The end is near... (football relegation talk)

[Jowsey]

So with the premier league drawing to a close the winners are nearly decided. But what about the other end?

What are peoples predictions on teams being relegated?

It looks to me like it'll be Burnley and QPR and one of Hull, Newcastle or Sunderland.

Hull only have 3 games and are only 1 point out of the relegation zone. They have a decent goal difference but probably the second hardest end of season.

Newcastle just look unable to accrue points. There fate is in other peoples hands. They have the easiest run in, in my opinion but lack any obvious ability to move up the table.

Sunderland (sigh...) Have probably got the hardest end of season. Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal away. The last home game of the season is against Liecster is a must win and I don't think they can. The only advantage they have is a game in hand and current increase in form. Its not a lot. Especially as they look close to having there best player jailed!

What are peoples thoughts?

( for full disclosure, I'm a Sunderland fan so please be nice with your words )

[Biscuit]

I'm a Toon fan... I don't like our chances. We have no defenders left in the squad after those embarrassing challenges in the Leicester game and letting our reserve players go out in January.
We have no proven goal scorers and haven't had any for some time, so we cant even rely on a few goals to keep us going. Now, to top it all off, Carver has clearly lost the entire dressing room!
We aren't getting any more points, so as you say, our fate is in others hands.

Its been one of the worst seasons I have ever seen Newcastle endure. We have topped the physio room injury list for almost the whole campaign, our summer transfers were a complete flop and then we got rid of our manager and appointed a care taker with zero experience. I called the fact we would be in a relegation battle the moment Pardew was approached by Palace, not because I feel he could have done much better but because I knew EXACTLY who the only alternative that Ashley would... correction... wouldn't cough up for would be.

Ashley has been gambling with the chance of suitable success for far too long, now it could very well take an £80mil bite out of his fat arse. We actually deserve to go down in my opinion, we aren't being run like a football club and the only thing I really worry is that this penny pinching Sports Direct mentality behind the club management will force us into a continued freefall.

As for Sunderland, as much as it pains me to admit it, you have fight and passion. I honestly think your players, whilst they don't have the quality that a premier league club should expect, have the drive to fight for their life. I predict that you guys will park the bus and get enough draws, the same as you have been managing for most of the season!

Hull face Burnley at home, who have basically nothing to fight for, so I think they will pick up the three points necessary to escape relegation.

Aston Villa are another one who are technically in the battle, but with Benteke back in form and the team getting results, I think they will also be fine.

[Domestic_Ginger]

I'm under the impression Ashley has turned NUFC into a selling club in order to recoup all the loans he has invested into the club. The post match interview after the game where he accused the defender of getting deliberately sent off appears to be the breaking point.

I don't want Burnley to be relegated; the underdog thing. But they will. Other 2; not sure. I think Sunderland and Newcastle will make it. The thing is both them and hull have been in the EPL long enough to not be in this situation.

My nearest EPL team next year is Bournemouth!

[ik9000]

Leicester have had a good run. Hope it continues. Sorry to the Newcastle fan, but so relieved to see that win. They face Southampton (home) Sunderland (away) and QPR (home). As Lineker points out on the BBC today, if Leicester maintain their current form they should stay up. Particularly when others in the drop zone have much tougher opponents.

With the exception of chelsea the other 3 in the top 4 are still going for it to try and secure a top 3 finish (and the easier CL run up that goes with it). A lot will depend on Arsenal v United. If United win that then Arsenal will have to play hard in their last 2 matches, as will United. Arsenal have Sunderland and then West Brom. United have Hull. Sunderland will therefore face a tough match as Arsenal will be looking to win it. United will want to beat Hull but it might be moot by then, but if they did lose to Arsenal and Liverpool/Tottenham win their matches, even then United might need to beat Hull to keep their CL spot. I don't think the bottom end will get an easy time from the top end with the possible exception of Sunderland's last game against Chelsea. I wonder if Newcastle will end up going down by virtue of Sunderland beating Chelsea following a fielding of the Chelsea reserves and youngsters.

QPR look likely to lose to Man City, probably beat Newcastle, taking them to 30, which makes their match against Leicester a big match (unless the others they are chasing have already got enough to make 33 insufficient), and with Sunderland only needing 1pt from 4 games (albeit all tough ones) to get to 34 it looks likely QPR will go down, unless they can produce something special against Man City.

Hull will probably beat Burnley (though not necessarily). If they do then Leicester's match with Sunderland becomes much more important, and potentially Leicester's match against QPR too. QPR will probably be relegated come what may by then, but playing for pride - and with the chance to sink another team alongside them. Could be quite a match if it comes to that!

Poor Villa however, no chance for a cheeky rest of players in the last match ahead of a cup final. If Leicester and Hull both win their next matches Villa will have to keep up their effort to the end to avoid a last minute calamity. So will Newcastle, but based on current form...

tbh given recent forms I hope Leicester stay up and Newcastle mop-up the 3rd relegation place with QPR and Burnley. Plus it would mean we don't have to see shots of Mike Ashley on MOTD for a while, which would be nice.

[Biscuit]

I'm under the impression Ashley has turned NUFC into a selling club in order to recoup all the loans he has invested into the club. The post match interview after the game where he accused the defender of getting deliberately sent off appears to be the breaking point.

Williamson has been hands down the worst centre back in the EPL this season. He was never premiership quality anyway.

That does seem to be Ashley's plan, although none of the debt has actually been paid off yet and we aren't even very good at it. They don't seem to sell on any of the deadwood, just the profit makers. We are now left with a squad full of deadwood. Its depressing.

QPR look likely to lose to Man City, probably beat Newcastle, taking them to 30, which makes their match against Leicester a big match (unless the others they are chasing have already got enough to make 33 insufficient), and with Sunderland only needing 1pt from 4 games (albeit all tough ones) to get to 34 it looks likely QPR will go down, unless they can produce something special against Man City.

33 points wouldn't be sufficient, as that's what Sunderland currently sit on. They need 35 minimum (so 36 really, as there is only 3 games remaining) to be realistically in with a chance of escaping due to the goal difference Leicester and hull currently have.

[ik9000]

33 points wouldn't be sufficient, as that's what Sunderland currently sit on. They need 35 minimum (so 36 really, as there is only 3 games remaining) to be realistically in with a chance of escaping due to the goal difference Leicester and hull currently have.

I agree - for QPR to have a chance a lot of teams need to lose while QPR win. I was trying to say that I think the best QPR can hope for is 33 (and they might not even manage that) so fairly likely they will be relegated given Sunderland already have 33. If Sunderland get 1 more point and QPR lose to Man City (likely) then it's a done deal.

[snedger]

Moved up to Leicester last year and am really enjoying the communal optimism generated for Leicester's chances of staying up.
I didn't think that they would do it, but they only need one more win, who knows.
Was looking forward to Brighton playing them in the Championship next season, so personally I am happy whatever happens.

I think that the way the ungrateful Newcastle fans have behaved towards Pardew and Ashley means that they deserve to have a Championship team - perhaps it will help to go towards stopping them telling southerners that they hate cockneys - implying that the southern accent owning person is thought to be a cockney - never even been to Bow

[Biscuit]

I think that the way the ungrateful Newcastle fans have behaved towards Pardew and Ashley means that they deserve to have a Championship team - perhaps it will help to go towards stopping them telling southerners that they hate cockneys - implying that the southern accent owning person is thought to be a cockney - never even been to Bow

The fans are ungrateful? 50000 people turn up to that stadium at every home game. The away stand at every away game is always full. People in Newcastle... actually ill correct that, people in the North East are passionate about football like nowhere else in the country despite the fact that our Trophy cabinets are tethering dust.
The management changed the name of the stadium, move the Statue of Sir Bobby, sell our best players, get us sponsorship deal from one of the most heinous companies in the country, don't reinvest profits but also doesn't pay off debt to the owner...
All football clubs would be nothing without the fans and they are the ones who should be treated with respect. The management earn the respect of the fans by showing ambition and not gambling the fortunes of the club and the spirit of the supporters on deliberate mediocrity.
I appreciate the comments about cockneys might get your back up, but how many Southerners can tell the difference between Northern accents from similar regions? I lived just outside the M25 for 4 years and I know what the typical attitude towards people from above Watford is like.
You are talking about mostly working class folk whose entire life has revolved around that club since they day they were born. So far the club has given them next to nothing back since Ashley took over.
The club deserve to go down, but that's because its being run like a bargain basement factory outlet, not because the fans protest against such behaviour.

In slightly more positive news for the Toon, Cisse is back and he does have a habit of scoring lucky goals. Perhaps him and Siem can just about pull us through.

[chrisFletcher]

Villa fan here, one more win and I think were safe.
As for going down, Burnley, Hull and Newcastle I think. Squeaky bum time at St James's!

[Andy3536]

So far the club has given them next to nothing back since Ashley took over.
The club deserve to go down, but that's because its being run like a bargain basement factory outlet, not because the fans protest against such behaviour.

I think that's right, i can fully understand the animosity towards Ashley. But i do think the animosity towards Pardew was unfounded.
If they were nicer towards Pardew, they'd still have a proper manager. Carver is out of his depth and i don't think he's helping the situation.
I'd hate to see Newcastle go down. (Not a Newcastle fan btw ;-) )

[ik9000]

did anyone see the news today with Carver saying he's the best manager in the league?!

[Biscuit]

I think that's right, i can fully understand the animosity towards Ashley. But i do think the animosity towards Pardew was unfounded.
If they were nicer towards Pardew, they'd still have a proper manager. Carver is out of his depth and i don't think he's helping the situation.
I'd hate to see Newcastle go down. (Not a Newcastle fan btw ;-) )

I'm in two minds about this really. I totally agree Carver is out of his depth but if you look at the options he has available to him, and if you look at what happened at the end of last season under Pardew, there is no real evidence to suggest the results would have been any different.
Lets also remember he wasn't sacked or pushed out, he was actually sold to Palace for 3mil IIRC!
The biggest factor in the whole debacle that is often overlooked is that he has history at Palace from his playing days. I'm sure other things attributed to his decision such as:
- He didn't have enough input into transfers
- There was to be no transfers by Newcastle in January
- He didn't feel confident with the players that were there
- The fans didn't rate him which made his day to day living arrangements uncomfortable
All of the above is basically irrelevant though, because he did leave of his own accord and with the blessing of management. The only real mistake that was made was gambling with the notion John Carver was good enough to bring in enough points for us to be safe. There are plenty of managers who could have been brought in on a caretaker contract who have the experience to do good enough, but the bank of Ashley said no...

did anyone see the news today with Carver saying he's the best manager in the league?!

I did... the guy is totally deluded for sure, but if you watch the whole video its quite clear that he is trying to get across that he has to have a winning mentality and the press/social media have somewhat taken it out of context.

[ik9000]

I think general elections should be made to be held after the end of the season. This sort of news might affect teams mental psychology and detrimentally impair performance. I mean with all those party leaders resigning due to a landslide series of losses, you've got to wonder what certain teams' managers (and the players under them) might be thinking right now.

[kalniel]

I think general elections should be made to be held after the end of the season. This sort of news might affect teams mental psychology and detrimentally impair performance. I mean with all those party leaders resigning due to a landslide series of losses, you've got to wonder what certain teams' managers (and the players under them) might be thinking right now.

They're thinking blue shirts are better than red

[ik9000]

They're thinking blue shirts are better than red

or black and white?

[Biscuit]

Is it worth bringing up the issue of disgraceful refereeing this season?

There has been some bloody woeful decisions this year. I wouldn't be surprised if the relegation spots are finalised by referee cock-ups, would really summarise the EPL this year.