Agree, except I might be being a bit optimistic, even after yesterday, but I'm not absolutely sure I want Muff to win. How about a draw for that one, I have still not given up 100% on a top ten finish
Right now I'd take 17th! We've built up a good squad that has been decimated by injury, but we need to stay up to keep them here. We're a summer transfer window away from having a team capable of top 10 (if we can scout defenders that is).
I agree. If we can get through this season, I believe we'll be in a good position to build a stronger side. Even if we do lose a couple of "stars", such as Doucoure and/or Richarlison, we won't sell for peanuts, and that money will be reinvested. Left back was last season's big problem, and it will be the first place I would look to strengthen. Forget about Janmaat's occasional good form going forward, he's so poor as a right wing back, that he's not a viable option even as a back up and a decent back up to Kiko has to be found. A clinical striker will be the area I hope we decide to invest in. Hernandez may get a work permit, if he gets selected for Columiba, so could be that player. We will be looking at signing a few strikers though, as Sinclair and Okaka will certainly move on, and Deeney is also a strong possibility to go. Maybe we can keep Deulofeu on loan and Carrillo or Amrabat as back up. We may well ship out a couple of central defenders in order to bring in a better first team option.
They have won one game since the first two in August, I am amazed they are still in with a shout at staying up.
He is still way to young and inexperienced to be expected to start as a regular first choice player for us.
It’s a crazy season. Huddersfield on a horrible run of form and looking certs for the drop. Bournemouth on a good run, which included a 3-0 at Chelsea. Result 4-1 Huddersfield. Bonkers.
Here are some of the fixtures on the 24th, two weeks from now. Leicester City vs Stoke City AFC Bournemouth vs Newcastle United Brighton & Hove Albion vs Swansea City Burnley vs Southampton West Bromwich Albion vs Huddersfield Town Watford vs Everton For me these will define who goes down. If we start the game with a team similar to West Ham we pretty much deserve to be relegated.
Bit harsh to define us on that weekend, Everton have a far superior squad to ours, certainly when it comes to who is available, at the least, and they already come into it 4 points ahead of us; only one behind Leicester, and roughly the same as we are from the first relegation spot. Obviously I hope we can get some kind of result, but I won't be dropping my head and admitting defeat if we lose. I don't think it would make it particularly more likely either. I agree about all the rest, though, they're pretty much all between teams who are in the battle in one way or another. Huddersfield's ludicrous 4-1 victory today is annoying, and brings back horrific memories of their last victory, when they beat us 4-1
Not expecting more than a point v Everton. Even if we lose, the big clash for us is the following weekend - home vs WBA. We need something from that, ideally a victory! After that, away to Arsenal for Deeney to show if he still has cojones or will he get them rammed down his throat!!
I intentionally omitted our result; I'm not saying if we lose we'll go down. If by then we still don't have the likes of Femenia and Hughes back in the team or we're starting with Deeney up top, and teams below us start picking up, I think we're in trouble. If we have a decent team to use and still lose that's fine, but it's getting to the crunch where the club can't be hoping for players to return - they need to be available now. It is laughable how so many of our players have seemingly dropped off the face of the earth from injuries.
Of our 8 wins this season, 4 have come against teams above us in the table and 4 against those below us. It’s been our general failure to beat the lower-ranked teams that has distinguished this campaign from the ones under QSF and Mazzarri. Makes me slightly more confident of beating Everton than Brom!
My betting jinxed it!!! Money on muff, manu and liverpool today. Stick your house on Southampton winning this afternoon.
Still think 4o points may well be needed. Every team below us is averaging at least a point a game over the last 5 games except WBA (4/5) and Hudd (3/5) and 3rd bottom is 26 pts with 12 to play.
The way things are going even 40 points may not be above. The big problem is that other than Man City, the big 6 are no longer impregnable. Arsenal are going to put all their effort in the Europa Cup, Chelsea players have downed tools, and Liverpool and Spurs have dodgy defences albeit their strike forces are deadly.
The only way this weekend could be any more unhelpful is if bloody Southampton somehow find a way to contrive to beat Liverpool, for ****'s sake.
United missed a lot of chances but an incredible result for Newcastle. If Southampton beat Liverpool later the gap could be 3 points! Between us and Huddersfield who would be in 18th position.
The most annoying thing about all this is that it effectively wipes out any 'extra' benefit from the unexpected win over Chelsea. If we didn't have those points it'd be looking a lot more questionable. I still think the same as I did yesterday, we won't get relegated etc etc, we've just wasted a brilliant chance to push on and put any daylight between us. Look, we're right back where we started: 4 points above the bloody relegation zone. Those Chelski points become desperate, vital ones, rather than a platform to change our fortunes.
Thank **** we beat Chelsea. If Soton get at least a point later we'd have been on level points with the last relegation place. EDIT - chumlux you got there first !
But wait, just a week or so, all the experts on here said we wouldn't even need 40 points! WERE THEY WRONG???
