Season is, I understand it, still not over! Will you turn down an FA Cup Final spot (& possibly Europe as winners), finishing with Prem. status intact. Like I said, my glass is still half-full.
Speaking as someone who is usually irritatingly positive, I’m very impressed with your glass, I really am. Not sure how you’re doing it at the moment.
Probably by playing him wide in a 4-4-2. Hmm...maybe let's not try that one again. (Not only is Boufal good, I think the stuff about him giving the ball away etc is overdone a bit. Just play him.)
Cheers! But is going out to buy razor blades or any sharp implement to slash ones wrists (or throat) is somewhat futile. My history of following Saints around the country (for decades!) has brought me much grief over many seasons from all three tiers of the league pyramid. But oh, there is so much pleasure to be had if you keep your nerve and back your club. Just one example, if I may "fat'....... A cup game at the DELL, Saints look like going out, people around me on the Milton Road end have already begun leaving; then an equaliser at the death ~ missed by the 'half-empty' brigade ~ earned the team a replay. Onward travel, a trip to Wembley, a victory for Saints, a trophy against all of the odds. It's never over until it's over....... However bad, you can always find something, somewhere, that's worse.
Romeu lemina PEH Sims Austin Boufal Play all the CMs which mean when lemina/Boufal give the ball away, we have an extra man covering. Job done.
I am normally a glass ¾ full type of guy. I think though that Dell1964 has the type of glass I would like half full. It is a litre glass full of Absolute Vodka. Half full. Come relegation it will be empty, but fun drinking it
Doesn't surprise me too much to see that the Swansea game has been rearranged for the final week of the season. If we're still alive come then, that could be the mother of all six pointers.
That could be the furthest apart league game double ever. Saying that, battering them 0-0 that warm day feels like a life time ago.
Or a nice little warm up ahead of the FA Cup Final............. having secured survival at Goodison Park a few days earlier
SWANSEA Swansea have a glorious chance next weekend, at home to Everton, to position themselves one win from safety thereafter. And they'd have three shots at getting that final win, against Bmouth, us and Stoke. Even just a couple of draws in those three would probably suffice, on the back of a victory over Everton. But slip up against Everton, and they then have to contend with City and Chelsea in their following two. Suddenly those above three games in May probably go from being three different chances to secure safety, to vital games that Swansea need to take advantage of to save themselves - and off the back of what would presumably be a fairly long run without a win. HUDDERSFIELD You could not ask for a nicer next two games. At home to Watford and Everton, neither of whom have anything to play for. They're not even in the race for a possible EL 7th place finish. Win them both, Huddersfield are safe. A win and a draw, and they're probably safe. But get less than that, especially if it's zero wins, and most people are aware that they have the final week from hell. City, Chelsea, Arsenal. PALACE Brighton, Watford, Leicester, Stoke, WBA. They're going to get two wins from that lot, minimum, it's just a case of take your pick where they come from. They will get themselves to 38 or 39 points. Which most likely none of us, Stoke and Huddersfield will. STOKE I would suggest that they have the fixtures to save themselves. OK, probably discount away to Liverpool. But West Ham, Burnley, Palace and Swansea are their other four. So the help is there for them. Their problem, similar to us, is a lack of confidence and goalscoring ability. They just don't look good enough, regardless of what opposition you put in front of them. If they lose at the London Stadium, and the above sides all take advantage of very nice looking home games, then they'll go into the home game against Burnley with no option but to win. Like us if we lose tomorrow, they've somewhat got away with today's other results. They probably won't have that luxury next week (nor would we, but we would at least have in game in hand). BRIGHTON I think they will be OK - largely because of the ineptitude of others, ourselves included. But it would remiss to ignore them completely, after failing to win today. If they lose away to Palace next week (every chance of that), they then finish with Spurs, Utd, City and Liverpool - plus an away game against European chasing Burnley. 35 points is borderline safety as it is, and adding to it against Palace just pushes them on even more. But you never know. As much as I wanted them to win today, those two points dropped might yet come in handy for us. Basically, next weekend is the biggest weekend of the season in the relegation battle. It's the weekend where Brighton could save themselves, where Swansea could basically save themselves, where Huddersfield and/or Palace could take huge steps to saving themselves, where us and/or Stoke could find ourselves cut adrift. But it's also the weekend the fixture lists turn thereafter. We'd be some way over the worst, whilst Swansea, Brighton and Huddersfield could be looking at some very barren weeks.
This season is going to torture us till the very end. It will come down to City and mathematics, I can feel it. Might plan a remote weekend long break for that last weekend away from cellphone and tv reports. Draw tomorrow against arsenal would be right, enough to keep the hope alive, not enough to make a difference.
Still all to play for; though beating Chelsea this weekend will be crucial in putting more pressure on Palace & Huddersfield THE RUN HOME IN THE RELEGATION RACE: 15. Swansea (32 points) - Everton (H), Manchester City (A), Chelsea (H), Bournemouth (A), Southampton (H), Stoke City (H) 16. Huddersfield (32 points) - Watford (H), Everton (H), Manchester City (A), Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H) 17. Crystal Palace (31 points) - Brighton (H), Watford (A), Leicester (H), Stoke City (A), West Brom (H) 18. Southampton (28 points) - Chelsea (H), Leicester (A), Bournemouth (H), Everton (A), Swansea (A), Manchester City (H) 19. Stoke City (27 points) - West Ham (A), Burnley (H), Liverpool (A), Crystal Palace (H), Swansea (A) 20. West Brom (21 points) - Manchester United (A), Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), Spurs (H), Crystal Palace (A)
I agree with Brendy that it will basically be decided in the next 2 weeks and Huddersfield. IF they can win both their home games against 2 sides with nothing to play for we are down. We won't make up 10 points on them and Palace's run in is favourable. I also think Swansea will have enough to get to a 10 point gap on us
Swansea have 2 defeats and 2 draws in their last four games. The draws against WBA and Huddersfield. They need to step up quickly. It does compare better than our last four games admittedly.
