I'd like to thank the OP for this thread it's the best on the board, always a sensible discussion with lots of good points being made. Thank you !!
It's an odd situation this week for a lot non QPR or Wigan fans, as a good number may well be rooting for a QPR win to knock Wigan off their stride. Now that would be a bit cruel on their supporters as it is likely to be not much more than another false dawn, but you never know for sure. On the other hand, a Wigan win is likely to be the penultimate nail in the LR outfits coffin for this season which would see a good number of people celebrating in to the night. For us, Stoke, QPR, Reading & Chelsea wins would make for a happier weekend, even if we fail to get a point later today.
And thank you for the compliment.Yes it has worked well and has generated a lot of sensible debate (Plus a brief spell of JWM inspired Ips-Witchery) I will begin the 2013/14 season one from the start of the season rather than Christmas.
Some of the Saints are beginning to become guilty of the same charge too CT. I am surprised and disappointed and the same time that some are talking possible European football in 5 years or so, considering they have not officially survived the first season back in the PL, though in all probability will.
Not really it's just some of our supporters have seen Cortese's vision. 5years in football is massive anything can happen and the way Cortese and our owners have started it's going to be a exciting time to be a Saints fan.
Sorry but it smacks of the QPR lot with TF's "Vision" etc, little baby steps for you and us. We are not big clubs and maybe never will be so have to earn everything we get. As you say - 5 years in football is massive anything can happen - for all you know you might get relegated next season, regardless of what one ambitious man's vision is, he can't influence everything that happens on the pitch although I accept he can do a lot to get things going in the right direction. I was not suggesting the majority were making such claims but some are, the one's that probably get carried away a little too easily.
Southampton safe almost for sure, Newcastle just too many good players, Lambert inspiring Villa out of the mess, Wigan on their traditional late season run ... The three teams which look distinctly poor at the moment are Norwich, Sunderland and Stoke. Two of them will get lucky (or manage to turn their form around); one of them will probably join QPR and Reading.
Sorry I just realised I should have put this at the end of the relegation thread. If one of the mods wants to do that, it seems better than a new one.
Well Villa threw the cat among the pigeons yesterday with a great away win at Stoke, dragging Stoke right in to the mix with some tough looking games ahead of them (we really could do with not losing our game with them). Assuming Newcastle take 3 points later today, they should be able to drag themselves clear leaving Wigan, Sunderland, Stoke, Villa, ourselves (and possibly West Ham) to scrap it out in the remaining weeks. I am begging for a QPR win today although not so crucial should Sunderland lose to Chelsea.
I will do a summary of the current situation after today's games.Interestingly though yesterday's point was sufficient to move us out to 14/1 against the drop.I think what the glass half empty folk are doing is failing to process the raw data here.In relation to the teams in 14th-18th all we have to do is to not be worse than one of them.Not only that thoughbut in the case of Wigan they need to gain five points,Sunderland four and Villa two so they actually need to be better than us and the case of the first two by a margin. Add in the form.When we do this we see that Norwich have scored six points from our last six games.Villa have scored nine and Wigan ten.The Geordies have six,like us.But Sunderland have taken two points and Stoke just one.Finally our games.At home to Reading who have scored nil points from six games plus others that look at least drawable.Away to Stoke will be big and they will probably need to win it.All things considered you can work out why they are offering 14/1.
I will be honest, its looking increasingly likely that we need the 40 points, and I cant see where we are going to get them 5 points from. But also I can't see where Sunderland are going to get the points but at this time of the season I can see Wigan picking up atleast 9 more points. I really do believe it will be between us and Sunderland for that last spot
Ideally City need to maintain the gap two points over Wigan and Aston Villa going into the last day to be safe. However, they look the form sides. Looks like Reading are down and QPR will have to win four just to get to our current points total. If we draw ourselves to safety, it will be bizarre with a record of just one win in the last 21 games.
I think we will just about be ok. Looking at our fixtures for me as follows; Arsenal 0 pts Reading 3 pts Stoke 0 pts Villa 0 pts West Brom not sure here but do not feel we will lose (1-3pts) Man City irrelevant for me as we should have sorted it out by then and if not we will be down. So minimum 4, maximum 6 pts so 39 - 41 range. Even though we are not in great shape the fixtures for others look worse. Who knows at the end of the day!
I just cant see that we are going to have enough fight in us. We have been relatively safe all season and now we are getting dragged into it all, villa have been fighting all season and are comfortable with the thought of relegation and are now playing their way out of it as are wigan. We need a drop in form for wigan really, whichI doubt we will get as they do this year on year. Also,it depends on what PDC can do at Sunderland, hopefully nothing! Make no mistake though, if we slip up against reading I cannot see us staying up with the others below us all picking up points. If we play one striker up front against reading questions will have to be asked of CH. We are paying the price for not having enough ambition and guts during the season when we were comfortable mid table and could afford to go for it. If we didn't have enough guts then I doubt CH has got the balls for a relegation fight.
Maybe the bookies have it seriously wrong then and we should get a few hundred quid on us for the drop.
