Managing Expectations

Hi everyone,

I've seen quite a lot of optimism on social media the last few days and a lot of "get behind the lads" posts, which are great in sentiment but are not aligned with the reality of the situation at all. We need to prepare for the abject disappointment of tomorrow. We're playing Arsenal away, needing to win and possibly by a couple of goals. Half of our team are already plotting their escape and don't care enough about the club or the fans to give the extra bit needed. When relegation is confirmed tomorrow evening, there will be a glut of transfer requests on Gino's desk before they all jet out to the Maldives for the summer.

We ARE going down. Its because I love you all that I'm telling you not to become consumed by futile hope and face up to crushing disappointment.

Cheers.

 

I'm expecting relegation. I think both Watford & Villa will lose but they'll be saved by goal difference. It will hurt, but I feel like mentally I've prepared for it, I just want this horrible season to be over whatever happens.

 

Don't believe the hype on social media. They are playing the positive cards for hits on their barely read blogs and barely watched YouTube channels.

Everyone knows the truth, no matter how many 'on the beach' scenarios that they try and convince themselves about.

 

My expectations of Watford are not very high. That's what of 45 years of support does to you. All I've ever wanted is for us to be competitive in every game. But damn they can't even do that anymore. I've witnessed some absolutely appalling teams in my life but atleast they tried.

 

My expectations are for Watford to be Watfordy - always flop at the final hurdle... Wembley time and time again... Europa qualification... and tomorrow

I think muff will get something at Everton, Spam have suddenly got going and I don't see Villa getting anything there

Us, Villa and Norwich down

 

My own personal assessment is that we’re about 85% likely to go down. We’ve had chance after chance after chance to not be in this situation. Yes you could say it’s last chance saloon and we just have to go for it, but the same applies to Villa and Bournemouth and they’ve both got easier games. There is a strong possibility that we have to beat Arsenal by three clear goals, if that happens then we’ll fully deserve it, but the chances of it happening are slim to none.

 

On a number of occasions up to the appointment of Nigel Pearson, I was fully resigned to relegation, then we went on a mad run, and then our best players got injured and we were back to relegation form. Was tough to watch us somehow stay outside the bottom 3 game after game, knowing that we 'deserved' relegation but that the other teams were keeping us up, but strangely I feel a lot calmer knowing that relegation is now almost certainly assured again

 

Can you I imagine the meltdown if Villa stay up on GD. I can see Muff winning, can see Villa getting something too if Spam have their flip flops on. Arsenal I honestly have no idea what type of team they will put out. Surely players are going to be so worried about picking up and injury. Can't even be arsed to look back over former finalists to see their record on the last games before the final. Wet Spam Spanked us last season. That's nothing to go by. I remember the season before Chelsea getting done over by Newcastle. So our only hope is that they don't turn up and we get a few lucky goals more than Villa. Oh and the big obvious point is we dont start Deeknee, Cleverly or the Charlatan Pereyra.

 

Once Pearson strung a few wins together at the start I never thought we’d end up close to going down. Then when Gerri got injured and games were suspended, I genuinely thought restarting would be the end of us. Weirdly until the last game we’d improved on our pre restart position and for the first time only, we are now in a worse position than when play was suspended.

 

I was really positive after the Leicester game, we actually played quite well against a team who on paper are much better than us. Um yeah, turns out Leicester are **** these days...

We've been probably the worst team in the league outside of Norwich since the restart, we had such a good platform with our fixtures to move away from the drop zone, but we ****ed it up. Oh well, it's almost over now, relegation is nothing less than we deserve

 

Agreed, although as hard as it is to believe Bournemouth have actually been worse than us since the restart, we’ve gained an extra three points on them, the best they can do (and the most likely outcome) is win tomorrow and we lose and we’ll have the same awful points tally since lockdown.

 

Bournemouth started off badly, but have picked up of late, and have a far more winnable game to come. Villa struggled all season beating the 'big' teams (does Arsenal count these days?), yet have been hard to beat against the other teams (they haven't lost to a non-European team for a long time whereas we got bashed by Southampton, West Ham and Burnley). Honestly, it's just annoying watching them, one of the worst defensive teams in the league, look really organised, whereas we look an absolute shambles at the back basically every game

 

FFS why are you guys so sure we are going down:- The Arsenal players will already be thinking of Wembley; The Spammers will beat Villa and even if Muff win, which I doubt they will...............................................

ALL WE WILL NEED IS A POINT
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And I for one think we are capable of doing that, if not all THREE!!!

 

Evidence based belief. Not fantasy world crap.

 

Villa just need to beat West Ham to guarantee survival, any belief that we can achieve a point or three, applies in exactly the same way to Villa.

 

Bournemouth have to get more than “something” at Everton. Their only chance is to win while both Villa and Watford lose, so them staying up is the least likely.

 

But they are going to lose to West Ham and with any luck heavily, then we might not have to win either a small defeat and we would still stay up

 

My expectation is a 3-0 defeat. If they fail to live up to that then I may need longer than 6 weeks before I feel ready to watch Watford again.

 

Villa have taken more points from their last three matches than they managed in their previous thirteen.

They’ve hit form just at the right time.

 

Don't really care what happens at this point.

 

I've got a few quid on a mauling by -1, -2 and -3 goals. May be marginally less than a mauling if they rest most of their players but -1 should still be achievable to finish in profit.

 

We have been over achieving for years. At least we can re-structure in div 2.

 

End this thread now it’s too depressing

 

Watford deserve to be relegated.
Villa deserve to be relegated.
Bournemouth deserve to be relegated.

One stays up, but it is merely a stay of execution for some of the worst sides this division has seen.

 

Not a chance villa will lose. Not a chance.

 

Oh yes they will

 

Two sides inform. West Ham will have to much up top for them though. It's the day Villas luck finally runs out.

 

After the loss to West Ham I felt and accepted we were down. Tomorrow feels nothing more than a legal challenge on a technicality that everyone knows won't come off

Just crap and I'd rather the season ended now that the pointless, spineless effort we all know is coming.

 

Of course we will get what we need today. Villa will think they've escaped already and lose, and we only have to get a point to finish above Muff.

If by a total fluke we end up going down, then I'll be totally p***d off, but then it will only for a day or so, as I then start to celebrate getting promotion at the end of next season. Whereas many of you have been miserable about it for days, weeks, or months. The pleasure you get from being about to crow about being right, will only last for an hour or two.

Being optimistic is far more fun, and is better for our health.

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/how-train-your-brain-be-more-optimistic-ncna795231

 

Have you considered becoming a life coach?

 

I think Bournemouth have a much better chance than people are giving them credit for. The likelihood is both Us and Villa will lose. Every chance they could sneak a result.

 

Every team gets a ‘result’. Bournemouth need a win.

 

That's what I meant, thought it was obvious.

 

By a ‘result’ people often mean a win or draw, especially away from home. Of course a draw is not enough in this case.