Are we in trouble yet?

[hawkeye]

i think most of us thought we would get at least 4 points out of the last 2 games, we got 2. We have won 7 games this season the same as wolves who are bottom. For the nuetral this could be the most exciting relegation battle ever, i am hoping we are not a part of it

[ozzjim]

The stats are not good, and I thought we would get 4 from the last 2 and be a bit further away from it. I am now seriously hoping we can beat Blackburn in 2 weeks to simply alleviate a bit of pressure from the situation. We need a couple of weeks of getting results and others going for us to pull away, at which point we might play with a little more freedom. The Fulham result having had the lead twice was galling. The amount of points we have squandered having had a side on the ropes is startling this season.

[TonyD]

If GH starts to get the basics right we will be upper mid table.  Only he can do this.   I don't see any signs that he will start play people in their right positions, bring Bazza and MA through etc,  coach the defence,  stop playing SD and AY in the same team and makes subs when needed/not EH!

So yes we are trouble.

On the plus side Petrov wasn't around yesterday - was this a GH decision or was he injured?

[atomicjam]

I think we will be ok, its just all a bit deflating, frustrating and annoying to see our season limp along.

That said with the often mention problems of mass injuries for the first half of a season, lazy attitude bastard players, losing the management set up in the bat of the eye of the previous manager its no great suprise. Its annoying because now have a squad that is far better than 2-2 at home to Fulham. Far better than 1-1 away to Blackpool. We are man for man far better than that but it is not working right now as well as it should be. Don't get me wrong- we have no right just to beat these teams, but we have the players that can. We are fragile at the back and have been since 2/3 of the way through last season.

I like what GH is trying to do with the team, I like the signings and I like to think he can get it right. When you add trying to change the mindset of approaching a game to the first team squad along with the other issues I have already mentioned then the season is one hell of a transition.

We will win enough games to be well away of the relegation zone by 38 games, I am sure of that. GH will have a whole summer to move on, move out and adapt his players. Then, I am hopeful, we will be looking upwards.

[SteveN]

I think we are in trouble, but will just about have enough to see us stay up.  I just wish I had the positive outlook that some of you on here have. 

[Risso]

Does anybody think we'll see a big improvement under Houllier next season?  I have to say I'm yet to be convinced.  It'd be hard to have another season as bad as this one, but I can't see us bothering the top 6 any time soon.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Does anybody think we'll see a big improvement under Houllier next season?  I have to say I'm yet to be convinced.  It'd be hard to have another season as bad as this one, but I can't see us bothering the top 6 any time soon.

Agree.
Unless the players who he plays out of position magically start performing.

[jonzy85]

I thought before the last 2 games we were genuinely in with a shout for Europe. Four points dropped, so now I think top 10 is as good as we'll get.

I'm no longer worried about relegation. I think we have too much quality and more tellingly, there are too many other pathetic teams down around us that will go down before us. Everton fans should start to get worried.

[pauliewalnuts]

I thought before the last 2 games we were genuinely in with a shout for Europe. Four points dropped, so now I think top 10 is as good as we'll get.

I'm no longer worried about relegation. I think we have too much quality and more tellingly, there are too many other pathetic teams down around us that will go down before us. Everton fans should start to get worried.

I don't think we'll be relegated, but I don't understand why so many people are shrugging the risk off quite so easily.

Blackpool are one point below us with a game in hand and a better goal difference. Albion three points behind, with a better goal difference.

Blues, Everton and Fulham are all on 30 points too, except with better GD, and all have at least one game in hand, Blues have two.

Most worrying is the fact that we look so very frail at the back, that for all the decent football we play (and for long spells, we do), we're always liable to fuck it all up and make things very hard for ourselves.

Two points from Fulham and Blackpool is way less than most of us expected. We absolutely must get some wins chalked up very quickly, or it'll be a horrible end to the season.

11 Blackburn    27   32
12 Fulham        26   30
13 Everton       26   30
14 Birmingham   25   30
15 Aston Villa   27   30
16 Blackpool   26   29
17 West Brom   26   27
------------------------
18 Wigan        27   27
19 West Ham   27   25
20 Wolves       26   24

[Risso]

Agree Paulie.  I don't want to get to the position where we're depending on the teams below being worse than us.  We should at least be good enough to pull free of the scrap by winning our own games.  We really need a decent end to the season to stand Houllier in good stead for the summer.  If we limp along and just avoid relegation, despite having brought in the likes of Bent, Makoun and Bradly, it puts Lerner in a sticky position for the summer. 

[Concrete John]

I thought before the last 2 games we were genuinely in with a shout for Europe. Four points dropped, so now I think top 10 is as good as we'll get.

I'm no longer worried about relegation. I think we have too much quality and more tellingly, there are too many other pathetic teams down around us that will go down before us. Everton fans should start to get worried.

I think it's only two points dropped, which were against Fulham due to awful defending.

Going a man down at 1-1 means a point is a good result and we stood up to the onslaught well.  That showed signs of the old 'they shall not pass' attitude we had under MON that has been sadly lacking this season.

At the moment I think we're lacking the right balance in the three attacking players behind Bent.  Two prefer the left, the best of the bunch is out of position and we're also trying to convert a striker to play there.  I'd like to see us try Downing behind Bent and Ash and Marc left and right respectively.  get this right and I think we'll start to shoot up the table. 

[Merv]

Still concerned. Thought we'd turned a corner after Man City/Wigan but expected us to beat Fulham and Blackpool; now we haven't, we're still right in the thick of it. We seem incapable of holding leads, and we're still giving away soft goals - Blackpool's equaliser on Saturday was dreadful, so basic.

[Concrete John]

Agree Paulie.  I don't want to get to the position where we're depending on the teams below being worse than us.  We should at least be good enough to pull free of the scrap by winning our own games.  We really need a decent end to the season to stand Houllier in good stead for the summer.  If we limp along and just avoid relegation, despite having brought in the likes of Bent, Makoun and Bradly, it puts Lerner in a sticky position for the summer. 

If it's a transitional season then as long as we avoid relegation the actual league position shouldn't really matter.  What should is the signs of what he wants to do and that we are 'getting there'.  As you said above there ain't much of that, but to me since bent joined we've had the Man City victory, a predicted beating against Man Utd, then two results that should have been better, with the proviso that Blackpool was sort of OK bearing in mind we were down to 10. 

[Brend'Watkins]

Albion don't have a better GD than us they are -2 worse off.

What is imperative is that we beat Blackburn in the next game.  By doing so leapfrogging them and dragging them into the mix.

[alanclare]

If the last two performances are a measure of what's to come, we are in serious bother. The raw material is there to do moderately well, but I'm not convinced about the motivation. Houllier is turnhg out to be a disappointment.