Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Loxton01 on March 18, 2013, 09:42:26 AM
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So after yesterdays result I think there is definetly a few more teams being brought into the mire. I personally think you will need 38 or 39 points to stay up [particualarly 39 with our goal difference]
For me Reading is down. No manager I cannot see anyway they can get back into it.
QPR have a run in where you would say they can win matches particularly at home. However Saturday was massive. They will need to win at least 5 matches of 8 to have any chance for me and I just think it will be too much for them
Wigan got very lucky yesterday. Wigan play us, west ham, norwich and qpr. Again like QPR I can see them picking points up at home but struggling away as they have both spurs and man city. I can see them getting to 38 just as they do come on strong.
Sunderland. For me they are the team on the slide. They have man utd chelsea and newcastle in the next three games. If they get nothing out of them I can really see them struggling. After that they have everton at home then us. They are the team massively out of form. I can only see them picking up 6-7 max to get to 37-38 points. They have two home games against stoke and southampton at the end of the season they will need to win them for me and thats a big ask under huge pressure.
Southampton. I think they will be safe. They have a good strikeforce and are better defensively than us. They have 2-3 on paper good looking home games. I think they will be out of it.
West Ham - Like Sunderland I think there the only other team who could get drawn into. There on 33 so there going to have to have a terrible run. They have toughies like Man Utd but with that they then have alot of teams around them including Wigan. I think theyll just be ok.
I think the others like norwich, newcastle, stoke etc are safe as they will get to 38 points.
That leaves us!!! We have critical home games against Sunderland and Fulham. Win them both and I think we will be safe. Liverpool next game is massive get anything and that would be a big bonus to keep the momentum going. You can forget Man Utd away. So for me we need 8-9 points from 7 games. Norwich away and Stoke away are games we can get something from particulalry if they are safe. I would love to have the points before having to go to Wigan as Id hate having to get something there.
The last five games we have won the three we had to and lost narrowily against man city and arsenal. The last five games have given me the hope we can stay up and I think for once we had a bit of luck Saturday in terms of the way we survived the first half scored goals when we had to and didnt concede at the death!!!
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I think we will get the points needed- i would say reading are gone and its 2 from wigan, qpr and Sunderland.
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It could be anyone from Stoke downwards although i can't see them being sucked into it. I can't really call it at the moment apart from Reading.
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After 30 games last season, Villa were W7 D12 L11 GD-9 Pts33. This season, it is W7 D9 L14 GD-25Pts30. In our last 8 games last season, we drew 5 and lost 3. We have much better attacking momentum this year, but a dodgy defence.
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I don't believe that Fulham, Stoke, Newcastle, Norwich and West Ham can fail to get the few more points they need, even though Norwich and West Ham have had bad runs. That leaves three from six. Villa and Southampton do not look like teams that are going down based on recent results. Reading and QPR are in big trouble. That would leave Wigan and Sunderland. I actually think Wigan will go down. However, Sunderland are the team on a bad run and with home wins being crucial between now and the end of the season they appear to be the ones who are getting the most stick from their home support.
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Sunderland still have villa and newcastle away as well as having to play man utd, Chelsea spurs and everton - the run in for wigan is much better than for Sunderland.
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BTW Who's (who is left) not Whose (whose battle is this).
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Stoke have four points from ten games - they're my favourites to slip into it.
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Stoke have four points from ten games - they're my favourites to slip into it.
I think Stoke will be ok. If i had to pick one who could possibly drop it's Newcastle. I thought they were shocking yesterday.
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we are our biggest threat. The way football seems to work, I cannot see anything but a last day, do or die match against Wigan
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I'm with Dave on this, I think I've said so on another thread last week as well, Stoke have a really tough run of games coming up where everyone they have left to play will go into it needing to win. If Stoke don't realise they're in the battle they could easily get drawn in during the next couple of weeks.
Away at Everton next where they'd do well to get a point, then home against us and Man Utd. I predict we'll draw with them but they'll lose the other 2. If so that keeps their terrible run of form going and at this point of the season momentum is everything, the reason a team gets drawn in and goes down so often is that they don't have enough time or confidence to turn things around.
West Ham are the other ones at risk but I think they've got it in them to win a couple which will see them safe.
I think we might see a fair few teams under the 40point mark this year though.
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Stoke have four points from ten games - they're my favourites to slip into it.
I think Stoke will be ok. If i had to pick one who could possibly drop it's Newcastle. I thought they were shocking yesterday.
Not as bad as Sunderland, they are awful and have less individual talent than Newcastle.
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I think that when I did the BBC football predictor last week I had seven teams on less than forty points.
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Stoke have four points from ten games - they're my favourites to slip into it.
I think Stoke will be ok. If i had to pick one who could possibly drop it's Newcastle. I thought they were shocking yesterday.
I said Stoke because while I think Newcastle might also struggle, they've been in it all season. Stoke are my 'from nowhere right into the thick of it' like us in 1995 & 2003.
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Stoke have four points from ten games - they're my favourites to slip into it.
I think Stoke will be ok. If i had to pick one who could possibly drop it's Newcastle. I thought they were shocking yesterday.
I said Stoke because while I think Newcastle might also struggle, they've been in it all season. Stoke are my 'from nowhere right into the thick of it' like us in 1995 & 2003.
Possibly, i hope you're right.
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Reading, Wigan and Sunderland to go down for me.
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I think it'll QPR, Reading and then one from four, including us. From West Ham upwards I think they'll get enough points.
Sunderland look most at risk right now - bottom of the form table!
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To be honest it will be really interesting the coming weeks as so many teams play each other.
At least we have a real fighting chance now.
Come on!!!
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Reading, Wigan and Sunderland to go down for me.
Same three for me .
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As bad as Stoke's form has been of late, I would be most concerned were I a Sunderland fan. In my opinion, their run-in is the toughest and they are in poor form as well.
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Ignoring everyone's final two games as a cut-off for "getting sucked into it" (if you're not in the mix by then, you're most probably safe), upcoming fixtures against sides just below you OR against those fighting for European qualification are where seasons hinge. By that score, assuming QPR haven't gone by the time they play them, Stoke's easiest game is away at goodison. And their last two don't help them much. They're well in it.
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I'd love QPR, Sunderland and Stoke to go down. That would be amazing.
Dave's point that Sunderland and Newcastle have never really been safe is a good one, maybe Stoke will be the ones that drop from a safer position. Norwich, perhaps, although they are aa decent team.
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We need to win our home games. Certainly Liverpool is winnable. They're not brilliant on the road.
The key date is April 27th I think. We play Sunderland at home. Wigan have Spurs at home. I'd fancy us to take 3, Wigan to come out with nothing.
That said, but this time Sunderland could well be below us and right in the mire...hopefully.
Until then we have to fancy taking points in every game bar Utd.
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There are three things you can guarantee because they happen every year. One club will drop like a stone, one will put together a run to get out of trouble earlier than they thought and one will win a couple of games only to drop back in it when they think they're safe.
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I think stoke need only another 4 points from 24 and I expect them to get those , I certainly cannot see where sunderland will get 8 points from.
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If I had to pick a wish list for 3 teams to go down I'd go for Man U Chelsea and Liverpool.
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I'd like to see QPR, Newcastle and Sunderland go. QPR just for the Arry factor and the other two just to cut out the long bloody journey's up there. I'd be happy for West Ham to go as well. I would have said Wigan but the beer is cheap up there. :)
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Sunderland's run-in is horrendous:
Man U (h), Chelsea (a), Newcastle (a), Everton (h), Villa (a), Stoke (h), Southampton (h), Tottenham (a).
Southampton seems fairly easy after their next game:
Chelsea (h), Reading (a), West Ham (h), Swansea (a), West Brom (h), Tottenham (a), Sunderland (a), Stoke (h).
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There are three things you can guarantee because they happen every year. One club will drop like a stone, one will put together a run to get out of trouble earlier than they thought and one will win a couple of games only to drop back in it when they think they're safe.
Yes and hopefully we're option two in that scenario rather than option three.
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Neither Stoke nor Sunderland can buy a goal at the moment. Stoke probably have the ability to draw their way to getting the four points that will, in all likelihood, be required. But MON seems to have lost the touch he had to do even that. Reading, doomed the moment they sacked McDermott. And QPR, even with 'arry, you can't ignore that the gap to their safety's getting wider, not narrower. So, even though I've stated elsewhere that I don't want Sunderland to drop, I think they will, along with the current bottom two.
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There are three things you can guarantee because they happen every year. One club will drop like a stone, one will put together a run to get out of trouble earlier than they thought and one will win a couple of games only to drop back in it when they think they're safe.
Yes and hopefully we're option two in that scenario rather than option three.
... is what I was thinking as well.
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I see Lawro in the Mirror is still tipping us to go down with Reading & QPR. With Wigan staying clear of the drop despite being 3 points behind us.
Evidently Sunderland, Southampton et-al have nothing to worry about.
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You'd also hope that Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea probably aren't in the sort of form to stick 4/5 up us and damage the fragile confidence.
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I see Lawro in the Mirror is still tipping us to go down with Reading & QPR. With Wigan staying clear of the drop despite being 3 points behind us.
Evidently Sunderland, Southampton et-al have nothing to worry about.
Well heaven forbid he'd ever actually give something some thought before it emanates from his head.
"Shit, I've gotta get that article emailed off in five minutes! Where's that league table? Right, bottom two, they'll do, Wigan's goal difference is better than Villa's, bound to win their game in hand, so let's have them in there too.
And......send.
Phew, almost didn't get paid there!"
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Every team from Fulham (36pts) down is still in it but realistically I think they, Newcastle and West Ham have enough to get the necessary points.
I think Reading and QPR will go, which leaves one from us Wigan, Southampton, Sunderland, Norwich and Stoke.
Personally I like the way Wigan play, and the calmness about their game, although they were very fortunate yesterday. I wouldn't be very confident going into the last few games if it's between them and us.
Stoke are in free fall, but you always expect them to bully their way to a few points when needed, possibly against us.
It's going to be very very close and nerve wracking to the end but if I had to put any money on it I'd go for Sunderland to drop - simply because they are now going to feel the pressure of suddenly finding themselves in it, and that pressure will be cranked up by a look at their remaining games and realising that we've hit a bit of form and now have our fans fully behind us.
It's all much more fun than the normal boring mid-table end of season isn't it!
Isn't it?
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I can't remember the time we last had a boring mid-table season
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Probably because it was so boring.
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I can't remember the time we last had a boring mid-table season
O'Neill's first season, I think.
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I think Newcastle and Stoke will totter close but draw away from it with two games to spare.
I think our forwards are comfortably top six and will blast our way out of trouble come April. Norwich will do the opposite and grind their way out of it in the same time span.
Reading are down, QPR have far too much to do and are going down (serves them right for charging £45 for a tin shed).
Wigan will put Sunderland under murderous pressure and looking at their run in, I think we could seal their fate in April like we did with the Noses.
If I had to choose it would be Reading, QPR and Stoke, however I think in will be Reading, QPR and Sunderland.
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Make no mistake, we are going to have a couple of terrible matchdays between now and the end of the season, where we throw away crucial points and the teams around us get unexpected results. What matters is how we respond to them. I hope we can just put them behind us, Wigan-like, and pretend they never happened.
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Reading, Sunderland and Stoke.
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I can't remember the time we last had a boring mid-table season
If you looked at a graph of our league positions since we got promoted it would be interesting. We tend to be either either top six or bottom six! We average out as mid-table but seldom actually finish mid-table. This is about what, our seventh relegation battle since promotion(?) while we have been 2nd twice, 4th once and sixth several times. We never finished below eight with Gregory? You could say we finished mid-table under Houllier, O'Leary and Atkinson?
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and one will win a couple of games only to drop back in it when they think they're safe.
And the probability is that will be us.
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No it wont.
We will be safe by the time we beat Sunderland.
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Sunderland's run in is tough. They are in big trouble.
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Sunderland will pull one or two results out when you least expect it - O'Neill drags those kind of performances out of his sides.
I think we may need 10 points given our GD.
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And we could even relegate them at Villa Park.
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I do still worry for us and still think we've got a way to go before we can be confiodent of staying up. For me its 3 from QPR, Reading, Wigan, Southampton, Sunderland and us.
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I do still worry for us and still think we've got a way to go before we can be confiodent of staying up. For me its 3 from QPR, Reading, Wigan, Southampton, Sunderland and us.
Agree with this although Southampton seem to have hit a bit of form and seem well organised.
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I do still worry for us and still think we've got a way to go before we can be confiodent of staying up. For me its 3 from QPR, Reading, Wigan, Southampton, Sunderland and us.
Agree with this although Southampton seem to have hit a bit of form and seem well organised.
Southampton have 1 win in 8.
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Well given the new level of optimism, positivity, performance levels and the fixtures left in our run in, if we can't get enough points from some of those games we don't deserve to stay up.
IMO I can see the improvements throughout the team I think that by the time we go to Wigan we'll be going for a jolly good knees up with nothing to worry about
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I do still worry for us and still think we've got a way to go before we can be confiodent of staying up. For me its 3 from QPR, Reading, Wigan, Southampton, Sunderland and us.
Agree with this although Southampton seem to have hit a bit of form and seem well organised.
Southampton have 1 win in 8.
Have they? Didnt they beat Man City last week and Liverpool this?
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To include the Man City game, they have 2 wins in 9.
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I see Lawro in the Mirror is still tipping us to go down with Reading & QPR. With Wigan staying clear of the drop despite being 3 points behind us.
Evidently Sunderland, Southampton et-al have nothing to worry about.
Well heaven forbid he'd ever actually give something some thought before it emanates from his head.
"Shit, I've gotta get that article emailed off in five minutes! Where's that league table? Right, bottom two, they'll do, Wigan's goal difference is better than Villa's, bound to win their game in hand, so let's have them in there too.
And......send.
Phew, almost didn't get paid there!"
It's easy to knock Lawro, but it's a valid opinion and could quite easily bear true. Just because it doesn't fit with some new found optimism here, I could certainly see Wigan finishing above us - they are masters at escaping. Whether anyone else is a better bet to get dragged down other than us, well that is speculative. Hopefully he'll be proved wrong, but mocking him for a perfectly plausible prediction is tempting fate I think. Anybody would think we're already safe!
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That flaming Wigan result yesterday still irks me. The winner was fcukin so jammy as well. QPR and Reading are gone in my view, which means, it is either us, Wigwam, Southampton or Sunderland for the drop....again in my view.
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To include the Man City game, they have 2 wins in 9.
Relative to the teams around them they are in decent form, only a few teams in the bottom half have more points from the last 12 games.
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I do still worry for us and still think we've got a way to go before we can be confiodent of staying up. For me its 3 from QPR, Reading, Wigan, Southampton, Sunderland and us.
Agree with this although Southampton seem to have hit a bit of form and seem well organised.
Southampton have 1 win in 8.
Two, and against Liverpool and Man City. One of theie losses was against Man U aswell. There form looks OK, and is probably better than the results suggest.
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As long as our form remains bette than there's, I don't mind. I think we need the chance to go down to Southampton and smash them all over the place for a bit of revenge anyway for such utter diving, cheatery.
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I hope Southampton get relegated just because the city centre was almost completely devoid of decent pubs and their fans were lairy, gobby wankers
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I hope Southampton get relegated just because the city centre was almost completely devoid of decent pubs and their fans were lairy, gobby wankers
I remember them getting a good hiding by a load of blokes dressed up as the Mario Brothers, Batman, Spiderman et al a few years a go.
Most surreal football violence I have ever seen.
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If there is a God in heaven, it'll be Stoke, QPR and Sunderland going down.
However back in the real world, perm any three from all the teams Stoke down and they'll come from there. It's anyone's guess.
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If you swap our results against Southampton and leave everything else the same. 6 more points for us...6 less for them...we are 10th and they are in the relegation zone. How small a change around is that when you reflect on us being 1-0 up at half time at their place and their dodgy penalty winner at our place.
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I really hope Stoke get sucked into it and take the 3rd relegation spot.
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I just did the BBC Predictor and had Reading, QPR and West Ham going down, Fulham just above them and Villa on 37 points. Surprised about West Ham, but I tried to be matter-of-fact about every score. Also, Wigan shot up to 10th and Man Utd broke the 100 points barrier. Can't be right...
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I see Lawro in the Mirror is still tipping us to go down with Reading & QPR. With Wigan staying clear of the drop despite being 3 points behind us.
Evidently Sunderland, Southampton et-al have nothing to worry about.
Well heaven forbid he'd ever actually give something some thought before it emanates from his head.
"Shit, I've gotta get that article emailed off in five minutes! Where's that league table? Right, bottom two, they'll do, Wigan's goal difference is better than Villa's, bound to win their game in hand, so let's have them in there too.
And......send.
Phew, almost didn't get paid there!"
It's easy to knock Lawro, but it's a valid opinion and could quite easily bear true. Just because it doesn't fit with some new found optimism here, I could certainly see Wigan finishing above us - they are masters at escaping. Whether anyone else is a better bet to get dragged down other than us, well that is speculative. Hopefully he'll be proved wrong, but mocking him for a perfectly plausible prediction is tempting fate I think. Anybody would think we're already safe!
I hold my hands up. I've not read the article, and my original retort was mainly based on my own opinions of his rather lazy contributions to Saturday nights' telly. A little hypocritical of me, thinking about it.
I shall endeavour to read it anon.
I may be back.
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honestly I think Norwich despite their result yesterday could still get dragged in, they remind me of our position last year. few bad results and nerves click in. See also Wet Spam. Id be pretty worried at Sunderland too, i think they are one of the three. Wigan will probably escape. Newcastle have enough to play enough games and get the wins needed to be safe. Stoke dont have the goals. Southampton have played fantastically well recently, see their performances at OT, against Shitty, Everton and Liverpool. It must worry them that they are still close to the bottom though. Reading look doomed and while a skilful team, QPR dont seem to have the fight. Bennett got some stick on here, but never gave up, unlike "Dont-give-a-fuck-Fabio" as Weimann beat him time and again for desire. Not pace or skill, Desire. That I think is what will keep us up.
For me, QPR, Sunderland and Reading. Gutted for Reading, Id swap them with Wigan anyday. But my outside bet is still Norwich instead of QPR
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I don't think anyone is saying we're not still right in it, just we had to win two games and we did - its given us a chance.
Also while I accept that some teams might have harder run ins on paper, its at the stage now where this is a week-by-week brawl - that's why consistent performances are important (as Martinez always says), because you just need to pick up points wherever you can.
I just want to look at the table after the Liverpool match and not see us in the bottom three, and then do the same 7 more times. I don't care who goes down as long as it isn't us.
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I think reading and qpr are all but gone (fingers crossed ) then it's out of Sunderland wigan and us. If we can beat Fulham and sunderlandnat home and win 1 of the away games at stoke or Norwich and a couple,of draws that should be plenty for us
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I see Lawro in the Mirror is still tipping us to go down with Reading & QPR. With Wigan staying clear of the drop despite being 3 points behind us.
Evidently Sunderland, Southampton et-al have nothing to worry about.
Well heaven forbid he'd ever actually give something some thought before it emanates from his head.
"Shit, I've gotta get that article emailed off in five minutes! Where's that league table? Right, bottom two, they'll do, Wigan's goal difference is better than Villa's, bound to win their game in hand, so let's have them in there too.
And......send.
Phew, almost didn't get paid there!"
It's easy to knock Lawro, but it's a valid opinion and could quite easily bear true. Just because it doesn't fit with some new found optimism here, I could certainly see Wigan finishing above us - they are masters at escaping. Whether anyone else is a better bet to get dragged down other than us, well that is speculative. Hopefully he'll be proved wrong, but mocking him for a perfectly plausible prediction is tempting fate I think. Anybody would think we're already safe!
I hold my hands up. I've not read the article, and my original retort was mainly based on my own opinions of his rather lazy contributions to Saturday nights' telly. A little hypocritical of me, thinking about it.
I shall endeavour to read it anon.
I may be back.
Right, read it.
With in-depth analysis like "their results this season have proven you cannot rely on Aston Villa at all", I'm sticking with what I said. Seeing how the majority of his piece is a contribution to the media's bi-monthly, tongue-clucking, beard-stroking debate over what's to be done with referees, it seems purely tacked on to the end, and I venture that, as such, it was given very little, if any, thought and consideration. I just think that as a paid "expert", he could do a little homework once in a while.
Agreed that it doesn't alter the fact that we're still in it, maybe not up to our necks anymore, but at least waist-deep.
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honestly I think Norwich despite their result yesterday could still get dragged in, they remind me of our position last year. few bad results and nerves click in. See also Wet Spam. Id be pretty worried at Sunderland too, i think they are one of the three. Wigan will probably escape. Newcastle have enough to play enough games and get the wins needed to be safe. Stoke dont have the goals. Southampton have played fantastically well recently, see their performances at OT, against Shitty, Everton and Liverpool. It must worry them that they are still close to the bottom though. Reading look doomed and while a skilful team, QPR dont seem to have the fight. Bennett got some stick on here, but never gave up, unlike "Dont-give-a-fuck-Fabio" as Weimann beat him time and again for desire. Not pace or skill, Desire. That I think is what will keep us up.
For me, QPR, Sunderland and Reading. Gutted for Reading, Id swap them with Wigan anyday. But my outside bet is still Norwich instead of QPR
Agree.
I think Reading are down
QPR have the quality to pull clear, but I'm not sure their players will scrap in games.
After yesterdays results Norwich are far from safe they have Wigan next game.
Sunderland v Man U
Southampton v Chelsea
Newcastle have Man C, away.
QPR are away to Fulham
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I'm optimistic (well, more than I was a couple of weeks ago) but two wins is just the stepping stone. After QPR won against Southampton and Blunderland everyone was hyping up QPR's 'definite' safety. Now their little revival has stalled it's back to 'oh God, Harry's going to be relegated'. It only takes one unfortunate loss for us to create that scenario again amongst our fans and the press.
Like Seanthevillain says, I'm resistant to the idea we can put a little run together and coast into safety. Every week we must better the results of a near rival until there aren't enough games left to be in trouble. What's disturbing is if you look at who's playing who at the same time we're playing our own fixtures. There are far too many games where you think "Wigan will get something there" or "Win for Newcastle". I know we need to be concerned how Villa do ultimately, but we need to take a breath. Job not even half done, too many points for others to play for.
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my 'if Carlsberg did relegation' teams are Stoke, West Ham and Sunderland
not because i have anything against the clubs in particular, in fact i dont mind any of them TBH
just cant stand the managers and the football they play,
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I don't accept anybody's 'down' yet, even if Reading seem to have everything stacked against them. But I'd be happy if two of the relegation spots stayed as they are right now - I think you can guess which ones.
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I'm optimistic (well, more than I was a couple of weeks ago) but two wins is just the stepping stone. After QPR won against Southampton and Blunderland everyone was hyping up QPR's 'definite' safety. Now their little revival has stalled it's back to 'oh God, Harry's going to be relegated'. It only takes one unfortunate loss for us to create that scenario again amongst our fans and the press.
Like Seanthevillain says, I'm resistant to the idea we can put a little run together and coast into safety. Every week we must better the results of a near rival until there aren't enough games left to be in trouble. What's disturbing is if you look at who's playing who at the same time we're playing our own fixtures. There are far too many games where you think "Wigan will get something there" or "Win for Newcastle". I know we need to be concerned how Villa do ultimately, but we need to take a breath. Job not even half done, too many points for others to play for.
our situation is nothing like QPR. Our wins have put us in control of our fate, if we play to our strengths and get 2-3 more wins and a couple of draws we're fine, QPR were still one defeat away from needing to gain nearly a point a game more than at least us. They need about 2 points a game for the rest of the season to stand a chance, given that is form similar to Man Utd I just can't see it. QPR and Reading are down unless someone gets 5-6 defeats in a row, with only really sunderland looking capable of that at the minute (of the teams they can catch that is, I wouldn't be surprised if reading on a run like that).
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Pretty much down - reading
QPR I think will put on a good run and go pretty close to staying up if the dividing line is low thirty points
I think Wigan and villa will win 2/3 and lose a few too. Can't see either being too clear
Southampton I fancy to be pretty comfortable
I think Sunderland are in a lot of trouble
And I agree that it's conceivable that west ham, stoke or norwich could get sucked in. None are scoring goals. But I can only see any of these sides going down if there's a high points threshold to stay up.
So I see two potential scenarios:
A) where there's a low points scenario. Here I think reading, Wigan and Sunderland will drop
B) where I think reading, QPR and west ham might go
Villa are still very much at risk in either scenario though. We need to get a couple more wins quickly. 3 out of 7 before the final game would do it, but that's a tough ask. I reckon our best chances are stoke, norwich and Fulham. If we can win two of those plus pick up a couple of draws, I'd hope we'll be ok. That'd put us on 38 points going into the Wigan game
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The Llop game could be key to us.If we don't lose that, then i can see us getting a result at Stoke, and beating Sland, and finishing half way.
If we lose, the Soke and Sland will be more difficult.
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I see Lawro in the Mirror is still tipping us to go down with Reading & QPR. With Wigan staying clear of the drop despite being 3 points behind us.
Evidently Sunderland, Southampton et-al have nothing to worry about.
Well heaven forbid he'd ever actually give something some thought before it emanates from his head.
"Shit, I've gotta get that article emailed off in five minutes! Where's that league table? Right, bottom two, they'll do, Wigan's goal difference is better than Villa's, bound to win their game in hand, so let's have them in there too.
And......send.
Phew, almost didn't get paid there!"
It's easy to knock Lawro, but it's a valid opinion and could quite easily bear true. Just because it doesn't fit with some new found optimism here, I could certainly see Wigan finishing above us - they are masters at escaping. Whether anyone else is a better bet to get dragged down other than us, well that is speculative. Hopefully he'll be proved wrong, but mocking him for a perfectly plausible prediction is tempting fate I think. Anybody would think we're already safe!
I hold my hands up. I've not read the article, and my original retort was mainly based on my own opinions of his rather lazy contributions to Saturday nights' telly. A little hypocritical of me, thinking about it.
I shall endeavour to read it anon.
I may be back.
Right, read it.
With in-depth analysis like "their results this season have proven you cannot rely on Aston Villa at all", I'm sticking with what I said. Seeing how the majority of his piece is a contribution to the media's bi-monthly, tongue-clucking, beard-stroking debate over what's to be done with referees, it seems purely tacked on to the end, and I venture that, as such, it was given very little, if any, thought and consideration. I just think that as a paid "expert", he could do a little homework once in a while.
Agreed that it doesn't alter the fact that we're still in it, maybe not up to our necks anymore, but at least waist-deep.
It's a prediction. One which may well come true. One which, on balance, I personally think is still likely to come true. I just don't see how making a credible prediction can be 'lazy,' even if it wasn't supported with the detailed analysis you would like to see.
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Its a prediction based on clichés and a vacuum of knowledge.
The man is genuinely lazy, but at least he was being lazy on somebody else’s Dime for once and not the licence fee payers.
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I am still very concerned about relegation.
We have some momentum for the first time this season and have to maintain it. I reckon there will be plenty more twists and turns in this struggle.
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I'll be concerned until it is totally impossible. Maybe I'm just a negative bastard?
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I'm still concerned, but I'm filled with a lot more hope now that we've managed to win two high pressure games back to back. If you consider the fact we came from behind in both games as well, it is a clear demonstration of character. I think we'll be ok, but I'd like us to get to 40 + points as soon as possible.
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Going to be an exciting last few weeks of the season for sure. In one sense, a perverse one tis' true, I rather enjoy all this with us stuck right in the middle of it. It certainly brings the weekend football alive and makes me far more interested in other results than would normally be the case. It also accentuates hugely my joy in winning, even against teams like Reading and QPR which, in the past, would hardly have registered. Which in turn, is a good barometer of just how much we have fallen and how our expectations have been so dramatically realigned...
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Somebody, talking about Sunderland although applicable to the West Ham/Stoke types also, was saying they you would favour Villa,Southapmton and Wigan to stay up as we've been involved in the relegation battle for some time. Whereas those who may get dragged in will be in full panic mode. I am beginning to believe we will survive.
West Ham aren't out of the woods: WBA (h) Liverpool (a) Southampton (a) Utd (h) Wigan (h) City (a)...six big games and maybe 3/4pts? Would make it proper cockney squeaky arse time. Although Reading at home might be there get out on the last day.
Sunderland look as though they are stumbling towards the fire exit for me. If we can add to their misery (sorry you nice chaps who pop on here from time to time, but it's your gaffer I can't stand)then all the better.
Newcastle have too much at home as far as I'm concerned, up and down though their form is, I can see them winning 2 games before the end of the season, Sunderland and Fulham at home, and escaping.
Reading, QPR and one of Sunderland or West Ham for me.
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We have momentum, that counts for quite a lot at the moment...
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The big Mo is huge in sport and it works both ways.
While Sunderland are in freefall, Stoke have won 8 in 41 or 8 since March 2012. While we have been poor, we have at least started to pick up by winning three of the last five.
Yanited for Sunderland and Everton away for Stoke.
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How sweet to go to Stoke and win thereby dragging them into the shit? I'd love that.
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We do owe them one or two.
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I agree we have momentum. I'd just like at least one game that was close to being a banker. I think all our rivals have one or two of those don't they? (Ie reading, or stoke at home, etc)
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We do owe them one or two.
Do they still have Jermain Pennant in their squad? He deserves one of his own, the multiple diving little c***.
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We do owe them one or two.
Do they still have Jermain Pennant in their squad? He deserves one of his own, the multiple diving little c***.
He was at Wolves earlier this season. Probably part of their downfall. He's a wanker. When he left for Spain a few years ago he left both his dogs in the house, alone. The neighbour had to look after them. He's a Dick head.
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The international break and moving the Sunderland game will kill us I reckon. I fear these 2 games are simply playing with us, I am more worried tonight than I was before Mark Halsey beat Newcastle.
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As Paulie said earlier today, Villa's form has been massively beholden to the side's confidence at the time, and I don't think it's any co-incidence that we seem to do a lot better when we're playing under the radar, as it were. We put four past Man City and Norwich on freezing Tuesday nights when nobody much cared, and our league wins have been part of regular league programmes. In fact, it's only really been the QPR game when we've had the eyes of the country on us and as welcome a victory as that was, the pressure was still there for all to see.
Moving a good few of our remaining games is stupidly unhelpful - it just brings the circus to town and a young team has shown it doesn't do well in one-off televised games this season.
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The international break and moving the Sunderland game will kill us I reckon. I fear these 2 games are simply playing with us, I am more worried tonight than I was before Mark Halsey beat Newcastle.
8 points from Fulham, Norwich, Wigan and Stoke and I reckon we could afford to lose to Sunderland and still stay up, bit like losing to Bolton last year.
The thing that has worried me was Wigan's fluke win. Draw and they'd have been 5 behind us with their spare game Man. City away.
Now I worry they'll go on a bit of a run and beat Norwich and QPR before their FA cup semi.
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The international break and moving the Sunderland game will kill us I reckon. I fear these 2 games are simply playing with us, I am more worried tonight than I was before Mark Halsey beat Newcastle.
8 points from Fulham, Norwich, Wigan and Stoke and I reckon we could afford to lose to Sunderland and still stay up, bit like losing to Bolton last year.
The thing that has worried me was Wigan's fluke win. Draw and they'd have been 5 behind us with their spare game Man. City away.
Now I worry they'll go on a bit of a run and beat Norwich and QPR before their FA cup semi.
Same here. It was more than a fluke, it was just totally wrong.
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What a difference a day makes. Saturday I was confident we'd stay up. By Sunday Wigan were looking very effing dangerous. I think we need Sunderland to drop right into it. Wigan could easily end up winning another ten points.
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Southampton have 1 win in 8.
They've won 2 from 3 last home games 3-1 v Man City and Liverpool, and taken 8 points from the last 6 games in total - hardly relegation form.
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Southampton have 1 win in 8.
They've won 2 from 3 last home games 3-1 v Man City and Liverpool, and taken 8 points from the last 6 games in total - hardly relegation form.
They've won 3 out of their last 14, hardly the greatest form either.
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What a difference a day makes. Saturday I was confident we'd stay up. By Sunday Wigan were looking very effing dangerous. I think we need Sunderland to drop right into it. Wigan could easily end up winning another ten points.
I don't think we should worry too much about Wigan's results. I think we should be concentrating more on surpassing the teams directly above us.
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Southampton have 1 win in 8.
They've won 2 from 3 last home games 3-1 v Man City and Liverpool, and taken 8 points from the last 6 games in total - hardly relegation form.
and we have 10 points in those same 6 but there's still people on here convinced we're going to go down.
As things stand the favourites to finish bottom 3 should be Reading, QPR, Sunderland, with ourselves, Wigan, Southampton, West Ham and Stoke all in danger of being drawn in, either because of current points or form.
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And when he came back he left his expensive sports car outside the railway station, gathering dust and parking tickets.
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Southampton have 1 win in 8.
They've won 2 from 3 last home games 3-1 v Man City and Liverpool, and taken 8 points from the last 6 games in total - hardly relegation form.
They've won 3 out of their last 14, hardly the greatest form either.
Including losing to QPR. Only shit teams do that.
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I wouldn't be surprised if the last game of the season is a dead rubber.
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What a difference a day makes. Saturday I was confident we'd stay up. By Sunday Wigan were looking very effing dangerous. I think we need Sunderland to drop right into it. Wigan could easily end up winning another ten points.
I don't think we should worry too much about Wigan's results. I think we should be concentrating more on surpassing the teams directly above us.
Wigan may have picked up lately, but they're still right in it and there's not guarantee their present form will last. The game in hand they have is against Man City and they'll also have a fixture pile up/distraction if, as you would expect, they get to the FA Cup final.
I think they're still VERY likely to go down.
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I wouldn't be surprised if the last game of the season is a dead rubber.
I'd be delighted, absolutely delighted (if for the right reasons obviously)...as would the people running pubs in Wigan
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I'd say we'll be okay as long as we finish above either Sunderland or Wigan. If we do that it should be enough to prevent QPr catching us even if they do a Wigan like run in.
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Southampton have 1 win in 8.
They've won 2 from 3 last home games 3-1 v Man City and Liverpool, and taken 8 points from the last 6 games in total - hardly relegation form.
having seen Liverpoo the other day . I am convinced we will beat them .
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I wouldn't be surprised if the last game of the season is a dead rubber.
I'd be delighted, absolutely delighted (if for the right reasons obviously)...as would the people running pubs in Wigan
I genuinely think we will beat Sunderland and be safe on that evening.
I can guarantee that my feelings of delight will have expired by the time I get north of Stoke and I will be left with the feeling that this does not become Aston Villa and that next season has to be a whole lot better.
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Don't worry, MON will help us out. Sunderland will be the 3rd club I reckon.
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What a difference a day makes. Saturday I was confident we'd stay up. By Sunday Wigan were looking very effing dangerous. I think we need Sunderland to drop right into it. Wigan could easily end up winning another ten points.
Yes, and all well hear is that twat Whelan telling everybody how he`s got the greatest manager in history, which is slightly puzzling seeing as how they spend all year in the bottom six. if Martinez is so good how come he can`t get Wigan to play for an entire season.
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There are so many bottom clubs playing each other where points can go either way its hard to predict but i think Reading are gone, QPR too far behind and Stoke and Sunderland to be drawn into it as the third contender. As ever the Liverpool game is vital to keep the run going.
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If Newcastle are safe and three points to us would send Wigan down they will gift them to us to get even for the treatment they got at Wigan.
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If Newcastle are safe and three points to us would send Wigan down they will gift them to us to get even for the treatment they got at Wigan.
or piss themselves laughing because we did the same to them (Not sure why they took it to heart)
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West Ham are far from safe too...their run in looks trickier than most others down there
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I think Sunderland have the toughest run in out of the lot....look at their four away games, they could easily lose all 4. Chelsea and Spurs on the final day look certain defeats to me as both chase top 4, hopefully we'll beat them and they've got Newcastle away aswel and Newcastle have a great record against them in recent seasons.
So will probably come down to their 4 home games...next two are Man. United and Everton, hopefully Man. United will put a strong enough team out to beat them (Chelsea in the cup 48 hours later) and think Everton will be a draw. Think they'll get 4 points from Southampton and Stoke.
Got them to finish on 36 points. If we beat them we'll be fine.
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The United game could be their easiest of the lot depending on how fergie plays it, although their sacking of Bruce might see him happily stick it too them. We will see.
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The United game could be their easiest of the lot depending on how fergie plays it, although their sacking of Bruce might see him happily stick it too them. We will see.
However Fergie and a number of the players were apparently not at all amused at the Sunderland Poznan last season after the Aguero goal. They may like a little payback.
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Isn't it far more likely that they'll try and win the match (and most probably will win the match) because that's what ManYoo always do?
Them sacking Bruce, whether or not he likes their current manager or how their fans behaved last season are likely to have very little to do with anything.
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Firstly, I reckon United will want to wrap up the title as quickly as possible. Secondly, they won't have forgotten the last day of last season at Sunderland. Thirdly, the way to beat United is to outscore them (yes, I know that is the basics of beating anybody). United are bound to score one or two so you have to get more. Sunderland don't exactly score many. I think we can get something out of each of our next two games to set us up nicely for the home games against Fulham and Sunderland.
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I think Sunderland will pick up six points at the maximum, with that opportunity being Southampton and Stoke. However, given how they have fared in their recent "must wins" against relegation rivals, I would not at all be surprised to see Southampton beat them.
Four/five points, with maybe a draw at home to Everton, Southampton and a win against Stoke.
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I'm looking forward to resuming my life at the end of the season.
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Although there's a nagging doubt that united wont be their normal self,would I rather play them than Liverpool? Absolutely not
You get the feeling that sunderland's last two home games v stoke and saints, plus their visit to us before that, will be critical for them.
I still think it will be really tight for us despite the last two wins. I think we'd have to win two from the next three before the inevitable defeat at old Trafford to start pulling away.
Really hoping norwich can do us a massive favour by getting a draw at Wigan
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I'd bet on us going into the Wigan game safe barring a freak set of results, all of which will look likely after 60 minutes.
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It's not ideal that Man U and Chelsea are playing two of our immediate rivals when their minds may be elsewhere but as someone has already said I'd still rather be playing Liverpool. I think a minimum of 4 points are needed over next 3 games. Expect nothing from Man U then Sunderland will be massive for both teams. After our last 2 results that doesn't seem as daunting a prospect as it might be.
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On form you'd have to go with QPR, Reading and Sunderland, we're obviously right-bang-in-the-middle of it too but just have the look of a team with a bit of fight and quality at the moment.
We need to capitalise on our recent confidence to get as many points in the next 3 games as possible, which will ease the pressure as our form can drop away again very easily.
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The more I think about it, the more I think Sunderland are doomed.
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The more I think about it, the more I think Sunderland are doomed.
Us last year only they have three less points... Can see them drawing two or three and possibly winning one but that probably won't be enough? Can't see them getting two wins...
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Given how West Ham have been given the Olympic Stadium I would love them to go down now
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We will get something at Old stratford, unless thats the day they can win the league dont know why but is it in the blood
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If we do get something at Old Trafford then please let it be in the last minute.
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Or the 95th please :)
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we are our biggest threat. The way football seems to work, I cannot see anything but a last day, do or die match against Wigan
We are now going for it. The way we play we will win a few and lose a few, plenty of goals too. Stoke look like we did last year, scraping points. Both Stoke and Norwich look like they only need 6 points but as we found last year, you could draw a few and lose the rest.
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Mail on Sunday reporting Fletcher is out for 6 weeks and Sessignon also unfit for Sunderland.
http://tinyurl.com/cprlz7p
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Mail on Sunday reporting Fletcher is out for 6 weeks and Sessignon also unfit for Sunderland.
http://tinyurl.com/cprlz7p
That's good news for the rest of us. Mind you, Fletcher has'nt scored for a while.
Let's hope all our players come back injury free.
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Mail on Sunday reporting Fletcher is out for 6 weeks and Sessignon also unfit for Sunderland.
http://tinyurl.com/cprlz7p
That's good news for the rest of us. Mind you, Fletcher has'nt scored for a while.
Let's hope all our players come back injury free.
Even though Fletcher has not been on form. That is a massive blow for Sunderland and sessignon is a key player for them. Starting to get the feeling that things are going for us. Downing is going to get hammered at Villa Park ..........