The Battle To Avoid Relegation Thread

[floyd__streete]

I never said it was impossible, just very unlikely.

Yes, teams can go on amazing runs, but overwhelmingly they tend not to.

What actually is it, beyond blind hope, that has you feeling we can go on a 17 game run of form way beyond the level of our performances so far?

And yes, we've had the odd spot of bad luck. So has virtually everyone else. We're not sat with 13 points from 21 games because we've been unlucky.

Yep, massive +1 to this.

The most worrying thing is it is not as if we're missing players who are going to make a crucial difference or that we can somehow expect a little more from the current squad. They have played their little hearts out to get us 13 points thus far.

[Big Ern]

For us to avoid relegation, then we need the following to happen IMO.

1 - 3 other teams in the bottom half to completely capitulate from now until the end of the season.
2 - At least 2 more quality players (Rogic not included) on top of Carrico to be signed before the next League game.
3 - All new players to be a vast improvement and Prem level who integrate into the team instantly.
4 - Learn how to defend leads.
5- Not dropping a single point more to our relegation rivals
6 - Pick up a couple of unexpected wins like QPR's victory against Chelsea.
7 - Learn how to grind out a couple of away wins from the likes of Norwich or Fulham.
8 - Avoid injuries to our best players
9 - A generous portion of luck.
10 - Club gambling a bit with transfer fees and wages in an attempt to get the players needed.

So not impossible, however highly unlikely, I would give us about a 1% chance of staying up. Would love to be proved wrong, but just can't see it happening.

[sandman]

Whilst many on here would love to see the team fail it is not ''impossible'' that we could survive. We have given ourselves a real uphill struggle with our performances AWAY against our relegation rivals that much is true but there is still a possibility we can do this. Brian and his team have been written off by people more than once since he has been manager and each time they've proven those people wrong. I'd have thought those people would've learnt by now but obviously not.

[Big Ern]

Whilst many on here would love to see the team fail

Utter tosh and totally stupid statement. Just because certain people, including myself, can't see anyway back from our current plight, it does not mean they want us to go down. Getting relegated hurts any fan, and I doubt people would want us to give up our place in arguably the best league in the world to say "told you so."

[Platypuss]

Whilst many on here would love to see the team fail

Utter tosh and totally stupid statement. Just because certain people, including myself, can't see anyway back from our current plight, it does not mean they want us to go down. Getting relegated hurts any fan, and I doubt people would want us to give up our place in arguably the best league in the world to say "told you so."

Speak for yourself - I've got £100 on us going down.

[Royal91]

QPR are making a good attempt to get relegated with the signing of Ben Haim.

Just need to find two more. Someone take out Benteke knees
Kone going to the African cup of nations so Wigan will collapse.

There is your 3 teams

[Big Ern]

Once upon a time

QPR, with all their millions and experienced Prem Manager failed to sign a single decent player
Somebody took out Benteke's knees and
Kone went to the African cup of nations which caused Wigan to collapse.

And they all lived happily ever after

Corrected for

[peterroyal76]

Does anyone know if the OP paid up Leicsroyal?

[Reading4eva]

Just need to find two more. Someone take out Benteke knees

Now wheres Parky when you need him

[royal67]

Just need to find two more. Someone take out Benteke knees

Now wheres Parky when you need him

You'll probably find him in or around Bradford on alternating Saturdays.....

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Like I said before, to stay up we need a ‘mini’ run that gives us almost half the points we need for survival i.e. 3 or 4 wins in a row. Ideally we want that run to be in a patch of games where we face our relegation rivals so we are stealing points off them.

If by some minor miracle we do manage 7 wins, IMO that would see us over the line.

Looking at the fixtures we’ll know if we have a shot at survival by the end of Feb I would say. Between now & then we face WBA, Newcastle, Sunderland, Stoke & Wigan. If we can’t amass 9-10 points from that lot then surely it’s curtains?!

I know it’s not played on paper but in March we have Everton away, Arsenal away & Utd away. Hmm big fat zero from that lot in all likelihood.

If we’re on say 22 or more points come 1st March we have a shot.

Bump. We might even have the 22 points by the end of Jan. T'rffic stuff.

[Woodcote Royal]

Nice bump!!!

Some "knowledgeable " posters should enjoy reading this again

[cmonurz]

Nice bump!!!

Some "knowledgeable " posters should enjoy reading this again

Not sure what your problem is these last couple of weeks. Some people thought we were doomed to go down (myself included), others didn't. Our form has improved and whilst I still think we'll go down we have at least given ourselves a chance of the 'great escape' going into the final third of the season.

We all want the same thing, your 'how very dare you' whenever anyone suggests a pessimistic viewpoint is a bit silly.

[Woodcote Royal]

My problem is that we never reached the point when we were doomed and whilst some may still hold the view that we will be relegated, 3 wins out of our last 4 makes any observations such as "the odds are still stacked against us" bollox of the highest order. This is no longer the case.

With our current form and the form of a number of clubs above us, not to mention our fairly decent run in, the odds are now more in our favour than a number of our rivals.

It's high time Private Frazer and his platoon bought a calculator/abacus between them.

[cmonurz]

My problem is that we never reached the point when we were doomed and whilst some may still hold the view that we will be relegated, 3 wins out of our last 4 makes any observations such as "the odds are still stacked against us" bollox of the highest order. This is no longer the case.

With our current form and the form of a number of clubs above us, not to mention our fairly decent run in, the odds are now more in our favour than a number of our rivals.

It's high time Private Frazer and his platoon bought a calculator/abacus between them.

...in your opinion.

As I said, in my view we will still go down, but at least we have given ourselves a fighting chance.

It's perfectly reasonable to look at our (some might say) fortunate win over Everton, and once-a-season comeback against West Brom and conclude that 2 of our 4 wins haven't been totally deserved - of course there are other instances when luck has gone the other way, such as our home game against Newcastle. It's valid to think that despite our recent better form, in terms of points, we still aren't very good, and will still struggle to get points against the likes of Sunderland and Stoke.

It's patently not 'bollox' to think the odds are stacked against us when you consider the whole picture, our style and quality of football, especially in the final third.

We all want to stay up, not sure why you have such an issue with fans of a club that has spent the whole season in the relegation zone thinking we are going to go down.

[Woodcote Royal]

It's patently not 'bollox' to think the odds are stacked against us when you consider the whole picture, our style and quality of football, especially in the final third.

Yes it is and your "whole picture" is just grasping at straws in order to justify a previous position that has already been blown out of the water.

Is this what you based your opinion when you said we'd still need 6 or 7 wins with 10 games to go

The real "real picture" is that we are currently 9th in the form league whilst some of those around us are dropping like stones. And, whilst we sit one point from safety with most of our rivals still to play at the Madstad, those with no hidden agendas will now see us with at least an even chance of avoiding the drop.

Alan Pardew said last week that getting the points for survival is all that matters for teams in their first season in the Prem ........................why not ask him if he'd sooner have the 3pts we got from Saturday or some "style and quality"

[cmonurz]

It's patently not 'bollox' to think the odds are stacked against us when you consider the whole picture, our style and quality of football, especially in the final third.

Yes it is and your "whole picture" is just grasping at straws in order to justify a previous position that has already been blown out of the water.

Is this what you based your opinion when you said we'd still need 6 or 7 wins with 10 games to go

The real "real picture" is that we are currently 9th in the form league whilst some of those around us are dropping like stones. And, whilst we sit one point from safety with most of our rivals still to play at the Madstad, those with no hidden agendas will now see us with at least an even chance of avoiding the drop.

Alan Pardew said last week that getting the points for survival is all that matters for teams in their first season in the Prem ........................why not ask him if he'd sooner have the 3pts we got from Saturday or some "style and quality"

"Blown out of the water" ?

What the hell are you on about?

Go have a lie down. If you want something to think about, the clue is in your last sentence.

[Cypry]

My problem is that we never reached the point when we were doomed and whilst some may still hold the view that we will be relegated, 3 wins out of our last 4 makes any observations such as "the odds are still stacked against us" bollox of the highest order. This is no longer the case.

With our current form and the form of a number of clubs above us, not to mention our fairly decent run in, the odds are now more in our favour than a number of our rivals.

It's high time Private Frazer and his platoon bought a calculator/abacus between them.

...in your opinion.

As I said, in my view we will still go down, but at least we have given ourselves a fighting chance.

It's perfectly reasonable to look at our (some might say) fortunate win over Everton, and once-a-season comeback against West Brom and conclude that 2 of our 4 wins haven't been totally deserved - of course there are other instances when luck has gone the other way, such as our home game against Newcastle. It's valid to think that despite our recent better form, in terms of points, we still aren't very good, and will still struggle to get points against the likes of Sunderland and Stoke.

It's patently not 'bollox' to think the odds are stacked against us when you consider the whole picture, our style and quality of football, especially in the final third.

We all want to stay up, not sure why you have such an issue with fans of a club that has spent the whole season in the relegation zone thinking we are going to go down.

But that's what was said about a lot of games in February/March last year, but we kept doing it time after time....

Seems that Brian has almost hit the magic formula for this year, keep it tight, don't ship too many early on, then push hard in the last 20 minutes...given the examples of the last three seasons, it wouldn't surprise me if we were able to put together a decent run over the next couple of months, possibly with some surprises against "big" teams for good measure...

Perhaps I should put the RTGs away...?

[cmonurz]

Can't see much wrong with that view at all, I'm just picking up Woodcote on stating people who think we'll go down are talking "bollox".

For me, we have started to play better, and ground out a few results, one a freak win against West Brom. My worry is that in most of those games we have still had much less possession than our opponents, still given up more shots, still spent much of the games on the back foot.

What might the score at Newcastle have looked like had Feds not been back on top form?

Worth repeating once more, just so it's there when Woodcote has another fit - we have given ourselves a good chance of staying up, but I still think we'll go down.

[Ouroboros]

those with no hidden agendas will now see us with at least an even chance of avoiding the drop.

If you believe this you really should visit the bookies, where you will get between 13/8 and 5/2 on uur survival. By your lights they must have a hidden agenda. Charity towards poor football fans, perhaps?