I will still maintain that we did need to beat Swansea. That loss relegated Swansea (barring a mathematical miracle), so what followed a few days on the final day basically didn't matter. had Swansea drawn against us, for example, who is to say that they wouldn't have then got something against already relegated Stoke? The fight was gone from Swansea, thanks to us beating them. If you're going to compare what appears to be a must-win game as possibly instead being a must-not-lose game, then I think you need to go back three days before Swansea. Most people, wrongly, saw Everton away as a must-win. Whereas it was always only ever a must-not-lose, in my view (no matter how painful that last second deflected goal ultimately was). Even there though, the comparison is somewhat limited. We were close enough to the end to form a decent enough judgement of what we needed. Whereas here, we're still a little way out from the finish. It absolutely feels like a must win to me right now - and should we lose, then I think I will be at my lowest point since the 3-0 loss to Newcastle last season (which, aside from it being MP's last game, was also the point at which I wrote off us last season - up until the Everton final whistle, when I finally gave us a chance again). But who knows, like you say, maybe a draw on Wednesday might be OK come May. But it certainly won't feel like on Wednesday. Nor, I suspect, at any time until May (if ever).
It is a game of ifs and buts at the moment for sure. And I'll be feeling just as down as everyone else if we lose or even if we draw tbh. But so long as Cardiff lose too it won't be terminal.
Indeed. Any ground made up on Cardiff is of use. I said about a week or so ago, that if we finish this run of Arsenal-Fulham-Spurs-Utd games within three points of ideally two teams, but just Cardiff as a minimum, then we're still in the hunt. Liverpool are the only big six team in feature in our last eight games, after this four game run. Whereas Cardiff play Liverpool, Chelsea, Utd and City in those eight games. Hence Cardiff need to use their current four game run (Watford, Everton, Wolves, West Ham) to put a little bit of distance between them and us - and one game in, they've failed miserably so far with the 1-5 thrashing.
Take it as a tongue in cheek remark I am aware of the situation. We're on a midweek break in Cologne it's 20+° there is beer there will be more. I have played cricket crewed a pot hunting yacht, coming 2nd not a pre match or race atitude. Would you have the team coming on the pitch with the game already lost?
It’s amazing that only a month ago, we seemed so much more confident and buoyant about our beloved team. Yet here we are, no-one really that confident about the result v Fulham. With injuries piling up, insufficient resources to fill the gaps, hesitant and wayward defenders, a month later beginning to think that maybe this is it, fate sealed. I’m clinging to the hope that someone in that team starts to produce sufficient impetus for enough goals to get us across the line. There maybe 10 games left but other teams are not helping, nor in fairness should we be expecting them to.
I refer you to my warning to Saintmagic….get in quick or some bugger will post a single sentence and an emoji And we didn't even get an emoji
I’d start composing it now if I were you, should we lose to Fulham we’ll need distracting pretty quickly!
All I seen last night was Chilco asking for a volunteer/victim to do the next thread......when I went to lunch at 10.10 this morning there still wasn't one so took the plunge. And PS you won't be doing a match thread for al least 6 games