Very much at the business end of the season now, so time to nail your colours to the mast: which three teams do you think are going down at the end of the season? Prize for getting it right: absolutely nothing, aside from basking in the glory of your unrivaled football knowledge. My picks: Norwich: too far behind. Aston Villa: leaky defence; poor record against teams further up the league with most of their remaining fixtures being against those teams. Bournemouth: 2nd worst form in the division at the worst possible time, bunch of injuries, awful fixtures.
Norwich: Not good enough West Ham: Run of games coming up will murder them Watford: Absolutely hopeless against anyone but the top team
I don't like this thread as it's tempting fate, but of all of the teams in the mix, us and West Ham have the better squads and do have the tools to escape. It's a shame that Burnley have enough points to avoid the drop.
Norwich - too far behind and don't score enough goals Muff - Lots of injuries, have the lost the attacking intent they had in previous seasons. Bad run of form. Then not so sure...I'll plump for Aston Villa - Just not clicking as a team despite all the spend. Notable mentions: Did think West Ham, but a good weekend result, and importantly their attacking players looked good. Tough run though, and one good result doesn't change their form before that. Brighton - Could easily go down. Difficult to make a case for why they will stay up. Have a good goal difference - that could save them. Newcastle. In freefall. Lucky to have the number of points they do, base on most measures have been the worst team. Only 5 points clear. It could get foggy on Tyne And... Watford. We have Sarr. New team under Pearson.
Think: Brighton Bournemouth Norwich Hope: (not going to happen - but all my "think" choices are decent awaydays) Palace Villa West Ham
Norwich, plucky plucksters too plucky for their own good. Villa, Greasy entitled and over rated. Bournemouth, demanding an apology from the refs union will scupper them. Surviving; Brighton, lucky to survive, think theyve got a project but just find themselves 4th worst. Well done brighton. West Ham, next year they'll make the top 7, next year I tell thee. Us, hopefully.
I haven’t checked the league table so I’ll base it on the 3 worst teams I’ve seen us play this year Norwich Villa Liverpool
Nice little thread - definitely reflecting the zeitgeist of this evening - 11 views, 10 replies at a rate of one every 4 minutes
Norwich. Finally get a win and then the three above you pick up points, some unexpectedly so. Probably need minimum of 15 points from last 10 having got 21 from 28 games. Not going to happen Villa. Playing catch up in terms of games and points. A lot of tough games and very reliant on Grealish. Bournemouth. Horrible run of fixtures and are not as free scoring as in previous years. Defensively poor as well means big trouble. Brighton to survive but only just. Hope so as it’s my favourite away trip Us and West Ham to be a few points clear
I think other teams have more heart than us. We have talent going forwards and show up spectacularly sometimes. But we are often gutless. I think Bournemouth have more spirit and it will show. Plus we are on Sarr injury niggle away from being nailed on now Delefeou is out! Or circumstances leaving Mariappa playing the run in.
Bournemouth didn't show much spirit against us and Norwich, nor in their last two away games it seems. Brighton seem to be a more spirited and solid outfit, so I'm surprised you've picked them instead of Bournemouth. And why do you think Mariappa might play again, except in the dying minutes of the odd game at CB if Kabasele or Cathcart get a knock?
Villa and West Ham play each other on the last day of the season. That could be really important as they can't both win.
Fair enough point. I would disagree on various points. If it is spirit/heart that is important then based on all my West Ham friends they are down. I've not seen much spirit in Bournemouth at all this season. It was their spirit that got them to mid-table in the past - not so now. What spirit have Villa or Brighton shown this season that would be a better spirit than us? And any team could have an injury. What if Grealish gets injured for Villa?
Providing we keep Sarr fit, my picks are: Norwich - a decent championship side. Brighton - obsessed with playing football the right way, but you can only do that if your players are fundamentally better than everyone else’s, and they aren't. Bournemouth - spunked a fortune on the wrong players, and there are consequences.
Yes but given Del is out, recall the awful performances our squad served up under Gracia, Flores and Pearson when Sarr was out. It doesn’t bear thinking about if we are missing both. Deeney/Pereyra/Pussetto to keep us up? Our defence to grind out one nil wins? No chance. Now Del is out we really are pinning our hopes on one man.
It's likely that only one of those clubs will need points on the day, making it a guaranteed 3 points for the team still in danger while we are away to the arse.
I always gamble Watford to safety. I have over£600 at various odds on Watford to be relegated but I honestly hope I do not collect. I have negated this stake by backing other teams to win when it would be beneficial to us that they lose e.g. Had £200 at 6/4 that West Ham would beat Southampton last weekend. Come on you Orns!
I think in a weird quirk of fate and a nod to 2015 it will be Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich in that order. Hopefully I am wrong.
Think Brighton/ Bournemouth (evens) plus Villa and Norwich. Hope Villa Spam and (unlikely) Palace. I do 3 night weekends away so don't want to lose Brighton, Bournemouth, Southampton (I stay in Bournemouth), Norwich (I have friends there) or Newcastle. I pick the other three as the most likely alternatives. Nothing whatsoever against Villa, not so hateful of Palace as most on here, but would still not mind seeing the back of them. Spam can leave whenever they like.
Hope Muff (institutional cheating), Wham (lovable cockney racists) and Villa (because of that moaning **** Grealish) Think Norwich Muff Brighton
If we win at Palace I would think we are more than 50% safe. if we lose I think it tips it to more than 50% relegation
West Ham,, Brighton and Aston Villa all to finish on 35 points with Norwich surviving on 36 points. Bournemouth will get 41 and Watford 40 points.