My feeling is that QPR will be aware of the importance of winning this one and go for it and get caught out by Benteke.
Imo, a QPR win is by far and away the worst result for us in that game today. I've said that I believe that Reading are down (and if they do survive, well we'll be partly responsible for it, because they will surely have to beat us at the Mad Stad), whilst a QPR defeat would put them at least one point further back. And I've said for months now that I would two teams were cut adrift and that the fight was one team from three or four (even if those three/four teams were all neck and neck), rather than three teams from five or six.
I also think it slightly weird that Villa and Sunderland could be level on points after this weekend. One seems to have been in the bottom four all season, the other seems to have never been below their current position of 15th. Come on Norwich!
I agree, even though I'm scared silly about the prospect of fighting to the death with Wigan for the last safe position, given their history. But I'd take that over the field bunching up behind us again...would really like to cross a team or two off before May.
I'm not so sure. QPR have still got a little way to go and have to maintain their winning run. At this moment, QPR need 2 wins more than us out of 9 games to jump over us (being 5 points behind and worse on GD). Aston Villa are closer. Draw preferably, but QPR win if not. So unless we suffer some thrashings, QPR have to get the same points as us + 6 more. We would have to crash and burn for that to happen (fingers firmly crossed), so Villa and Wigan are our main rivals.
But we can afford for one of them of them to overtake us. Partly for that reason, I would rather it was just those two sides who were directly in and around us. I don't want QPR pulling up right alongside those two. It is also vital in my mind that QPR's bubble is burst asap. Two more very winnable games for them after this one, vs Fulham and Wigan. If people keep on being happy with QPR beating the sides around us, they'll very quickly be above us!
ok, crash hat on, here goes: Reading to crash and burn after a little fight back (new manager and all that), Villa......doomed, Lambert has got the Lerner syndrome so many have fell too.....the villa fans have it all wrong, they get on the players back, they let every one know how they feel.........ultimately the players buckle and they will go down. Now comes the crunch.....wigan or you........my gut feeling is you, wigan have this fight year in year out, they are used to it!, Martinez is a seasoned pro at wriggling out of the mire, I am not saying its right, i wanted them to go down years ago, its a pox place with pox supporters and a pox pitch better suited to rugby! But that said, I think they will get out of it, which basically leaves you lot. I dont think you have enough in your lads to see this season through, and as it gets nearer to the end, players will become more agitated, worried and injuries and silly bookings come in to it............. There is one thing that you guys can take from us to see your job through, you have to back your team, you have to sing for your players, what ever the result, but having seen most of your games this season on telly,I dont think you will..... I have no doubt the majority of saints fans have taken great joy in the demise of pompey, we have endured the lot in the past few seasons, none of it the fault of the fans, yet we fans are there, week in week out, the core nucleus of our club is us fans, we will stay with the team and who ever is in charge to the end, each week, home and away........we went on a non winning 23 match run....we still sing, we are making the most of this season, it could be our last..........at worse, you get relegated, so what? Good luck, BP
The difference this season with Wigan though, is their FA Cup run. Fixture conjestion is clear - at least two games postponed, and probably three - and also the possibility of taking their eye off the survival ball. In previous season's it has been 100% focus on staying up.
BP you can't leave out QPR or Sunderland who have a tough run in. In our favour is that we have played most of our six pointers.
agree about your 6 pointers, but sunderland and qpr both have easier run ins in imo. QPR last few games might be their only tricky ones now they have found some form......plus they have the harry factor. Sunderlands run in wont cause too many dramas for them......and I think they will finish about where they are. Finishing in the prem as you know, is about digging in, finding some mental grit and seeing the job out....... I just dont feel you stripeys have the "whole" package compared to some.......good luck though
Care to change your mind? Be it about us or/and QPR? It's going to take a huge turnaround for either QPR or Reading to finish above us now. We can only blame ourselves if either do. Wigan is a slightly different story, given their games in hand. But should they lose away to Newcastle tomorrow, then we're going into the international break with a healthy looking game between the bottom three and the rest.
Today was QPR's chance to keep up but they threw it away, a crucial 6 pointer. QPR, Reading, Villa for me.
If we're to go down, then almost certainly Villa and Wigan would need to overtake us. The fact therefore that they play each other on the last day really does play right into our hands. One can maybe take the other out, should we need it. It also means that Villa are still in much greater danger than us, despite there only be a one point difference between us.
QPR and Reading are all but gone. No way in hell are they going to better us by 1 point per game, especially given how bad they've been all season. I think it is great people are finding excuses for the bottom 4, bar Reading to stay up. Takes some pressure off of us! The typical Qpr have Redknapp, Villa are a big club and Wigan have done it the last 5 years malarky! We seem to have slipped under a radar and now we are 3 points behind Stoke!
Still sticking to the Villa, QPR, Reading that I predicted in October. Think Harry's bubble has burst now and that is the icing on the Saints cake. Let's se how they fare after the tripe they talked last month. Gonna cost them big big money. Feel Sorry for Villa, big club with a big history, underachieved for years. Reading just didn't do anything in the transfer market to stay up. They tried to do a Norwich and use their Championship side but they are a different beast to that Norwich side which could score goals.
well.........have to say, you played well, Liverpool were well of key today, but that said you did well...........I had QPR down to beat villa and you to loose today, just shows how roll reversal can change things......... In essence, if Wigan chuck their games in hand its yours to throw away. One result does not make you safe, but it goes a long way!
