The run-in

[Pete3206]

Liverpool (A) L
Stoke City (H) D
Man Utd (A) L
Sunderland (H) D
Bolton (H) W
West Brom (A) L
Spurs (H) L
Norwich (A) D

[Aston Manor]

Is there an argument for giving up trying to win games as McLeish is useless at getting the bets out of his team? Go 4-5-1and make us difficult to break down. Obviously I'm not saying don't try and win games but McLeish realises his anti-football wouldn't wash here and so has tried to be tight AND play with wide  men to counter-attack. Its so alien to him we've been left looking shapeless.

Go back to filling the midfield and leave one man up top - Heskey. Put Gabby wide and cross our fingers.

[Villanation]

Liverpool (A)...........Win-3pts
Stoke City (H).........Draw-1pt
Man Utd (A)............Lose-0pts
Sunderland (H)......Draw-1pt
Bolton (H)..............Win-3pts
West Brom (A).......Draw 1pt
Spurs (H)...............Lose- 0pt
Norwich (A)............Draw-1pt

Finish with 43 points, we survive, I reckon about 15th maybe, that close.

Bit surprised at how many have got us finishing with less than 37 points, IMO we are down with less than 39/40, only because the teams below us are starting to get points.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Liverpool (A) L
Stoke City (H) L
Man Utd (A) L
Sunderland (H) L
Bolton (H) L
West Brom (A) L
Spurs (H) L
then...............The Great Escape !
Norwich (A) W

We'd almost certainly be down before the last game.

Another approach is the best to worst chance of a win:

Bolton (H)
Stoke (H)
West Brom (A)
Sunderland (H)
Norwich (A)
Liverpool (A)
Tottenham (H)
Man United (A)

I'd be looking for 2 wins from the first top 4 games, and 2-3 draws elsewhere.

[lovejoy]

Our points in themselves don't matter, it's how we do in relation to others that count.

[Goldie.7]

Liverpool (A) L
Stoke City (H) D
Man Utd (A) L
Sunderland (H) D
Bolton (H) L
West Brom (A) W
Spurs (H) L
Norwich (A) D

Or 6 points.

[tarzansbrother]

Liverpool (A) L
Stoke City (H) D
Man Utd (A) L
Sunderland (H) L
Bolton (H) D
West Brom (A) D
Spurs (H) D
Norwich (A) W

Full time or just the second half results? Something our manager always looks at the twat

[Villanation]

Key games:

Liverpool, we have to take something from Liverpool.
Stoke City, we have to take a point of Stoke.
Bolton................This is the most must win game of the whole lot, we do anything less than win this and we are down.IMO

Other key games=Norwich and Sunderland, we have to take points out of these games.

Its when you do stuff like this that makes you realise just how close it is.

On the positive side all the teams below us may run out of steam and fail to gain any more points, then its all over and we survive.

This weekend is crucial not just for our game but for all the other teams below us.

[bilsim]

Liverpool (A) L
Stoke City (H) L
Man Utd (A) L
Sunderland (H) L
Bolton (H) L
West Brom (A) L
Spurs (H) L
Norwich (A) L

By this logic I can only be pleasantly surprised.

[Nastylee]

Just remember the five teams below us have had worse seasons than us. I know it's hard to believe but that's the reason they are where they are. To expect three of those five to go on runs that will not only eclipse the five points between us but then better our form for the remainder shouldn't happen. One win and the sooner the better should see us home and dry as I think we'll get our few draws.

[Villanation]

Just remember the five teams below us have had worse seasons than us. I know it's hard to believe but that's the reason they are where they are. To expect three of those five to go on runs that will not only eclipse the five points between us but then better our form for the remainder shouldn't happen. One win and the sooner the better should see us home and dry as I think we'll get our few draws.

Precisely, the only problem I foresee is if we lose over the weekend to both Liverpool and Stoke, that's a major set back, if in turn the teams below us pick up points we get deeper in simply because we won't get anything of Man Utd, that's when we could be overtaken, its possible then we would have to go up against MON and Sunderland, that then could become the crucial fixture that puts us down, I think the word Ironic springs to mind. Then the Bolton game becomes the biggest game this club has faced in yonks, enormous pressure on young players just getting blooded, I would not be confident.

[D.boy]

Liverpool (A) C
Stoke City (H) L
Man Utd (A) U
Sunderland (H) E
Bolton (H) L
West Brom (A) E
Spurs (H) S
Norwich (A) S

[villajk]

Liverpool (A) W
Stoke City (H) W
Man Utd (A) L
Sunderland (H) W
Bolton (H) W
West Brom (A) W
Spurs (H) D
Norwich (A) W

Oh, how I wish.

[LamBeast]

Bolton is the game we need to win.end of.

[Villanation]

Wow, there was me thinking when we appointed McLeish, we ain't gonna see any cup finals for sometime, guess what, we just signed up to 8 of them.