So sheff utd and Norwich both safe after their wins this weekend. The loser of the game vs NUFC is as good as down.
I have returned to the fold of season ticket holders this season after a 15 year absence. Relegation is inevitable.
Yup. Palace weaker than last season. Newcastle who knows, we'll see how much was Rafa keeping them up Promoted teams off to a good start. Doesn't help us one bit.
**** knows if it’s the owners or Javi that has got us into this mess. Surely they knew that the defence was our weakness and yet it was an appalling transfer window for us. This team is creaking with old age. we Know how it will pan out with Pedro as well, we’ll get to January and there will be another statement saying it has been decided that he is staying in Brazil until the summer. It’s only two games but it’s just carrying on from the end of last season. It really looks as if our luck will run out this season and we’ll be back in that **** league again.
At this early stage it would seem to me there are a number of new dross candidates for the drop this season. Probably too early to make a solid prediction but you would say us, Palace, Newcastle and maybe Villa are looking good bets for a season of struggle with Southampton, and maybe West Ham/Burnley as outside bets too. However, I will need to revise this in 5/6 games time. Sheffield United and more so Norwich look decent. But I wouldn’t be surprised if once the nights draw in and we get to December time one if not both of these will have a rocky patch and get in the mix. Who knows, maybe we are breaking the norm this season and starting off cr@p and will end decent!
I agree with your early analysis. Southampton look bad though. Their defence is as bad as ours. Newcastle were only any good because of Benitez. Now he's gone and replaced by Bruce (for god's sake), they are bound to be in trouble, although they do have a couple of decent players. Villa could go either way, but the early signs are not good for them. They look like being this year's Fulham by spending a stack load on crap. Palace are going to be dodgy as they only have Zaha. If he's injured or playing poorly, then Palace have nothing to offer. Of course we have to include ourselves, but only because of the defence. Our midfield is good and our forward line will be good (I hope) once we get everyone playing. Of the other possible teams, Norwich will have some heavy defeats, but they will pick up points at home. They will be like Bournemouth. A leaky defence but will score goals. Sheff Utd will be like Burnley. They will try to be tight at the back but will look to snatch 1-0 wins. Brighton will be ok, but they won't have a brilliant season. Their win at our place will probably be the only time they score more than twice all season. Burnley same as Brighton. They will hover below mid-table but out of danger. Ditto Bournemouth. West Ham are West Ham. I thought they'd be strong this season, but again they are all over the place with consistency. One week they'll beat a good side, then get smashed by someone lower down. Everton, again like West Ham, will not be the all conquering 7th place side. I just don't see it. Leicester and Wolves will be head to head for 6/7. I think Chelsea will slip out of the top 6 this season. Maybe 8th for them.
Seriously need some pointage from the next two games because we've got a tough few games coming up. At the moment I'm feeling fairly relaxed due to the improved performance vs Everton. Brighton on day one was a serious honker but will be forgotten about if we pick up a couple of wins. We have a very strong team from the midfield forwards, I genuinely think it's 'best of the rest' standard once Sarr and Welbeck are properly in the mix. Defence is bottom half standard and Foster seems to have been on a bit of a downward slope starting at the tail end of last season - hopefully temporary. But overall, on paper this team should be nowhere near relegation and only an absolute season-long howler from Javi would see us in the bottom 3. It seems obvious from my armchair that a change in formation may help but hey, what do I know.
This is where I am. I didnt see the brighton match but the performance v everton was as good as performances last year. We matched them and more for a lot of the match. Surely we're good enough to beat enough of the terds in this league to stay up comfortably. 6 points from the next 2 games and all will be well. 4 points will also be ok. Problem is, west ham look pretty good and we are shyt away.
People say that ‘attack wins games, defence wins championships’... Hopefully ‘attack loses games, defence gets you relegated’ doesn’t apply too.
We will be fine and stay up comfortably. Hopefully I'm wrong but I can't see it. There is a lot of dross in this league and will be mid table.
I'm hearing that we will probably get some luck over the next 2 games, but we may not. We will know more in 2 games time.
Funny how perspective changes over time isn't it? Under Zola we had a team that looked like world beaters, in reality that side would have been comfortably relegated from the PL. Many think the current squad hasn't been good enough, yet we've survived comfortably so far. This means two things imo: -The squad is better than many give it credit for. -The EPL has several poor teams in it every season.
If you imbalance your left leg one day, surely by imbalancing the right leg you become, well, (re)balanced again?
Yes, most certainly a possibility. It may indeed happen. I certainly wouldn't rule it out, not entirely.
Yes. Poor in the champ, he would be laughable at this level. He only ever mentioned as RC fancies him.
Would be a goal threat down the other end though. And seeing as that’s the only quality Dawson seems to bring, we could have saved ourselves £5.5m and considerably upped our game in the ‘Phwoarrrrr’ stakes whilst at it.
