Ranking the run-ins of the struggling seven

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After another weekend of drama at the bottom of the Premier League, TEAMtalk takes a look at the respective run-ins of the seven relegation-threatened sides.

West Brom - who suffered a last-gasp defeat to Leicester on Saturday - have the toughest schedule on paper, while Burnley can be optimistic despite losing to Arsenal...

WEST BROM - 14th, P32 Pts 33

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Fixtures: Palace (a), Liverpool (h), Man Utd (a), Newcastle (a), Chelsea (h), Arsenal (a)

Average position of remaining opposition: 6

After taking over at West Brom on New Year's Day, Tony Pulis has led the Baggies away from the relegation zone. However, despite building up an eight-point cushion on the drop zone, five defeats in their last six - including 14 goals against - means Albion haven't escaped the dogfight just yet.

They're still seven points better off than QPR and Burnley but a run-in featuring six teams who average sixth in the Premier League - including Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal - could see West Brom struggle to add to their current total of 33.

ASTON VILLA - 15th, P33 Pts 32

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Fixtures: Man City (a), Everton (h), West Ham (h), Southampton (a), Burnley (h)

Average position of remaining opposition: 9.8

Villa boosted their survival hopes with a 1-0 win at Tottenham on Saturday, which moved them six points clear of the relegation zone. Christian Benteke got the winner - his eighth goal in six games - and Tim Sherwood will hope the Belgian can continue to fire them to safety.

Trips to Man City and Southampton will be tough tests but Sherwood will aim to earn sufficient points in home fixtures with Everton, West Ham and Burnley to maintain Villa's ever-present Premier League status.

"There is still a lot of hard work to be done but we fancy our chances of staying in this division. That's the idea," Sherwood said on Saturday.



SUNDERLAND - 16th, P32 Pts 29

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Fixtures: Stoke (a), Southampton (h), Everton (a), Leicester (h), Arsenal (a), Chelsea (a)

Average position of remaining opposition: 8.3

Sunderland suffered a morale-sapping 4-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday and Dick Advocaat - who enjoyed a Wear-Tyne derby win last time out - will now truly appreciate the task on his hands.

He'll have to pick his squad up for a testing run-in, with tricky trips to Stoke, Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea to come.



HULL - 17th, P32 Pts 28

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Fixtures: Palace (a), Liverpool (h), Arsenal (h), Burnley (h), Tottenham (a), Man Utd (h)

Average position of remaining opposition: 8

Six games without a win have seen Hull slip to the edge of the relegation zone, just two points clear of third-bottom QPR. What's worse for Steve Bruce is that his men face a run-in against six teams which average eighth in the Premier League.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United are all on the menu for Hull, while a home game with relegation rivals Burnley could be crucial to their survival chances.



QPR - 18th, P32 Pts 26

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Fixtures: Chelsea (h), West Ham (h), Liverpool (a), Man City (a), Newcastle (h), Leicester (a)

Average position of remaining opposition: 8.8

Results went their way on Saturday, but QPR fell to a demoralising 1-0 defeat late on to table-topping Chelsea on Sunday. Liverpool and Manchester City feature in a tough run-in for Chris Ramsey's side.

However, West Ham, Newcastle and Leicester offer opportunities to earn vital points and Ramsey - who has steered his side to a win at West Brom and draw at Aston Villa in their previous two games - has called on his side to dig-in.

"Any way we can get a point is important," he said. "We need to show the same grit and determination from the last two games."



BURNLEY - 19th, P32 Pts 26

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Fixtures: Everton (a), Leicester (h), West Ham (a), Hull (a), Stoke (h), Aston Villa (a)

Average position of remaining opposition: 13.8

Of the bottom six, Burnley have the best run-in. Fixtures with Leicester, Hull and Aston Villa also offer the chance to take points off their relegation rivals.

With a game in hand and just a two-point deficit on Hull, Burnley's hopes are far from over. But boss Sean Dyche warned there is little margin for error.

"We feel we have quality," he said. "We've got different challenges coming but they won't be like the ones we've had recently. We've got good belief in our performances. We still need to add quality to our performance, but there's certainly a will and a demand to go and get more points this season."



LEICESTER - 20th, P31 Pts 25

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Fixtures: Swansea (h), Burnley (a), Chelsea (h), Newcastle (h), Southampton (h), Sunderland (a), QPR (h)

Average position of remaining opposition: 11.4

Jamie Vardy's stoppage time winner against West Brom - on the back of Leicester's 2-1 win over West Ham - has given the Foxes a lifeline. The victory at the Hawthorns means Leicester can pull level with fourth-bottom Hull if they win their game in hand.

A run-in against teams which average 11.4 in the Premier League offers opportunities and Nigel Pearson will no doubt be aiming for maximum points from their next two, at home to Swansea and away to relegation rivals Burnley. With bottom-five pair Sunderland and QPR to play in the final two games of the season, Leicester fans will keep on believing right to the end.

"I believe we can avoid relegation, but there is still work to do," Pearson said. "Back-to-back wins at this stage are very important and we've got to try and make it three now."

http://www.teamtalk.com/features/16129/9803624/Ranking-the-run-ins-of-the-struggling-seven

 

Good stuff Norway.......makes you realise how bloody tight it is going to be......

There are some tough fixtures for West Brom & Hull and they may not pick up another point.....

Ours are kind of 50/50.....

Leicester still have to play Burnley, Sunderland and us
Burnley have to play Leicester, Hull & Villa
Sunderland still have to play Leicester plus Saints, Chelsea & Arsenal
Villa's remaining games are not straight forward although they will probably fancy their chances against WHU & Burnley

Going to be a right rollercoaster to the end, Leicester game could be "winner takes all".......gulp

 

Think the remaining "6 pointers" will decide everybody's fate.

I think our best chance is to overtake Sunderland and Hull and to hope we can stay ahead of both of them and Burnley. Staying ahead of Burney is the key for me as I fancy Leicester to stay up now. I think they will be safe before they play us on the last day which could be to our advantage.

 

Leicester have two games in hand on us, all the rest have one.
Curiously enough in a tight GD finish (if it comes down to that) that could be to our advantage as we play less minutes (especially last minutes) to give away silly late goals, so we can sit back whistling while all the others get hit late.
Not clutching at straws me, no sirree...

 

I think Sunderland and Hull are both doomed given their remaining games. Hull may get something against Burnley but every other game looks like a defeat to them. I would not be surprised if Sunderland don't pick up any more points at all.

Leicester have every chance of escaping given they have the more comfortable run-in.

For us, we have to win our last two remaining home games and if we can sneak something at Liverpool or Man C so much the better.

Then comes the crunch match at Leicester which could be as big, if not bigger, than a play off final as staying in the Premier league is worth millions.

 

I don't know why everyone thinks this. Leicester are bottom and we're in a better position than them regardless of the fact that we were so disorganised for so long under Harry. If we'd been playing in our CR form since the beginning of the season we'd probably be in 15th or the like. So, I think we're looking better than Leicester.

They would have been having saying the exact same kind of fearful stuff about us after our two away results recently.

 

At this stage I don't see any point in looking at other teams fixtures. We need to get as many points on the board and see where that leaves us. I would say that we need at least three wins, and from our remaining fixtures that is going to be a tough ask.

 

I'm not so sure the level of the opposition is that important at this stage of the season. Each of these teams remaining games are like Cup finals, whereas some times the opposition will have little to play for. Normal form may mean little. I won't be surprised if both Sunderland and Hull turn their form around in these games, and hopefully both Leicester and Burnley, who have been looking dangerous of late, collapse again, I hope Villa too. Where that leaves us I've no idea, but I'm finding it hard to be so optimistic now that we managed just 4 from the last 3, where I think we needed 6 or 7.

 

I suppose you'd have to fancy Leicester and Burnley to survive on that but then after 87 minutes of our performance from Sunday, anything is possible!

 

The eternal optimist eh?

 

I can't see this scenario anywhere, last day arrives, both us and yourselves need a point to finish above Hull, Burnley and Sunderland. What do we do?

 

Good one

Maybe it could be something like this, only that it ends in a draw

"The Disgrace of Gijón refers to the 1982 FIFA World Cup football match played between West Germany and Austria at the El Molinón stadium, Gijón, Spain, on 25 June 1982. The match was the last game of the first-round Group 2, with Algeria and Chile having played the day before. With the outcome of that match already decided, a win by one or two goals for West Germany would result in both them and Austria qualifying at the expense of Algeria, who had beaten West Germany in the first game. After 10 minutes, West Germany took the lead. Thereafter, neither team scored, and few scoring chances were created, along with much own-half passing and few tackles: with both sets of players flamboyantly missing with no clear attempt to guide the ball whenever they shot on goal.

In German, the match is known as Nichtangriffspakt von Gijón (lit. "Non-aggression pact of Gijón") or Schande von Gijón (lit. "Disgrace of Gijón")

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgrace_of_Gijón

 

Relax and open the bubbly! Agree that an unlikely scenario.

 

Sounds like group hugs all round.

 

Ah but that means we both have to be 3 points ahead of them before kick off and I'm not sure that is going to happen. Mind if it does, we'll kick off and pass the ball to you, you can then pass it back and we'll do a training ground exercise but neither team cross the half way line........Sounds like a plan.....

 

Agree to play keep ball for 90 minutes.

 

Simples - beat West Ham, Newcastle and Leicester. Lose any of those and the game's up. A draw at Leicester on the last day might be enough but that would be brinkmanship in the extreme...