Relegation

[Richard]

I think Norwich,  I also think Sunderland could yet get dragged into it

[Richard]

Normally a team drops from relative safety into the relegation mix at the end of the season, I can't see a likely candidate at the moment but it is exactly what we need to happen.

Almost certain to be Norwich. Wouldn't that be a laugh...

I'm surprised at the lack of optimism on here today. We've been close in recent weeks stretching back to West Brom and I'd like to think we're showing a little fight. We're out of the zone too and every game closer to the line when we're not in it is worth some kind of mini celebration.

Just appears to be the same old same old. "We need Arsenal down to 8 men to stand a chance". Well, we've shown we can play football and score goals. You'll always have a chance when you can do that, I hope we get Gabby back in time to give us a touch of added pace. The Arsenal back line will love that.

What a great time for a break, honestly. Yesterday was a must win an they did, it shows character. Now they've time to let those seeds of confidence grow.

Well done lads.

reference to something I have said there Dave so let me justify it

 

It is one win,  we need around 4 or 5 more and a few draws,  going undefeated in a bit of a run.  Given our form this season that is some turn round.  Our confidence is still fragile and we have a top team to play next,  perfectly capable of exposing our defensive weaknesses in a way that a very poor wet spam could not (yet still almost did!)

 

I guess what I am saying is that the team has fragile confidence and so do i.  Theirs is not yet restored and as for me,  I have accepted we are down since the middle of January when it became clear Lerner is a clearing in the woods.

 

One nervous 2-1 win against a team who are crap away from home will not restore my confidence overnight

[wazzap24]

On yesterdays showing Wet Spam could be the 'surprise' candidate for the drop.

People point to their home form, but there are signs of the natives becoming restless down there.

A couple more defeats and the pressure will start to tell. The fans will turn on the manager/players pretty quickly. As I said yesterday, they are worse than us in that respect.

[AndyClarke]

The biggest problem we have is that gap between us and Southampton/Newcastle, we need to close it pretty sharpish and with Arsenal and Man City to play it is going to be a tough ask. If we can't pick up any points and those above us do, it is going to be a scramble between the bottom 4 and although we play Reading and QPR shortly it would be nice to have a bit of breathing space, relieving at least a bit of pressure. If it comes down to it, there are not many of this side I would hang my hat on to come up big if we really needed one of them to lay themselves on the line.

 

I actually think that Arsenal away is as good a fixture as we could have at this point (assuming we had to play a top team away). Certainly fancy them more than Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea or even Tottenham away from home. Granted, if Arsenal are on song, they will tear us apart (as they would to pretty much anyone) but equally, if we get going and start positively I reckon we might be able to get something from them, even a win. You would think that is less likely that they will pose the same kind of threat as other sides who are able to exploit our vulnerability with balls into the box. They will, as always, look to play through us but lets see how much they fancy it when the big challenges go in from the likes of Nathan Baker and Fabian Delph.

[Richard]

I dont give a shit about the gap between us and those above

 

As long as we maintain the gap between us and those below

[AndyClarke]

I dont give a shit about the gap between us and those above

 

As long as we maintain the gap between us and those below

The point I was trying to make was that if we cannot close that shortly, we'll be adrift with QPR, Reading and Wigan. That makes life much more difficult, although, ultimately as long as we top that 4 team mini league it doesn't matter.

[El-Reacho]

Dion was pretty good on MOTD2 last night. He pointed out that for relegation scrappers we still had two or three players (Delph, Westwood, Zog) looking to receive the ball from the back four at all times. That's a big difference from the Bradford/Millwall games when the players were scared to death. There is confidence there.

[coda]

I'm still not getting my hopes up. As much as I enjoyed the win yesterday it has not erased the disappointments against Wigan, Southampton and Newcastle.

 

Maybe this will be a catalyst for us to start playing with a little more confidence at VP.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Sorry Richard I didn't mean to single you out. Usually you being pessimistic is a good sign!

I don't think for one second their confidence is "restored". That Christmas period absolutely crushed them and as well as being completely inept at the back they've yet to have a break of any kind.

A good result away to Everton and that little bit of luck yesterday as well as 3 points, finally, will have planted seeds. Whether those seeds grow is another matter.

It gives hope though no?

[Richard]

Won one or won one and drew one of them and we would be looking pretty safe

[markavfc40]

It is one win, 

 

 

It is just one win but I think you need to put that alongside the performances prior to this win. West Brom, Newcastle and Everton we had periods where we played extremely well.

I took a lot from that second half performance against Newcastle in particular. We could easily have folded after going 2 down but we didn't. We pinned Newcastle back for almost the whole of the second half and deserved at the very least a draw. It showed character that I thought may be lacking.

Whilst drawing at Everton from 3-1 in front was disappointing it needs to be put in the context that we were playing a very good side on their own turf who would have been capable of coming back against many sides.

Yesterday wasn't anywhere near our best performance of late but we showed exactly the characteristics we are going to need if we are to stay up. The conditions were dire and arguably more suited to West Hams direct style but we rolled our sleeves up, got stuck in and to a man the lads gave their all from the first minute to the 95th.

I am as disappointed as anyone that we didn't bring in proven quality in January in centre midfield and at centre back but we are where we are and there is now little point in bitching and moaning about that. That inquest can start at the end of the season. At this moment in time the best thing we can do as supporters is precisely that get right behind the team and support them in this battle.

I have been convinced since full time against Everton that we will stay up. The penny seems to have dropped with Lambert in terms of formation and this combined with the battling qualities the players seem to be showing has convinced me this will be enough to keep us up.

Edited February 11, 2013 by markavfc40

[AValon]

This result sort of puts the two points dropped last week into some perspective. Back to back wins would have made life a whole lot easier going into the next two games.

[Zatman]

from West Ham down is still involved for me. Have said before Norwich will drop and I do see Sunderland struggling especially with March on the way

[Woodytom]

Based on yesterday - I would say we will go down.

[Raver50032]

To be clear, for the first time since that away win at Anfield, I have a spring in my step and a smile on my face at work. It wasn't a classic match yesterday by any means - but the win felt really good. A long time we have waited.

 

Bigger tests still lie ahead - some against top opposition, some against fellow strugglers. Lots of points up for grabs - time will tell if we can take any of them.

 

I am buoyed by yesterday's result - but cautious of celebrating too hard as it can all come swiftly crushing down around your ears. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the mental scars.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Raver50032

[BOF]

I'm going to predict that West Ham will get sucked into the relegation battle. Not entirely off the back of losing to us yesterday, although partly because of it.

Their next 4 fixtures are Spurs, away to Stoke, Man Utd & Chelsea. On paper that's 4 defeats and they're only 6pts ahead of us. It's definitely enough for them to become part of the battle even if they don't go down. Everyone's tip, Norwich don't exactly have an easy ride either, although it's not quite as brutal.

[NormandyVillan]

I am buoyed by yesterday's result - but cautious of celebrating too hard as it can all come swiftly crushing down around your ears. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the mental scars.

In particular, people need to be prepared for the likelihood of seeing Villa back in the relegation zone after the next match.

 

If we lose at Arsenal, we are CERTAIN to be back in the drop zone, unless the Reading v Wigan match the same day gets postponed for some reason. Whatever the result in that match, one of those two will overtake us at least on goal difference if we lose.

 

Even if we manage to draw at Arsenal, a Reading win would still put us back in the relegation zone. Only a win would be sure to keep us out of it.

 

So we really are odds on to be back in the bottom three in two weeks time.  Of course, that won't necessarily mean we're going down. Just as yesterday's result doesn't necessarily mean we're staying up. But we need to prepared for it and realise that it will be a surprise bonus if we are NOT in relegation zone after the next game.

[Folski]

Next four games from everyone from West Ham Down:

 

West Ham (30pts -9): Spurs (h), Stoke (a), United (h), Chelsea (a)

 

Fulham (29pts -6): Stoke (h), Sunderland (a), Chelsea (h), Spurs (a)

 

Sunderland (29pts -6): WBA (a), Fulham (h), QPR (a), Norwich (h)

 

Norwich (29pts -15): Everton (h), United (a), Southampton (h), Sunderland (a)

 

Southampton (27pts -9): Newcastle (a), QPR (h), Norwich (a), Liverpool (h)

 

Newcastle (27pts -12): Southampton (h), Swansea (a), Stoke (h), Wigan (a)

 

Aston Villa (24pts -25): Arsenal (a), City (h), Reading (a), QPR (h)

 

Reading (23pts -15): Wigan (h), Everton (a), Villa (h), United (a)

 

Wigan (21pts -21): Reading (a), Liverpool (h), City (a), Newcastle (h)

 

QPR (17pts -22): United (h), Southampton (a), Sunderland (h), Villa (a)

[Folski]

Next four games from everyone from West Ham Down:

 

West Ham (30pts -9): Spurs (h), Stoke (a), United (h), Chelsea (a)

 

Fulham (29pts -6): Stoke (h), Sunderland (a), Chelsea (h), Spurs (a)

 

Sunderland (29pts -6): WBA (a), Fulham (h), QPR (a), Norwich (h)

 

Norwich (29pts -15): Everton (h), United (a), Southampton (h), Sunderland (a)

 

Southampton (27pts -9): Newcastle (a), QPR (h), Norwich (a), Liverpool (h)

 

Newcastle (27pts -12): Southampton (h), Swansea (a), Stoke (h), Wigan (a)

 

Aston Villa (24pts -25): Arsenal (a), City (h), Reading (a), QPR (h)

 

Reading (23pts -15): Wigan (h), Everton (a), Villa (h), United (a)

 

Wigan (21pts -21): Reading (a), Liverpool (h), City (a), Newcastle (h)

 

QPR (17pts -22): United (h), Southampton (a), Sunderland (h), Villa (a)

 

Looking at that I think that Reading Wigan game will be huge if we could get Wigan to get a draw there and Everton to give them a bit of a beating, their confidence will be drained, we know full well what shipping a few goals can do to player. I would also say Newcastle & Sunderland are safe with the games they have coming up.

[8pints]

My hope is we get six points form the next four games, I think that's what we need to do at least, the pressure is on, of course it is and has been on for some time but I believe we can do it.