I'd be happy with this run-in ... http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spor.../sunderlands-relegation-run-in-heres-10902262 Sunderland’s relegation run-in: Here’s how we see it panning out... STEVE BROWN’S RELEGATION STANDINGS: Bournemouth: 37 Sunderland: 37 Palace: 36 Newcastle: 36 West Brom: 35 Swansea: 33 Norwich: 30 Villa: 22 Sunderland face a 12-step programme to recovery. Can they do it? We plot the path we think could happen and you can have a try too 2016 Getty Images please log in to view this image Jermain Defoe of Sunderland fails to controls the ball at a chance Suddenly, there’s hope. But for Sunderland, is there enough? Is even hope enough? Are 12 games, with 23 points from their previous 26? Second bottom still... Those maths continue to spell ‘bad reading’ for the Black Cats. Yet, suddenly, there is hope. There are, finally, some numbers worth crunching. Well, one... OK, the Wearsiders took nothing tangible from an improved, encouraging performance against Manchester City. But a point at Liverpool came backed up by victory over Manchester United. Suddenly, Sunderland are one point from a position of safety (again). The key now is to do what they failed in both November and January, when hope rekindled by back-to-back wins was just as swiftly extinguished by the gloom of defeat(s). So can Sam Allardyce’s men build on this latest mini-revival, and make it a real, sustained one? Here’s the run-in – and how we think it will unfold... West Ham United (away) - Saturday, February 27 How much will Big Sam want to win this one? How desperate may he be to save face in front of fans who took so unkindly to his style of football? Refreshed from Dubai, he will also have his players bang up for it but, of course, the danger remains. West Ham remain a decent side, with just the sort of pace (lacking at Liverpool and in Manchester United) to unlock Sunderland’s box. OUR VIEW: Lose The rivals: ...which needn’t be the end of the world, given February has already gone far better than expected and because Norwich City are at Leicester City and Newcastle United’s home game against Manchester City has been postponed due to the latter’s participation in this weekend’s Capital One Cup Final. Moreover, Swansea City are at Tottenham Hotspur, AFC Bournemouth travel to Watford while West Brom split the difference with Crystal Palace. As you were. Crystal Palace (home) - Tuesday, March 1 2015 Sunderland AFC please log in to view this image Duncan Watmore of Sunderland (L) takes on James McAthur of Crystal Palace Imagine Allardyce’s office. Above that photocopier, a calendar. With a big red circle around this fixture. Pardiola’s plummeting Palace. The Cats, momentum unmoved no matter what befalls them at Upton Park. OUR VIEW: Win The rivals: Could be a good night. Norwich host Chelsea, Newcastle are at Stoke. Swansea go to Arsenal, West Brom to Leicester and Bournemouth welcome resurgent Southampton along the seaside. Could be a very good night. Southampton (away) - Saturday, March 5 Hmmm, this might be where it unravels again. The Saints go marching on, whiffing Europe. Can Sunderland retain defensive shape and discipline long enough, for the full 90+? I’d love to hope I’m wrong. OUR VIEW: Lose The rivals: Again though, that ain’t the end of it. Newcastle will - must - probably beat Bournemouth at St James’ Park, but whatever happens at Swansea v Norwich can play in Sunderland’s favour while Palace host Liverpool and West Brom must try and stem the resurgence of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United. Everton (home) - Saturday, March 12 FA Cup weekend, and if Everton beat Bournemouth next week this won’t go ahead. Dubai anyone? However, should the game be played Allardyce will, again, be targeting it. The Toffees form is claggy. They can get something. OUR VIEW: Draw The rivals: That’s OK though. Cup notwithstanding, Manchester City will beat Norwich (by then they’ll have to), Arsenal will beat West Brom (by then they’ll have to) and Leicester will beat Newcastle (by then they’ll have to). Palace to lose at Old Trafford, Bournemouth and Swansea to share the spoils. Newcastle (away) - Sunday, March 20 please log in to view this image Sunderland's Yann M'Vila (right) heads clear from Newcastle United's Moussa Sissoko Wowsers, does the derby get any bigger than this? Sunderland have had the Indian sign, the joy of six. But seven, at St James’? Eventually, something might have to give. I give it a draw. OUR VIEW: Draw The rivals: Gaining a head-start the day before, Norwich could get something at West Brom and Swansea should beat what’s left of Championship Aston Villa. Tottenham to beat Bournemouth, Leicester to win at Palace. West Brom (home) – Saturday, April 2 The must-win of all must-wins. How Sam must wish he could have played this a week or two ago. But one coupon-buster doesn’t make the Baggies Barcelona. Sunderland must and can cash in. OUR VIEW: (Must-)Win The rivals: Norwich-Newcastle. NORWICH-NEWCASTLE! Whatever happens can help the Cats, while West Ham beat Palace and Manchester City win at Bournemouth. Swansea at Stoke? Might not matter. Leicester (home) – Saturday, April 9 Some you might just write-off, but might Leicester have begun to wobble, by now? Could the Cats be evermore stable, solid? Presenting an opportunity? Or is this wishful thinking? OUR VIEW: Lose The rivals: Again though, gloom elsewhere enlightens Sunderland. Bournemouth will beat Villa and Norwich could get some at Palace. But Manchester City will beat West Brom, Southampton will do for Newcastle and Chelsea will win at Swansea. Norwich (away) – Saturday, April 16 Alex Livesey/Getty Images please log in to view this image Jermain Defoe of Sunderland in action See above: re. West Brom (home). Or Sam might - might - just take a point. OUR VIEW: Draw The rivals: ...making this a good day for Newcastle, who should beat Swansea at SJP. Arsenal to beat Palace, Watford to beat West Brom and Bournemouth to hold Liverpool. Arsenal (away) – Saturday, April 23 Though of course, this season, you never can tell, this does have the air of another write-off. Doesn’t it? OUR VIEW: Lose The rivals: Newcastle never get anything at Liverpool, but can Norwich at home to Watford? Leicester, Spurs and Chelsea should beat, respectively, Swansea, West Brom and Bournemouth. Should... Stoke (away) - Saturday, April 30 Where will Stoke be by now? In their flip-flops? This is another circled red on that calendar. Twice, probably. OUR VIEW: Win The rivals: Pards will be desperate to do something on his return to Tyneside, while Norwich will be destroyed by Arsenal and Bournemouth by Everton. Brom will lose the West derby to Ham, and Liverpool should beat Swansea. That ‘should’ again... Chelsea (home) - Saturday, May 7 2015 Sunderland AFC please log in to view this image Fabio Borini celebrates scoring the first Sunderland goal Sunderland cannot afford to rely on winning such fixtures, but might have to. That being the case, have they the resolve to withstand whatever threat by then Chelsea pose? OUR VIEW: Draw The rivals: Newcastle can win at Villa, but Norwich at home to Manchester United? Bournemouth to beat West Brom, West Ham to win against Swansea but Palace to get a point at home to Stoke. Watford (away) – Sunday, May 15 By KO, I have Norwich gone and both Swansea and West Brom below but within striking distance of Sunderland. Who are level with Newcastle and Palace, a points behind Bournemouth. Today, anything can happen... OUR VIEW: Draw The rivals: Newcastle could lose at home to Spurs. Palace, West Brom and Bournemouth could all lose. But Swansea play Manchester City. Bye bye Swansea. Then again, what do I know? This season, what does anyone?
WBA are on 32 points already, he sees them getting only another 3 from 36 after just beating Everton at Goodison
Tried doing one of these on Saturday, but there's just no point with the way results have happened in this league especially this year. If anything the only take away is that we have the games and time to get out of it without relying on anybody!! Hopefully we can toss this thread in the bin by beating West Ham next!!
Oh look. Swansea to go. That must mean(despite it being the work of a Journo) It's all our fault so will be wummed by thick Welshmen for a 1000 sheep years
Is this guy on a wind up? 37 points will keep you up? I reckon 40 will be lucky to keep us up this season personally. Just see teams picking up points where they're least expected (as we did last weekend) I'd love that to be the final table standings - but there's too much football and too much unpredictable ****e going on this season to even contemplate. If we start against Chelsea on our penultimate game without needing a win on the last 2 to stay up, I'll be one of the happiest blokes alive!!
Finishing above Palace will be an achievement. I reckon 3 wins and 4 draws for 36 points, Norwich have some tough games their next 3 games, Chelsea h Leicester a Man c h, last 3 Arsenal a Man u h Everton a 6 matches maybe 1 point, they have us and mags at home in 'cup final' games. We are lucky that Norwich and Newcastle are very poor at the minute and may only win 2 games each !. Villa could stop up about as much chance as Nicol kidman taking me out , or Shearer becoming our next manager. WBA and Pulis can grind out results and they will be just ok.
If there's anything to be learned from your last 3 games, it's not to look at fixture lists and think anything is a certainty. I reckon at least one team with 38 points will go down this season, the bottom teams are all picking up points, Villa aside, who I think could just go on a 12 game implosion now, after that Liverpool drubbing, Lescott's Tweet, the whole squad is a shambles. I bet Sherwood is laughing his smug little tits off.
I must say, I'm not convinced about this 40 point mark either. There's already 4 teams going at less than a point a game, and two teams going at roughly 1 point, per game. Villa wont get far past 20 points, I reckon Norwich will only just creep over 30 points. Then Newcastle, Swansea, Bournemouth, Sunderland. At least one of them four teams, will have a crappy finish to the season. I reckon about 36 - 37 points, could keep us up.
Working on current totals is a flawed exercise, bottom teams always seem to surge late on, for multiple reasons. Their opponents being on the beach for one, nowt to play for, important European fixtures, a bit of a random surge in form. I think Swansea's season rests on 3 games back to back, Norwich, Bournemouth and Villa... the pressure on them to win all three could be immense, lose one or two and their heads will go. Win them all and they're as good as dry. Having said that, some teams like Norwich might just completely buckle, that game vs West Ham could have done them in now, psychologically.
http://www.theguardian.com/football...elegation-candidates-reasons-cheerful-fearful Louise Taylor's opinion on it for what it's worth. She's a Sunderland fan so bound to give us hope but looking at a lot of the comments attached, there's only a minority think Sunderland will go down. If only it was predictable, but with the new signings, I think Sam might just be on to something.
