REMAINING FIXTURES - WORRIED OR NOT?

[UlversToon]

So, after todays' game we're left on 31 points after 26 games compared with 25 points at the same stage last season. With 36 points to play for and 12 more points probably enough to ensure survival, which surely is achievable, does anybody really thing there is a possibility of us dropping into The Championship again under Ashley or am I worrying unnecessarily? Last season we amassed 20 points over the final 12 games to see us comfortably avoid the drop in 13th position.

Our remaining fixtures are:-

Crystal Palace (a) 0-1
Burnley (h) 0-0
Southampton (a) 1-0
Sheffield United (h)
Aston Villa (h)
Bournemouth (a)
West Ham (h)
Manchester City (a)
Watford (a)
Tottenham(h)
Brighton (a)
Liverpool (h)

[Tsi]

does anybody really think there is a possibility of us dropping into The Championship again

Yes i've been thinking it for awhile now.

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

We're not scoring goals (not from the forward line anyway) and creating very few chances.

Relegation is a strong possibility.

[originallad]

I'm not worried yet. Apart from the City and Liverpool games, the others are potentially winnable. A couple wins and a draw will probably be enough.

[originallad]

Also, last season we gained 20 points from our final 12 games, not 25.

[UlversToon]

Also, last season we gained 20 points from our final 12 games, not 25.

Edited!

[TJR]

We need 9 points to stay up. We'll be fine. We're already well out of it.

[Ivan Drago]

Obviously Bruce is not worried about our lack of goals. If he was a new striker would have been brought it.

[ALF]

We're not comfortable but we're not the only team playing poorly.

[bodacious benny]

Not worried for 2 reasons.

1) 3 wins is more than enough and with those fixtures you’d fancy our chances in a fair few games. League position aside, arsenal have some fantastic players so nobody should knee jerk about the 4-0.

2) Norwich are gone, Watford’s mini revival looks to be over, West Ham look shocking and have a hellish run of games coming up, and Villa can’t defend to save their life. We’ll be fine.

[Hjl]

I'm not worried about us going down, there are three teams worse than us this season.

We will spend all season looking s***, but we won't go down.

[UlversToon]

Yes, you would hope that we would beat both Villa & West Ham at home and also take points from Burnley & Sheff Utd so 1 win from the other 8 games or a couple of draws should do it.

However, if we don't start scoring goals then we may be relying on 0-0 draws which is worrying but probably a massive overreaction to todays' result.

[TheCrimsonNecklace]

Not really. I was in the home end today (Christ, Arsenal fans are annoying) as away sold out. I thought we looked alright first half but we have no goal threat from Joelinton I am afraid; sometimes he wasn't even in the box when ASM/Almiron crossed in.

Despite this I don't think we will go down, Norwich are gone and I think teams like Brighton will be dragged into it before us. Our defenders and midfielders can hopefully chip in enough for another 9 points (Clark should have scored today).

[biggeordiedave]

I think there are easily three worse teams. Our next seven games are all winnable. I don't think we'll win them all of course, but I think we will get 10-12 points.

[overseasTOON]

Looking at the remaining fixtures you'd think on paper that we should be able to get something out of about 8 matches but given we can't score, abhor controlling a game and several of these teams will be fighting for everything; we could be in trouble.

Get some points on the board quick to bring us up to 36 and we'll most likely be safe.

[Sanchino]

Not worried for 2 reasons.

1) 3 wins is more than enough and with those fixtures you’d fancy our chances in a fair few games. League position aside, arsenal have some fantastic players so nobody should knee jerk about the 4-0.

2) Norwich are gone, Watford’s mini revival looks to be over, West Ham look shocking and have a hellish run of games coming up, and Villa can’t defend to save their life. We’ll be fine.

This.

[lassassinblanc]

Not worried for 2 reasons.

1) 3 wins is more than enough and with those fixtures you’d fancy our chances in a fair few games. League position aside, arsenal have some fantastic players so nobody should knee jerk about the 4-0.

2) Norwich are gone, Watford’s mini revival looks to be over, West Ham look shocking and have a hellish run of games coming up, and Villa can’t defend to save their life. We’ll be fine.

This.

Yup pretty much sums up my thoughts.

Some people are going OTT on the Arsenal game. For all their troubles this season they're a very good side and are capable of doing that to any team in the league.

Agree with the points in 2) Norwich can't see Norwich not finishing bottom, Watford maybe might get out of the relegation zone but don't think it will be at our expense. West Ham as said above a run of fixtures I wouldn't even wish on Sunderland (City, Liverpool,Arsenal, Wolves,Spurs,Chelsea).

Villa have a similar enough run of games so they'll be hard fought to get anything from them too.

Agree we points made about Joelinton too, the lad needs to get it the box.

[Blue & Maroon]

See how the next 3 go. Outlook could look decidedly bleak if we lose and fail to create anything.

[beatski]

Not that worried about relegation at least. Plenty worried about the performances and the direction of the club though

[Sanchino]

We're currently on 31 points. Roughly 9 points - 12 points from safety (if you consider the 40-42 point margin as the magic points tally).

Crystal Palace (a) - WIN/DRAW - Potential 1-3 points. Palace have been on a poor run and lost there last 3 matches, on there day there attack can be a handful as there pacey and powerful but they leak goals and apart from Zaha they haven't got any other ''match-winners''. Our counter-attacking style is suited to playing away from home against these type of teams so let's think positive. Man to Man we're on par if not better than Palace. Saying this now we'll go on to lose 0-3

Burnley (h) WIN/DRAW - Potential 1-3 points. Yes Burnley are a tough nut to crack and hard to beat but a somewhat limited team and we should be winning this. Could see it being a bore 0-0 or 1-1 scrappy affair.

Southampton (a) LOSE - 0 points. Just see Igns & co coming back to bite us.. reverse scoreline of St.James Park 2-1 to them. Redmond screamer. Igns poacher goal to settle it. Joelinton with the equalizer

Sheffield United (h) LOSE/DRAW - 0-1 points. Great run of form and will be looking to extract revenge from us when we beat them at there's. Could see this either being a 2-2 thriller or a 0-2 convincing win for them. Just see this as a potential banana slip.

Aston Villa (h) WIN - 3 points. Should win this. Villa have some decent players but lack cohesion and defensively fragile. potential match to get us closer to the 40th magic point mark if not close to it.

Bournemouth (a) DRAW/LOSE - 0-1 points. We don't have the best of record at there ground from what I remember and for some reason don't see us winning. Draw most likely or knowing us we'll lose to a last minute goal by Callum Wilson/Gosling.

West Ham (h) - WIN - 3 points. ASM / Miggy running there defence ragged again and confirming our safety. 42/43 pints by now. Mathematically safe??

Manchester City (a) - LOSE - WRITE OFF. O POINTS. Anything we get is just a bonus and even if we keep the score below a 3 goal margin we would have done well.

Watford (a) - LOSE/DRAW - Just see this as a write off also. Players will probably be thinking about there holidays and complacency will struck in. 0 points but if we play half-decent we could snatch a point.

Tottenham(h) LOSE/DRAW - Could nick a draw but see us losing as Spurs will be in the race for the Champions League and we won't have nothing to play for.

Brighton (a) DRAW - Can see us picking up a point here. Take our tally to 43/44 points.

Liverpool (h) LOSE/DRAW - If Liverpool do turn up we'll lose and they'll want to go out on high record points tally. Tittle will be wrapped up long ago by this time so might snatch something out of this but see this being a anti-climatic end to a average but satisfying first season for Brucey.

There you go.. add the potential points tally and we should be fine. Obviously they'll be twists and turns but this is the most realistic we can achieve in my opinion. 40 points might not be enough this season that's why we'll have to atleast win 3-4 games to be sure of things and maybe a couple draws here and there. Positive thinking!