Relegation Possibility

[Mister E]

Way i see it is I can't see anyone coming to us who could make anything out of the powderpuff midfield that is Bannon, Herd, Ireland, Gardner - its piss poor basically

Disagree with this - if McLueless had played a narrow MF 3 with GG, BB and Herd today we'd have been tighter and more creative. In a 4-3-1-2 formation (with Ireland as the 1 and GA and Weimann as a 2 upfront) we'd have been more difficult to break down and could have created more. As it was, deploying GG and BB wide wasted both players' talents and meant we were vulnerable through the middle.

The problem we have is partly the squad-personnel but is mainly the tactical limitations of the not-so-dynamic duo of McLueless and Peter Grant.

[bertlambshank]

He has to go now.

[MadJohnnyC]

[/quote]
if McLueless had played a narrow MF 3 with GG, BB and Herd today we'd have been tighter and more creative. In a 4-3-1-2 formation (with Ireland as the 1 and GA and Weimann as a 2 upfront) we'd have been more difficult to break down and could have created more. As it was, deploying GG and BB wide wasted both players' talents and meant we were vulnerable through the middle.


[/quote]

Agreed

[Greg N'Ash]

Way i see it is I can't see anyone coming to us who could make anything out of the powderpuff midfield that is Bannon, Herd, Ireland, Gardner - its piss poor basically

Disagree with this - if McLueless had played a narrow MF 3 with GG, BB and Herd today we'd have been tighter and more creative. In a 4-3-1-2 formation (with Ireland as the 1 and GA and Weimann as a 2 upfront) we'd have been more difficult to break down and could have created more. As it was, deploying GG and BB wide wasted both players' talents and meant we were vulnerable through the middle.

The problem we have is partly the squad-personnel but is mainly the tactical limitations of the not-so-dynamic duo of McLueless and Peter Grant.

Can't say i agree. any opposition manager worth his salt will look at our midfield and go "hmmm, a load of inexperienced kids lacking confidence..Ireland won't help them out much so i'll rough them up a bit and basically dominate them" I hate to think what "MON's Sunderland" will do to them - tear them a new hoop probably.

[PaulWinch again]

I think there is a really strong chance of relegation at the moment.

[john e]

i still wouldnt swap places and fixtures with anyone below us

[Macho Man Randy Savage]

For a few weeks now it has felt like we are hobbling to the finish line, desperately hoping no one catches up with us.

[Mr Diggles]

Five years into "Bright Future", how many of us thought it would have come to this?

The thing about that call to arms 'Proud History, Bright Future' is that it doesn't mention the present, something the owners also neglect on the field.

Last week McLeish was harping on about the table saying the club needed to be looking up the league rather than behind us. Whilst I appreciate the sentiment, the truth of the current situation is that there is nothing more important right now than looking at those (relative to Villa) form teams coming up swiftly behind us and doing everything possible to ensure we finish at least 17th. Yes, it's not ideal, but the last 2 disastrous seasons have culminated in the next 5/6 weeks.

That said, McLeish will still be here next year, and I fully expect with near certainty to see us relegated this time next season if that is the case.

[Mister E]

Way i see it is I can't see anyone coming to us who could make anything out of the powderpuff midfield that is Bannon, Herd, Ireland, Gardner - its piss poor basically

Disagree with this - if McLueless had played a narrow MF 3 with GG, BB and Herd today we'd have been tighter and more creative. In a 4-3-1-2 formation (with Ireland as the 1 and GA and Weimann as a 2 upfront) we'd have been more difficult to break down and could have created more. As it was, deploying GG and BB wide wasted both players' talents and meant we were vulnerable through the middle.

The problem we have is partly the squad-personnel but is mainly the tactical limitations of the not-so-dynamic duo of McLueless and Peter Grant.

Can't say i agree. any opposition manager worth his salt will look at our midfield and go "hmmm, a load of inexperienced kids lacking confidence..Ireland won't help them out much so i'll rough them up a bit and basically dominate them" I hate to think what "MON's Sunderland" will do to them - tear them a new hoop probably.

Well, Greg, we didn't have a lot of choices about who to play in MF today. But we could have deployed them better than we did.
And to say that our rookie midfielders have no potential value (as you implied in your post) is not only depressing it's inaccurate.
That's all.

[Greg N'Ash]

i still wouldnt swap places and fixtures with anyone below us

well i wouldn't, but thats only because we've got 5 points more than them. Could just be the difference

[Big Dick Edwards]

We're effectively 6 pts clear of the bottom 3.  Will two of the bottom 3 win two games...possibly.  Will we not get at least another win or draw til the end of the season?  Of course we will.  We would have beaten most other teams today with the spirit we showed today, carry that on to the next lot and there will be no problem.

Well said.

[Greg N'Ash]

Way i see it is I can't see anyone coming to us who could make anything out of the powderpuff midfield that is Bannon, Herd, Ireland, Gardner - its piss poor basically

Disagree with this - if McLueless had played a narrow MF 3 with GG, BB and Herd today we'd have been tighter and more creative. In a 4-3-1-2 formation (with Ireland as the 1 and GA and Weimann as a 2 upfront) we'd have been more difficult to break down and could have created more. As it was, deploying GG and BB wide wasted both players' talents and meant we were vulnerable through the middle.

The problem we have is partly the squad-personnel but is mainly the tactical limitations of the not-so-dynamic duo of McLueless and Peter Grant.

Can't say i agree. any opposition manager worth his salt will look at our midfield and go "hmmm, a load of inexperienced kids lacking confidence..Ireland won't help them out much so i'll rough them up a bit and basically dominate them" I hate to think what "MON's Sunderland" will do to them - tear them a new hoop probably.

Well, Greg, we didn't have a lot of choices about who to play in MF today. But we could have deployed them better than we did.
And to say that our rookie midfielders have no potential value (as you implied in your post) is not only depressing it's inaccurate.
That's all.

they have potential of course, but thats all it is, and asking them to realise that potential in a relegation battle against vastly more experienced opponents and no old heads to help them out is expecting a lot

[john e]

i still wouldnt swap places and fixtures with anyone below us

well i wouldn't, but thats only because we've got 5 points more than them. Could just be the difference

well thats how it works Greg, if you got more points than those below you stay up,

we are in a lot better position than those below us yet there are posters saying they are certain we are going down, yes its a possibility but a distant one at present.

although i will admit Wigan and Bolton have managers who have built there reputations on being successful at staying up whereas we have one who is ever so good at doing the opposite

[oldtimernow]

my predictor attempt shows us only getting 2 more points between now and last match with us being relegated on the last game....ouch!

[RossLeach]

i still wouldnt swap places and fixtures with anyone below us

well i wouldn't, but thats only because we've got 5 points more than them. Could just be the difference

i still wouldnt swap places and fixtures with anyone below us

Wigan's next three games are Chelsea, united, arsenal, so there's a reasonsable change they won't get any closer over the next three games. The others look capable of getting any number of points more than us...mind you Robbie Savage reckons we'll beat Stoke so it's all ok (but will that team be knackered 2 days after Anfield?)