I posted after the Stoke loss that relegation was still a threat and was roundly ridiculed. Ok at the time the chance of relegation was only perhaps 10%. Well a few matches later I reckon its 40% and a few more defeats will moves us above 50% into the "probable" zone. How so?
Home form has collapsed - 5 out of last seven SoL matches lost. Fortress long since gone.
The last 7 matches against teams below us will be much harder than Liverpool, who rarely had to break sweat to beat us. All teams below 6th are in a relegation scrap this season and our remaining opponents (except Man City, maybe the easiest in a sense) have got used to scrapping all season.
The attack has collapsed. No goals and barely a shot for 3 games. The ES/SNQ/SB management's first big mistake was to leave us almost striker-less. How did we sell KJ for less than a quarter of Andy Carroll's fee when we know Kenwyn is arguable a better player, and they should have refused DBs request unless a replacement was found. Gyan is at best (I hope) simply needing a rest or support, at worst is not a serious Premiership player. (Off the wall thought. Posts have suggested we need a KJ -type player. Why not KJ himself to come back next term to the place he didn't want to leave? Our policy of offloading cast offs to Stoke looks like ending in humiliation partly because we havn't got a "Hoof it Houth" big man - lets bring KJ back.)
We can't come back from even a goal down. OK the Liverpool penalty was shocking (have you seen the Telegraph's side-on photos proving it was not one but 2 metres outside the box) but that does not have to mean we give in. Blackburn, West Ham and yes, Newcastle have come back from 2 3 and 4 goals!
I think 42 points will be needed to avoid relegation. We need 4 from 8 games. Normally possible but a win and 3 draws, or 4 draws, looks tricky right now. Reading and almost Hull sunk from similar top 6 positions post Xmas- Reading slept walked to relegation.
So more important, what can be done? Better Posts than me have suggested the right team for the next few matches, what I would add is this: all thoughts of Europe must be banished and instead replaced by a "scrapping mentality". If that means players like Sess and Muntari (who joined to push for Europe) are not mentally up for it then leave them out for seasoned relegation fighters like Cats and Rico. I really hope Turner gets fit - ideal for what could be a make or break 8 games for the clubs future. The EPL is so tough this season that finishing just above relegation is no disgrace - lets make sure we do! The point of optimism is that the Subs bench looks really strong - except see above for complete lack of a striker - other than that surely we have a strong enough squad to stay up - don't we?!
Home form has collapsed - 5 out of last seven SoL matches lost. Fortress long since gone.
The last 7 matches against teams below us will be much harder than Liverpool, who rarely had to break sweat to beat us. All teams below 6th are in a relegation scrap this season and our remaining opponents (except Man City, maybe the easiest in a sense) have got used to scrapping all season.
The attack has collapsed. No goals and barely a shot for 3 games. The ES/SNQ/SB management's first big mistake was to leave us almost striker-less. How did we sell KJ for less than a quarter of Andy Carroll's fee when we know Kenwyn is arguable a better player, and they should have refused DBs request unless a replacement was found. Gyan is at best (I hope) simply needing a rest or support, at worst is not a serious Premiership player. (Off the wall thought. Posts have suggested we need a KJ -type player. Why not KJ himself to come back next term to the place he didn't want to leave? Our policy of offloading cast offs to Stoke looks like ending in humiliation partly because we havn't got a "Hoof it Houth" big man - lets bring KJ back.)
We can't come back from even a goal down. OK the Liverpool penalty was shocking (have you seen the Telegraph's side-on photos proving it was not one but 2 metres outside the box) but that does not have to mean we give in. Blackburn, West Ham and yes, Newcastle have come back from 2 3 and 4 goals!
I think 42 points will be needed to avoid relegation. We need 4 from 8 games. Normally possible but a win and 3 draws, or 4 draws, looks tricky right now. Reading and almost Hull sunk from similar top 6 positions post Xmas- Reading slept walked to relegation.
So more important, what can be done? Better Posts than me have suggested the right team for the next few matches, what I would add is this: all thoughts of Europe must be banished and instead replaced by a "scrapping mentality". If that means players like Sess and Muntari (who joined to push for Europe) are not mentally up for it then leave them out for seasoned relegation fighters like Cats and Rico. I really hope Turner gets fit - ideal for what could be a make or break 8 games for the clubs future. The EPL is so tough this season that finishing just above relegation is no disgrace - lets make sure we do! The point of optimism is that the Subs bench looks really strong - except see above for complete lack of a striker - other than that surely we have a strong enough squad to stay up - don't we?!
