Who is for the Drop?

First topic message reminder :

Folks,

Wrong thread if you want to read about the possibility of Champions League football next season. This is all about the basement end where the muck and bullets are flying and all that matters is survival.

Interested in views as to who is going down. We can follow (changing) predictions and developments over the remainder of the season.

I'll start things off with my teams for the Drop:

* QPR - already some way behind and I just don't see them scoring the goals they desperately need. I'm also not convinced by Cesar between the sticks - some good saves but too Tefloneque (ie non stick) for my liking.

* Reading - don't see enough leaders on the pitch. Disastrous result yesterday as well.

* Southampton - managerial and playing inexperience may cost them dear allowing others to scramble free.

FreekShow wrote:The three that are down there now will drop. Wigan can't keep getting out of jail.

You say that but they've won 4/5 and two big wins away against PL teams.

I think they will/might do it again.

Does anyone actually see QPR or Reading sorting there problems out?

eddytheman2013 wrote:Does anyone actually see QPR or Reading sorting there problems out?

No. They're all but gone barring a miracle.

Its a shame if QPR go down because they've got some good players and as an united fan it would be sad to see Park Ji Sung go down. Funny to see Zamora go after leaving Fulham haha

I do like Bobby Z, I'd take him back at West Ham.

Poyet would be a mug to take the Reading job, but then again Poyet has always come across as a bit of a mug. The reason I dislike Brighton (sorry Nick).

I must admit I don't think he'd be a mug to take the Reading job..

Shows some ambition. He's prepared to go outside his comfort zone, to try and progress his career. I like it

(If it does happen of course)

Fixtures of those I would say are still in the relegation fight:

Stoke: Everton (A), Villa (H), Man United (H), QPR (A), Norwich (H), Sunderland (A), Spurs (H), Southampton (A)

Norwich: Wigan (A), Swansea (H), Arsenal (A), Reading (H), Stoke (A), Villa (H), WBA (H), Man City (A)

Newcastle: Man City (A), Fulham (H), Sunderland (H), WBA (A), Liverpool (H), West Ham (A), QPR (A), Arsenal (H)

West Ham: WBA (H), Liverpool (A), Southampton (A), Man Utd (H), Wigan (H), Man City (A), Newcastle (H), Everton (A), Reading (H)

Sunderland: Man Utd (H), Chelsea (A), Newcastle (A), Everton (H), Villa (A), Stoke (H), Southampton (H), Tottenham (A)

Southampton: Chelsea (H), Reading (A), West Ham (H), Swansea (A), WBA (H), Tottenham (A), Sunderland (A), Stoke (H)

Villa: Liverpool (H), Stoke (A), Fulham (H), Man Utd (A), Sunderland (H), Norwich (A), Chelsea (H), Wigan (A)

Wigan: Norwich (H), QPR (A), Man City (A), West Ham (A), Spurs (H), WBA (A), Swansea (H), Arsenal (A), Villa (H)

QPR: Fulham (A), Wigan (H), Everton (A), Stoke (H), Reading (A), Arsenal (H), Newcastle (H), Liverpool (A)

Reading: Arsenal (A), Southampton (H), Liverpool (H), Norwich (A), QPR (H), Fulham (A), Man City (H), West Ham (A)

Is it ambition? Brighton on the brink of playoffs and Reading on the brink of relegation. Both with reasonably new stadiums, one with owners that could be erratic and with a squad that will be most likely demoralised by relegation and isn't full of immediate quality that you would say would be nailed on for promotion again.

Personally, I see it as a job to take once the nail is in the coffin

What's not to like about the Reading job? You're gonna have cash to spend, a squad that although demoralised, will largely be the same next season (bar a few), and a great chance to get them promoted straight back into the Prem.

Ballsy move if he does it, and I'd admire him for that.

Risk and reward wise I dont see it as being worth the jump. The mug part of it also involves maybe a wee bit of dislike for Reading.

That list of fixtures up there is mainly for easy reference as I keep having to look at 9 tabs for all the fixtures and its annoying me! Sunderland could quite realistically get nothing from their next four games, looks worrying for them. Momentum can be the killer in a fight like this.

Wigan have some pretty tough fixtures as well tbh.

I think what will just keep us ok is our home fixtures. All favourable tbh

None of them have a particularly easy run to be honest.

Is it better to be playing a team near the bottom or one in mid table, at this stage of the season? The one with relegation fears will obviously have more to play for, where as a mid table team may just relax and not go for those 50/50 tackles with quite the same endeavour.

The bottom 4/5 teams have games they can certainly win.

Reading to play Saints & QPR yet.

QPR have Wigan play yet.

We have Wigan away final day(hope we're safe before then).

Sunderland I think will be the team sucked into real trouble soon.
Man Utd & Chelsea to follow. Newcastle away, Spurs away final day.
Visit us in a few weeks, like to think we'll beat them. Saints to play aswell.

All going to be interesting/nrevous the remainder of the season.

Sunderland's next four fixtures aren't too clever.

Man Utd (H)
Chelsea (A)
Newcastle (A)
Everton (H)

I can see them being even closer to the drop zone, or maybe in it after those four matches.

I'm saying:

QPR - and I'll be ecstatic when they do go down so that Droopy-lookalike Redknapp will be a Championship manager

Reading - not enough quality sadly, although I like the club itself

Villa - I don't think Benteke's goals will keep them up.

I usually like it when a reasonably sized club like Villa goes down, but I like Lambert and I like those young players and what the club is trying to do at the moment.

QPR and Reading are now gone for me. Harry is targeting 5 wins and I'm not sure they have that in them, and whether that will even be enough. Reading are making a nice mess of things and I will watch happily.

I think I want Sunderland to go with them. I dont much like Southampton and would like to see them punished for pushing Adkins (even if I dislike him) but O'Neill has been getting away with being one of the most stale managers in the league. Stoke have too many points now sadly, I think they can scrap what they need to survive

You don't like many people/teams do you Chris? :-)

I agree that Reading and QPR look down. My hunch is that Wigan will join them. They have done well to stay in the EPL for what, 7 seasons but their time has come.

I'm the same, I hate all teams except for Albion (my team) and Walsall. Reading I can put up with as I know two of the Directors, but the rest can all go down

I'd like Wigan to stay up, but every year their team gets less and less competitive. This could be the year when we say goodbye to Mr Whelan and his broken spectacles.

I thought we were down a few weeks a go(still could be).

I just think our wins against Reading & QPR will give us confidence to climb a few places higher.

We have winnable games ahead.

As I said earlier, think Sunderland will drop into the bottom 3 soon.

Who I think will go down.

Villa
Wigan
........................................
Sunderland
QPR
Reading

Stella wrote:You don't like many people/teams do you Chris? :-)

I agree that Reading and QPR look down. My hunch is that Wigan will join them. They have done well to stay in the EPL for what, 7 seasons but their time has come.

Theres some I like! I have a soft spot for Norwich, and I like Barnsley. I find theres something annoying about every team, whether its the press reaction to them or just their behaviour. Man United are my favourite of the big sides but I supported them as a kid so its no surprise. Similarly, I like Wigan but only when we're not competing with them. When you're in a relegation scrap Wigan become the most annoying team. They win games they shouldnt and no one really knows how they stay up, they just do it!

Reading and Southampton were never my ideal teams and then their annoying existence started to affect me when we were down in the Championship with them!

I'm pretty indifferent to Fulham, they just seem to be there not bothering anyone

Chris
Who do you support?

West Ham (who are not safe yet either)

Should be fine. I know more Hammer fans than any other team. Not sure why, as I live nowhere near Essex/the East end.

And it's West Bromwich Albion, West Bromwich Albion FC, we're by far the greatest "West" team the world has ever seen

You are safe though, Big Sam would never take you down.

Cant see that one catching on, I'll listen out for it next week at the Boleyn!

I'd rather be us than a good few of those teams thats for sure. Norwich and Newcastle I think are fine but everyone else has a real worry

chris.wilkerson13 wrote:Theres some I like! I have a soft spot for Norwich

Naww Chris

I can't see Reading getting anything out of their game at Arsenal today and believe that will then be that for them.

If Wigan lose at home to Norwich, they're in even more serious trouble than they are this morning. However, if they win and other results go their way, we could have four teams (Wigan, Villa, Southampton and Sunderland) on 30 or 31 points tonight ....

Reading behind against Arsenal, Hammers ahead against West Brom, Sunderland lose to Man U. Vital few hours - anything could happen....

Meanwhile Hammers go two up and Saints take lead against Chelsea

Crucial win for Wigan. Reading and QPR well adrift but the third relegation place well and truly up for grabs. Sunderland looking increasingly uncomfortable.... But Newcastle, Stoke, Norwich are also among those who should be feeling nervous.

Just starting to have a peek over our shoulders Corporal!

But we have favourable home fixtures, starting with Swansea next week. If we lose that, then I'll have a bigger panic!

Olly wrote:Just starting to have a peek over our shoulders Corporal!

But we have favourable home fixtures, starting with Swansea next week. If we lose that, then I'll have a bigger panic!

That's fair enough, Olly. Home game against mid table team offers good prospects at this point in the season (as per Hammers v West Brom today). I don't fancy most Hammers remaining fixture list but hopefully should be able to scrape one more win and a draw or two.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:

Olly wrote:Just starting to have a peek over our shoulders Corporal!

But we have favourable home fixtures, starting with Swansea next week. If we lose that, then I'll have a bigger panic!

That's fair enough, Olly. Home game against mid table team offers good prospects at this point in the season (as per Hammers v West Brom today). I don't fancy most Hammers remaining fixture list but hopefully should be able to scrape one more win and a draw or two.

TBH I think 38 will be enough this year (can anyone see Sunderland getting more than that?)

Our home games are Swansea, WBA (2 mid table sides, not a lot to play for), Villa and Reading (crucial games).

I'd fancy us to get enough out of them 4 to keep us up

Big win! WBA clearly winding down a little bit, offered very little. Mulumbu is an idiot. Odemwingie looked a real threat when he came on, but it was funny to watch him come on the pitch.

Sunderland in real trouble, they just offer so little and now seem to be praying for the new manager boost some teams get to help them to safety.

Sunderland look to have more winnable fixtures than, say, West Ham. But if they are already five points behind and mentally shot then they could be in big trouble.

I woulda thought that one more win will do the Hammers. With Wigan and Reading still to come at home then i'd be confident if I was a West Ham fan. Done really well this season and haven't looked in real danger at all.

What about Stoke? Been well up in mid table all season, but gradually sinking. One win and two draws in the last ten games. Maybe Pulis to get relegated on last day of season with an own goal from a long throw in. Wishful thinking...

Stoke have a relatively easy run in, well compared to the others at the bottom.

I think they'll be okay but next season will be interesting. Apparently the natives are getting restless and Pulis is running out of admirers. Time for change?

Im a West Ham fan so optimism comes hard to me but I am confident we're fine now. Wigan, Newcastle and Reading still at home. And all the other teams seem to be trying to trip themselves up.

Firing O'Neill doesn't offer much confidence for Sunderland's chances of staying up.
Those fans deserve better than a revolving manager's office door.
Berks.

Meanwhile, tonight's match at the Cottage could see Fulham reach almost certain safety with 39 points whilst at the same time pretty much cementing QPR's relegation place ....

Anyone's gues.

Only 4 points seperate Saints in 12th and us in 18th.

If we can beat Stoke next saturday, then they will be in more trouble.

I think we can safely say Reading are gone, and QPR will likely join them.

So then you're looking at 1 more to drop, likely between Villa, Wigan and Sunderland. Think West Ham and Fulham have enough of a gap to make it home. Norwich, Stoke and Southampton will get enough points imo.

I like Di Canio to get enough of a reaction from Sunderland to nick a win or two there, and **** Wigan but they seem to get the job done.

So I think Villa are the 3rd team to go.

Tonight's result pretty much secures Fulham's future, but QPR like Reading are running out of games. They still have a max of 44 points and guaranteed safety if they win every game - but that is not going to happen, and each loss or draw bring their max total tumbling towards a likely drop zone finish.

Great result today for Southampton who despite (or because of! ) my initial prediction move up to 11th place and virtual safety on 37 points.

Reading effectively down along with QPR.

Stoke v Villa looks a key game this afternoon whilst 3 points for Norwich at home to Swansea would go a long way towards settling Olly's nerves ....

Heard commentary on first half of the Stoke game while painting the barracks this afternoon. They sounded completely dire. Their next game is against Man U, then they play three other teams at risk. (QPR, Norwich, Sunderland) so it's not necessarily an easier run in than some other basement teams have got.

Are Norwich happy with a home point against mid table Swansea?

Probably not if Wigan were to win at QPR and Sunderland get at least a point against Chelsea. But if both Wigan and Sunderland lose they probably wont mind too much about their result today?

Sunderland are starting to look in big trouble, not really the time to appoint a loose canon!

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Are Norwich happy with a home point against mid table Swansea?

Probably not if Wigan were to win at QPR and Sunderland get at least a point against Chelsea. But if both Wigan and Sunderland lose they probably wont mind too much about their result today?

I'm sort of not happy, not disappointed, I'm just meh about it haha. We played well, and if we play like that in our remaining games, especially the home ones, we'll be fine

Olly, did you get a decent view of the Holt tackle/foul? Apparently it was a bad one.