[Albion] It’s amazing how well results have gone our way

[Bold Seagull]

I have Saints, Cardiff and Bournemouth “easier”games ringing in my memory

Saints are going well and Ings is scoring for fun, Newcastle have horribly good forwards who have come into form and Burnley have the Indian sign over us.

If it’s OK with you I am going for Norwich being a must win!!

Agreed, last year Bmuff and Cardiff were must win, we were woeful . . . We still have too many of those players and the potential to capitulate. . Bounce back from Tue with a win on Saturday and we can confidently the rest of the games in our stride and pick up a few points to guarantee safety.

Lose on Saturday and it'll be plastic sheets for a few weeks.

We were never in the bottom 3 last season, so despite no one liking getting the plastic sheets out, those were only must wins in our minds because we fear the worse, BUT we lost both and the Southampton game and stayed up - so they weren’t exactly ‘must wins’ because we already had points on the board - as we do this season.

Icy, it’s absolutely fine with me for you to call it a must win, I just wonder what you’d call if I’d we were down there on 27 points?? A ‘Must Really Definitely Must Have To Win Must Win’ game?

 

[zefarelly]

We may not have been in the bottom three, but only because there were teams even more kack than us, and a large slice of luck. We didn't deserve to stay up IMO. Likewise if we capitulate now . . . . I thought the idea of the PL was to compete and earn the right to be there as opposed to just not being quite as shyte as three other woeful clubs . . . . A slightly different subject! 40 points is the standard, we can do it and it would/should be considered a successful season if we do.

 

[stewart12]

Agreed, last year Bmuff and Cardiff were must win, we were woeful . . .

neither were must win

we lost both and still stayed up with a couple of games to spare

 

[Bold Seagull]

We may not have been in the bottom three, but only because there were teams even more kack than us, and a large slice of luck. We didn't deserve to stay up IMO. Likewise if we capitulate now . . . . I thought the idea of the PL was to compete and earn the right to be there as opposed to just not being quite as shyte as three other woeful clubs . . . . A slightly different subject! 40 points is the standard, we can do it and it would/should be considered a successful season if we do.

A relegation battle is always who is slightly less cack - you wouldn’t be in a relegation battle otherwise.


My argument isnt about taking any pleasure in gaining the bare minimum of points needed to scrape survival, but that is what defines what is or isn’t a ‘must win’ game. Norwich away isn’t a survival must win for us. It is a must win if we want to enjoy the final 5 games without any stress, but that very notion takes out the implied last chance saloon term ‘must win’.

We should absolutely be looking to win the game and hopefully be planning for next season in our final 5 games. But, a draw wouldn’t be the end of the world, and because of that, it’s not a must win (imho).

 

[zefarelly]

A relegation battle is always who is slightly less cack - you wouldn’t be in a relegation battle otherwise.


My argument isnt about taking any pleasure in gaining the bare minimum of points needed to scrape survival, but that is what defines what is or isn’t a ‘must win’ game. Norwich away isn’t a survival must win for us. It is a must win if we want to enjoy the final 5 games without any stress, but that very notion takes out the implied last chance saloon term ‘must win’.

We should absolutely be looking to win the game and hopefully be planning for next season in our final 5 games. But, a draw wouldn’t be the end of the world, and because of that, it’s not a must win (imho).

Agreed . . . And its a must win from me because I want to see some Potter experimentation in a relaxed fashion, in preparation for next season.

And all my sheets are in the wash

 

[DJ NOBO]

Our self inflicted paucity of PL quality strikers is the reason that we are not mid table and safe imo. GP, like CH before him will continue working with one hand tied behind his back until the club rectify it.

Luckily I think that only Watford and WHU are at an advantage on this front of the teams below us

I am grateful to Potter for the tactics he tries to use, so much better viewing than just hanging on from the kick off

You are right that the lack of a quality forward line still holds back but remember Potter wanted Maupay and he got him. Same with Webster, as it happens.

And Potter said in an interview he agreed with Connolly’s view of himself that he was ready for the PL.

Potter been backed quite well, in comparison to hughton.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Agreed . . . And its a must win from me because I want to see some Potter experimentation in a relaxed fashion, in preparation for next season.

And all my sheets are in the wash

What light relief after all that has been going on in the world, and some of the stuff on these boards, to be arguing over what is or isn’t a must win game - I love it!

 

[Icy Gull]

You know me, I’d call “we are fecked”

 

[Perfidious Albion]

We have been pleased with things since the restart, but we have to see it in perspective. We have achieved one good win, a goalless draw and a defeat. Not exactly good form.
We have to show that the victory was not a one-off. Norwich is the game to do it !

 

[Perkino]

Even a draw at Norwich isn’t a disaster. Villa and Bournemouth have hard games next 2 and if they were to lose them we’d be sitting very pretty even with a point sat...

Will Norwich have accepted their fate after a trouncing tonight? Who knows...

I heard a stat yesterday. Norwich haven't picked up a single point all season from a loosing position. If they have conceded first then they have lost!


Similarly Bournemouth have gone 1-0 down on 17 occasions this season and lost 15 of those matches drawing the other 2

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

With West Ham having to play Norwich, Watford and Villa, and the game between Norwich and Watford. It means the teams below us cannot all take maximum points effectively reducing the number of games they've got left to catch us.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

We have been pleased with things since the restart, but we have to see it in perspective. We have achieved one good win, a goalless draw and a defeat. Not exactly good form.
We have to show that the victory was not a one-off. Norwich is the game to do it !

We've managed that against Arsenal, Leicester and Man Utd, we'd have taken those results at any point of the season. If you actually isolate those 3 results that form is worth around 48 points across a season. I'm sure we'd all be happy with that.

 

[nicko31]

With West Ham having to play Norwich, Watford and Villa, and the game between Norwich and Watford. It means the teams below us cannot all take maximum points effectively reducing the number of games they've got left to catch us.

Yeah, 3 pts on Saturday and we're looking pretty good

 

[Return of the Rev]

Only lost 3 out of last 10 so not bad form, wins are another thing

 

[zefarelly]

What light relief after all that has been going on in the world, and some of the stuff on these boards, to be arguing over what is or isn’t a must win game - I love it!

That's whay we're here, and the bear pit exists, escapre the harsh realities of life for an hour or so.

I'm off to the infinite juke box

 

[*Gullsworth*]

With West Ham having to play Norwich, Watford and Villa, and the game between Norwich and Watford. It means the teams below us cannot all take maximum points effectively reducing the number of games they've got left to catch us.

The best scenario here is for West Ham to keep their recent good form and smash our relegation rivals maybe slip up v Norwich. If we won on Saturday that leaves Villa and Watford with very little margin of error to win every game remaining, this is without factoring the halpless form of Bournemouth. Defeat for us on Saturday and unlikely wins for all the others and we are still in it. The game v Norwich is pivotal, win we will be almost safe but lose and results go against us we will start getting night sweats.

 

[Icy Gull]

Potter been backed quite well, in comparison to hughton.

GP got Maupay. CH got Andone and Locadia and a more effective Murray so can’t agree with that. That two were considered not good enough for this season is not relevant imo.

 

[zefarelly]

lose and results go against us we will start getting night sweats.

NSC* on NSC !


* Night sweat club

 

[Mellotron]

Norwich is such a great opportunity. I hope we absolutely smash them. Yet to see Potter's Brighton really open up, this might be the best chance left this season. Get the first 1 early and dominate.

 

[pb21]

neither were must win

we lost both and still stayed up with a couple of games to spare

When was the last true 'must win' game?

I guess the FA Cup semi-final, in the league probably the 2016 play off match against Massive?