Yorkshire Canary 118 Posted January 26, 2016 15 games left and on a knife edge. Our decline in form since the Southampton game has unfortunately coincided with other clubs picking up form and results and Newcastle spending cash like it has gone out of fashion. The manner of our defeat on saturday could leave scars for some time to come especially if we get a good thumping against Spurs. We need a good performance against Spurs to give confidence going into the crucial fixture v Villa and other "winnable " fixtures. I am not confident we can stay up indeed on balance looking at the other sides think we will be one of the bottom 3. That said we have the potential to stay up but we have run out of chances to drop silly points, miss easy chances and gift silly goals. The good spell over the festive period came as a surprise but we and other clubs have shown if you have a little good run you can pull away for a period. we need 15 points or so which we are more than capable of getting and Naismith does look to have a big part to play. Anything against Spurs is a bonus but we really need to win at Villa now and anything less would be a disaster that i would doubt we could bounce back from. Win and it not only gives us points but a platform to move forward on. It does look a battle between the bottom 6 and we need a big change in performances and results to save our skins Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
birchfest 397 Posted January 26, 2016 Yes, I think we have the quality... Even if from 60 minutes plus we looked like headless chickens.I''m more looking at the Christmas period and the form we were capable of before we signed the already effective looking Naismith and hopefully the step in class of Klose. It will be close, but teams like Bournmouth, Swansea and west Brom are far from being out of it. In fact look at Bournmouths run in and you start to understand how grabbans last minute miss at Sunderland could be huge... They can''t afford to drop points against the bottom 3. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Highland Canary 76 Posted January 26, 2016 I will stand by my post-August transfer window fiasco prediction of 19th. Villa and Swansea to join us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Jenkins 0 Posted January 26, 2016 It''s going to be squeaky Yorkshire. So many variables at the moment and this window, who we sign, how good they actually are and how quickly they can gel will be the deciding factor IMO.I know AN has said he won''t react to individual games but after Saturday there must be a massive question about bringing in decent cover for Tettey. I had been convinced we needed a centre half, a striker and a right back but a defensive midfielder now must surely be added to that list.The other big question is how we react to Saturday, is AN going to go back into his shell and play a more defensive structure, it''s a question of whether we can find the balance.My heart tells me we will just do enough to stay up, I still have faith in AN and remain confident that he will have learned from his recent experience and will find the right tactical blend for us going forward. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bannana Boy 30 Posted January 26, 2016 At the start of the season my thoughts were that NCFC were in for a long old slog. There would be a few humiliations, but also a couple of unexpected ''giant-killings''. I thought that we''d dally with the bottom three more than once but, in the end, we''d be safe with a game to go and finish between 14th and 16th.I still think this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZLF 274 Posted January 26, 2016 Confident? No. But very optimistic about our chances if klose can solidify the back four. The tweaks at rcb and rlb show that the manager had no confidence in those players as he struggled to find a decent combination. Finding a settled back four is hard mid season but essential. Tighten up here and we survive well.Also less inconsistency from for midfielders, responsibility in doing the defensive graft, not just tettey, and that finger goes far beyond Redmond.We have the required attacking threat and the home games to get the points we need, and there are 5 other clubs in the mix. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BroadstairsR 2,190 Posted January 26, 2016 For the first time this season I regretfully register a "NO"Too many mistakes by manager and players. So many points thrown away,,Naismith seems our best hope. Klose may be too. Pinto? is this really a time to allow a foreign full-back time to adapt?Rather use Whitts. or RMPerhaps RM has had his day. at CD. at last.Thin lines exist. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbycanary3 994 Posted January 26, 2016 So is that a Yes or a No from you Yorkshire?!!Me? I say ''Yes'', because I think we have the components to get this fine Team of ours, enough points to stay up, as opposed to what others have. Simple! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ricardo 7,395 Posted January 26, 2016 My opinion is the same as in August.It will be very close at the bottom and we will be in that mix.I still hope there will be three below us but its a hope more than a prediction. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thetford Yellow 0 Posted January 26, 2016 After a summer spent congratulating ourselves on scraping out of the Championship and designing new kits rather than adding to our obviously deficient squad, relegation has always been inevitable. Shame some of you didn''t realise this 7 months ago Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex Moss 2,165 Posted January 26, 2016 Depends. If the fans are behind the team then yes, we''ll be fine. If not, we''ll go down. We have a big part to play in this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Branston Pickle 3,673 Posted January 26, 2016 I think and hope we will stay up, IMO anyone who expects otherwise might as well not bother going Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norfolkbroadslim 223 Posted January 26, 2016 It depends on a few factors.The main ones being -- Whether we sign anybody else this window- If AN can stop over tinkering. A settled back four is vital. Don''t drop somebody, just because the computer says (or someone thinks or some theory suggests) player z should be better against player x, especially with regards the defence and even more so when player y has been doing ok. Don''t just immediately drop somebody just because we lose or because they may have a bit of an off game. We need a settled back four! - Play Brady in midfield (& therefore Olsson at LB), he is wasted at LB and no better than Olsson there.- Do not play RM again, certainly not at CB. - Make in game tactical changes and substitutions based on what can actually be seen with your own eyes AN. Not based on pre-planned or pre-determined scenarios dreamt up in theory and churned out of a computer using some algorithm. In game tactical changes and substitutions have been poor at best (and that is being kind).- Address the issue of why we are conceding more late goals than anybody else and why we run less than other teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lessingham Canary 99 Posted January 26, 2016 Got to keep believing we can, that''s what supporting your team is all about, surely ?.I am under no illusions that its by no means a given, there are a lot of variables (as there was at start of the season, and as there probably will be with 6 games to go), yes we could do with adding more quality to the squad, but more importantly as NBS pointed out we need a settled back 4, with Olsson at LB, hopefully Klosse will add something as will Pinto.Will be at as many games as I can, believing we will stay up until mathematically impossible. COYY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thirsty Lizard 3,169 Posted January 26, 2016 Before the season began I thought it was 50:50. As the season has progressed I''ve thought it was 50:50. At the moment I think it''s 50:50.Strap yourself in for highs and lows and nail biting tension and support the team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Van wink 2,994 Posted January 26, 2016 My view hasn''t changed, after the summer dealings I didn''t think we had enough quality for the manager to work with, my prediction is still relegation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Making Plans 936 Posted January 26, 2016 If AN finally decides what our strongest starting 11 is (and sticks to it), stops trying to fit square pegs into round holes, appoints a new Captain who is capable of organising things on the pitch and the players can stop themselves from doing stuoid things then we have a good chance of survival.We must get the "talk talk talk" & "think think think" sorted out though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SeattleCanary 0 Posted January 26, 2016 Heart says yes. Head sticks to August prediction of 19th. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanaryOne 0 Posted January 26, 2016 Hope we can pretty certain we wont , starting the season with a poor Championship defence at this level was always going to turn out this way ,add to that how weak our strikers are and its a miracle we are even still in with a small chance of staying up . One week of the window left and our striking options are a Loanee , Jerome or Lafferty , not much there to fire a team to safety and who are we linked with in that department ? all i can see is a totally unproven Bamford .Looking at the remaining home fixtures we really need a couple of away wins but they have always been a rare thing at this level and an away game for Norwich usually means a home win on the coupon .Who would bank on City winning at a slowly improving Villa ? its a must win really but a long way from a banker 3 points .Think in the end it will come down to City or Bournemouth and although we look better on paper they appear better on grass . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Spector 0 Posted January 26, 2016 Not clinical enough, not creative enough and more holes at the back than a Jimmy Saville defense. And for that reason, i''m out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleCanary 5,577 Posted January 26, 2016 When we got relegated in 2013-14 we finished with 33 points, we scored 28 goals we conceded 62.we had a goal difference of - 34 and we finished in 18th place.Thsi season we are on course to finish with 38 points, to score 46 goals, to concede 71 and have a goal difference of - 25. In that relegation season such a performance would (all over things being equal) have seen us finish 16th. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ginja 26 Posted January 26, 2016 My prediction since august has not changed, I think we will be relegated. I admit we have done well to get this far with a point a game, spending the majority of our time outside the relegation zone, it at least gives us a chance of avoiding the drop, unlike poor Villa. Unfortunately we find ourselves with too many weaknesses in the team that can be adequately covered or fixed in the January window, we just didn''t get enough done in the summer really. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daly 506 Posted January 26, 2016 AN has made far too many changes week in week out. Still after 6 months has no idea of his best side. All the rubbish he spouts about changing the team to combat the opposition is a backward step. Let them worry about us especially at home. Lost our Premiership status August September and October Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yellowbeagle 0 Posted January 26, 2016 It''s in the managers hands. I believe we have enough to get the results we need, just. Going to be close and no more moronic team selections. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
If wed only kept Howie.. 3 Posted January 26, 2016 Yes - i think we will stay up...It may be close, but i think we will stay up.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kidderminster Exile 0 Posted January 26, 2016 Just about stay up by 2 points Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cornish sam 960 Posted January 26, 2016 I would say yes, but mainly due to the fact that there are so many other clubs in a similar position to us.I still feel that Villa and Sunderland will go for sure (despite a bit of a turn around for them both of late) and the last spot will be one of us, Newcastle, Swasnea, Bournemouth with WBA and Watford flirting but having done enough to not be in any real danger. People keep saying about Newcastle spending lots but they''ve only actually signed 2 players, neither of which are strikers and that is their real problem (25% of their goals this season came against us!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Feedthewolf 4,862 Posted January 26, 2016 I am confident that we will finish above Villa and Sunderland. I think Newcastle will pull clear – whether with McClaren or with a ''new boss honeymoon'', they have enough quality to fire themselves to safety. Essentially, then, ''all'' we need to do is finish above either Swansea, Bournemouth or West Brom. I think we''ll do it, but it''ll be extremely close. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iron_stan 0 Posted January 26, 2016 i think we need to spend another 10-12 million on another centre back, id prefer another striker but think we have goals in the squad when we really attack teams, our biggest problem is sitting back and trying to defend, because the quality (or lack of) of bassong/martin/bennett fails us every time i wont like to see city relegated but as long we actually go out with attacking style and attempting to win games and not like the gutless cowardly negative effort we gave it last time it wont be as bad Share this post Link to post Share on other sites