[Archived] The Relegation Thread

[jim mk2]

Well here we again, for the third year in succession.

The previous 2 relegation battles under Kean were predictable but even a glumster like me never saw us in danger of going down this season.

To sum up. we have won 6 points out of 30 under Henning Berg and are now just 7 points above the drop zone. Without Kean's excellent start to the season we would be in the bottom 3 now.

It's obvious Berg has been a disastrous appointment and highly likely that if Venkys' stand by him like they did his predecessor we will be relegated.

Let me add, I'm not enjoying this and I hope Berg turns it around and this thread can be consigned to the dustbin.

But in my view we're in big trouble.

Discuss.

[Roverall]

I hope Henning hands in his resignation and leaves with dignity. Sad.

We are on an inexorable slide with Venky's.

[sambo]

Can't argue with anything you've just said.

We're sinking fast and I can't see where the next result is coming from.

[philipl]

Having been howled at for talking about relegation at the start of the season, it gives me no pleasure to see this thread.

We need 21 points from the last 23 games now and the bottom clubs no longer look the basket cases they did a month ago.

[BRFC1995]

i thought we would be at the wrong end at the start of the season and then went to thinking possible play offs when kean went..........very firmly in the camp of being quite likely to go down now.

Think of the dis-jointed spineless teams of journeymen that coventry/bradford/sheff.wed have had after being in the prem and how hard the losing habbit was for them to shift..............i'm certain we will lose more than we win on the run in and that could well mean relegation.

[den]

Don't think we will go down, but this is relegation form. Don't know about you Jim, but in the closed season while some were thinking what a great squad we had, some of us thought we'd be nearer the bottom than the top,

Still mate, when you sell your best players - and if Robbo and Givet go now, we'll have managed to sell almost an entire PL squad and replaced them with players who still can't show they can cut it in just two seasons, even in this league - then it shouldn't come as a surprise.

Only one thing is certain, - it's a long, long way back from here.

[LDRover]

Very very poor squad, unfit and bereft of confidence.

The feel good factor that was brought with Kean leaving should've been capitalised on with a swift appointment. 5 weeks later we get an underwhelming one and, even though all the fans were behind him initially, the lack of results has shown that Berg was the wrong choice.

I also personally feel that the writing was on the wall when all of the coaching staff were not replaced with Berg's own.

As I've said in another thread, only a relegation battle to look forward to now plus avoiding defeat against the dingles. Very very sad.

[Bundesburn]

I'd take a draw on Saturday.

Unbelievable that it's come to this.

Are Burnley 4 clear of us now?

[Salgado Is A Hero]

I think he'll resign either now or after we fail to beat Barnsley.

Unless we appoint McKinlay, Flitcroft or someone of that ilk, I can't see us being in a relegation battle.

If not, then Bristol City look doomed, so it will be a case of finishing above two of Sheff Wed, P'boro and Barnsley.

[Tom]

Having been howled at for talking about relegation at the start of the season, it gives me no pleasure to see this thread.

We need 21 points from the last 23 games now and the bottom clubs no longer look the basket cases they did a month ago.

But didn't you along with many predict relegation then change your mind when we were top and say even Kean would get us promoted with how bad the league is?

[Salgado Is A Hero]

I'd take a draw on Saturday. Unbelievable that it's come to this. Are Burnley 4 clear of us now?

Yes....we have a game in hand but we still couldn't overtake them obviously if we were to win.

[Paul]

I hope Henning hands in his resignation and leaves with dignity. Sad.

Quite agree

[perthblue02]

Problem is were do we go from here?, not looking like Venky's will sell, and the one person who could perhaps offer Venky's independent advice as had his name darkened by people with their own agendas.

Time for Venky's to take a long hard look at people in the club thats if they are interested in it as an actual football club , forget what bull they were told and offer John Williams a large advisory fee to sort the club out from top to bottom.

[G Somerset Rover]

Where are those fans who were saying we'd be easily mid table even half way through this dire run? I've been banging on for weeks that we were in a scrap.

Just watch us get closer and closer and...

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I have to admit I never envisaged this situation...total nightmare.

We are a club spiralling out of control,we're going to hell on a handcart.

[RibbleValleyRover]

I was wondering when Jim's annual relegation thread would be started, kind of surprised it wasn't put up sooner.

No chance of promotion now, we have to forget that and focus on trying to stay up in this division. With a couple of astute signings that might be possible but it’s going to be tough.

Wonder who our new manager will be next season either in the Championship or League One next season? It’s not going to be Berg; he’s a dead man walking.

[K-Hod]

We're as good as gone IMO. We're showing no signs of turning it around, pathetic.

[Hasta]

Where are all the people saying that this squad is far superior to everyone else in this league and that the rest of the teams are poor?

[roverandout]

as soon as we ignored some really good choices to replace kean and appoint berg, it was obvious that we would be looking down and not up. I said when he was appointed that we wouldnt go up under him and some on here lambasted me, i never thought though we would be in this situation,

[DE.]

If Henning doesn't resign or get sacked we will go down. He doesn't have what it takes to manage a team at this level.

Problem is, even if he does go, Venky's will probably get in somebody as bad or worse.

So, in short... we're screwed.

[Mike Graham]

A few new away grounds beckon for next season. I have done 60+, and also a number that are out of the league (Halifax, Mansfield, Darlington, Southport, Workington, Barrow etc etc). This is the level that those chicken monsters have dragged us to.

Kean off Venkys, Agspew, Mr Shelving, Shaggy Sink, Borg and "Golden Dollar" Hendry.

[ABBEY]

do the wankys know theres relegation from this division as well?

[RibbleValleyRover]

Before people start to bizarrely worship Kean we were incredibly lucky at the beginning of the season, we were playing just as bad then as we are now. A fair few of us were saying we would start to drop points and results unless performances improved and that's happened. If Kean was here now I have no doubt in my mind we would be struggling just as much.

[bluefred]

we need to find a right bast@rd of a manager,someone who dosent give a flying @#/? were these players have played before,but is only concerned how they perform now.if they dont like it @#/? them off.....

[Stuart]

Dreadful to see this thread. Difficult to disagree with the assessment, and it's only December.

However...

I was one of those who believed 9 games is too soon to bin Berg. Should this change after 10? Well, not really - not least because picking a number is arbitrary - how many? 12? 16? 20?

But...

It's all too apparent that confidence is at an all time low. There is too much uncertainty around at the moment. The backroom team should have been changed when the new manager came in. Sadly, I don't think Berg has his own team so he's had to fashion one out of those who were loyal to Kean. Not a great starting point but another reason we should have gone for an experienced man and not someone learning their trade - but we've all said this a thousand times.

I'm not convinced that we can afford to pay off Berg and bring in a new manager but even if he were to walk, an outsider looking in would suggest there is something very wrong where two managers walk in the same season.

Conversely, if Berg were to go who would we end up with? Black.

Bleak times ahead for us I fear. Promotion or bust? Pah, I hope Singh was suitably embarrassed - but I doubt it.

Relegation and bust. Pompey but without the FA Cup win - let's hope we aren't also without a white knight.

Get you tenners in to the Trust, we're going to need them (and stop paying for parties at Ewood and sponsoring injured players with the money - at least while Venkys are in charge!).