Relegation?

[SoccerHQ]

Good thing is Sunderland still have to play Cardiff. I fail to see how the loser of that game can actually finish above us, both will be down if it's an unlikely draw.

[Toronto Villa]

Sunderland will be devastated not only by the late goal but the manner in which it was conceded. Any air they had left in their sails will not be gone and they're fate, if not already confirmed will be at the weekend. They played really well, although Man City have gone off the boil at the worst possible time for them also. I imagine Poyet is good enough and will get the support to get them back up at the first time of asking.

[levico]

So Sunderland get a point no one expected. Is this the beginning of their revival?

No.

They so nearly won, and to be honest, having watched the whole match, I think it would have been a fair result, but that's it for them, really. Their situation is just so awful, there's no escaping that. Three unlikely points tonight would have given them at least a straw to grab, but without that, they're done for.

That'll do for me.

[RossLeach]

Good thing is Sunderland still have to play Cardiff. I fail to see how the loser of that game can actually finish above us, both will be down if it's an unlikely draw.

Sunderland might be down by the time they play Cardiff

[IFWaters]

Statistically speaking ....

There are 6 teams below us, we need 3 of them to stay below us. No-one has games in hand on us. We have advantadges of respectively 1,1,2,4,5 and 8 points over them. We have the second best goal difference, although that could close.

Teams at the bottom rarely accrue more than 1.5 pts a game average (of those below us I would see only Fulham being capable of exceeding that).

So to throw it away we would I summise have to :

a) Get less than 3 points total from 5 games - so only 2 draws.
b) 3 other teams would need to get 37 or more points :
- Swansea - probably
- Baggies - possibly
- Norwich - never
- Fulham - very difficult, away at Spurs , Sat at 12.45
- Cardiff - no chance
Sunderland - no chance

By Sat 5pm, we could be statistically safe.

By the way, the best relegation escape in the Premier League years was I think West Ham under Redknapp about 1997, 21 points from 9 games. No-one else has ever exceeded 2 points average to get out of the bottom spots.

[JUAN PABLO]

If Hull are safe by the time we play them we will beat them

Norwich will be bottom , with cardiff and sunderland down

Fulham will finish above Hull I reckon

[adrenachrome]

Birmingham Mai

Lee Hendrie: Villa need investment or they will be relegated

The former Holte End star reckons his old club need to spend big to avoid the drop...if they survive this season

Apr 17, 2014 17:00 By Brian Dick

Villa hero Lee Hendrie fears his former team could be relegated next season unless there is investment over the summer.

The ex-midfielder says he is ‘baffled’ by Villa’s home form and while he isn’t overly critical of Paul Lambert’s management he concedes the club have gone backwards under the Scot.

But he says a lack of funding from owner Randy Lerner means Villa are forced to field young players. who struggle to cope with the pressure of playing at Villa Park .

Having come through the ranks to make more than 250 appearances, the 36-year-old identifies with the expectation of appearing in front of some of the country’s largest crowds.

More than 30,000 will turn up again tomorrow as Villa take on Southampton in what could be a pivotal match in Lambert’s tenure.

Having lost their last four matches, Villa have slipped to within four points of the drop zone and after a week of off-field upheaval, the pressure on those youngsters will be greater than at any stage in their careers.

And Hendrie wants those youngsters to given help if Villa are to break the cycle of scratching around the bottom of the league in an annual search of enough end-of-season points to stay up.

“Do we blame Lambert? I don’t know. Do we need more money? The clubs at the top end of the market are slowly drifting away from us,” he said.

“Your Tottenhams are spending a few quid and trying to get into Europe. I think we are on par with the likes of those clubs it’s just how much money you get to spend in the transfer window and whether Randy Lerner is willing to throw a few quid at it. Which doesn’t seem to be the case.

“I think you have got some great young players, Ash [Westwood], Delph, Benteke, we have got some good players and if you add four or five to them we are back with a fighting chance of getting back into Europe.

“Without three or four players I think we are going to struggle again and each year teams are progressing and getting stronger and stronger.

“That’s why we are ending up down the pecking order where we could end up finishing fourth or fifth from bottom. That’s not Aston Villa.

“Aston Villa are mid-table-upwards and for whatever reason it just hasn’t happened. I can see them getting caught short one year.

“I think if we don’t do something for next season I think we are going to end up getting caught. Now teams are starting to win, which is a little bit too late for some of them. We have had a lucky escape. [And] Last year we did.”

Hendrie was speaking as host of the Footiebugs Golf Day at Edgbaston Golf Club, a fund-raiser for Cure Leukaemia.  He was supported by current pros Ashley Westwood, Peter Crouch, James Morrison and Liam Ridgewell.

[russon]

we're more than capable of getting no points from our remaining games and I wouldn't rule out a goal-difference shattering humping from Man City & Spurs so my sphincter will remain on twitch duty for a few weeks yet

[PeterWithesShin]

In my opinion there is zero chance we will finish the season with 9 straight defeats. Although if we somehow managed to be that spectacularly shit we'd deserve to go down.

[Monty]

In my opinion there is zero chance we will finish the season with 9 straight defeats. Although if we somehow managed to be that spectacularly shit we'd deserve to go down.

Even then we still might not. But yes, I think there's at least a couple of draws to come, maybe a couple of wins. However, in my view that still shouldn't save Lambert, as it would be a regression *from last season's points total.

*Correction.

[taylorsworkrate]

In my opinion there is zero chance we will finish the season with 9 straight defeats. Although if we somehow managed to be that spectacularly shit we'd deserve to go down.

Even then we still might not. But yes, I think there's at least a couple of draws to come, maybe a couple of wins. However, in my view that still shouldn't save Lambert, as it would be a regression on last season's points total.

Completely agree. The team should have improved comfortably on last season, but in terms of both results and performances it has regressed badly.

[mike]

Lawrenson has picked us, Fulham and Norwich to compare run ins. Obviously he thinks West Brom and Swansea are safe for some reason?

[silhillvilla]

I can actually see us winning our next 3 games now

[Pete3206]

I can actually see us winning our next 3 games now

That's either the most staggering piece of optimism or you've begun the weekend early with a few light ales.

[levico]

we're more than capable of getting no points from our remaining games and I wouldn't rule out a goal-difference shattering humping from Man City & Spurs so my sphincter will remain on twitch duty for a few weeks yet

Absolutely. I see this more likely than us managing two wins if more. We are much more adept at losing, we've got really good at it.