Just watched the Stoke highlights on MOTD. Surprised how poor their defending was from the United corner actually. Maybe it was the only instance in the whole match, but it's promising. I haven't dropped by the Stoke board in a long while, but I'm curious if any almost want to get relegated to force a regime change.
I'm a little sick of us playing for a draw and then loosing by a fine margin near the end of the matches. I would like to see us go for it and show a bit of grit we showed at Swansea away.
if bradleys out, then Fox could get a chance. more likely he'll recall Wes and have howson deep again. i agree with you on the tactics now though, otherwise it'll be 0-0. at least with some creativity we might do a Villa on them.
Stoke will be without shawcross aswell I think as he got his 10th booking yesterday and so gets a 2 match ban.
Will be much bigger for Stoke than for us.It's one that they have to win,the draw would do us nicely.
indeed it will really trouble them, they'll only have one game left at home after that. let's try and get past Reading first.
The games that count,beginning this Saturday: Norwich v Reading: Maybe not a "must win" for us but certainly a must not lose.Reading won't be mathematically down if they lose,but that's a detail. QPR v Stoke: Again more or less putting the lid on it for Rangers if they fail to win.If they do Stoke are deeper in the mire.Would be psychologically damaging for them to be beaten by the R's. Sunderland v Everton: The Black Cats (or is it shirts now?) will want somehing from this to keep the revival going.Losing to Everton would be a major setback. WBA v Newcastle: Tricky for The Magpies this one, especially after last sunday's defeat.Desperately need at least a point from this. West Ham v Wigan:The Hammers are not quite safe themselves and Wigan will need a result even if it's just a point otherwise they could be cast adrift again. Man U v Villa (Monday) A tough one for Villa this.They would probably take a 1-0 defeat now and avoid damage to a GD that might end up being fatal.
IMO, that was one of our best games both last season and this season!!! Would love to see that type of game again - it would 'lift the roof off CR'.
bookies odds for us have jumped to 25. Highest they've been all season. Big win, and wigans have plummeted to 2.38. Good times.
I don't think a points total is the way to look at our safety, its too close. Its maintaining the healthy lead, as Kent says in a weeks time we could be 4 away with wigan having a game in hand. It was a real **** that Stoke won today. We could have felt a lot safer with another team firmly below us
If villa lose at Man Utd then that will represent a good result. As it would leave them 4 points below us with the same amount of games played. I think Newcastle should be worried. Their run in is really bad.
I'd be really happy with a point at Stoke - 3 eould be BRILLIANT!!!! Also, if we can avoid getting thumped by Citeh on the last day of the season, our superior goal difference must be worth an extra point!!!! Mind you, I'm pretty certain our safety will be guaranteed by then.
There is also the pressure factor, which has eased for us and increased for Wigan, Villa and Newcastle.
I've a nagging doubt about Villa. I hope we get more points nailed at Stoke and the WBA game. Though if Cruyff's measure about the 18th place points total running just south of the number of games played, then we're already safe. (Though i'm not breaking open the fizz just yet).
Yes, the consistency of CT's measure is reassuring, but there is also the fact that teams in the bottom seven places (no longer including City!) play each other in their remaining games and this will limit the points gained by both Villa and Wigan, for example. One team's gain will be another's loss in those games and draws are even better! We will be safe by the last day of the season if, with 1 game to go Villa are 1 point behind us and Wigan 2 points behind us or vice versa or any permutation worse than that then we are safe.
Well my theory has held to date with Wigan now slipping two points behind games played.I will do a full analyis tomorrow after the United v Villa game.But I think the fact that we are being offered at 25/1 now should ease the nerves.I am still predicting 37 points as the safety line.I see it as between Wigan and Villa now United can clinch the title tomorrow if they beat Villa.
Wigan are at home to Spurs on Saturday, a side fighting for CL place. The following week they are away to WBA, then Swansea at home the following Tuesday followed by the Cup Final against ManCity four days later. Three days later they have Arsenal away, another side fighting for CL place, before the final game against Villa. That's a grueling schedule for any team. I can't see more than 5 or 6 points from that, so your 37 points looks about right CT.
