Relegation Battle

[Liquid 90]

On 2/12/2020 at 9:30 AM, SmogDane said:

We will be fine .. 

I see this as a long warm up and training for next season.

But we need to find some sort of formation that suits our players best and then stick with it and improve it.

My bet would be some kinda formation with wing backs  and 2 strikers

Something like this work of modern art? 🧐

[wilsoncgp 4,937]

21 minutes ago, Liquid said:

You had a daft punt on us, didn't you? 🤑😋

I don't bet that often now and I learnt to pretty much never bet on games involving us. 😅

[Liquid 90]

3 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

I don't bet that often now and I learnt to pretty much never bet on games involving us. 😅

Me neither brother, not at all! In fact I've found that the very first instance of my prediction on any matter swings the universal predestination of events! 🙂

However, to go off topic, I've found myself tempted recently to have a lump on Tyson Fury to beat Wilder.

[AnglianRed 2,904]

15 hours ago, TLF10 said:

We are definitely in a relegation battle. Fact we are even having such a discussion should answer that question imo.

I think Hull, who are on 40pts, and teams below are not yet safe.

I told myself I will not rest easy until we have 50pts. Therefore 13pts to go. Obviously i might not rest easy on 50pts depending on how team from 3rd bottom is doing but i feel that  50pts is initial target we should be looking at to "feel" safe.

I honestly think we'll be okay with 45-46. I don't see Barnsley, Luton or Wigan getting more than that. Though obviously I'd prefer it if we didn't just scrape our way to safety.

[TLF10 1,632]

9 minutes ago, AnglianRed said:

I honestly think we'll be okay with 45-46. I don't see Barnsley, Luton or Wigan getting more than that. Though obviously I'd prefer it if we didn't just scrape our way to safety.

i think you are probably right with that sort of figure. Wigan are currently on 30 and need to get 15 points from the remaining 42 points left. Not Impossible but a tough ask. However, if we get 50 points there is less chance of me wetting the bed

[wilsoncgp 4,937]

Blackburn got relegated with 51 points the season we were in the Prem. 4 of the last 5 seasons, 42 points has been enough.

Comparing both 16/17, 18/19 and this season after ~32 games, the bottom 5 looks like this.

16/17 (Blackburn, Wigan, and Rotherham relegated)

18/19 (Rotherham, Bolton, Ipswich relegated)

19/20

The fact Blackburn managed to claw 21 points from their final 14 games, averaging 1.5 points per game, and still got relegated is quite something. But it does show how difficult it is to drag yourself out of the bottom 3 at this point in the season that 14 out of 15 teams in the bottom 3 after ~32 games have gone down in the last 5 seasons, Rotherham 15/16 the only team to avoid it after getting 23 points from their final 14 games to add to the 29 they already had, nearly doubling their points tally.

EDIT - It's also worth adding that Rotherham only pulled down MK Dons into the relegation places, the team who was sat just one position outside the relegation places at 32 games played. It will take something recently unprecedented to drag us down into the bottom 3.

Edited February 13, 2020 by wilsoncgp

[RiseSirAxlRose 43]

I still think we could make the playoffs 

[Downsouth 2,332]

Yep we are in it for certain, us and Stoke in the worst form against the teams catching us up!

Barnsley to come goodness knows

[White Band 489]

That was one of the worst manager post match interviews I've heard. Threw team under bus, took no responsibility himself. No idea what he needs to do other than win more matches. 

[TLF10 1,632]

For anyone who cares below are the next 7 fixtures for us and the bottom up until the internationals. Hone games in cap locks.

It probably matters little as this season has become incredibly difficult to predict in terms of results.

--

BORO: Barnsley, LEEDS, FOREST, Charlton, SWANSEA, Hull, Stoke

WIGAN: MILLWALL, Reading, West Brom, LUTON, Huddersfield, BLACKBURN, STOKE

BARNSLEY: BORO, Hull, Reading, CARDIFF, Qpr, MILLWALL, BLACKBUN

LUTON: Charlton, BRENTFORD, STOKE, Wigan, PRESTON, Swansea, Leeds

--

Given our current form I do not see us picking any points any time soon.

With the exception of WBA, Wigan wont fear they next 7 fixtures either. They play 3 of the current bottom 6

Barnsley will see they next 5 games at least as a great opportunity. In fact they next 7 games up until international break are ok. One of the bottom 3 usually put a run together and i can certainly see it being them. Albeit i believe they final 3 fixtures are Leeds, Forest and Brentford.

[macapes 508]

22 hours ago, RiseSirAxlRose said:

I still think we could make the playoffs 

Wow. 

[wilsoncgp 4,937]

Thing is, the fact Wigan play 3 of the bottom 6 means that if they win, they only drag the other 3 down, not us. Aside from Barnsley, Stoke and maybe Charlton in 3 matches time, I don't think there's a great deal of big individual games for us. Which could be either good or bad.

[Changing Times 5,225]

32 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

Thing is, the fact Wigan play 3 of the bottom 6 means that if they win, they only drag the other 3 down, not us. Aside from Barnsley, Stoke and maybe Charlton in 3 matches time, I don't think there's a great deal of big individual games for us. Which could be either good or bad.

I'll say one thing, after this week I'm less sure that there are three worse teams than us.  Right at this moment in time I'm not sure there are any 😨

Need a massive reaction. 

[wilsoncgp 4,937]

8 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

I'll say one thing, after this week I'm less sure that there are three worse teams than us.  Right at this moment in time I'm not sure there are any 😨

Need a massive reaction. 

Collectively it has to be so much better. We can't have teams like Luton coming to our own bloody soil and turning us over as convincingly as they have today just because they were willing to put up a fight. Players have to wake up and realise nothing is set in stone and the manager needs to get a grip of his players and start proving himself. If we somehow manage to go down, it will be because the collective has failed and failed in a way that no other team in this division has managed for some time.

[RiseAgainst 1,699]

I fervently hope we pull a couple of good performances out of the bag and survive, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if we didn't pick up a single point in the rest of the season. Woodgate hasn't got a clue what to do, and most of the players look like they've chucked it. We've got a hard run-in, zero confidence, and no discernible tactics. And the teams below us are picking up form.

Worrying to hear that the director's box was empty today. If we have to sit through this  s**t, so should the man who has caused most of it.