Hearing that Quique Flores is under pressure is good news, he needs results. How he can be under pressure is a bit bewildering. Safety and a semi final for a promoted side? What do they want? Hazard hitting a bit of form too at last could make things interesting. I feel better about our chances after the weekends games despite not gaining any ground on Sunderland. I still think Sunderland stay up but we've given ourselves a fighting chance with those 2 unexpected points.
Arsenal made them look better than they were - they didn't offer anything going forward and it was easy for Sunderland to defend in numbers and close them down whenever they got near; apart from one decent save from a free kick, all Mannone had to do was calmly pick up shots that were straight at him. I think Stoke and Chelsea will definitely pose more of a threat to Sunderland, also Everton and Watford are out of the FA and are just concentrating on the league now, so I wouldnt be surprised to see the mackems and Norwich both dropping points against them. Currently they've got their noses in front, but good results for both of us at the weekend and lots still to play for.
The difference for me was we came back in both games and were particularly fortunate vs Liverpool. They were points won. Sunderland, however, could and perhaps should have won against a dire Arsenal (I cannot believe Giroud starts up front for them, just dogsh1t). 2 points lost. We could do with some luck and we're practically in divine intervention/miracle territory.
Stoke look like they are on holiday. The only saving grace is Hughes is likely to have read the riot act after conceding 4, 3 games in a row. Martinez and Flores are under pressure, one quite rightly, the other a bit bewildering. Its quite a weird one, the teams Sunderland play can go one of two ways. It might be all done which is often the case unfortunately. However there is some reasons to think it could go the other way for at least one or two. If it does then all the teams they have left to play are better than them (same as our situ bar Villa). Its really tight, I expect the worse but its not unthinkable we squeeze out.
This I know for certain is that it is two from three of Newcastle, Norwich and Sunderland who will go down. The team that gets most points from now on will stay up...nothing else is certain...
I had us down for a defeat at Liverpool and against Man City, and Sunderland to get a draw with Arsenal, so I`m up so far. We need to beat Palace and Villa. If we do, that may be enough I think. I think Everton and Chelsea and Stoke will beat the mackems, so it is in our hands now. 2 wins out of 3 and we are safe, hopefully. POSITIVITY..!! We are on a roll with RAFA.. Keep the faith lads, we will do this.!!!!
The shame is that I genuinely believe that whoever stays up has a proper good chance of improving next season. One of us is gonna miss the boat! Sad really.
Love this positive feel you have here. But we have lost one in the last ten we are not going to lose three of the next four. You need to think that we will get one win and at least two draws, five points. With our goal difference that means you need seven points to have a chance, so two wins and a draw. If we get one more point then you must win all three games you have left. I am not saying that you wont win all three, but it will be a tall order and no room to slip up.
You've lost 2 of the last 10 - vs Leicester and West Ham. But on the other side of the coin, you've only won 2 of the last 13. Although you are the favourites to stay up at the moment, the form book says you're more likely to draw games than win them (5 of your last 7 being draws), and 2 victories could make us safe under the (entirely plausible) scenario that you lose to Chelsea and draw the other 4. As you say though, it would be fortunate for us if you end up on 35, and in reality we've just gotta win all our games and hope.
Genuinely expect the Mackems to stay up, I really do. They have the game in hand, then the point.. plus goal difference. If they do.. I get a wedge of cash as I got them at 4-1 to avoid relegation and I took 7-1 for them to stop up and us to drop... it will allow me to get rat arsed a few times over the summer.
The PL have changed the rules anyways. Only the bottom two go down so that means Villa and Norwich will go.
I think we will be safe as long as we beat Palace. all our effort needs to go on our next game and that is our main focus right now. Norwich will be relegated with Villa Sunderland have a game in hand, which is all well and good, but three of those games come within 8 days. I think they will draw against Stoke, lose against chelsea, Draw against Everton and beat Watford leaving them on 36 points. Sunderland have a good first 11 and are rightly faves to stay up, but you have to mix the squad up when you play three in a week, especially if the games are competitve or if your chasing the opposition about, and they will have to do that against Chelsea. a couple of injuries and suspensions wouldnt go a miss! We will beat Palace, Beat Villa and then get at least a draw against spurs on the final day, if leicester have already won the league, which I expect they will.leaving us on 37/39 pts
It's ridiculous how close it is. 3 points could be enough, 6 points may be enough, 7 should be enough, 9 might be necessary now or might not even be enough. I'm with CC now in saying there is no point guessing currently, we will have an idea going into the last 2 weeks of the season but for now I give up trying to predict results. Did say the other day I expected Sunderland to lose vs Arsenal and Chelsea but they may well pick up points there and drop points elsewhere thats football for you. Basically by the 7th we will have a rough idea of what is needed, by the 11th we will have a target depending on other results. By 17.00 on the 15th I will be sinking multiple pints and probably crying into them whichever way it goes. HTL
The biggest shame to come out of this will be that potentially we will lose our best manager since SBR. All because Charnley dithered and let McClaren have a few extra games that could have been won. The guy had better not keep his job in the summer, irrespective of what happens.
Agree here. We're at a crossroads. If we stay up... Rafa will stay, rebuild and we'll probably get back to a normal mid table side and have a half decent cup run. If we drop he's likely to go and we'll end up with Warnock and no guarantee of being able to come back. It would be immense if Rafa did stay to get us back up but I honestly don't see it happening. The only glimmer of hope for me is that he loves to be loved and the fans are unanimous in their support for him. He's starting to feel the love basically.. like he did at Liverpool so there may be an emotional element here too. Whatever happens I'll applaud him off the pitch at the Spurs game and thank him sincerely for at least doing his best and restoring some pride back.. and maybe showing us what 'can be' once again.
I just hope we get the results to stay up. More for Benitez than anything. Like you say, the guy is adored already. It would be amazing if he could stay a few years and really build something.
