Tonight's matches

[nutty nigel 7,509]

20 minutes ago, Google Bot said:

Exactly this, it doesn't matter what others are doing, we just need to get the points on the board and we'll see where we are at end of season. 

Well it matters in as much as a lot of other side's getting dragged into it. It adds to the pressure. A new pressure for some. Of course ultimately our results will determine what we do but we are part of the whole and the more clubs we have to aim at the better.

[Heading South 24]

45 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

 

Agree. We’ve always needed 6 wins and that hasn’t changed. 

Anyone who thinks we will win 6 out of the last 12 , when we have only 4 wins in 25 needs to visit their doctor …… not happening I’m afraid .

[Monty13 2,229]

55 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Pretty sickening how Burnley have been able to benefit so much from all those postponements they had. Basically had several weeks off, didn’t have to play without their main striker after selling Wood, got a new striker in snd got all their players fit again. Very irritating. That said all still to play for. 

They completely played the system and we failed to. Personally as much as I dislike them for it, that’s on us.

[Monty13 2,229]

7 minutes ago, Heading South said:

Anyone who thinks we will win 6 out of the last 12 , when we have only 4 wins in 25 needs to visit their doctor …… not happening I’m afraid .

I suspect you will unfortunately be proved correct. 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

1 minute ago, Monty13 said:

They completely played the system and we failed to. Personally as much as I dislike them for it, that’s on us.

I think Smith commented that he felt there was a good feeling / atmosphere around the club going into the Villa game (after that good performance at home to united despite the result), so he wanted to keep the momentum going.

Obviously a mistake in hindsight which he has admitted to but can sort of see the logic!

But I must admit at the time I did wonder why it felt like we were doing everything we could to fulfil our fixtures - no matter how patched up the squad was - when other teams seemed to be trying to defer as many games as possible. Really I think the damage was done in the opening games under Farke.

 

[Monty13 2,229]

1 minute ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

I think Smith commented that he felt there was a good feeling / atmosphere around the club going into the Villa game (after that good performance at home to united despite the result), so he wanted to keep the momentum going.

Obviously a mistake in hindsight which he has admitted to but can sort of see the logic!

But I must admit at the time I did wonder why it felt like we were doing everything we could to fulfil our fixtures - no matter how patched up the squad was - when other teams seemed to be trying to defer as many games as possible. Really I think the damage was done in the opening games under Farke.

 

Yea it was, we needed things to go right and have some luck after Farke and while theres been great results and performances overall it just hasn’t.

The injury/covid crisis derailed us when we were already in trouble. We needed luck/circumstances to go our way during that period and it didn’t, now we truly need a miracle.

[orsen456 12]

20 minutes ago, Heading South said:

Anyone who thinks we will win 6 out of the last 12 , when we have only 4 wins in 25 needs to visit their doctor …… not happening I’m afraid .

Doctor:  How can I help you

Fan:  Well I keep telling everybody we will win 6 out of our last 12 matches

Doctor:  Nurse, get this man to the nearest nut house

[nutty nigel 7,509]

It's beyond me why people can't be positive while there's a chance of staying up. If you're right you'll have plenty of time to wollow after your inevitable happens.

Let's join our teams siege mentality and not be on the outside taking the pee...

All aboard HMS Staying Up ⛴️💛⚽💚

[Google Bot 3,256]

Just now, orsen456 said:

Doctor:  Nurse, get this man to the nearest nut house

Assistant: Welcome to Holland & Barrett, how may I help?

Fan: Doc sent me here, Because I said we'll win 6 our of our last 12 matches.

Assistant: Oh, is this one of those pinkun reader stories where neither you or I exist other than in the imagination of the poster for a brief period while they concoct something 'funny'?

Fan: Urm, I dunno... I feel sick.

Assistant: So, what's it going to be? Just me, you, and this empty shop and a whole wealth of imagination going spare.  I could lock up for lunch if you like?

 

*Ahem*  I'm gonna finish this in private, actually..

 

[chicken 2,604]

This is from a few weeks ago so some fixtures have been re-arranged.


This is the current league table:


I still find it somewhat amusing for people to say Leeds and Brentford are two teams struggling and in the relegation fight but Everton and Newcastle aren't. Those teams are all down there fore a reason, and look a the form over the last five games. Newcastle have the best form at the moment. Everton is a win better than Brentford or Leeds who only managed a draw. So two points better off in the same run of games.

Watford have a horrendous run of games now. Man Utd away, Southampton home, Liverpool away. 

The "big teams" we have left are Man Utd, West Ham and Spurs. If you were asked which top sides you think you stand getting a result against and added Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal to that, I would probably be picking those three teams. I certainly wouldn't want to go into the last 10-12 games with 4-5 of them being against top six sides, most notably Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea right now.

Watford have Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea to play.
Newcastle have Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, Man City a d Arsenal yet to play.
Everton have Man City, Spurs, West Ham, Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal to play yet. Albeit with two games in hand.

So I guess what I am saying here, is that there are teams people are saying have too much quality, but still lacking considerable consistency, to go down whilst clearly ignoring they are yet to have the effect of being absolutely battered by, in some cases, half their fixtures against top 6-7 sides.

Not to mention those same teams will need to pick up the pieces to play each other.

Is it a tough ask for any of the bottom three? Yes. Especially with no games in hand. There are still a lot of games between the bottom 7 to go yet. I wouldn't rule out anyone. Each of those teams is capable of a run of a couple of wins, as the stats and table tell us. They are also capable of a couple of losses or draws. And that swing would still quite drastically change the bottom 7.

Still far to early to be calling it, even though many will come on here whichever way it goes to gloat that they have been right all season ad nauseum etc. 

[Midlands Yellow 3,925]

1 hour ago, nutty nigel said:

Well it matters in as much as a lot of other side's getting dragged into it. It adds to the pressure. A new pressure for some. Of course ultimately our results will determine what we do but we are part of the whole and the more clubs we have to aim at the better.

That makes a whole lot of sense, again. 

[hogesar 9,615]

2 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

That makes a whole lot of sense, again. 

Yeah but you're still gutted Ipswich didn't win yesterday soooo 🙄

[dsr-burnley 25]

2 hours ago, Monty13 said:

They completely played the system and we failed to. Personally as much as I dislike them for it, that’s on us.

Not really.  The first four postonements were Spurs (snow), Watford Villa and Everton (all opponents covid), and only our fifth one (Leicester) was at Burnley's request. 

[Making Plans 936]

7 hours ago, Heading South said:

Anyone who thinks we will win 6 out of the last 12 , when we have only 4 wins in 25 needs to visit their doctor …… not happening I’m afraid .

So did anyone think that Burnley would win 2 on the bounce

It can happen, this is football

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,735]

7 hours ago, Heading South said:

Anyone who thinks we will win 6 out of the last 12 , when we have only 4 wins in 25 needs to visit their doctor …… not happening I’m afraid .

Late season upturns in form do and can happen as teams at tge bottom start to run into teams who have little to play for 

Leicester the season before they won the league is a prine example

...another is ourselves at the back end of 2004/5 where we were dead and buried in March but went on a run that put us in a position where survival was in our own hands going into the last day (although we'll not mention what happened at Fulham)

 

[Coneys Knee 941]

28 minutes ago, Making Plans said:

So did anyone think that Burnley would win 2 on the bounce

It can happen, this is football

And by the same token, why do people suddenly think Burnley are not part of the relegation battle just because they’ve won 2 on the bounce?

We’ve won 2 in a row - TWICE this season and I wouldn’t say we’re safe!!!

Edited February 24, 2022 by Coneys Knee

[Jim Smith 2,314]

1 hour ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Late season upturns in form do and can happen as teams at tge bottom start to run into teams who have little to play for 

Leicester the season before they won the league is a prine example

...another is ourselves at the back end of 2004/5 where we were dead and buried in March but went on a run that put us in a position where survival was in our own hands going into the last day (although we'll not mention what happened at Fulham)

 

Yes. Teams like Brighton go off a cliff knowing they are safe and start dishing out three points to teams like Burnley.

There is no reason at all we cannot target wins at places like Brighton, Leicester, Villa, Wolves and Southampton. We won’t win at all of them but we could win a couple. 
 

Im not saying we will win 6 games (from 13 not 12 as another poster said), im just saying that’s what i think we will need and that it’s possible. Leicester won 7 in a row under Pearson didn’t they? 

 

 

 

[KiwiScot 1,436]

1 hour ago, Coneys Knee said:

And by the same token, why do people suddenly think Burnley are not part of the relegation battle just because they’ve won 2 on the bounce?

We’ve won 2 in a row - TWICE this season and I wouldn’t say we’re safe!!!

Bit of panic really. The mood I've seen on the forum generally seems to be that Watford and Burnley were going down and we needed to make sure we were not the 3rd team along with the understanding that it's looked like we were down for some time. So realising you've got more competitors than you thought after some hope is well panicking.

[mannings bandy legs 385]

11 hours ago, TheGunnShow said:

Three as they've just beat Spurs and have by some distance the best defensive record in the whole bottom half of the table. In fact, they've got the seventh-best defensive record (conceded 29). Keeping the ball out isn't their problem, it's getting it in.

However, now many of their players are back a side with that level of defensive nous will keep ticking over with points.

Also,they have drawn eleven,six more than us,which equals two more wins. They will probably and annoyingly,grind it out. Really thought their time in the EPL was up!

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

I'm fairly consigned of the prospect of relegation. Unfortunately the recent upturn in form of Burnley and Newcastle has probably put the final nail in our coffin, not only do we now need to catch one of Brentford or Leeds, but we would need to catch both, or one of them and one of Burnley / Newcastle. And given all these are at least 5 points ahead of us with games in hand to play - its really hard to see.

Of course some posters take the negativity to another extreme but is it really miserable or wallowing to say we will most likely be relegated this season? Its just the situation we are in, and the fact you won't find a neutral fan or pundit tipping us to stay up is a bit of a giveaway, imagine Webber's planning for next season will be with a strong eye for a championship promotion push.

That doesn't mean I won't be positive for the games nor believe we can win every match nor hope we can pull ourselves out of it, but surely the discussion forum is the place to discuss realistic eventualities such as this, but I can assure you I leave it all behind when it comes to supporting the team on a matchday. 

I expect we will go down, but will continue to hope for the best 👍

Edited February 24, 2022 by Hank shoots Skyler

[shefcanary 2,383]

Don't count out Leicester either!  🙂 Seriously, looking at the table it's still 3 from 9.  Leicester can't buy a win, and for all Gerrard's impetus to Villa, they are still struggling for consistency. 

More (?) rationally though, I think Watford, Leeds and Brentford are the teams we have to (will?) finish above.  I remain positive as always, but will await the outcome tomorrow - by 9.45pm tomorrow I may well have conceded relegation.  I hope not. 🤞🙏

[Ulfotto 622]

Everton fixture is the hardest in my opinion. If they lose to the more obvious relegation candidates they could still go down.

[Mason 47 1,373]

Burnley + Brentford at home are winnable. Newcastle H and Leeds A also not outside the bounds of winnable.

Somehow take 9 points from those 4 games and we're well in the fight. 

A win at 1-loss-in-11 Southampton would be an unlikely but very welcome start 💛💚

[Midlands Yellow 3,925]

10 hours ago, hogesar said:

Yeah but you're still gutted Ipswich didn't win yesterday soooo 🙄

You agreed it made no sense, thanks. 

[king canary 7,578]

56 minutes ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

I'm fairly consigned of the prospect of relegation. Unfortunately the recent upturn in form of Burnley and Newcastle has probably put the final nail in our coffin, not only do we now need to catch one of Brentford or Leeds, but we would need to catch both, or one of them and one of Burnley / Newcastle. And given all these are at least 5 points ahead of us with games in hand to play - its really hard to see.

Of course some posters take the negativity to another extreme but is it really miserable or wallowing to say we will most likely be relegated this season? Its just the situation we are in, and the fact you won't find a neutral fan or pundit tipping us to stay up is a bit of a giveaway, imagine Webber's planning for next season will be with a strong eye for a championship promotion push.

That doesn't mean I won't be positive for the games nor believe we can win every match nor hope we can pull ourselves out of it, but surely the discussion forum is the place to discuss realistic eventualities such as this, but I can assure you I leave it all behind when it comes to supporting the team on a matchday. 

I expect we will go down, but will continue to hope for the best 👍

I feel like we've got more of a chance now than we did this time two years as I feel Smith has got us set up to grind out a few more points but I agree it doesn't feel likely.

[king canary 7,578]

12 hours ago, Heading South said:

Anyone who thinks we will win 6 out of the last 12 , when we have only 4 wins in 25 needs to visit their doctor …… not happening I’m afraid .

Highly unlikely yes but I think back to the 04/05 season under Worthington- two wins in the first 25 followed by 5 wins in the last 13. Obviously the horror show at Fulham meant we fell short but it isn't impossible for us to go on a run.

[Disco Dales Jockstrap 1,891]

56 minutes ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

Of course some posters take the negativity to another extreme but is it really miserable or wallowing to say we will most likely be relegated this season? Its just the situation we are in, and the fact you won't find a neutral fan or pundit tipping us to stay up is a bit of a giveaway, imagine Webber's planning for next season will be with a strong eye for a championship promotion push.

That doesn't mean I won't be positive for the games nor believe we can win every match nor hope we can pull ourselves out of it, but surely the discussion forum is the place to discuss realistic eventualities such as this, but I can assure you I leave it all behind when it comes to supporting the team on a matchday. 

I expect we will go down, but will continue to hope for the best 👍

100% agree Hank.

I always find it strange that some people align being positive with ignoring the reality of a situation. By all means continue to mow the lawn while your house burns behind you, but don't pretend that some how makes you 'better' or more 'positive' than the guy who calls the fire brigade (as Webber did by getting Smith). The chances of us staying up are slim and have been for some time. That's reality. Smith has given us a chance; let's see how it plays out.

OTBC

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Even the most optimistic know its a really tough ask. It doesn't matter what others do, they are not all going to do well. It is what we do.

We must not go into tomorrow's game patting ourselves on the back for two good performances against the top two sides. The coach and players have to bank that and go out and give it another 10% on top. They are fighting for their wages as much as anything as well.

Southampton have only lost once at home but only won four. So we have to go there and believe a point is more than capable. Anything extra is a bonus. Brentford at home is a must win and Elland Road is no fortress. 5 points before Chelsea would do nicely.

We can ask no more than they play to the best of their ability.

 

[The Great Drinkell 50]

6 hours ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Late season upturns in form do and can happen as teams at tge bottom start to run into teams who have little to play for 

Leicester the season before they won the league is a prine example

...another is ourselves at the back end of 2004/5 where we were dead and buried in March but went on a run that put us in a position where survival was in our own hands going into the last day (although we'll not mention what happened at Fulham)

 

Leicester had one Mr Shakespeare at this time I believe. - and there's no substitute for experience.

[Canary Jedi 573]

15 hours ago, yellowrider120 said:

Thought football was a 90 minute game??

Ok, full time result is in. I think my earlier statement is even more true that we did quite well against Liverpool