Who is for the Drop?

First topic message reminder :

I've probably just given Blackburn the kiss of death by suggesting on their thread that they'll avoid the drop.

My teams for the drop are the three new boys. I think inexperience will ultimately count against them. QPR's recent poor results are not far off becoming a freefall. Despite very respectable starts, I don't see Norwich or Swansea scoring enough and believe their commendable work rates may lead to them both running out of gas around Easter.

All carefully worked out and most likely entirely wrong. What do others think?

Nore Staat wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:... Personally I think the most likely scenario today is QPR being beaten 3-1 and having a player sent off, and Bolton drawing with Stoke 2-2. ...

So I nearly got everything spot on ...

I know where I am coming for my tips next season! Top stuff there Nore.

... although I never expected it to be so dramatic!

killer-boosh wrote:18th - Bolton
19th - Wolves
20th - Blackburn

So now we know as we say farewell to Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton.

Congratulations to new boys Norwich, Swansea and QPR for surviving the season and making a mockery of my initial prediction. Norwich and Swansea, in fact, did far more than survive - showing how the game should be played and collecting many points and friends along the way.

Congratulations also to Killer-Boosh for being the first to correctly predict the three 'dropping' even if he didn't get the positions spot on.

Thanks to all for the comments since this article was posted in January. Signing off this thread for now. Back in August to see who is for the drop in 2013 ....

My club!!

Indeed well done to Swansea, QPR and Norwich. Think that's the first time the 3 promoted clubs stayed up since 2001/2.

Nore Staat wrote:Personally I think the most likely scenario today is QPR being beaten 3-1 and having a player sent off, and Bolton drawing with Stoke 2-2.

Excellent prediction - even tho I guess it was more or less odds on that QPR would not finish with 11 men...

The form over the final 10 games of the season makes for interesting reading for those teams that were in danger of relegation:

Wigan picked up 22 points in their last 10 matches, equal to Man U as 2nd best in the league and only one point poorer than Citeh. Wigan for the Champions League next season if they can maintain that form

QPR picked up 15 points, which was equal 9th in points gained in those 10 games (same as Chelsea). There record was alternate wins and losses through the 10 game sequence.

Bolton picked up 13 points, so 11th best in those 10 games. Better than most of the lower mid-table teams, but not quite enough to keep them up.

Blackburn managed only 6 points for the 3rd worst record, despite gaining 3 points against Man U...

Wolves obviously were poorest with only 3 draws from the last 10 games.

However, a special mention is needed for Aston Villa's valiant attempt to relegate themselves by failing to win any of their last 10 games and picking up just 5 points over that period - good thing they'd been OK earlier in the season and given themselves JUST enough buffer to hold out.