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[Albion] the points gap is becoming a chasm.







marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
3,939
Although another way of looking at it is if we beat West Ham there will only be a two point gap as at least one of those teams on 30 is certain to lose.

At which point the "chasm" will have become merely a "thrutch".
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,923
Relegation looks likely to be 3 from the current bottom 6. Good news is we still have to play West Ham, Watford, and Norwich. Must win these 3.

Just like the Must Wins against Villa and 'Muff ? Watford will probably do us by physicality and Norwich will beat us by guile and no one knows which west ham team will turn up on the day. Not looking good.
 


Mo Gosfield

Well-known member
Aug 11, 2010
6,298
The table is definitely looking worrying at the moment. A gap has opened up over the bottom six. The first question to ask is whether any of those above us are going to collapse i.e only get 7-8 points from their remaining 14 games. It seems unlikely, as the likes of Newcastle, Saints and Burnley are on the rise rather than starting to slide. Palace regularly pick up away points ( unlike us ) Sheff Utd have too many points already ( 33 ) Everton have the resources and manager to survive comfortably and Wolves have too much class. That leaves the Big Six plus Leicester, so enough said. Therefore it does appear to be three from six.
Norwich look by far the most likely to drop by virtue of their defensive weakness. So two from five. Bournemouth and Villa both looked very ordinary against us but we allowed them into the game. West Ham fans think they are certainties to go but I believe they will just do enough. So, two from four. Villa have now won more than us, are bringing in new signings and Grealish is on fire. They have the momentum to stay up and I believe they will.
So two from three. Us, Watford and Bmuff. This run of six games will be pivotal and the next two are decisive. We have to stay unbeaten v WHU and we have to beat Watford. If we draw or lose to the latter, then for me, its us for the drop. Out of Bmuff and Watford, I would go for Watford to survive.
So for me, the likeliest trio to drop are Norwich, Bournemouth and BHA ( unless we get 4 pts or more from the next two games )
Our results are poor, we are failing to beat other strugglers and we seem to have developed a soft underbelly. We lose when we go behind and when ahead we cannot defend 1-0 leads. The manager is persisting with his tactics, even though teams wised up to them a few weeks ago. Can we revive and survive? Yes but I think it will take a new signing, a less inflexible approach from the manager and a lot of luck.
 






Rugrat

Well-known member
Mar 13, 2011
10,215
Seaford
Phil McNulty doing a Beeb discussion thing.

When asked who for relegation said ... Sadly, I think Norwich City will go down. It's a shame because Daniel Farke is a very positive influence. They made a conscious decision not to go mad in the transfer market last summer, which left them short when injuries hit.

I am still not convinced about Bournemouth, who have been awful recently until they got back on track by beating Brighton - who are the other team I would be concerned about.

They have slipped in to trouble and need to arrest that slide, while Villa also need results.

I fancy Nigel Pearson to keep Watford up so I'll go (with the proviso I can change my mind next week) on Norwich City, Brighton and one other I can't decide on!!!
 








Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,921
Brighton
Newcastle have been incredibly lucky to get 4 points from their last two games when they deserved nothing. Their luck will run out.

They've been utter shit all season, somehow the luck is still going.
 










maltaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
13,067
Zabbar- Malta
Well and truly sucked into the sh1t fight now, time to dig in.

Clutching at straw, but less likely Burnley will need points on the final day, should it come to that

I would love to see our away win there send them down and make us safe.

(Although I would really prefer that we were safe before then)
 


blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
That's what comes of having a 'dinosaur' in charge. We could be doing the same with Allardyce.

I also remain unconvinced that Newcastle and Palace's league position is down to luck. Maybe after 10 or 12 games it could be.

The ability to score late goals, win tight games and mug a team off isn't in my view luck if carried out on a regular basis. Likewise when people talk about the 3 lucky wins we had in Autumn 2018. Don't agree. If you keep clean sheets you give yourself a chance.
 




vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,923
I also remain unconvinced that Newcastle and Palace's league position is down to luck. Maybe after 10 or 12 games it could be.

The ability to score late goals, win tight games and mug a team off isn't in my view luck if carried out on a regular basis. Likewise when people talk about the 3 lucky wins we had in Autumn 2018. Don't agree. If you keep clean sheets you give yourself a chance.

At the start of the season I thought Newcastle would be an almost certain bottom 3 under Bruce, they have done better than I thought but they have had defeats and bounced back, we tend to get in a run of defeats and draws. Much as I hate Palace, they are always tough to break down and don't concede many home or away, plus, they never know when they are beaten so often come back late to snatch a point or a win. Sadly, we look exactly the side we were about this time last year, when Stains, 'Muff and Cardiff gave us a lesson.
 


happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,978
Eastbourne
Sounds about right. We are still a bottom 5 squad, and have been our whole time in this division. Struggling to think of anyone, except Palace, to have had a less impressive set of strikers than we currently have, where our depth is paper-thin. At the moment it's a bottom 6, but I expect Wet Sham to pull out of that, leaving the 5 worst teams in this division to battle it out for 2 survival places.

All sounding very familiar, not sure where the shock is. Yes, it's a better team and squad this season, but only marginally.

This. If TB wants us to be a top 10 club, then he needs to provide the funds to get in top 10 players. We're not going to avoid the relegation scrap every year with the players we have (and continue to buy).
 


dibsy

Active member
Jul 26, 2004
198
Shoreham By Sea
We have never won a PL game in January. Feb 1 we have West Ham. That is destined to be the day we get this season back on track. Ideally spurred on by our new striker. And Mac Alister.
 


Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
24,937
Worthing
We need to stick together. Last thing we need is a SCHISM

You know The Great Schism split the Roman Empire in 1054 AD ?

Now that’s the sort of size schism you need just now huh. Blinking eck.
 




Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
24,937
Worthing
We have never won a PL game in January. Feb 1 we have West Ham. That is destined to be the day we get this season back on track. Ideally spurred on by our new striker. And Mac Alister.

That’s almost Churchillian that...... well done.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
64,465
Withdean area
I also remain unconvinced that Newcastle and Palace's league position is down to luck. Maybe after 10 or 12 games it could be.

The ability to score late goals, win tight games and mug a team off isn't in my view luck if carried out on a regular basis. Likewise when people talk about the 3 lucky wins we had in Autumn 2018. Don't agree. If you keep clean sheets you give yourself a chance.

This.

Newcastle have a fantastic deep defence. Sky I think it was recently analysed this, they showed the way they expertly and with 90 minutes of concentration, deprived Diving Zaha space at SJP, making CP completely toothless.

That’s not luck, it’s hard work throughout the week, every week. Giving a base their scorers can build on with the odd winner.
 


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