It's a shame that we won't have Lallana. I just feel we would have been much more likely to have held our own up there if we had. Still we've got to go there thinking we can get something.
Though they give the likes of Lawrenson the impression we've been 'stuttering' of late, I still think the draws to Arsenal and Stoke should be viewed as good results - they certainly would have been before each match. With fixtures like this on the horizon I'd agree some bumps are likely: Chelsea v Southampton Wed 16 Jan 19:45 Southampton v Everton Mon 21 Jan 20:00 Man Utd v Southampton Wed 30 Jan 20:00 Southampton v Man City Sat 9 Feb 17:30
Those fixtures do unfortunately make our away game to Wigan even bigger than it already is. Probably need to win that now, where as a draw in that game immediately on the back of a home win against, say, Fulham I think would have been considered a good draw. But one point from five games is certainly not good.
To be honest, I actually think we can beat Everton and a point at Old Trafford wouldn't be the strangest result ever, especially with Lallana back around then. That said, I think we need 4 points from the next 5 (including Wigan) and anything on top would be a HUGE bonus
The wigan lose for me was our worst performance of the season, we played badly yet hit the post 2or3 and they nicked a late goal after a foul on Jose, we should be good enough to win there
I do wonder about the premise in the first post; the list may be a little restricted. I regard everyone in the bottom half of the table as possible relegation fodder. I'm still predicting that we'll end up above WHU - they are slowly losing form while we're gaining it. Fulham have only gained 8 points from their last 30. Lots of scope for movements downwards and upwards. I look at this site fairly often - good way to get a quick take on current form: http://weekendfootball.co.uk/analysis/form.asp?l=1&season=13&formtype=&gamescount=10 - change the variables and you can convince yourself of anything! Vin
Win both those home games and we'll be buzzing. I really don't see that as unacheivable; who the **** are Man City anyway? Everton, on the other hand, are a bit of a bogey team for us, but I don't expect any Saints team to run out at home aiming for anything less than a win.
Thats a hard run of fixtures indeed and the Wigan and Everton games are the most likely matches where we can pick up points. That said even if we were to end up without a single point over these matches, I don't think we would be too far a drift. The upside is that after this little lot we won't have to play City, UTD, Arsenal or Everton again. That only leaves Chelsea and Spurs out of what will probably be the top six from the middle of February onwards. Pick up a coplue of wins in that lot and I will be very confident of staying up with games to spare.
There is no way we will lose the next 4 games - we have become far harder to beat as the form guide shows. Think we will get a result against Everton and maybe a point from Chelsea and City at home. Im goinf for 6 points from a possible 12.
If we could get 6 points from those teams it would leave us 13 points away from the magical 40 with 13 games to play with only 2 games against top 6 clubs. Would back us to stay up comfortably from there. 37 may even be enough so it would look even better.
Win at Wigan, maybe get a point v Everton, or even a win. Nil from Chelski and Utd Anything home to City is a bonus.
Disagree banana. We played ok, not poorly; definately not our worst performance. What we got wrong that day was that we were naive and got done by a solid but average team who took two of their three chances. Losing 6-1 at Arsenal, we were very poor.
I hope so! Right now, I calculate us finishing on...35 points. Chelsea L Everton L Man Utd L Wigan D Man City L Newcastle L QPR W Norwich D Liverpool L Chelsea L Reading D West Ham W Swansea L West Brom D Spurs L Sunderland D Stoke W The games against Wigan, Reading and West Brom are therefore key for me. Should we need more than 35 points, then they're the games I guess we look to get more than just draws from.
` I'd be disappointed with any less than 3 points from these games. We can beat Everton IMO, give City a good game but can't see us taking anything from the other two
I think we will get more wins than you've predicted. I can see us doing the double over Reading (which will be hugely satisfying!) and getting something out of Everton and possibly Liverpool as well.
I guess this is based on our current squad so perhaps highlights the importance of strengthening in January. A couple of good signings in this window would turn those draws in to wins or defeats into draws.
Chelsea L Everton W Man Utd L Wigan W Man City L Newcastle D QPR W Norwich L Liverpool D Chelsea L Reading W West Ham W Swansea L West Brom W Spurs L Sunderland L Stoke W I hope it doesn't go down to the last day if we are going to stay up
