[Albion] Will we stay up?

[Bozza]

The days of being in the top half of the table with a zero goal difference begin to fade from the memory, with some realism setting in.

Do you think we will stay up?

 

[Stat Brother]

Ask us 01.02.18.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Yes. Not entirely convinced how comfortably we'd do it, but at the moment I am looking at Swansea, Stoke and West Brom to finish below us.

Whilst we are in for a rough time of it right now (December always seems to be crap for us IIRC), I'd expect a replenished squad to put together some sort of run in the new year to see us over the line.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Ask us 01.02.18.

 

[Hillian1]

No,

But I'm not wetting the bed either as I never for one moment thought we would.

 

[Is it PotG?]

We need to start scoring goals, lest we 'do a 'Boro'.

 

[narly101]

Really don't see how we can to be honest. I'm not wetting the bed, as I wasn't expecting us to be in this position at the beginning of the season. Teams have now managed to work out how we play, and we don't have sufficient quality or depth in the squad to maintain the season. I also don't see how a magic buy in Jan can hope to keep us up.

Naturally I will be delighted if we stay, but it won't be the end of the world if we go down. The gulf between the Championship and Premier League is starting to show itself now. All we can hope is that when we do go down, we keep Chris, and the money we get from parachute payments can bolster the squad for another push and retention in the top tier.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

We need at least 1 more win before New Year to have any chance. That is a rock bottom minimum requirement - not sure where it is coming from though.

Not being able to compete with Huddersfield was a hammer blow, we were going along fine until that match.


So after the Newcastle game :

Below 20 pts - no chance.
20-21 pts - marginal chance.
22-24 pts - good chance.
25-30 pts - dreamland.
32 pts - double dreamland.

 

[Beach Hut]

Trying to keep the faith which is being severely tested at present

 

[BBassic]

Option 3 - I don't think so but I'm not wetting the bed about it.

 

[NooBHA]

CH teams for some reason often hit their best form and pick up a better ratio of points February to April . Not sure why that is and given there is a good run of winnable games around then, if that happens again then no problem staying up. I don't think we will get relegated anyway but I have no illusions that it will be easy and we won't stay up with many points to spare.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Really don't see how we can to be honest. I'm not wetting the bed, as I wasn't expecting us to be in this position at the beginning of the season. Teams have now managed to work out how we play, and we don't have sufficient quality or depth in the squad to maintain the season. I also don't see how a magic buy in Jan can hope to keep us up.

Naturally I will be delighted if we stay, but it won't be the end of the world if we go down. The gulf between the Championship and Premier League is starting to show itself now. All we can hope is that when we do go down, we keep Chris, and the money we get from parachute payments can bolster the squad for another push and retention in the top tier.

1. 5 other teams have scored the same or less goals than us.
2. 9 other teams have conceded more goals than us.
3. 7 other teams have less points than us.
4. 8 other teams have a worse GD than us.
5. 9 other teams have lost more games than us.

I understand your points about the Albion, however what I don't get is how that is out of context with the other teams around us? From 11th downward everyone is struggling for goals, everyone is struggling for points, everyone has other teams who have worked out how they play.

All we need to do, is not necessarily be great, we just need to be fractionally better than 3 other teams.

In terms of gulf, I was actually wondering whether there had been a Premier League season where all 3 promoted sides stayed up? Could happen this season...

 

[Napper]

not wetting the bed as in many ways the championship with a bit of money behind is will be more fun but I'm afraid to say no , think we are heading back down.

Swansea , West Brom at this moment look favourites but I expect both to rally at some ppoint , particularly West Brom under a new manager,

Then you look at the following

Palace - they will be well clear
Hudds - seem to have plenty about them at home and of course outclassed us
Newcastle - in a very poor run , expect them to pick up and be backed in Jan
Stoke - Have enough players who are proven mid table prem players. Should of beaten us really despite being in turmoil and if things get much worse Hughes will go and someone will see them safe
Us - Biting us on the arse the lack of strikers and we seem to of been found out. We need to go again somehow as I'm not sure who I fancy us against at present. January is key for us but gut feeling is we are majorly punching and we are only a few clear of the drop .

 

[Bozza]

In terms of gulf, I was actually wondering whether there had been a Premier League season where all 3 promoted sides stayed up? Could happen this season...

Since football was invented in 1992, there have only been two seasons in which all three promoted clubs have stayed up:\

- Fulham, Bolton and Blackburn survived in 2001-02
- QPR, Norwich and Swansea stayed up in 2011-12

 

[Ninja Elephant]

No, we aren't going to score enough goals. I'm not kicking and screaming about it, and more than happy to proven incorrect - but I don't think we're going to stay up because either we don't have the quality, or we're just not trying to effect the game high enough up the pitch to do teams damage. We played into Huddersfield's tactics by refusing to alter our own, that's just daft at any level.

Obviously, I want us to stay up. But I don't think we will, which won't be the end of the world.

 

[Lindfield23]

Yes - Chris and the squad know full well that Saturday was a monumental f*ckup - but so long as our form improves around Christmas / early January (at which point Barber & co make some crucial deals to keep us afloat) this downturn in fortunes will be almost entirely forgotten. Tottenham must be viewed as a free hit - anything we get against them is obviously a bonus, but there's no reason why it's impossible to nick a draw (even Swansea managed this), then we need to raise the roof on Saturday in what is admittedly a crucial match - but, regardless of Burnley's recent performances, an entirely winnable one.

UP THE ALBION

 

[portslade seagull]

17th is all we need. Couple of reinforcements in January are we will be fine

 

[junior]

No, i don't think Hughton has the tactical nous to keep us at this level. He's setting the team up too defensively and that's clearly not working because we're conceding for fun - and not scoring at the other end. I'd like to see Martin O'Neil, Curbishley, Appleton or someone tried and tested in the premiership come in to give us a chance

 

[Is it PotG?]

No, i don't think Hughton has the tactical nous to keep us at this level. He's setting the team up too defensively and that's clearly not working because we're conceding for fun - and not scoring at the other end. I'd like to see Martin O'Neil, Curbishley, Appleton or someone tried and tested in the premiership come in to give us a chance

George Graham or O'Leary would be a better option than those listed imho.

 

[Larry]

If we are going to stay up Tony needs to spend some money and tell Chris to play attacking football.