doesn't matter a jot weather we go down or not this season. Kean & Venkys will still be here.

[blue_n_white99]

Roverandout, it doesn't matter a jot weather we go down or not this season. Kean & Venkys will still be here.

I really hope you are wrong, things are depressing enough as it is, another season of this kinda dross and I may have to take up knitting as hobby instead of football

[alexanders]

I can see Swansea struggling. Tough run-in

[Majiball]

I can see Swansea struggling. Tough run-in

Ah, but can you see us getting nine points?

[alexanders]

Yes.

[Hughesy]

Ah, but can you see us getting nine points?

Easy!

[Mattyblue]

Won't be long till the QPR fans turn on Hughes, they still hold a candle for Colin.

[alexanders]

Next weekend sees these fixtures:

Fulham vs Wolves

QPR vs Everton

Rovers vs Villa

Wigan vs Swansea

[davulsukur]

4 points from 6 games now for Hughes, including consecutive losses to Wolves, us and Fulham, and a horrendous run-in to come.

He's beginning to look like another victim of the curse of leaving Ewood for better things.

Can't remember how he went at City, but he seemed to have slow starts at Rovers and Fulham before turning it round and doing well. I think we beat Pompey in his first game with us and then didn't win for a while after that before he got us safe. Similar with Fulham, they were gash for a while before putting a good run together and playing well for the rest of the season.

I still think he will keep QPR up.

[rovermagic]

We have 12 matches left. Need 14 points for 35 which could be enough. Need 32 going into last three games of the season 'cause Spurs and Chelsea in 2 of last 3, and they will still prob be fighting for Champions League places. But we really need to beat a very poor Villa side at home next week and Wolves away the following week. If we can manage this m, our prospects will look distinctly better.

[Audax]

Next weekend sees these fixtures:

Fulham vs Wolves

QPR vs Everton

Rovers vs Villa

Wigan vs Swansea

And Manchester City Bolton where clearly City would be overwhelming favourites just like this past weekend over Rovers.

From these fixtures, bar the City Bolton match, one could see about anything happen and I mean anything. Everton looks a favourite, Rovers need to win as do Wigan. One would hope Fulham could win, not a certainty.

[philipl]

Next weekend sees these fixtures:

Fulham vs Wolves

QPR vs Everton

Rovers vs Villa

Wigan vs Swansea

Could be a decisive weekend.

Whichever of the relegation-threatened teams which doesn't win from those fixtures will be looking very sickly by the end of it.

[Gally]

Easy to forget that some other teams have been every bit as woeful as Rovers this season. There's a reason that Wolves got beat 5-1 at home to WBA, and a reason that Bolton are still below us in the table. Very feasible we could get 7 points from Wolves, Bolton and an understrenth/undrperforming Villa.

[philipl]

Phil McNulty tips on the BBC:

Steve Kean's future at Blackburn, and the abuse he has been receiving from his own supporters, has been part of the Premier League narrative in 2011. How long will he survive to add further chapters in 2012?

Blackburn's fall from grace under Indian owners Venky's has been well chronicled and how this fine old club pulls itself out of this turmoil will play a huge role in whether they survive in the Premier League.

The relegation battle has a Lancastrian look with Blackburn, Bolton and Wigan at the bottom and none giving the impression of moving into comfort zones in the coming months.

I tipped Blackburn and Wigan for the drop back in August, along with Swansea City, but Brendan Rodgers's side have shown enough to suggest they can survive. This drops Bolton into trouble and their decline has been alarming since their FA Cup semi-final thrashing against Stoke City at Wembley last season.

So Blackburn and Wigan will continue to have the black border around their names when it comes to relegation but expect this to be another last-day decision.

So there it is. The crystal ball goes away again but one thing can be said with some certainty - 2012 has all the ingredients to be another landmark year in football.

And as for the predictions? Please heed these words: "No-one will remember if you get it wrong."

[Ozz]

Maximum 75 days left of Premiership football for Rovers now.

[Mercer]

Looked at the remaining 12 fixtures for each of the bottom five and I think Rovers will be safe by just 1 point.

My prediction:

16 Bolton 36

17 Rovers 34

18 Wolves 33

19 & 20 QPR & Wigan 32

[alexanders]

What about villa? Without Bent and Keane. MacLeish are also under huge pressure and the fans will easily turn on him.

[Mercer]

What about villa? Without Bent and Keane. MacLeish are also under huge pressure and the fans will easily turn on him.

With 29 points already on the board, don't see too many difficulties.

[John]

Villa would have to collapse big time - given their current points total, I think they have enough in terms of quality on the pitch & manager - because of the atmosphere there, the pressure could ramp up severely though.

Bolton will be an interesting one to watch, not been following how they have been doing recently - need to remember Coyles record has been worse than Kean's over the past year or so, we need it to stay that way.

[Mercer]

Villa would have to collapse big time - given their current points total, I think they have enough in terms of quality on the pitch & manager - because of the atmosphere there, the pressure could ramp up severely though.

Bolton will be an interesting one to watch, not been following how they are doing recently - need to remember Coyles record has been worse than Kean's over the past year or so, we need it to stay that way.

IMO, Rovers and Bolton have the easier set of fixtures on paper. If either find any sort of form, would expect them to survive.

[savage90]

wouldn't write Wigan off either, they have a knack of finding form regardless of fixtures, going to be so tight whatever