heid3ster

Legend. Get well soon, Stan, and thanks.

This game is on at 4:30 in the morning here! Will I be up and watching? You bet I will. I feel like any point will be a bonus, realistically Chelsea don't even have to be at their best to beat us. But I'm feeling optimistic so I'm going for 2-2.

We'll definitely see Ba. He's cup-tied so no point in resting him.

I don't think we could get Santon. The only reason he's not playing for Newcastle right now is that he's injured, but he's one of their best players. If they stay up they'll want to keep him, if they go down one of the Top 6 clubs will swoop for him. The price tag will be too high, I think, Ashley doesn't let guys go for cheap. I'd love him, don't get me wrong, but I think he'd be out of our price range at the moment.

Wigan look tired.. the full time reaction was telling too. 

Agree. Looks like the heart's gone out of them.

OK, can we relax now?

Ouch.

YESSSSSS

The Wigan line-up isn't exactly stellar either. Caldwell's been terrible all season and Espinoza's not been excellent when I've seen him. They can ship a goal or two.

Swansea XI to face Wigan: Vorm, Tiendalli, Williams, Monk, Davies, Britton, De Guzman, Routledge, Rangel, Hernandez, Shechter.

 

Monk? where is Chico?

 

Also where is Moore?

Very worrisome line-up. Doesn't look like they want to win.

Michu being out might work in our favor. He's been off the boil recently anyway, and Luke Moore will want to show Laudrup that he's worth keeping around next season. I think a draw.

Draw's not a bad result.

DiCanio messes with his tie more often than David Brent.

 

Stoke should've bought a wide man on (assuming they have one on the bench), since they can stretch a team with 10 men. Playing so narrow means Sunderland weren't that hurt by going a man down.

 

Looks like they've just realised that.

 

Pulis must be reading our forum!

Is Charlie Adam the worst player in the Premier League?

 

Oh, to be a fly on the wall of the Sunderland dressing room at half time...

 

yeah, i assume that he's a mixture between a shouter and a bullshitter, which is incredibly easy to simply ignore if you know yourself that you've been shit

 

I'm picturing screaming and throwing things.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall of the Sunderland dressing room at half time...

They're better off without him, the way he was playing.

oh boy....

I feel dirty cheering for Stoke!

THIS. I just celebrated Walters' goal and now I feel like I have to take a shower.

 

The one positive going into the Chelsea game is that they will be looking at their remaining fixtures and seeing our game as the "easiest" one they have left,

 

I'd have thought the fact that there are 5 teams between us and the 3rd relegation spot as a positive tbh

 

That's a positive in terms of our relegation survival (one of many). I was referring just to the possibility of getting something from the Chelsea game, which I happen to regard as slim.

Which doesn't matter anyway because as my post goes on to say, we'll beat Wigan. The results of teams around us and all the myriad permutations of the table, BBC predictors, accumulators, gambling odds -- none of it matters at all. We beat Wigan and we're safe. 100% in our hands. And not only possible, but entirely probable. Sorry to all those neutrals who continue to root for Wigan's Great Escape every year, but we're going to piss on your parade.

 

New Boro Kit

Are they players?

 

Hahaha... was bored at work and scrolling through old threads and found this one from May 2011 regarding Boro's kit. Anyone recognize the fella on the left?

The one positive going into the Chelsea game is that they will be looking at their remaining fixtures and seeing our game as the "easiest" one they have left, and Benitez is likely to rest players against us regardless of what happens with Spurs. And they'll probably come into it a little cocky due to the reverse fixture. Although I still think any point from that game is a bonus.

All a moot point anyway because we're going to beat Wigan on the final day and relegate them.

I don't think Sunderland will beat Stoke. They've lost their lead goal scorer in Fletcher, and their key creative midfielder in Sessegnon. The only decent goal threat they have left is Adam Johnson and he's been running hot and cold all season. Meanwhile Stoke have found their form at just the right time (by "just the right time," I mean "right after we beat them"). Stoke will know that all three points will pretty much see them safe. I actually think the most likely result is a scoreless draw, but if anyone wins I think it'll be Stoke.

Swansea are not actually mathematically safe either, as bizarre as that seems. A draw will probably do it for them and I don't expect them to roll over for Wigan at all. As a "thank you gift" to Martinez? Swansea fans were not pleased with the way Martinez left them and then snapped up some of their best players, although these days they seem to direct more ire towards Brendan Rodgers. In any case, I still think they're due a win, but a draw will do nicely.

Also, we're more than capable of beating Wigan on the last day. I hope we're safe by then just like everyone else, but whether we are or not I think we'll stuff them. We're improved immensely since the 3-0 earlier this season, and I don't think they've improved at all.