The Great Escape

When you say weeks before.... surely not as the season had only just begun. I saw no such clamouring for Gracia to be sacked and Flores to come in. Naturally when it happened most people came around to support it although many of us were lukewarm to the appointment because we knew of the attritional football we would have to bear.

 

I didn't say there was clamouring. I said there were a few people suggesting it, which I couldn't understand at the time even as a minority opinion.

The fact you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen. I doubt any of us read every single post on here, even the moderators.

 

Based on that stat, I would guess that the majority of 49 runs of 22 games that yielded more than 27 points were early in the season. Our only real chance is to have a second half like our first half last year.

In the first 22 games of last year we score 32 points, if we emulated that now we would have a good chance of survival.

Traditionally we fall off after Christmas , it’s hard to see how we could fall any further this year.

survival =
Janmat , Dawson , Cleverley wellbeck coming back quickly
Pedro joining us in January and finding his feet quickly (or another striker brought in , in January window)
+ Norwich and 2 others teams having a decline in form

Still don’t think we can do it, but will remain hopeful till the end of December (just wish we didn’t have Liverpool next)

 

Saw this and thought it was worth posting. Note how many points Hull & Villa had at that point

 

I bet you any money Leicester stay up.

 

I agree with this. I do wonder if Burnley are also dropping? Not as much as Bournemouth though

 

Fool. 0% chance.

 

I agree with this, it tallies with my analysis, albeit only if we can only pick up form to where we should be. Here is my estimate based on replicating the rest of the season 1,000 times (not including results from Sunday)

 

One step at a time, let’s focus on not beating Derby County’s record, then catch the team above us. I am always believing we can win any game. We need 3 teams to be worse muff wet spam Norwich look like those teams right now hopefully villa and Southampton will continue to screw up. Then theirs hope.


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If you include Leicester along with the top 6 this season then Watford,Norwich and West Ham still have to play 9 of them. More than any other struggling clubs. You lot have to play Liverpool twice.
I just think it will to much for you lot to make up.
If you look at us we only play 7 more of these games and 5 are at home. Already beaten both north London clubs. I'm struggling to think who could possibly finish below you lot apart from Norwich.

 

Nice to hear how well Brighton are doing.

I’m not sure there is a top 6 this year, maybe a top 3/4 and then the rest.

Most of also think it will be too much, but not impossible.

 

Nobody asked.

 

We're bottom and should of beaten both North London sides. Remember we had QSF in charge. I watched the Brighton v Wolves game and quite frankly found myself cheering Wolves on. No interest in your club or city and find odd that you can even be bothered contributing your carp on another clubs forum. I can honestly say that no one gives a flying on your opinion.

 

Let Caskey have his moment, it's rare that he can come on here with bragging rights! We're hardly the humblest of lot when things are going our way. They'll be back in the relegation mix next season.

I think the only teams that the team near the bottom can take points off at the moment are Liverpool and Leicester, even City are a bit wobbly at the moment. Every other team is fair game and no doubt Chelsea, Spurs, United etc. will lose a few to the bottom lot between now and the end of the season.

 

This is what my survival plan would look like.

Man Utd (h ) W...……..12
Sheff Utd (a ) D...……..13
Aston Villa (h ) W...…..16
Wolves (h ) D...………...17
Bournemouth (a ) D....18
Spurs (h ) L...…………...18
Aston Villa (a ) D...…...19
Everton (h ) W...……….22
Brighton (a) W...……...25
Man Utd (a ) L...……...25
Liverpool (h ) L...……..25
Palace (a ) W...………...28
Leicester City (h ) D...29
Burnley (a ) D...……….30
Southampton (h ) W...33
Chelsea (a ) L...………..33
Norwich City (h ) W....36
Newcastle (h ) W...…..39
West Ham (a ) D...…..40
Arsenal (a ) L...………..40
Man City (h ) L...……..40

 

Damn. This just made it look incredibly difficult.

Unbeaten in the next five looks hard enough.

We've got so many good teams to play too!? The QSF decision really has hurt us. Not sure if I even want us to survive, The Pozzo's will just call it a close shave and not blame themselves if we stay up.

 

Exactly. Staying up is only worth it if the obvious lessons are learned.

 

Taking it one game at a time then...

We just need a run of 3 or 4 wins in 5 or similar to be in touching distance, then we'll be in-form and looking hopeful.

 

That is criminal really.

 

Agreed. As shown with our current 1 win in 21 form, that's just round the corner.

Looking hopeful.

 

Which they won't be. A relegation would at least likely make Gino change things around or dump us off.

Either way, if we are to go down, this might be the season to do it. With Leeds and West Brom coming up and let's say Fulham or Bristol City in the Play Offs, if the bottom three as it stands all go down, there won't be any big 'sleeping giant' teams ready to go up.

The Championship is potentially weak as **** next season.

 

We have next to no margin for error. I'm sorry but I just cant see it happening.
We wont go from winning 1 in 20 something games instantly.
If Pearson gives us a fighting chance and if we go down fighting till the last game he will deserve next season to get us back up.
In a way it will be a good thing. Alot of the dead wood will be cleared out. We will 100% use some youngsters and hopefully we will win more than we lose.

Question is, will the Pozzo's invest to make sure it happens? We will surely sell the likes of Doucoure, Delf and maybe Capoue and Sarr so we should have some money to re-invest. Plenty of talent in the lower leagues looking to step up which we should be looking at instead of journeymen or failed superstars.

 

Delf plays 4 evertun m8

 

We will go down this season, accept it. It is clear there are not 3 worse teams for a start & I could go on.

You are not all of a sudden going to see a free scoring team, which is another aspect we would need to have even the remotest chance of staying up.

Rebuild job, different structures incoming & all that will not be a bad thing. Lot of this dead wood needs chopping out.

 

If we manage to stay up this season I think we should replace The "Z Cars"Theme Tune with the "Great Escape" one

 

Did you not watch the Liverpool game? Has the pride and passion of the last two games not given you any belief? I've seen more in the last two matches than the last 20 with the stubborn Spaniards. There are more than three teams worse than us. They're in a false position in the table and the second half of the season will show you this. The pathetic appointment of QSF has left us in this position and even under him we should of picked up more points.

 

Let's look at how utterly hopeless our form has been since that FA Cup semi final win.

Here are the results against Premier League opponents, including cup games.

P 24 W 2 D 7 L 15 GF 14 GA 52

Games in which we've failed to score = 14

 

Yes, I have seen an improvement in pride & passion but it is not enough. More importantly I have seen we have no end product. To see a consistent goal scoring team every week with what we have available is almost unfathomable, whatever way you want to dice up the maths. It would be Roy of the Rovers stuff & that is for comic books.

I believe we have the right long term appointment in NP & hope the foundations can be put in place for the next 3 years to make a prompt return, the Championship should in theory be more even next season & we would have had an additional half season to prepare for it. Just accept it.

 

I won't accept anything until its mathematically impossible.
Yes we're missing chances that could change very quickly. I would be more worried if we weren't creating.
We need to fluke one or an own goal, scrape a win and things could change very quickly.
There are not many in this league that are significantly better than us. Most didn't have incompetent managers in charge. Yes I'm putting Gracia in that along with QSF because blind stubbornness on their behalf has left us in this situation.

 

Because we had two managers who couldn't motivate our players.

 

I don't think we have a chance. We are slowly drifting further from safety each week.. Yes, another team always seems to hit poor form towards the end of the season, but we are so bad that we are a bit of a joke.
Tell me, who will we beat? We do need a slice of luck l grant you that.
I don't think we will reach 20 points.
We were so poorly prepared for this season by JG. QSF was simply not the right man given his preferred style of football. I think Pearson could be the right man, but l also think it is too late. He will certainly kick some ass at the club.
The players just aren't good enough at this level.
We can only hope for the best.
Good luck to all.