....which was wholly disappointing, we unfortunately have to rely as much on those around us failing, as we do on our own lot coming up with the goods. To manage no shots on target against a side who haven´t kept a clean sheet at home all season is somewhat numbing, but at least at home we are slightly more attack-minded, and with the proper vocal support behind them I´m still hopeful of at least 6 more points at Carrow Road. - Draws with Swansea, A. Villa and W. Brom and a win against Reading. Below are the bottom 6 sides as they stand at this moment, bearing in mind that we sit one place above Newcastle with one more point than them, here are my predictions for the remaining games, I´ve tried to take current form into account and be fair and totally unbiased. Newc: 31 - 33 (-15) Ful (h) 1 pt, Sund (h) 1 pt, W.B (a) 0 pts, Liv (h) 1 pt, W.H (a) 1 pt, QPR (a) 1 pt, Ars (h) 1 pt - total 39 pts Sund: 31 - 31 (-10) Chel (a) 0 pts, Newc (a) 1 pt, Ev (h) 1 pt, A.V (a) 1 pt, Stoke (h) 1 pt, South (h) 1 pt, Spurs (a) 0 pts - total 36 pts Wig: 30 - 30 (-20) QPR (a) 0 pts, Man C (a) 0 pts, W.H (a) 1 pt, Spurs (h) 1 pt, W.B (a) 0 pts, Swans (h) 3 pts, Ars (a) 0 pts, A.V (h) 0/1/3 pts - total 35 - 38 pts A. Villa: 30 - 30 (-25) Liv (h) 0 pts, Stoke (a) 1 pt, Ful (h) 3 pts, Man U (a) 0 pts, Sund (h) 1 pt, CITY (a) 1 pt, Chel (h) 0 pts, Wig (a) 0/1/3 pts - total 36 - 39 pts QPR: 30 - 23 (-22) Ful (a) 1 pt, Wig (h) 3 pts, Ev (a) 0 pts, Stoke (h) 3 pts, Read (a) 1 pt, Ars (h) 0 pts, Newc (h) 1 pt, Liv (a) 0 pts - total 32 pts Read: 31 - 23 (-25) South (h) 1 pt, Liv (h) 0 pts, CITY (a) 0 pts, QPR (h) 1 pt, Ful (a) 0 pts, Man C (h) 0 pts, W.H (a) 0 pts - total 25 pts I have to admit the last game of the season between Wigan and A. Villa, I find impossible to call, and so have left all possibilities open. Hopefully this will give more of an indication of what others are up against, as well as what we have to do ourselves.
That's twice I've read that we had no shots on, the BBC report has 9 attempts, 5 of which were on target!
I know Dave, I´ve seen that too, but in several match reports that I´ve read, all of them have Martinez saying the same thing, that we had none, and I have to admit, when listening to the game, I couldn´t actually hear of any saves their keeper had to make Normally I would accept the BBC match report as gospel, but in this case, I think they may have made an error, but I´ll happily stand corrected if anyone who happened to be there can confirm we had 5 shots on.
In fact if it were true, it would give me an extra 10 pts in the line-ups, but I just don´t think it is, the 9 attempts might be, but where were the 5 on?
I clearly saw Joel making one diving save to his right from a header, so I remember one that was definitely on target!
Just one thing about your predictions - we will definitely beat WBA away. It's just got Wigan away win written all over it. Take it to the bank.
I watched the game on-line via the PL network and they had 9 shots, 5 on target as did the stats on Canaries Player. I don't think Martinez is the most reliable of sources, RBF!
On the results front, Villa although playing quite well today still came out empty-handed, and I still can´t see any hope for either Reading or QPR, which means, that last place is going to be one to be avoided for about half a dozen of us.
Hi royalbarclayfan. Always interesting to see predictions. I got Southampton and Wigan out of sight. We got 41 points with home wins over Swansea and Reading and a draw with WBA. I got going down Sunderland on 37 and QPR and Reading. Interestingly, I got Stoke, West Ham and Newcastle below us.
Certainly Sunderland can´t have done themselves many favours in changing manager at this late stage, can´t help remembering what happened to Wolves last year when they did the same, and you´re right, Newcastle and Stoke have run into some poor form, but I think Stoke will be fine, if there´s winner in the NE Derby, that could just tip the scales in one direction up there, but basically we need to look after ourselves first, and let the others worry about themselves.
Has anyone stayed up with just seven wins? Maybe WBA on THAT last day. I think we won the last four homes that season. A repeat would be great. Yeah, like my mate said, we got to look after ourselves first. Need that four point cushion going into the last game at Man City.
One other slightly interesting statistic, comparing form over the last 10 games, to form over the last 6, shows how, particularly Reading and Sunderland, but also to a point, Newcastle, have lost form drastically. Stoke: 5 pts from last 10 games/ 4 pts from last 6 CITY: 9 pts from last 10 games/ 6 pts from last 6 Newc: 13 pts from last 10 games/ 6 pts from last 6 Sund: 9 pts from last 10 games/ 2 pts from last 6 Wig: 12 pts from last 10 games/ 10 pts from last 6 AV: 11 pts from last 10 games/ 9 pts from last 6 QPR: 13 pts from last 10 games/ 7 pts from last 6 Read: 10 pts from last 10 games/ 0 pts from last 6
I would much rather be in our position than Sunderland, Villa or Wigan... Having points on the board makes a huge difference. Even a couple of draws from us, and we potentially build up the equivalent of two wins gap. Sunderland have a nightmare... No form and their next two games are tough. Villa need points quickly otherwise they will have to get something against much better opposition. Wigan have momentum - but the pressure can go right back on them if a few results don't go their way. I said at the start if the season if we end up 17th that's fine... I really hope we get a few points more and take the pressure off. The last thing I want is needing points against Villa. Memory of Fulham is still way too painful.
Newcastle are still in the Europa aren't they? Wigan in the FA Cup. Maybe a backlog to favour us? Then again, 1985 springs to mind. Don't teams have to play their backlog before the last game now?
Newcastle´s fixtures are already mapped out to finish on the last day of the season, and I guess if Wigan do get through to the FA Cup final, which is played on May 11, then their game with Arsenal scheduled for 12th, will have to be played in the following midweek before the final day of the season.
