Will we get dragged in to a Relegation Battle? *NO FIXTURE LISTS PLEASE*

[Yorkie]

I wasn't considering relegation until today. Aye, lots of teams have lost at Villa, but not like that. + the fixtures coming up, + the fact that we don't look possible to win a game. If don't beat Blackburn at home i really will be absolutely bricking it.

[Guest Brazilianbob]

Who would have thought we would be in this position back in the summer when Ashley bought out FS and the Halls.  We all thought Europe at the very least and the the future looked so bright.

 

Now it looks very very bleak indeed.

 

Is it possible Ashley will sell up if we go down?

[Decky]

The losses against Man Utd, Arsenal and Villa isn't what's worrying. The worriyng part is that we did'nt beat Bolton or Middlesbrough at home, or Derby for that matter. Those 6 points that we could have had from those games would have seen us 6 points of safety by now. Can't see where 12 points are going to come from.

 

Mackems at home, Reading at home aswell should be 6 points, think we go away to Brum. Fulham at home too?

[Guest newcastle4life]

We are getting closer and closer to the bottom teams should just avoid relegation, but must win soon especially against the lower teams we play like the mackems they are must win games, if we dont it could be a disaster.

[Syrette]

The teams below us are just as bad.

 

Are they? One thing most of them seem to have over us is some sort of confidence and fighting spirit, even if they lack in actual quality.

[Karjala]

Im not expecting us to get any points from any games except Reading, Fulham and Scumderland. Fancy 5 from those 3, and that will be enough for safety.

[Decky]

Brum (away)

Fulham (home)

Reading (home)

Sunderland (home)

 

Should be 12 points in the above, at least 9 IMO

 

Blackburn (home)

Pompey (away)

West Ham (away)

 

At least 3 points in those aswell

 

Then we are safe.

 

[Guest Jai]

We'll have enough to stay up, then we start again next season. Again.

[Dave]

Same goal difference as 19th place Fulham.

[Karjala]

Brum (away)

Fulham (home)

Reading (home)

Sunderland (home)

 

Should be 12 points in the above, at least 9 IMO

 

Blackburn (home)

Pompey (away)

West Ham (away)

 

At least 3 points in those aswell

 

Then we are safe.

 

I admire your optimism, and I really hope you are right. But i just dont see this team getting 12points in the remaining 12 games.

[Guest Jai]

Brum (away)

Fulham (home)

Reading (home)

Sunderland (home)

 

Should be 12 points in the above, at least 9 IMO

 

Blackburn (home)

Pompey (away)

West Ham (away)

 

At least 3 points in those aswell

 

Then we are safe.

 

I admire your optimism, and I really hope you are right. But i just dont see this team getting 12points in the remaining 12 games.

 

We'll get the points, have some faith man!

[indi]

Posted this in the match thread, but gonna post it in here and all, so I don't have to keep reading the utter bollocks that people spout in there whenever we lose - is there anything worse than the match thread after a defeat!?!? - anyway:

 

It's pretty simple really.

 

The team's confidence is very very fragile and their fitness is also not up to scratch. We start games well and at a good tempo, but we can't keep it going into the second half and when the other team comes back into the game we don't have either the heart or strength to cope with it. Once one goal goes in then our heads go down and it's almost inevitable that more will follow. What people on here are either ignoring - or simply to fucking stupid to see, perhaps - is that our good periods are getting better and lasting longer, progress is being made.

 

At the moment it's not important how badly it goes wrong once it's gone tits-up, it's all about what happens before that point. What we really need is to manage to grab a couple of goals when we're playing well at the start of a game and then scrape home to a win. Once we've done that, you'll see the confidence come flooding back into the team and I reckon we'll go on a bit of a run towards the end of the season. However it's going to take a while and it could go wrong if the players stop believing that it's going to happen. KK will have his work cut out to keep their morale up and if you see us start a game like we've been finishing them, that's when we should start to really worry. For once the fans do actually have a real chance to make a positive difference and hopefully the people who seem to love nothing better than wallowing in our own crapness, by booing the team at the earliest opportunity and going way over the top on here, will either shut up or suffer some unfortunate accident.

 

Yeah, we're poor at the moment, but we're getting better, there are still positives to be seen.

[Guest Dev]

Really the idea that all three of Brum, Reading and the mackems will get 6 points more than us in the run in is ridiculous. Obviously we cannot compete with the top 8 or so teams but neither can they. We are playing all three of those teams and realistically we will beat at least one of them, if not two or all three. The only way we are going to be in trouble is if we lose all three of those games. We will probably have Faye, Beye, Owen, Viduka, Duff, Zoggy and Emre available who are all serviceable players who should be able to put some goals away and hold the toothless attacks of the bottom 5 at bay.

 

The whole 12 points people are bandying about it rubbish, it won't need nearly 40 points to stay up. Brum have 21 from 25, how exactly are they going to get 19 points out of the next 13? They might salvage 12 if they are lucky, which will require us to win only two games for the rest of the year. I hope the relegation hysteria is trolling, otherwise its pathetic.

[Doug]

How can any of you possibly believe we will get 3 points from Sunderland or Birmingham away

(any points away for that matter).

I find it nothing short of incredible how many people on here have been in denial for so long.

4th from bottom would be a terrific escape for us this season and I would take that now..

27points is nowhere near safety.

 

Doug

[Guest Dev]

How can any of you possibly believe we will get 3 points from Sunderland or Birmingham away

(any points away for that matter).

I find it nothing short of incredible how many people on here have been in denial for so long.

4th from bottom would be a terrific escape for us this season and I would take that now..

27points is nowhere near safety.

 

Doug

 

I thought we had 28?

 

And didn't we already do the Sunderland away thing? Are we all so hysterical we are already conceding a home game to the mackems?

 

And since when did brum away become a fearsome fixture?

[robbo_11]

I think we will have to rely on the clubs below us not picking up points. Games against Sunderland, Reading, Birmingham and Fulham will be crucial (three of them being at home).

 

[Doug]

Okay so I missed a point,  28 is no where near enough then.

I must say I admire your faith and optimism. I am afraid I have followed Newcastle for too long to allow myself to build up hope any more, although I know it helps to be upbeat.

I guess bitter experience and intuition tell me this may all end in tears. the writing has been on the wall all season especially since the abject capitulations away to Derby and home to Portsmouth.

The mantle of a relegated team hangs heavy in the memory of those performances.

 

Doug.

 

[Guest Emmet]

How can any of you possibly believe we will get 3 points from Sunderland or Birmingham away

(any points away for that matter).

I find it nothing short of incredible how many people on here have been in denial for so long.

4th from bottom would be a terrific escape for us this season and I would take that now..

27points is nowhere near safety.

 

Doug

 

I thought we had 28?

 

And didn't we already do the Sunderland away thing? Are we all so hysterical we are already conceding a home game to the mackems?

 

And since when did brum away become a fearsome fixture?

 

Since todays for fucks sake! I have no confidence in our team to win away at the moment - against ANYONE! Honestly they are that bad, whether it be a confidence thing or whatever, I just wouldnt trust them with a lead agaisnt any team. Loooking at our fixures i am seriously worried -  whos to say we'll take all three points of the likes of Reading, Makems etc? I honestly wouldnt back us at the moment and let me tell you, with matchs agaisnt the likes of Liverpool and Man U coming up, confidence is gonna be at an all time low by the time we play these "winnable" games people are talking about.

 

Im fucking worried and im not afraid to admit it. My only hope is that therll be another team which are as bad as Derby and Fulham cos i think theyve gone already. This current team are a fucking shower of shite. Players who i dont weant to see anywhere near the team next season are; Carr, Cacapa, Duff, Milner, Butt, Smith.

 

Problem is their forming the fucking spine of the team at the moment  

 

 

[Tachikoma]

The teams below us are just as bad.

 

Are they? One thing most of them seem to have over us is some sort of confidence and fighting spirit, even if they lack in actual quality.

 

This.

 

Reading seem to be playing better than us today, or my eyes are playing tricks on me.

[ShearMagic]

I wasn't considering relegation until today. Aye, lots of teams have lost at Villa, but not like that. + the fixtures coming up, + the fact that we don't look possible to win a game. If don't beat Blackburn at home i really will be absolutely bricking it.

[Syrette]

I just want this season to be over with already. In February. I'm sick of wanting to write off seasons, each time thinking with a new season will come a change in our fortunes.

[Guest Dev]

How can any of you possibly believe we will get 3 points from Sunderland or Birmingham away

(any points away for that matter).

I find it nothing short of incredible how many people on here have been in denial for so long.

4th from bottom would be a terrific escape for us this season and I would take that now..

27points is nowhere near safety.

 

Doug

 

I thought we had 28?

 

And didn't we already do the Sunderland away thing? Are we all so hysterical we are already conceding a home game to the mackems?

 

And since when did brum away become a fearsome fixture?

 

Since todays for fucks sake! I have no confidence in our team to win away at the moment - against ANYONE! Honestly they are that bad, whether it be a confidence thing or whatever, I just wouldnt trust them with a lead agaisnt any team. Loooking at our fixures i am seriously worried -  whos to say we'll take all three points of the likes of Reading, Makems etc? I honestly wouldnt back us at the moment and let me tell you, with matchs agaisnt the likes of Liverpool and Man U coming up, confidence is gonna be at an all time low by the time we play these "winnable" games people are talking about.

 

Im f****** worried and im not afraid to admit it. My only hope is that therll be another team which are as bad as Derby and Fulham cos i think theyve gone already. This current team are a f****** shower of s****. Players who i dont weant to see anywhere near the team next season are; Carr, Cacapa, Duff, Milner, Butt, Smith.

 

Problem is their forming the f****** spine of the team at the moment  

 

 

 

Well if the team is as terrified as you are we probably will go down

[chicago_shearer]

Posted this in the match thread, but gonna post it in here and all, so I don't have to keep reading the utter bollocks that people spout in there whenever we lose - is there anything worse than the match thread after a defeat!?!? - anyway:

 

It's pretty simple really.

 

The team's confidence is very very fragile and their fitness is also not up to scratch. We start games well and at a good tempo, but we can't keep it going into the second half and when the other team comes back into the game we don't have either the heart or strength to cope with it. Once one goal goes in then our heads go down and it's almost inevitable that more will follow. What people on here are either ignoring - or simply to f****** stupid to see, perhaps - is that our good periods are getting better and lasting longer, progress is being made.

 

At the moment it's not important how badly it goes wrong once it's gone tits-up, it's all about what happens before that point. What we really need is to manage to grab a couple of goals when we're playing well at the start of a game and then scrape home to a win. Once we've done that, you'll see the confidence come flooding back into the team and I reckon we'll go on a bit of a run towards the end of the season. However it's going to take a while and it could go wrong if the players stop believing that it's going to happen. KK will have his work cut out to keep their morale up and if you see us start a game like we've been finishing them, that's when we should start to really worry. For once the fans do actually have a real chance to make a positive difference and hopefully the people who seem to love nothing better than wallowing in our own crapness, by booing the team at the earliest opportunity and going way over the top on here, will either shut up or suffer some unfortunate accident.

 

Yeah, we're poor at the moment, but we're getting better, there are still positives to be seen.

 

Confidence and attitude is probably 40-50% of the problem.  We also have to recognize that this is a shockingly poor team - when we eventually get rid of half our players you won't see them again at this level. 

 

Hysterics don't do anyone any good, but if we manage to survive this season, drastic, expensive action has to be taken.

 

In the mean time, I think we need about 9 points.  Anywhere will do.

[Guest Emmet]

How can any of you possibly believe we will get 3 points from Sunderland or Birmingham away

(any points away for that matter).

I find it nothing short of incredible how many people on here have been in denial for so long.

4th from bottom would be a terrific escape for us this season and I would take that now..

27points is nowhere near safety.

 

Doug

 

I thought we had 28?

 

And didn't we already do the Sunderland away thing? Are we all so hysterical we are already conceding a home game to the mackems?

 

And since when did brum away become a fearsome fixture?

 

Since todays for fucks sake! I have no confidence in our team to win away at the moment - against ANYONE! Honestly they are that bad, whether it be a confidence thing or whatever, I just wouldnt trust them with a lead agaisnt any team. Loooking at our fixures i am seriously worried -  whos to say we'll take all three points of the likes of Reading, Makems etc? I honestly wouldnt back us at the moment and let me tell you, with matchs agaisnt the likes of Liverpool and Man U coming up, confidence is gonna be at an all time low by the time we play these "winnable" games people are talking about.

 

Im f****** worried and im not afraid to admit it. My only hope is that therll be another team which are as bad as Derby and Fulham cos i think theyve gone already. This current team are a f****** shower of s****. Players who i dont weant to see anywhere near the team next season are; Carr, Cacapa, Duff, Milner, Butt, Smith.

 

Problem is their forming the f****** spine of the team at the moment  

 

 

 

Well if the team is as terrified as you are we probably will go down

 

Well i think the team is as terrified as me. Hence predicament we are in.

 

 

[Big Geordie]

Very much a relegation fight now. What worries me is that many of the players don't seem to have the stomach for a fight and that's a huge problem. If Keegan can't motivate them, then we could well be f**ked.