Should we be worried about relegation

[luke95]

The fact we've only won 11 league games this year is a sign that we could well be closer to relegation then we'd like. 

[pauliewalnuts]

It's a bit depressing at the moment, but really, FFS .. relegation?

[Dave]

It genuinely hadn't crossed my mind until I saw this thread.

And it's not something I'm going to give much more thought to. If we still in the bottom six in March then I'll start to worry a bit more. But we won't be, so I won't.

[stevenjos]

i dont think so. but lets see.

[Damo70]

It worries me that the youthfulness of the squad is both a liability and a lifeline.

I think it's only a liability when we have to play a number of them together week in /week out due to injuries. And even then they have done well and it should stand them in good stead for the future. Someone else said the league table doesn't lie. I don't think it does at the end of the season but it does at this time of year, especially this year. In a few weeks we have gone from top six to bottom six and Bolton have gone the other way. Blackpool and Albion had gone from qualifying for the champions league to a relegation battle before today. Things will improve when we get injured players back but we also all know we need to buy too. Basically I don't think we will finish in the top six or the bottom six. Put away the passports AND the maps for championship grounds.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

A massive part of the answer revolves about who we buy in Jan and if we keep our top three players (they are debateable) cause dont think even some of our injured players are going to change that much in the team ........

[N'ZMAV]

We should worry about relegation, I don't think we'll go down, but to be almost half way through the season and only be sitting 3points ahead of the drop zone means we have to worry.

[KevinGage]

It worries me that the youthfulness of the squad is both a liability and a lifeline.

Thing is it's not the young players who are costing us points.

It's the doughnuts at the back - all experienced pros- who are sinking our boat at present.

It's virtually the same personnel as last season in the backline, yet last year we seemed to possess the ability to grind out a result. We rarely (if ever) looked composed in doing so, it was often ugly, all hands to the pump desperate defending. But we got over the line.

This year we look vulnerable pretty much anytime the ball comes down the flanks or in our third.

I bought into the notion that we were one, maybe two players away from having a really good side at the start of the season. A midfielder and forward, as many others said. But with each passing game I think the focus of any transfer activity should be on the backline as a matter of urgency.

A decent defensive midfielder would also help us, no question. But there are only so many times you can see experienced pro's bump into each other (as per Dunne and Collins v Blackpool and Man U and Luke Young and Collins yesterday) before you reach the conclusion that they are either declining in sharpness or taking the piss, thinking cruise control is OK as 'this season is a write off' (c)

[Phil from the upper holte]

Yes but we can't get any gameplan going, our whole week of changing was probably based around Gabby leading the line today as he did magnificently against Manure so him being ill overnight throws that into turmoil and we get Carew inflicted upon us.

Albrighton was MOM against Manure so playing so well in such a big game would I'd imagine herald a Bale like run of form from him, instead we lose him for 3 weeks.

We can't get any momentum going as we can't even get a consistant 11 out at the minute.

When we can do that for say 5-10 games in a row then I'll judge Houllier properly.

we cant just bitch about players being out or injured! We are in a bit of shit i think!

That's what I said yesterday, We do have an injury crisis but there are some good players out there, minus Cuellar that was a first choice back 5. They are making mistakes left right and centre, look at Arsenals first goal yesterday bad play by two experienced players, Friedel & Warnock are becoming liabilities.

We have nothing up front Agbonlahor has been injured & Carew looks like a bag of shit, Heskey is injury prone anyway. We have to back the manager in Jan, I don't want to blame him I think we have to give the man a chance! We better start getting some results and quick and stop conceding silly sloppy goals, this reminds me of that run under O'neill

[berneboy]

We should worry about relegation, I don't think we'll go down, but to be almost half way through the season and only be sitting 3points ahead of the drop zone means we have to worry.

and three points off 7th.

[JUAN PABLO]

no fookin chance..   yes we have a team with some of MON crap that needs shipping out and players just come out of nurseries but Jan will be upon us and a few players coming back fit, and we will be ok..    im looking forward to the next few seasons actually...

[PaulTheVillan]

No.

[mozza]

If the seniors in the squad continue to under perform we are more
likely to drop further (bottom 3 at Xmas ?)

If perception is correct that certain players aren't pulling their
weight - let's get rid if possible and allow GH the opportunity
to bring in his type of player -

Relegation ? ...............dire consequences but the warning signs
are there and we shouldn't believe it can't happen to us

[Clampy]

My only worry is that i'm not sure GH is the same type of motivator that MON was.

It could get worse before it's get's better, but a win on Wednesday may well give us the boost we need. I think though, we may have to settle for mid-table this season and wait to see what GH does in the summer.

[hawkeye]

It worries me that the youthfulness of the squad is both a liability and a lifeline.

Thing is it's not the young players who are costing us points.

It's the doughnuts at the back - all experienced pros- who are sinking our boat at present.

It's virtually the same personnel as last season in the backline, yet last year we seemed to possess the ability to grind out a result. We rarely (if ever) looked composed in doing so, it was often ugly, all hands to the pump desperate defending. But we got over the line.

This year we look vulnerable pretty much anytime the ball comes down the flanks or in our third.

I bought into the notion that we were one, maybe two players away from having a really good side at the start of the season. A midfielder and forward, as many others said. But with each passing game I think the focus of any transfer activity should be on the backline as a matter of urgency.

A decent defensive midfielder would also help us, no question. But there are only so many times you can see experienced pro's bump into each other (as per Dunne and Collins v Blackpool and Man U and Luke Young and Collins yesterday) before you reach the conclusion that they are either declining in sharpness or taking the piss, thinking cruise control is OK as 'this season is a write off' (c)

Its looking like the Keystone Kops at defense, they are all over the place, no leadership, Dunnne being done for pace all the time, Friedel making too many basic mistakes, Warnock wimping out and positionaly awful, L Young has been pretty consistant> I agree attention to the defence is becoming imperative.