brummie

I have just had a horrible thought. This match isn't on Sky is it? Please say no, otherwise I'll end up watching it.

It is remarkable that sides like Norwich, Fulham and Southampton, teams who people labelled safe weeks and weeks ago, are now not safe. Even you're not safe. If as expected you lose to Chelsea, Wigan beat Swansea but lose to Arsenal and some how we beat QPR and Norwich beat West Brom at home then you could go down if you lose to Wigan. Far from safe, you're right there. But it's about probabilities. I just looked at RTG and they're talking about how they're safe. They're not, there are lots of teams who are not safe, so you look at what they need to do to make themselves safe, and you need to go to QPR and win. No matter how shit your manager is, or how poor you've been for months now, that does not change the fact that you've got a really excellent chance to pick up three points. Look at us, a little over seven days ago, we were looking the most likely to challenge Wigan to go down. A couple of wins and we've drifted to about 28-30 / 1 with the bookies. There is next to nothing in it for lots of clubs, and three points make a huge, huge difference. Of all the teams playing this weekend, who have an - on paper - easier chance to pick up three points than you?

It is remarkable that sides like Norwich, Fulham and Southampton, teams who people labelled safe weeks and weeks ago, are now not safe. Our manager said we were safe in March. I thought you were safe as soon as the January window closed. I compared it to our near total lack of activity and felt suicidal.

It is remarkable that sides like Norwich, Fulham and Southampton, teams who people labelled safe weeks and weeks ago, are now not safe.

Wigan need to win the match first. You're three points ahead of them. You have the points, they don't. I don't see how they're in a better position than you. Cos they look like winning every game they play atm, whilst we look completely incapable. They don't, though, that's the thing - they were lucky against Albion. People look at Wigan and just assume they're going to do it again. If you then look wider, there are far more teams in the mix now than there were a few weeks ago.

Wigan need to win the match first. You're three points ahead of them. You have the points, they don't. I don't see how they're in a better position than you.

I see us 24 hours away from 18th place, with only 2 games to go. And your next fixture is as easy as it gets. You'll win at QPR and this'll seem like a distant time of panic. You've really not watched us this season, have you? No, but I have paid close attention to every other team in the relegation fight. It always looks worse when you are talking about your own team, but there are teams in worse positions than you, and it is in your own hands. Beat QPR and you're fine. Maybe if you can't win there, you deserve to get relegated, but honestly, both Wigan and Norwich are in worse positions, clearly, and I believe Sunderland are as well.

I hope this wonderful man is right. I totally agree with him too. Win at QPR and we are safe, it's simple, Pardew needs to recognise that though and set us up for a victory. I didn' see their game this weekend but my friend send they were playing like a bunch of gutless mercenaries with no team spirit, we should really win. You have easily enough quality. Sunderland, on the other hand, have had their easiest remaining game tonight, only taken a point, had another player sent off, and have to play Southampton, who have as much to play as they do, and Spurs away. Sunderland need to be very, very worried.

I see us 24 hours away from 18th place, with only 2 games to go. And your next fixture is as easy as it gets. You'll win at QPR and this'll seem like a distant time of panic.

Win at QPR and there's no way you're going down. You will win at QPR. I see you much safer than you see yourselves.

Where's the creativity in that Sunderland line up? Maybe Larsson from set pieces, but that's about it.

Stoke win Too right. Best result for everyone in the relegation fight. Lose that one after last week's drubbing and Sunderland's morale will be on the floor.

To be entirely honest, we have been playing well for longer than our results suggest. I think we've won 5, drawn 1 and lost 2 of our last eight games, which is good, but the decent performances go a fair way further back than that. We've also been massively, massively helped by the return to form of Agbonlahor. I read yesterday that we have started with a front three of Agbonlahor, Benteke and Weimann in 10 matches, in which the three of them scored 20 goals. Basically, what is happening now is we are scoring goals ok, but we are still defending with massive fragility. It's almost "have to go for it because we'll concede, we just need to score more than we concede". I am pretty sure that our last clean sheet was something nuts like 19 league matches ago. We are still not safe, though, and that clean sheet problem is the major reason why. The current table is utterly nuts if you look at how many teams are not safe yet, and plenty of them are playing badly. I honestly think you have got to take three points from this game. If you do that, then you're absolutely safe. Maybe being away rather than home will also help you, in the sense of nerves being less of a problem.

Of course, if Wigan lose against Swansea in mid week, they look more and more adrift. My Albion supporting mate was telling me that Wigan totally, totally fluked it yesterday. I also think Albion will do Norwich next week (yesterday, Norwich were utterly awful), which leaves them with a trip away to Man City on the last day of the season to salvage something.

And often hundreds of pounds. Indeed.

Every football forum in the world has at least one "it's just not the same any more / I don't care so much these days / I've lost the love" thread, and every one of them is posted in mostly by people who are agreeing, whilst they continue to dedicate hundreds of hours of their lives watching, thinking about, talking about and writing about football.

That's the thing, it is so open. I thought the likes of Southampton, Fulham, and you too were safe ages ago, now looking at the table, it is much more open.

Win at QPR next week and there is no way on earth you're going down. It is a must win match, and if you're going to have a fixture which fits that category, then away at QPR is not a bad one to have by any stretch.

It is the worst thing in football. It is nigh on impossible to build anything with any permanence.

Was the injuries that stopped him imo. Wasn't when he was with us. Didn't really settle.

What a day today has been, shows just how horribly close it all is at the bottom.

The whole day is going to be horrible for anyone supporting a club at the arse end of the table. It's just horrible, horrible, horrible.

IT's ON THE SCREEN

Shut the FUCK UP Townsend, FFS

This was in the Holte End last night, apparently. I was wincing a bit at the spelling of granddad rather than grandad, but a quick google reveals both are acceptable.