Yes, even though Sunderland still have a game in hand (along with Reading), better to see them drawn into the relegation mix. Also if Martin O'Neill were to walk or be fired that could create additional instablity there. Mark Bowen now being questioned on what has gone wrong at QPR, where he states he is still employed.
Interesting insight from the Mark Bowen / Alan Curbishley discussion on SportsNet World. Curbishley can't see us staying up as 10 wins required - we need Champions League form to do that he says. Thinks Harry really needed at least one win from last 2 games, especially home to Villa. Upcoming Southampton/Reading and Sunderland/Reading games, whatever the results, will see relegation rivals picking up points on us. A result out of our Wigan away game is crucial he says. Harry will be going for wins, nothing less. If we are cut adrift by Christmas, we are done. If we do bring in additional players in January we really need a good centre-half and a proven goal scorer. In the end it may be the old squad of players that come through for us with the determination of Mackie, rather than the new crop of, on paper, more skillful signings. Bowen still thinks we can pull it off with likely buying in the January transfer window. He indicates the dressing room atmosphere was still good amongst players, but they were angry. Says the Johnson injury was a new one, unexpected, not a reoccurrence of an old one. The Southampton loss spelt the end for Mark Hughes. He notes of the 14 players let go at the end of last season, none of them are currently playing in the Premier League. We have 5 former Champions League players in our current squad he says.
What are they talking about CL? We don't need CL form to stay up - Newbury's post shows how we can just survive, CL form it is not. And if we have 5 CL players in our squad it is hard to see any of them playing at that level now, while a few we let go are doing well in the Championship. Experts!!!
23 games to go - 9 wins 7 draws 7 losses would = 40 points with our current 6, not impossible and if momentum kicks in we could do it. But there is little margin for error, we have to become like Stoke, hard to beat...
Such a pity we are reduced to this nonsense again. Hoping other teams lose to aid our cause. Oh for mid table or even high low end obscurity!!
Yes 40 points would certainly do it - Curbishley indicated that 38 pts seems to be the magic number to stay up and that he believes that the current bottom six would be fighting it out in a relegation battle that will likely go down to the wire again. He also said that once we get that first win under our belt (at Wigan?) we could build on that with confidence, as we did with our home run last season. Still think there are plenty of points up for grabs in our next 5 games (3 at home), which will make or break us going into the new year.
