relegation

[McFaul 35]

After the improvements the clubs have made during the deadline day, I've tried to do the prognosis of where we will gather points this season. So far this is where I'm at:

 

Teams we should be able to beat with the most certainty this season, 65/35: Norwich, Swansea

Teams we are regarded as favorites, but in truth a very tight match, 55/45: Wigan, QPR, Wolves, WBA

Teams we are regarded as slight underdogs, 45/55: Blackburn, Everton, Bolton

Teams we need very good luck to beat, 40/60: Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland, Aston Villa

Teams we need excessive luck to even draw, 35/65: Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool

Teams we can't beat, 20/80: Chelsea, Man Utd, Man city

Absolute nob this kid like, am sorry but he is. 40/60 Sunderland, Fulham, Stoke and Villa. Do one mate.

[2bias 3]

After the improvements the clubs have made during the deadline day, I've tried to do the prognosis of where we will gather points this season. So far this is where I'm at:

 

Teams we should be able to beat with the most certainty this season, 65/35: Norwich, Swansea

Teams we are regarded as favorites, but in truth a very tight match, 55/45: Wigan, QPR, Wolves, WBA

Teams we are regarded as slight underdogs, 45/55: Blackburn, Everton, Bolton

Teams we need very good luck to beat, 40/60: Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland, Aston Villa

Teams we need excessive luck to even draw, 35/65: Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool

Teams we can't beat, 20/80: Chelsea, Man Utd, Man city

Absolute nob this kid like, am sorry but he is. 40/60 Sunderland, Fulham, Stoke and Villa. Do one mate.

Ditto.

[Billy Castell 0]

As long as Kean is in charge, you should be OK. Our squads are of a similar strength, and have the same problems but Pardoo is an infinately better manager than Kean. You'll be above us, Swansea who'll score about 6 goals this season and probably Wigan at least. Oh, and Everton look like they're in trouble if that Argie with the mad name proves to be rubbish.

Edited September 1, 2011 by Billy Castell

[Guest Your Name Here]

We went down with owen, martins, viduka, duff, barton, given, beye etc. And people think mcloven, best, ba, stroller and obert are going to keep us up

Owen,Viduka and Martins couldn't give a fuck which is a big reason tbh

Are a fully motivated Best/Ba/Lovenkrands better than a demotivated Owen/Viduka/Martins?

 

Take the joke signing of Xisco out of the equation and the most we’ve spent on striker since Ashley took over is a bank busting £600k for Leon Best.

[OTF 7243]

We haven't started well - results have just gone our way.

 

Arsenal were a mess, so we got lucky there. Sunderland and Fulham had enough chances to bury us. We got these points thanks to our defence and Krul. Going forward we've been dire - we still lack a creative midfielder and a couple (not one) quality strikers - at the very least.

 

That's an important distinction to make. We've picked up 7 points, but have been far from convincing in doing so. Largely benefiting from poor opposition who have been unable to take advantage of their large periods of dominance over us. It's a minor miracle that noone has scored from exploiting Ryan Taylor's lack of defensive pedigree for one, but also that we've managed to score 3 goal ourselves. Our forward play has been woeful, and should have highlighted the urgency in bringing in quality up front.

 

But we're not a club who purchase based off our own on-field requirements, instead we're one who purchases based on the likelihood of a profit being made balanced against the smallest transfer fee possible and the lowest wages required. As much as we joke about it Carlton Cole was never in danger of being signed by Newcastle because under this model we couldn't afford his wages, wouldn't pay West Ham what they want and couldn't expect any sort of resale value.

 

I've only been in one of Ashley's shops once - Lillywhites at Piccadilly Circus in London in 2005, but from my experience there it seems apparent that he's applying the same model of operation to Newcastle United. Whatever he could buy for cheap was for sale there (and 'on sale' too), but if you went in there looking for a specific item you'd not be able to get it because he buys only what he can get for cheap and turnover for a profit. Likewise because they weren't able to find any fitting candidates for this criteria to play upfront they didn't break with their model to buy one.

[Ayatollah Hermione 13769]

We went down with owen, martins, viduka, duff, barton, given, beye etc. And people think mcloven, best, ba, stroller and obert are going to keep us up

Owen,Viduka and Martins couldn't give a fuck which is a big reason tbh

Are a fully motivated Best/Ba/Lovenkrands better than a demotivated Owen/Viduka/Martins?

 

Take the joke signing of Xisco out of the equation and the most we’ve spent on striker since Ashley took over is a bank busting £600k for Leon Best.

 

I shouldn't laugh at that but it's really such a disgrace, it's hard not to.

[toonotl 2948]

Time will tell. Come xmas if we are in trouble I will start to get very worried because I don't like a squad that can't score goals in a relegation battle.

 

We must start well because if things go badly who is going to score the goals to dig us out of it? Noone thats fucking who.

 

On the flip side if we defend well, which we have for the most part so far, we should pick up enough points to finish safely in 12th-15th.

[Holden McGroin 6471]

My prediction is already in the Prediction thread - bottom three. I'm sticking to it. Hell, no one knows what will happen. I could be wrong (I told someone on here prior to us going down the last time - in November - that I thought we would be relegated, though, so bear that in mind ), I hope I am, but I believe there is one hell of a monumental gamble going on here by LardAsh. A team with a few untried PL players. No top, or near-top, class striker. Who comes in if Tiote gets suspended/injured/ACN (That is a major concern for me) ???

 

I haven't seen us at all this season, so my prediction is obviously flawed. However, if you go to the Fulham thread you will see "Great save Krull" and then another "Another good save Krull", which gets my suspicions aroused. I read about S Ameobi and he's gonna be a star and that goal v Scunthorpe was fantastic. Well, having seen the clip of it on here, I don't see anything fantastic at all; I see a young energetic lad up against jaded defenders. Good finish, but if he can't do that to start with he has no place as a striker on a football pitch.

 

We're all entitled to our opinions and we wont know until the fat lass is singing next year. Fingers crossed I'm wrong.

 

I dont think Sammy is striker. Plus he did well to be so direct. People are going overboard with him though as they are a league 1 team and their defence must have been tired. It'll be interesting to give him a shot in the PL though.

[Holden McGroin 6471]

If we get 2-3 long term injuries (which happens every year) to say Saylor/Colo & Tiote then we will be in major trouble. Absolutely no backup, especially in defence.

 

Massive gamble from the "2 nuggets".

[Dr Gloom 21802]

We may or may not be relegated - or sucked into the relegation battle - but our ambitions clearly don't extend beyond scrapping for survival, which is a shame.

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3809]

Norwich, Swansea, Wolves, Wigan, Blackburn. I reckon we may just be safe but it isn't guaranteed.

[ChezGiven 0]

We may or may not be relegated - or sucked into the relegation battle - but our ambitions clearly don't extend beyond scrapping for survival, which is a shame.

I dont think we will get relegated as i think once we beat QPR we will be nearly one quarter of the way to safety.

 

The question of ambition now in the Premier League is best summed up by my mate last week. Oxford United fan, asks if i was happy with the ins and outs and as i started to talk about a lack of ambition he stopped me and said whats the point in being ambitious, all clubs should be doing is aiming for survival as its not financially realistic for most of them to have a go. Liverpool have clearly shown ambition but the sort of finance they have applied is £120m not £35m off the back of 2 seasons making losses.

 

So which other teams have shown ambition this window? Spurs have reduced their wage bill by 5 players, Stoke have spent £12m on Crouch, Everton have sold Arteta, Fulham beat us to Ruiz, Bolton and Villa have improved at the margins but nothing that suggests they will threaten the top. So how would you characterise their ambition? Mid-table? Its not really an ambition mid-table its a sort of objective that looks to reduce the risk of relegation by being far enough away to mean luck cant drag you down. In short, the ambition of survival.

 

Thats the reality of modern football.

[Aeris 0]

After the improvements the clubs have made during the deadline day, I've tried to do the prognosis of where we will gather points this season. So far this is where I'm at:

 

Teams we should be able to beat with the most certainty this season, 65/35: Norwich, Swansea

Teams we are regarded as favorites, but in truth a very tight match, 55/45: Wigan, QPR, Wolves, WBA

Teams we are regarded as slight underdogs, 45/55: Blackburn, Everton, Bolton

Teams we need very good luck to beat, 40/60: Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland, Aston Villa

Teams we need excessive luck to even draw, 35/65: Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool

Teams we can't beat, 20/80: Chelsea, Man Utd, Man city

Absolute nob this kid like, am sorry but he is. 40/60 Sunderland, Fulham, Stoke and Villa. Do one mate.

 

It's just based on squad strength per today, I know we've already beaten Sunderland & Fulham, but there was many lucky circumstances for why we did so. Anyway this were pretty shitty predictions I acknowledge that.

Edited September 1, 2011 by Aeris

[Guest alex]

We may or may not be relegated - or sucked into the relegation battle - but our ambitions clearly don't extend beyond scrapping for survival, which is a shame.

I dont think we will get relegated as i think once we beat QPR we will be nearly one quarter of the way to safety.

 

The question of ambition now in the Premier League is best summed up by my mate last week. Oxford United fan, asks if i was happy with the ins and outs and as i started to talk about a lack of ambition he stopped me and said whats the point in being ambitious, all clubs should be doing is aiming for survival as its not financially realistic for most of them to have a go. Liverpool have clearly shown ambition but the sort of finance they have applied is £120m not £35m off the back of 2 seasons making losses.

 

So which other teams have shown ambition this window? Spurs have reduced their wage bill by 5 players, Stoke have spent £12m on Crouch, Everton have sold Arteta, Fulham beat us to Ruiz, Bolton and Villa have improved at the margins but nothing that suggests they will threaten the top. So how would you characterise their ambition? Mid-table? Its not really an ambition mid-table its a sort of objective that looks to reduce the risk of relegation by being far enough away to mean luck cant drag you down. In short, the ambition of survival.

 

Thats the reality of modern football.

No one is expecting us to suddenly go beserk and challenge the very top sides. People were hoping for a happy medium a la some of the sides you mention though. In any case, if that is his aim (I suspect you're correct as I've said the same myself previously) it's galling that we're still being lied to and peddled the myth that we were close to signing the strikers mooted. The likes of cronies like David Craig helping to raise false hopes along the way.

Edited September 1, 2011 by alex

[ChezGiven 0]

We may or may not be relegated - or sucked into the relegation battle - but our ambitions clearly don't extend beyond scrapping for survival, which is a shame.

I dont think we will get relegated as i think once we beat QPR we will be nearly one quarter of the way to safety.

 

The question of ambition now in the Premier League is best summed up by my mate last week. Oxford United fan, asks if i was happy with the ins and outs and as i started to talk about a lack of ambition he stopped me and said whats the point in being ambitious, all clubs should be doing is aiming for survival as its not financially realistic for most of them to have a go. Liverpool have clearly shown ambition but the sort of finance they have applied is £120m not £35m off the back of 2 seasons making losses.

 

So which other teams have shown ambition this window? Spurs have reduced their wage bill by 5 players, Stoke have spent £12m on Crouch, Everton have sold Arteta, Fulham beat us to Ruiz, Bolton and Villa have improved at the margins but nothing that suggests they will threaten the top. So how would you characterise their ambition? Mid-table? Its not really an ambition mid-table its a sort of objective that looks to reduce the risk of relegation by being far enough away to mean luck cant drag you down. In short, the ambition of survival.

 

Thats the reality of modern football.

No one is expecting us to suddenly go beserk and challenge the very top sides. People were hoping for a happy medium a la some of the sides you mention though. In any case, if that is his aim (I suspect you're correct as I've said the same myself previously) it's galling that we're still being lied to and peddled the myth that we were close to signing the strikers mooted. The likes of cronies like David Craig helping to raise false hopes along the way.

In all honesty, i believe the final day is just made up theatre concocted with Sky. Its probably part of their contract with the clubs.

 

As for hope, i was full of it too, i was surprised by the Santon signing and thought it made a striker so much more likely.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

We did well last year, first seson back in the PL, cracking finish I thought. So this year we should be BUILDING on it, not ripping it apart.

[Guest alex]

We may or may not be relegated - or sucked into the relegation battle - but our ambitions clearly don't extend beyond scrapping for survival, which is a shame.

I dont think we will get relegated as i think once we beat QPR we will be nearly one quarter of the way to safety.

 

The question of ambition now in the Premier League is best summed up by my mate last week. Oxford United fan, asks if i was happy with the ins and outs and as i started to talk about a lack of ambition he stopped me and said whats the point in being ambitious, all clubs should be doing is aiming for survival as its not financially realistic for most of them to have a go. Liverpool have clearly shown ambition but the sort of finance they have applied is £120m not £35m off the back of 2 seasons making losses.

 

So which other teams have shown ambition this window? Spurs have reduced their wage bill by 5 players, Stoke have spent £12m on Crouch, Everton have sold Arteta, Fulham beat us to Ruiz, Bolton and Villa have improved at the margins but nothing that suggests they will threaten the top. So how would you characterise their ambition? Mid-table? Its not really an ambition mid-table its a sort of objective that looks to reduce the risk of relegation by being far enough away to mean luck cant drag you down. In short, the ambition of survival.

 

Thats the reality of modern football.

No one is expecting us to suddenly go beserk and challenge the very top sides. People were hoping for a happy medium a la some of the sides you mention though. In any case, if that is his aim (I suspect you're correct as I've said the same myself previously) it's galling that we're still being lied to and peddled the myth that we were close to signing the strikers mooted. The likes of cronies like David Craig helping to raise false hopes along the way.

In all honesty, i believe the final day is just made up theatre concocted with Sky. Its probably part of their contract with the clubs. As for hope, i was full of it too, i was surprised by the Santon signing and thought it made a striker so much more likely.

Probably aye. Not really my point though. It's not like August 31st is the only day the club have suggested we'd see the Carroll money being spent on his replacement and general squad improvement, is it?

Edited September 1, 2011 by alex

[McFaul 35]

After the improvements the clubs have made during the deadline day, I've tried to do the prognosis of where we will gather points this season. So far this is where I'm at:

 

Teams we should be able to beat with the most certainty this season, 65/35: Norwich, Swansea

Teams we are regarded as favorites, but in truth a very tight match, 55/45: Wigan, QPR, Wolves, WBA

Teams we are regarded as slight underdogs, 45/55: Blackburn, Everton, Bolton

Teams we need very good luck to beat, 40/60:

Teams we need excessive luck to even draw, 35/65: Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool

Teams we can't beat, 20/80: Chelsea, Man Utd, Man city

Absolute nob this kid like, am sorry but he is. 40/60 Sunderland, Fulham, Stoke and Villa. Do one mate.

 

It's just based on squad strength per today, I know we've already beaten Sunderland & Fulham, but there was many lucky circumstances for why we did so. Anyway this were pretty shitty predictions I acknowledge that.

The lucky to even draw one amused me, seeing as though of the 6 games against those three we only lost fucking 2, with a squad no better or worse than this one. You're an idiot. I wouldn't go if I didn't expect to beat Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland, Aston Villa at home, and amongst the teams we can't beat Chelsea last season 3 games no defeats. Sort yourself out son.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Man Utd did their business straight away, had targeted the players they wanted through the season and struck early. Simple.

 

Yes, I know they have far more money than us and players prob don't need much selling of the club, but the point is it's not fucking complicated and you'd think a PL club might do a bit of forward planning.

[ChezGiven 0]

We may or may not be relegated - or sucked into the relegation battle - but our ambitions clearly don't extend beyond scrapping for survival, which is a shame.

I dont think we will get relegated as i think once we beat QPR we will be nearly one quarter of the way to safety.

 

The question of ambition now in the Premier League is best summed up by my mate last week. Oxford United fan, asks if i was happy with the ins and outs and as i started to talk about a lack of ambition he stopped me and said whats the point in being ambitious, all clubs should be doing is aiming for survival as its not financially realistic for most of them to have a go. Liverpool have clearly shown ambition but the sort of finance they have applied is £120m not £35m off the back of 2 seasons making losses.

 

So which other teams have shown ambition this window? Spurs have reduced their wage bill by 5 players, Stoke have spent £12m on Crouch, Everton have sold Arteta, Fulham beat us to Ruiz, Bolton and Villa have improved at the margins but nothing that suggests they will threaten the top. So how would you characterise their ambition? Mid-table? Its not really an ambition mid-table its a sort of objective that looks to reduce the risk of relegation by being far enough away to mean luck cant drag you down. In short, the ambition of survival.

 

Thats the reality of modern football.

No one is expecting us to suddenly go beserk and challenge the very top sides. People were hoping for a happy medium a la some of the sides you mention though. In any case, if that is his aim (I suspect you're correct as I've said the same myself previously) it's galling that we're still being lied to and peddled the myth that we were close to signing the strikers mooted. The likes of cronies like David Craig helping to raise false hopes along the way.

In all honesty, i believe the final day is just made up theatre concocted with Sky. Its probably part of their contract with the clubs. As for hope, i was full of it too, i was surprised by the Santon signing and thought it made a striker so much more likely.

Probably aye. Not really my point though. It's not like August 31st is the only day the club have suggested we'd see the Carroll money being spent on his replacement and general squad improvement, is it?

Indeed its not but that wasnt really my point either I was just throwing that point out there in regards to ambition and relegation as it was put to me in those terms that if you're not trying to break the top 4, the only other thing to do is survive. I dont support that view as the value to me as a fan of one extra place in the league is the pride associated with that. It also means you might have a better run in the cups too but thats not the perspective our owners take.

 

Whether they have lied and didnt intend to buy anyone or just didnt put the right deals together in time is impossible to know. They failed either way.

[Guest alex]

Aye, they either didn't try or they're shit at their jobs. Or a combination of both. Not very comforting either way.

[LeazesMag 0]

Well that was one of the worst transfer windows in living memory. Disgusting even by Ashley's standards.

 

If you look at the squad on paper, it looks poorer than the one that was relegated. It actually looks poorer than the one that won promotion from the championship.

 

We have no leaders left in the squad. Next to no englishman. None of the new signings have more than half a season experience in the premier league. And we didn't sign a striker other than ba. This is the worst set of strikers I can think of.

 

So, am I having a massive knee jerk reaction or are you worried too?

 

stop your fucking moaning. You have what you wanted.

[ChezGiven 0]

[Aeris 0]

The lucky to even draw one amused me, seeing as though of the 6 games against those three we only lost fucking 2, with a squad no better or worse than this one. You're an idiot. I wouldn't go if I didn't expect to beat Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland, Aston Villa at home, and amongst the teams we can't beat Chelsea last season 3 games no defeats. Sort yourself out son.

 

I don't care about the previous stats, asshole. The squad is definitely worse than when the club got relegated the last time, and with ambition completely swept away - how long do you expect the team spirit to last when doing great stuff for this club only results in Ashley dragging the club further down the ditch? An utter shite manager and the board giving fuck all to aid the club, what sort of message do they give the team as inspiration to win matches this season? While all the other clubs strive to go upwards in the league, this club are the only one that seems to be actually working hard to go the opposite way. Certainly I did some gloomy and generalized prognosis, and took very little time to reflect on previous meetings, but I was merely just to make a point of what fuck all there has become of this club.

[Guest alex]

You should've just posted that. It's pretty much spot on imo.