The Relegation Thread

[Abertawe]

Chelsea (A)
Stoke (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Leicester (A)
Sunderland (H)
Norwich (H)
Southampton (A)
Swansea (H)
Liverpool (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Tottenham (H)

And a home game against Man City to fit in at some point. I reckon we'll get around 16 points, which will see us finish on 40. Should be enough.

You'll do well to get 11 points out of that.

 

[Veggie Legs]

I'd say that's four eminently winnable home games against Bournemouth, Sunderland, Swansea and Palace, with a good chance of points at Stoke, Norwich and Villa. Plus the possibility of a surprise against one of the better teams that Newcastle are capable of.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Hadn't really looked at our run-in in full before, I'd just looked a few weeks at a time. So this is slightly new to me:

Stoke H
Watford A
Southampton H
Newcastle A
Swansea H
Tottenham A
Man City H
Aston Villa A
Liverpool H
Chelsea H
Everton A
West Brom H
Man United A

12 points required for 40, with a 5 point gap to the bottom 3 and a favourable goal difference as it stands. So Norwich will need to gain 6 points on us / Sunderland 9 on us before the season ends.

That's a mixed bag of games to come, some real tough ones which might be a write off. But we'd fancy ourselves in several of the others, especially away where we're usually best. Lost something like 3 in the last 14 games. Just need to keep chipping away really and avoid any collapse or losing rut.

 

[rudebwoyben]

I'd say that's four eminently winnable home games against Bournemouth, Sunderland, Swansea and Palace, with a good chance of points at Stoke, Norwich and Villa. Plus the possibility of a surprise against one of the better teams that Newcastle are capable of.

I think it's rather unfair that Newcastle will get to play Norwich City at home again, considering the score the first time they played them.

 

[Abertawe]

I'd say that's four eminently winnable home games against Bournemouth, Sunderland, Swansea and Palace, with a good chance of points at Stoke, Norwich and Villa. Plus the possibility of a surprise against one of the better teams that Newcastle are capable of.

They won't beat us, Sunderland, Palace or Stoke, no chance.

As for us, I reckon we'll get 13 points out of this lot, will put on 40 points, another season.
Swansea V Southampton
Tottenham V Swansea
Arsenal V Swansea
Swansea V Norwich
Bournemouth V Swansea
Swansea V Aston Villa
Stoke V Swansea
Swansea V Chelsea
Newcastle V Swansea
Leicester V Swansea
Swansea V Liverpool
West Ham V Swansea
Swansea V Man City

 

[G.B]

shelvey will smash you mate.

got you down for 9 points from those fixtures.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Funny, I've got them for 8.

 

[Abertawe]

Well you're both well known for having pish prediction skills so it's sweetness & sugar, THE JACKS ARE STAYING UP.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Swansea's run a mixture there of top 6 sides and relegation 6 pointers looks a tough one. If they get anything out of the next 3 they'll be doing alright.

 

[Hank]

Sam targeting 6 wins to stay up, that gets us to 38 points. I've got us on 33 points which isn't enough.

Man U H
West Ham A
Palace H
Southampton A
Everton H
Newcastle A
West Brom H
Leicester H
Norwich A
Arsenal H
Stoke A
Chelsea H
Watford A

 

[G.B]

Well you're both well known for having pish prediction skills so it's sweetness & sugar, THE JACKS ARE STAYING UP.

are you saying you've changed your mind on that annual top 4 prediction mate?

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Well you're both well known for having pish prediction skills so it's sweetness & sugar, THE JACKS ARE STAYING UP.

Where have I made predictions?? Other than me thinking (well, hoping) we'd stay up this year, and ridiculing you for the Swansea for top 4 prediction, I don't remember making one.

 

[G.B]

i'm 1 for 1 in the challenge thread. godlike predicition skills. meanwhile abe will go 1 for 3 bama:

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Aston Villa lost 3-0 to the Aston Villa U21 development team in a friendly at the club's training ground last week.

 

[Blitzballer]

Says it all really.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Confirms what we've all been saying anyway... Just chuck the fucking kids in and fuck off the first team, we're down anyway and may as well give them some match experience.

 

[JimJams]

Ayew and Bacuna played on the U21 side.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Our first choice back 4 and keeper played for the first team. No excuse.

 

[Munkiki]

Still struggling to decide who will take that final spot.

Crystal Palace 27. -6 32 (LLLDLL)
Bournemouth -- 27 -14 29 (WDWLLD)
Swansea ------ 26 -10 27 (LWWDDL)
Newcastle ---- 26 -22 24 (DWLLWL)
----------------------------------
Sunderland --- 27 -19 23 (LDLDWL)

I don't think there is any chance that Palace will drop (they did enough in the first half of the season) but while they're in free-fall mode, they should probably be included. Defeat to Sunderland midweek might make things interesting... Also think Bournemouth have enough about them to stay clear - though a defeat at Newcastle next weekend could drag them back in.

Swansea still have to play all of the top 5 (four away), starting with two really tough away trips (Spurs tomorrow, Arsenal midweek), which could see them in the thick of it - but then we all know how little bottle the North London duo have. Newcastle look to have the biggest say since they play all four of the other contenders at St James Park (and the worst two sides away). Guess Sunderland are favourites for it but my gut feeling is still that they'll escape, again. The bulk of their remaining fixtures are against mid-table sides with little/nothing to play for.

Starting to talk myself into Swansea being the ones to drop (watch them win at WHL tomorrow now).

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Villa, Sunderland+1... Newcastle would be amusing, but i think they'd do similar to last time they dropped so I'm torn as to whether I want them down.

 

[Blitzballer]

Still reckon Palace could get dragged into it

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Southampton up next for us, and whilst I don't think we'll freeze like a rabbit as badly as we always have previously, they are on a superb string of form, today aside. And today may make them tougher still.

So I'll say anything from that is a bonus and will assume somebody below will make up some ground.

After that, we have two huge games that will decide whether we have a comfortable run in or are scrapping for our life. Newcastle A and Swansea H.

I somehow suspect we'll continue to slog along doing alright but never quite able to do enough to feel comfortable.

 

[Super_horns]

Looks like it's from Swansea and below in battle to stay up with Palace holding Sunderland and Bournemouth winning .

 

[Munkiki]

Starting to talk myself into Swansea being the ones to drop

Scrap that. 9 points clear now, as good as safe. Just between Newcastle and Sunderland now. Hard to choose between them but given Sunderland seem to pull off great escapes every season, they probably edge it.

 

[SUTSS]

You look at Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich and think that not one of them is really good enough to survive. Still time for Villa with this dross in front of them.

 

[JimJams]

Don't forget Newcastle have only played 26 though. 2 or 3 points from those games is massive.

 

[Munkiki]

They played their 27th tonight, chimp. But yeah, I wouldn't rule out them turning over Man City.

They also have some very kind looking fixtures left - Palace, Bournemouth, Swansea, Sunderland at home. Norwich, Villa away. They'll lose the derby (as always) but very good chance of at least 3/4 wins from the other 5.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Massive win for Swansea tonight. With Norwich and Villa coming up they could pretty much confirm safety. The bottom four look adrift.

 

[JimJams]

They played their 27th tonight, chimp. But yeah, I wouldn't rule out them turning over Man City.

Ah shit, I was having a look at the updated tables a little early. Doesn't it look great? (Don't answer that Munk).

 

[Munkiki]

Ah shit, I was having a look at the updated tables a little early. Doesn't it look great? (Don't answer that Munk).

It does actually. Ideally you lot don't bottle it, West Ham topple the Manc 2, Stoke/Southampton remain/get ahead of Liverpool/Chelsea/Everton and maybe Watford get out of their slump to somehow finish top half.