Manchester City 3-1 Watford FC - 02/01/2018

10 points from the next 14 games would, in fact, almost certainly be enough to avoid relegation. I think we'll continue to average around a point a game - which will be more than enough to stay up - but insufficient to get one of the Europa League places that some seem to think we must be challenging for

 

Disagree. 35 points with 2 to play probably wouldn't be enough. When 4 of the bottom 5 are WBA, west ham, stoke, and Soton I think it will be really tight this year. Even bottom team Swansea beat us.

 

I don't want a big row but, yes, okay, Stoke was crap but it was not in the current bad run that everyone is losing it about. Swansea was subdued but we were in complete control until Gray's miss. It was boring rather than bad, and maybe with the demanding run of games in mind? Everton, again, we were bossing it until Gomes' injury - the goals were majorly down to Karnezis. Chelsea - (and people talking about us being let off by opponents slack finishing should look at the raft of sitters we have missed) - we should have been out of sight and we are talking about CHELSEA, the Champions, at STAMFORD BRIDGE.

It depends on how you look at things but IMO, people are going overboard when there is no need.

 

With 16 games and 48 points left to play for this season we would end up with around 36/37 points at that rate. The average points to safety is actually 37 (not 40 as you often here) but it would be touch and go.

 

Let's park this one and reconvene when there's 10 games to go. You might be right, but I suspect that you're probably worrying unnecessarily

 

Losing 10 of the last 14 matches is hardly going overboard.

Until the Huddersfield match I was looking at things more in the way you are now, but I did see worrying signs after Palace. The performance level has dramatically dropped since then though. Huddersfield, Brighton and Swansea performances can not be overlooked. There has been an added downturn in what was already a bad run of results.

It’s not just a couple of bad results, it’s an entire sequence. Defensively we are as bad now as we’ve ever been.

People say about the injuries but in reality, who of those injured really stand out as players we’re missing greatly. I would say only Chalobah and Kiko are a big loss to the side. No one else really stands out as being greatly missed.

This is why I’m so concerned. I do not see injured players coming back giving the team a big lift. I do not see progress in the team as a unit defensively, rather the opposite.

To my mind the only hope we have is to sign a couple of very good players in this window.

We could well muddle through, but it will be unconvincing and soly reliant on the failure of other sides around us, just like last season.

 

I wouldn't scrutinise my recent posts too closely, BRLR. My current faith in the team is on life support, hence I can only see the negatives. I wish I could be more positive like some of the others on here.

But anyway - my dour prediction of us losing to Southampton comes from the comparison between the two clubs current poor form:

In our last 14 we've lost 10 - this has included playing two different teams who were bottom of the league, in games which we were winning with barely minutes to play.

In Southampton's last 14 league games, they've lost 7. One of those defeats was a very late goal to Man City in which they came so close to a draw. They also recently got a great point at Old Trafford - a team that clinically swatted us aside despite us not actually being that bad. Their two wins in this period included a thumping 4-1 win over Everton - another side we threw away the points against. Admittedly, they've had some shockers as well - 1-4 at home to Leicester (which we matched against Huddersfield) and 5-2 against Spurs.

During their current poor spell, they've picked up 5 draws, three of them away. It could be argued that a draw is the most likely outcome - but with our terrible defence and nerves kicking in - should we go in to the final minutes against them level, we all know what will happen................

So apologies for the negativity, but unless we get our best players back fit and in the team, and some decent signings ready to play straight away and signed long before the window closes, I can only see more of the same.

Again, I hope I'm wrong and will be delighted to be proven having worried for no reason.

 

Last season we lost at Sunderland. It took them a year to win another match at home!

This season we hosted a Huddersfield side without even a solitary goal in 7 away matches. They scored 4!

We went to an Everton side woefully out of form under a hapless caretaker manager, and gave him his first win in charge!

West Brom haven't won in 19 matches now, but half way throught their miserable run they came within a minute of beating us!

We played a Brighton side without a win in 7 matches, and lo and behold we lost to them!

Next up...

a Southampton side without a win in 10 matches.

Help!

 

Like daggers to the heart!

 

It doesn't matter where we are now. It matters where we are headed.

 

I think it's just plain offside. It's not even a particularly complicated one. The issue isn't whether he's interfering with play - Aguero is offside because he's in an offside position and he commits an 'offside offence' by gaining an advantage by playing the ball once Gomes saves it.

This is the wording of the law as it stands:

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-11---offside

It's almost an old-fashioned offside but in the palava over the law in the last few years I think people are in danger of missing the obvious ones while debating the more challenging ones (such as our goal in the same match).

 

Something the Captain of the Titanic should have considered.