The Battle To Avoid Relegation Thread

[Franchise FC]

There's no way this side is going to win another 6-8 matches. Something around 20-26 points is a realistic amount to finish on.

Bugger - this means we are going to lose the rest

[seahawk10]

Had to laugh at the woman on Radio Berks yesterday who reckoned we'd get 36-40 points. WHERE FROM????

There's optimism and there's delusion and I think a lot of fans who think like the above are completely delusional.

We might just get those 40 points now!

[Royalclapper]

There's no way this side is going to win another 6-8 matches. Something around 20-26 points is a realistic amount to finish on.

Bugger - this means we are going to lose the rest

Yep, looking like a bad shout now. Can just about see the humble pie being sliced and pushed in my direction. Couldn't see it at that point, but there have been additional signings plus an increased dose of good fortune.

It's still gonna be tough until the end of the season though, but at least we have some kind of chance.

[Big Ern]

Looks like we are seeing the first tentative "told you so´s" due to our vastly improved results.

A bit of perspective though chaps and chapesses. Our recent form has given us a chance, whereas 6-7 weeks ago we were dead and buried and it was hard to see where the next points were coming from. We are by no means out of the woods and our early season form means we have some ¨must win games¨ with very little margin for error. We are still walking a tightrope and have to maintain our form as dropping points against the likes of Wigan, Villa, QPR or Southampton could be be devastings for our chances or likewise suffering an injury to a key player such as ALF. To stay up, nothing other than victories in our ¨must win games¨ will do and I also think we will still need an ample slice of luck from now until the end of the season. Things can change very quickly as 6-7 weeks ago as Southampton looked like they were pulling away, but now find themselves back amongst the thick of things (Abeit for a stupid decision on their part.) QPR look more solid and are clearly improving, VIlla looked better against Everton and Wigan have been the perennial escape artists in recent years. Even with positive results against our relegation rivals, we need to add to the woeful tally of 5 away points all season.

What is great though is we now have a chance and as a fan there now seems to be something to fight for which has made the season ejoyable again. Looks like 3 from 5 to go down so we are no longer doomed but certainly not safe, but at least the season is a lot more exciting now. Many more twists and turns to come me thinks.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

Looks like we are seeing the first tentative "told you so´s" due to our vastly improved results.

A bit of perspective though chaps and chapesses. Our recent form has given us a chance, whereas 6-7 weeks ago we were dead and buried and it was hard to see where the next points were coming from. We are by no means out of the woods and our early season form means we have some ¨must win games¨ with very little margin for error. We are still walking a tightrope and have to maintain our form as dropping points against the likes of Wigan, Villa, QPR or Southampton could be be devastings for our chances or likewise suffering an injury to a key player such as ALF. To stay up, nothing other than victories in our ¨must win games¨ will do and I also think we will still need an ample slice of luck from now until the end of the season. Things can change very quickly as 6-7 weeks ago as Southampton looked like they were pulling away, but now find themselves back amongst the thick of things (Abeit for a stupid decision on their part.) QPR look more solid and are clearly improving, VIlla looked better against Everton and Wigan have been the perennial escape artists in recent years. Even with positive results against our relegation rivals, we need to add to the woeful tally of 5 away points all season.

What is great though is we now have a chance and as a fan there now seems to be something to fight for which has made the season ejoyable again. Looks like 3 from 5 to go down so we are no longer doomed but certainly not safe, but at least the season is a lot more exciting now. Many more twists and turns to come me thinks.

I wouldn't count Norwich out just yet....

[LUX]

Ern, m8, thinking we'll go down is "fine" (it's clearly going to be very close), but I am sure you remember the sort of shite about the team/BM/SJM you were posting a few weeks ago.

re the Saints stupid decision part. They were the best visitors at OT all season according to SAF (and "did not deserve to lose") and drew with Everton and at Wigan since they changed managers. Nothing shabby about that.

[Ouroboros]

I wouldn't count Norwich out just yet....

Agreed there. They're 18th in the form table I think.

[Big Ern]

Ern, m8, thinking we'll go down is "fine" (it's clearly going to be very close), but I am sure you remember the sort of shite about the team/BM/SJM you were posting a few weeks ago.

What shite? I was of the opinion BM should have gone when there were no signs of any improvements and his tactial decison were ´questionable´ to say the very least, but that was no way put in a derrogative way towards BM. In fact when I did suggest he went it was often tagged with the line "with a heavy heart" as I certainly appreciate what he has done for the club. I am delighted for him as he has picked things up and given us a chance and there will be nobody happier than me if I am proved 100% wrong and we avoid the drop.

I dont think I have actually commented about SJM this season as I have always assumed the buck stops with Anton, and the jury is still well and truely out with him. Maybe your post is more motivated by your general dislike for me, if so, good luck and carry on if it makes you feel better, but after all this is a discussion board and there are bound to be differences of opinions. Maybe you should develop a thicker skin, stop taking comments to heart and stop making things up to further fuel and justify your dislike for someone elses opinion.

[Arch]

...nothing other than victories in our ¨must win games¨ will do ...

Who'da thunk it.

It may be that we can get by with as few as three more wins. I'm not saying that will definitely be enough, but 36 points may suffice as we're on the right side of the GD equation. So 3-4-6 in our remaining games could do it, in which case we could potentially fail in two (or at a stretch even three) of our four homes against the bottom five. It's not a finish anyone would enjoy, but I wouldn't get into too much handwringing about those four games. There are many scenarios that keep us up involving the other games.

We're getting close to the point where you can forget about trends and statistics and it's all about each match.

[JC]

I wouldn't count Norwich out just yet....

Agreed there. They're 18th in the form table I think.

And you could argue that Stoke and West Ham are not safe on the same basis. They are 18th and 16th in the 8 game form table

[Cypry]

I wouldn't count Norwich out just yet....

Agreed there. They're 18th in the form table I think.

And you could argue that Stoke and West Ham are not safe on the same basis. They are 18th and 16th in the 8 game form table

I have to say I quite like our run-in...last 3 games might see Fulham and West Ham safe in mid table, and City safe in Europe, but United safe as Champions - we could hope to see >5 points from those three alone....
Pick up another three wins from somewhere Villa, Wigan, Norwich and QPR all look winnable on present form, with Southampton and Stoke possibles as well, and we'd be approaching the magic 40 points (not that we'll necessarily need 40, but it'd feel nice if we could get there).

A lot will ride on the next two league games. IF (big if) we can come out of the games at Stoke and home to Wigan with 6 points, I think we'll be odds on to stay up - that would put us on 29 points, with our main rivals playing as follows:

Wigan - Chelsea (A), Reading (A) - possibly (if we win) 0 points - Reading 8 points clear
Southampton - Man City (H), Newcastle (A) - Man City really need a win, nothing else will do, and Newcastle seem to have turned a corner - possibly 0 points - Reading 5 points clear
Villa - West Ham (H), Arsenal (A) - can see Villa picking up points against West Ham, but not against Arsenal - possibly 3 points - Reading 5 points clear
QPR - Swansea (A), Man United (H) - perhaps a draw at Swansea, but nothing from United - possibly 1 point - Reading 11 points clear

IF, it transpires like that then I simply can't see QPR passing us, and Wigan will struggle as well, which would make it 1 from three of Reading, Southampton and Villa to go down, with us having a 5 point head start....

A lot of IFs in there, but it's just possible that we could go into March in a much more comfortable position...

[mumbo-jumbo]

Whatever happens in the next few games, I would dread it going to the wire with the last 3 games of the season, where I think arguably we have the worst fixtures among our rivals. West Ham would like nothing more than to send us down on the last day, pay back time for all the humiliation we have caused them in the past couple of seasons. The atmosphere will be hostile beyond belief and I foresee a sending off or two and it all ending in tears. Let us pray we are home and dry before then. A point against Stoke would be a great start!

[SydenhamRoyal]

Whatever happens in the next few games, I would dread it going to the wire with the last 3 games of the season, where I think arguably we have the worst fixtures among our rivals. West Ham would like nothing more than to send us down on the last day, pay back time for all the humiliation we have caused them in the past couple of seasons. The atmosphere will be hostile beyond belief and I foresee a sending off or two and it all ending in tears. Let us pray we are home and dry before then. A point against Stoke would be a great start!

Beat the other 4 in the bottom 5 and I think we can be virtually certain we'd escape - I know its only 35, but I cant see us not picking up another point or two, and more importantly, we'd have denied those 4 teams 3 points in their must win games

[Haag Royal]

Whatever happens in the next few games, I would dread it going to the wire with the last 3 games of the season, where I think arguably we have the worst fixtures among our rivals. West Ham would like nothing more than to send us down on the last day, pay back time for all the humiliation we have caused them in the past couple of seasons. The atmosphere will be hostile beyond belief and I foresee a sending off or two and it all ending in tears. Let us pray we are home and dry before then. A point against Stoke would be a great start!

What a great away day that would be though. Beating Wet Sham at their place and staying up !!!

[wolsey]

Whatever happens in the next few games, I would dread it going to the wire with the last 3 games of the season, where I think arguably we have the worst fixtures among our rivals. West Ham would like nothing more than to send us down on the last day, pay back time for all the humiliation we have caused them in the past couple of seasons. The atmosphere will be hostile beyond belief and I foresee a sending off or two and it all ending in tears. Let us pray we are home and dry before then. A point against Stoke would be a great start!

What a great away day that would be though. Beating Wet Sham at their place and staying up !!!

Even better, sending them down at the same time. Not impossible. (Us scoring a last minute dodgy penalty would be lovely)

[SydenhamRoyal]

Whatever happens in the next few games, I would dread it going to the wire with the last 3 games of the season, where I think arguably we have the worst fixtures among our rivals. West Ham would like nothing more than to send us down on the last day, pay back time for all the humiliation we have caused them in the past couple of seasons. The atmosphere will be hostile beyond belief and I foresee a sending off or two and it all ending in tears. Let us pray we are home and dry before then. A point against Stoke would be a great start!

What a great away day that would be though. Beating Wet Sham at their place and staying up !!!

Even better, sending them down at the same time. Not impossible. (Us scoring a last minute dodgy penalty would be lovely)

With Tabb taking the penalty

[Franchise FC]

Whatever happens in the next few games, I would dread it going to the wire with the last 3 games of the season, where I think arguably we have the worst fixtures among our rivals. West Ham would like nothing more than to send us down on the last day, pay back time for all the humiliation we have caused them in the past couple of seasons. The atmosphere will be hostile beyond belief and I foresee a sending off or two and it all ending in tears. Let us pray we are home and dry before then. A point against Stoke would be a great start!

What a great away day that would be though. Beating Wet Sham at their place and staying up !!!

Even better, sending them down at the same time. Not impossible. (Us scoring a last minute dodgy penalty would be lovely)

It would take a spectacular run of poor results for West Ham to be in that position - they've got 30 points already

[wolsey]

Even better, sending them down at the same time. Not impossible. (Us scoring a last minute dodgy penalty would be lovely)

It would take a spectacular run of poor results for West Ham to be in that position - they've got 30 points already

I know, but their form hasn't been good recently, their run in is pretty tough and...if Carroll gets injured again...

[Ian Royal]

Derby had form poor enough, so it can happen. Pretty unlikely though.

Utd will be mathmatically safe if they win their next game (I think). I wonder what's the earliest point in the season a PL team has ever been safe from relegation.

[JordCot]

re the Saints stupid decision part. They were the best visitors at OT all season according to SAF (and "did not deserve to lose") and drew with Everton and at Wigan since they changed managers. Nothing shabby about that.

I really don't think this has much to do with the new manager. They sacked atkins (not that I agree with it) at the perfect time, the team was playing well and the defence had stopped conceding so many. All they have done is continue playing the same way which allows the new man to get an easy start and not have to face the immediate relegation battle that say Redknapp has. The guy can't even speak english so although I'm sure he has tactically tweaked a few things and got his opinion across he is hardly going to turn the club around from top to bottom in this short space of time.

I'm not saying he will get found out because Soton playing the atkins way look to have enough about them to keep them up but if results start to go bad then we will see the measure of the man