The Plot An Escape From Relegation Thread.....

[eastie]

So if Man United win their next 3 games they've won the league before they play us. Hopefully they'll play a carling cup type of side against us.

Problem is united are out of the cups so they have nothing to rest their players for , unlike Chelsea who may be in 2 finals around the time they play us.

[ozzjim]

United are hell bent on breaking their own points record. I think they will be up for every game here on in.

Chelsea have to turn up today, or they are going to find Champs league difficult, and thus their summer rebuild hard work.

[Lastfootstamper]

We also need a Fulham win. They are pretty much safe on 39 points, so a win today, fucks Newcastle. It also likely puts them in a more relaxed mindset when they then visit us next weekend, ripe for the battering. As much as Sunderland and Stoke are on bad runs, Newcastle, for all of their talent can't seem to do much right recently either.

I don't think we need a fulham win, our destiny is now very much in our own hands. But it'd be very, very funny to see the maggies sucked into the mix. They do have the games where they should be able to pick up enough points, but, as you say, they can't seem to do much right recently. Personally, I'd love to see them drop again. Largely cos of pardew, me just no likey. Rather them than sunderland. If you think back a couple of years, at this point our neighbours weren't really in too much trouble. Fast forward to ten minutes from the end of the season, and they'd gone. A similar scores-coming-in, how-the-f*#k-did-that-happen last-day scenario for the barcodes would keep me smiling all summer long

[maidstonevillain]

is it almost as simple as one win plus beating Sunderland to stay up now, leaving them needing 8 from their othrr games which will be very tough?

That was my thought also. I think if we beat Sunderland at home we are safe. Leaves them in the s**t, and us having to grind out 2 or 3 points from elsewhere.

[NiiLamptey]

Ive done the points predictor...

I have Reading and QPR going down joined by... STOKE

Wigan to survive by getting a point against us last game of the season

I get us picking up 43 points and finishing 12th... think the only loses we will have are chelsea and Man U, will win the rest (bar wigan)

I guess the important thing is i have stoke going down on 34 points, so 35 point and above i think is safe...

I dont think we will end up on 43 points as its too hard to call which game(s) we will throw the 3 points away due to a calamity of errors... but now i am convinced we are safe!

[eastie]

Just done the predictor again and I got us on 41 points and 14th.
I had wigan going down with 36 after drawing with us on the final day - if they beat us it would have been stoke or Sunderland both on 37.

[citizenDJ]

We also need a Fulham win. They are pretty much safe on 39 points, so a win today, fucks Newcastle. It also likely puts them in a more relaxed mindset when they then visit us next weekend, ripe for the battering. As much as Sunderland and Stoke are on bad runs, Newcastle, for all of their talent can't seem to do much right recently either.

They don't get mentioned in this type of discussion too much, and I suppose it is likely they'll beat Fulham at St James Park...but if they don't, Newcastle are exactly as in it as we are.

Strange old season.

[VillaAlways]

We also need a Fulham win. They are pretty much safe on 39 points, so a win today, fucks Newcastle. It also likely puts them in a more relaxed mindset when they then visit us next weekend, ripe for the battering. As much as Sunderland and Stoke are on bad runs, Newcastle, for all of their talent can't seem to do much right recently either.

I don't think we need a fulham win, our destiny is now very much in our own hands. But it'd be very, very funny to see them sucked into the mix. They do have the games where they should be able to pick up enough points, but, as you say, they can't seem to do much right recently. Personally, I'd love to see them drop again. Largely cos of pardew, me just no likey. Rather them than sunderland. If you think back a couple of years, at this point our neighbours weren't really in too much trouble. Fast forward to ten minutes from the end of the season, and they'd gone. A similar scores-coming-in, how-the-f*#k-did-that-happen last-day scenario for the barcodes would keep me smiling all summer long

The really annoying thing about Newcastle is the way they have this irrational hatred of us just because we took the piss when  we relegated them on the last day of the season a few years back, as if no other fans would have done the same.They behave like we single handedly took them down

[ozzjim]

We also need a Fulham win. They are pretty much safe on 39 points, so a win today, fucks Newcastle. It also likely puts them in a more relaxed mindset when they then visit us next weekend, ripe for the battering. As much as Sunderland and Stoke are on bad runs, Newcastle, for all of their talent can't seem to do much right recently either.

I don't think we need a fulham win, our destiny is now very much in our own hands. But it'd be very, very funny to see them sucked into the mix. They do have the games where they should be able to pick up enough points, but, as you say, they can't seem to do much right recently. Personally, I'd love to see them drop again. Largely cos of pardew, me just no likey. Rather them than sunderland. If you think back a couple of years, at this point our neighbours weren't really in too much trouble. Fast forward to ten minutes from the end of the season, and they'd gone. A similar scores-coming-in, how-the-f*#k-did-that-happen last-day scenario for the barcodes would keep me smiling all summer long

The really annoying thing about Newcastle is the way they have this irrational hatred of us just because we took the piss when  we relegated them on the last day of the season a few years back, as if no other fans would have done the same.They behave like we single handedly took them down

Was about to post the very same. I would piss myself for a week straight if they went with the squad they have now! Pardew has bought well, but they have not coped with Europe at all this season in the league. We could, and should have nicked a draw at our place second half where we threw everything at them and Krul was very good. Had we scored in that, they would currently be on 31 and looking very worried.

[eastie]

We also need a Fulham win. They are pretty much safe on 39 points, so a win today, fucks Newcastle. It also likely puts them in a more relaxed mindset when they then visit us next weekend, ripe for the battering. As much as Sunderland and Stoke are on bad runs, Newcastle, for all of their talent can't seem to do much right recently either.

I don't think we need a fulham win, our destiny is now very much in our own hands. But it'd be very, very funny to see them sucked into the mix. They do have the games where they should be able to pick up enough points, but, as you say, they can't seem to do much right recently. Personally, I'd love to see them drop again. Largely cos of pardew, me just no likey. Rather them than sunderland. If you think back a couple of years, at this point our neighbours weren't really in too much trouble. Fast forward to ten minutes from the end of the season, and they'd gone. A similar scores-coming-in, how-the-f*#k-did-that-happen last-day scenario for the barcodes would keep me smiling all summer long

The really annoying thing about Newcastle is the way they have this irrational hatred of us just because we took the piss when  we relegated them on the last day of the season a few years back, as if no other fans would have done the same.They behave like we single handedly took them down

Was about to post the very same. I would piss myself for a week straight if they went with the squad they have now! Pardew has bought well, but they have not coped with Europe at all this season in the league. We could, and should have nicked a draw at our place second half where we threw everything at them and Krul was very good. Had we scored in that, they would currently be on 31 and looking very worried.

There's  a few rumours recently that pardew might soon be for the chop - benitez being tipped strongly.
Apparently although pardew has a long contract ashley inserted a few clauses in it which could hasten his departure.

[ozzjim]

Benitez and Ashley together, not a pie left in the North East

[OCD]

Ive done the points predictor...

I have Reading and QPR going down joined by... STOKE

Wigan to survive by getting a point against us last game of the season

I get us picking up 43 points and finishing 12th... think the only loses we will have are chelsea and Man U, will win the rest (bar wigan)

I guess the important thing is i have stoke going down on 34 points, so 35 point and above i think is safe...

I dont think we will end up on 43 points as its too hard to call which game(s) we will throw the 3 points away due to a calamity of errors... but now i am convinced we are safe!

As bad as Stoke are, it's hard to believe they won't pick up a single point between now and the end of the season. Their fixtures aren't great but there's still the odd game where I would expect them to get something. I think they have Norwich at home for one.

[SoccerHQ]

I think on the basis of yesterday though there's only one team who's potentially going to hit 40 points and that's not Stoke.

7 points from Fulham, Sunderland and Norwich and the other games won't matter, infact I reckon 38 will be enough.

Newcastle remind me a lot of us in 10/11, lots of good attacking players but a whole stack of injuries and they were rock solid defensively for most of last season.

[Lastfootstamper]

Ive done the points predictor...

I have Reading and QPR going down joined by... STOKE

Wigan to survive by getting a point against us last game of the season

I get us picking up 43 points and finishing 12th... think the only loses we will have are chelsea and Man U, will win the rest (bar wigan)

I guess the important thing is i have stoke going down on 34 points, so 35 point and above i think is safe...

I dont think we will end up on 43 points as its too hard to call which game(s) we will throw the 3 points away due to a calamity of errors... but now i am convinced we are safe!

As bad as Stoke are, it's hard to believe they won't pick up a single point between now and the end of the season. Their fixtures aren't great but there's still the odd game where I would expect them to get something. I think they have Norwich at home for one.

They've recently played a bottom-three side at home. Don't recall them getting too much out of that

[Chris Smith]

Looking back at the first few pages of this thread shows the folly of trying to predict more than one game at a time. There are too many variables and there are always surprises.