Relegation - will we or won't we? *NO FIXTURE LISTS PLEASE*

[Guest Ebolarama]

Just did a pessimistic prediction on the BBC's fixture calculator.

 

Horrific scenario where Sunderland pick up wins at home against unmotivated sides that are safe from relegation, but have slipped out of the race for Europe.

 

On the last day of the season, Bolton are on 32 points by grinding out draws against mid table sides with nothing to play for, and beat Sunderland in their penultimate game, as the Mackems are already safe and are only to willing to lay down for the home side, to the delight of the their travelling fans.

 

Although we remain unbeaten in our first three home games, we only manage to win the easiest one, and our last home game ends in defeat as our opponents could still mathematically win the title, although it would depend on their rivals losing their last two.

 

With us and Wigan - who have been dragged back down as their luck eventually runs out - on 33 points, and Bolton only one point short, we are all facing relegation on the last game of the season.

 

Due to our abysmal goal difference, if we fail to win, Bolton only have to draw to stay up, and Wigan could then afford to lose.

 

Crucially, the top three has already been decided, as Arsenal's failure to beat any of their rivals and defeat against the champions leaves them marooned on third, but far enough from Liverpool in Fourth not to care.

 

But it is Chelsea, who have secured 2nd spot, and are looking towards their Champions League final, who seal our doom by playing mostly the youth team, not willing to take any chances on possible injuries.

 

Bolton gain their point at a canter. We need a point to stay up.

 

In a cruel twist of irony, our last opponents beat us to make sure of UEFA qualification ahead of their rivals, who eventually win the FA Cup ensuring both teams qualify anyway.

 

Those who can bear to watch any further are 'treated' to the sight of Steve Bruce saying how sad he is to see us go down, although he does this suppressing a big grin and gets showered with Champagne during the interview.

 

Of course, ex-Evertonian and ex-Mackem Boss Peter Reid is in attendance at Goodison Park, and Sam Allardyce is at

Stamford Bridge. Both revel in the grief and Keegan gives a tearful interview saying how our fans don't deserve this, and he'll stop at nothing to bring us back up at the first attempt.

 

Ashley makes a tit of Keegan, and by extension us all, when he sacks Keegan the day after and immediately installs Wise to bring us back up. 

 

Or we could stay up.

 

Jesus. If no one has told you to start looking into writing full time (hell, maybe you already are), they should do now. Chilling stuff, eloquently written.

[TRon]

It's worrying that with so many games left were already desperatly looking around us hoping a team will fall away.

 

The reality is our fate is still completely in our own hands and we have to get results, especially in the the next 2 games against Birmingham and Fulham.

 

To be fair, Keegan has always insisted we need 40 pts to stay up. Obviously we don't, but it's crucial we don't rely on others do do our work for us. At the end of the season, hard fixtures can mean fuck all, as some teams have nowt to play for. Arsenal or Chelsea could end up playing kids against one of our rivals. We have to stand up and secure our own survival starting tomorrow.

[Karjala]

Just seen Fulhams remaining fix on MOTD2, fuck me they could well get to safety and it could be any 2 of the others joining Derby.

[Robster]

Just seen Fulhams remaining fix on MOTD2, fuck me they could well get to safety and it could be any 2 of the others joining Derby.

What we have to focus on is the results of NUFC. No one else. IF we win and draw a few of the remaining games, we will be ok. It doesnt matter what Fulham do so long as we look after ourselves. If we dont then we will go down anyway as the 3rd bottom and deservedly so.

I think its a natural reaction when we see a bottom team win a match but we surely cant expect them to go on and win the rest of their games. There is a reason they are 2nd bottom. They just got lucky and caught Everton on a very poor day.

If we win tomorrow, the fans of all the other clubs will say the same about us.

[Wullie]

Just seen Fulhams remaining fix on MOTD2, fuck me they could well get to safety and it could be any 2 of the others joining Derby.

What we have to focus on is the results of NUFC. No one else. IF we win and draw a few of the remaining games, we will be ok. It doesnt matter what Fulham do so long as we look after ourselves. If we dont then we will go down anyway as the 3rd bottom and deservedly so.

I think its a natural reaction when we see a bottom team win a match but we surely cant expect them to go on and win the rest of their games. There is a reason they are 2nd bottom. They just got lucky and caught Everton on a very poor day.

If we win tomorrow, the fans of all the other clubs will say the same about us.

 

  Staying positive is paramount right now. No good going to the games with an worried attitude, especially next weekend. We have to believe that we can and will get out of it. That includes fans as much as players.

[Shak]

I'll be gutted if we don't at least give Birmingham a real good game.

 

We know we're in a scrap, our last game against a side we had a realistic chance of beating we gave a great account and were very unfortunate to lose. So we should feel we have something to prove and have a bit of confidence we can play OK.

 

If we go out and look dreadful and lose though, then we're deep in it.

[James]

I dreamt we needed to win vs Everton on last day to stay up last night.

 

We played the following team:

 

Harper

Geremi Beye Taylor Milner

Duff Barton Butt Walinho

Shearer Owen

 

We were 2-0 down, and were creating loads of chances and shooting on sight, but Howard had the better of him. Keegan brought on N'Zogbia, Shola, and some youngster called Cratchett, Shola nabbed a brace, and Cratchett got the winner.

[gray]

Bolton have Jussi out for the run in, not looking good for them like

[Robster]

Bolton have Jussi out for the run in, not looking good for them like

 

We have Smith fit for the run-in.... its not looking good for us

[9]

I dreamt we needed to win vs Everton on last day to stay up last night.

 

We played the following team:

 

Harper

Geremi Beye Taylor Milner

Duff Barton Butt Walinho

Shearer Owen

 

We were 2-0 down, and were creating loads of chances and shooting on sight, but Howard had the better of him. Keegan brought on N'Zogbia, Shola, and some youngster called Cratchett, Shola nabbed a brace, and Cratchett got the winner.

 

I go on holiday the day after the Everton game, should it come down to the last game iam either gonna go away and have a great holiday or a depressing one, Walinho will save us though iam sure.

[James]

I dreamt we needed to win vs Everton on last day to stay up last night.

 

We played the following team:

 

Harper

Geremi Beye Taylor Milner

Duff Barton Butt Walinho

Shearer Owen

 

We were 2-0 down, and were creating loads of chances and shooting on sight, but Howard had the better of him. Keegan brought on N'Zogbia, Shola, and some youngster called Cratchett, Shola nabbed a brace, and Cratchett got the winner.

 

I go on holiday the day after the Everton game, should it come down to the last game iam either gonna go away and have a great holiday or a depressing one, Walinho will save us though iam sure.

 

I have no idea who Walinho is, only that he's 17, and Portuguese. One of the best performances I have seen from a Newcastle winger based on the dream. We need to find him and sign him as he set up two of the goals.

[midds]

I dreamt we needed to win vs Everton on last day to stay up last night.

 

We played the following team:

 

Harper

Geremi Beye Taylor Milner

Duff Barton Butt Walinho

Shearer Owen

 

We were 2-0 down, and were creating loads of chances and shooting on sight, but Howard had the better of him. Keegan brought on N'Zogbia, Shola, and some youngster called Cratchett, Shola nabbed a brace, and Cratchett got the winner.

 

I go on holiday the day after the Everton game, should it come down to the last game iam either gonna go away and have a great holiday or a depressing one, Walinho will save us though iam sure.

 

I have no idea who Walinho is, only that he's 17, and Portuguese. One of the best performances I have seen from a Newcastle winger based on the dream. We need to find him and sign him as he set up two of the goals.

 

[Guest 22bnw]

I dreamt we needed to win vs Everton on last day to stay up last night.

 

We played the following team:

 

Harper

Geremi Beye Taylor Milner

Duff Barton Butt Walinho

Shearer Owen

 

We were 2-0 down, and were creating loads of chances and shooting on sight, but Howard had the better of him. Keegan brought on N'Zogbia, Shola, and some youngster called Cratchett, Shola nabbed a brace, and Cratchett got the winner.

 

I go on holiday the day after the Everton game, should it come down to the last game iam either gonna go away and have a great holiday or a depressing one, Walinho will save us though iam sure.

 

I have no idea who Walinho is, only that he's 17, and Portuguese. One of the best performances I have seen from a Newcastle winger based on the dream. We need to find him and sign him as he set up two of the goals.

 

 

the Portuguese Walcott?

[Guest Brewcastle]

Keegan scares the s*** out of me when he says "look at Leeds"  .

-Relegation sounds hypotetic, but looking back at the results - and the table, it's a real danger. But at same time the recipe to avoid it is clear and in the hands of the players. -It shouldn't be too much to ask for; that the "lazy gang" soon realize the situation and pulls themselves together and start picking points.

I'm a non-smoker, but if the season should bring relegation I'll prob. :  :toke:

[ChrisJbarnes]

those that saw the fulham game will probably agree. they were lucky to win. 2 chances i can remember- 1 the goal, the other where they missed a sitter. and a couple of row z-ers. other than that, everton dominated, and on another day would have won. the difference is fulham at least looked as if they were trying whereas we dont. they wont roll over at SJP, id expect us to win but im not taking anything as given. i also think theyll go down but hope they stay up providing its not at our expense!

[oldtype]

The impression I get from our first half v. Brum is that if we do avoid the drop, it will be because of sheer luck (pulling of a couple robberies like Blackburn did against us) and not by our own industry.

 

The players are lost, and Keegan is clueless. Unfortunately, a change in manager won't help anything right now. There's no way for us to drag ourselves out of this. It's down to God now.

[Shearergol]

On this performance, we're down. We're the worst team in the league at the moment (something I pointed out 12 games ago, but nobody seemed to agree).

[Dave]

Bully for you.

[Shearergol]

Bully for you.

 

Yeah, realise it looks that way, but it's not meant to. I just meant it was obvious something needed to be done in January, even to me. Yet nothing was done.

[Karjala]

Newcastle  30 29 -26

Reading      30 28 -22 

Birmingham 30 27 -12 

Sunderland 30 27 -22

 

Bolton        29 25 -15 

Fulham        30 23 -22 

Derby          30 10 -50

 

[TooonDoom]

There is a very good chance we will go over three months without a win in the league.  Aston Villa Top 4 in the form table at best a draw.  Man Utd .   Blackburn we have a chance but if we cant beat Bolton or Boro we wont beat them.  Liverpool  .  Birmingham away got a chance but who knows.   Fulham mid march will hopefully win.

 

I don't think we will get relagated but there is no doubt we are in a relagation battle now.   By mid march the table will make that clear as day.

 

 

[Guest Glorious Given]

We are definitely in trouble but the Birmingham game tonight has given me cause for optimism. We created a good number of chances in the second half and coming back from a goal down is very encouraging. Martins looked very threatening too and hopefully he will take that into the Fulham game.

 

I think we'll have enough to get 4 points from Fulham (H) and Reading (H), which will take us onto 33. As long as we do this, even if we lose all the other games (I actually think we have a chance of taking something against the mackems and West Ham, but just suppose we don't) I actually think 33 points will be enough this season, and I'd be very surprised if 35 points isn't enough to survive this season.

 

Luckily for us, we have been very poor for most of the season but so have 6 or 7 other teams, and thanks to Derby being so utterly woeful there are only two relegation spots to avoid. If Birmingham play like they did tonight against us I don't see them picking up many points in their remaining games. Add this to the fact that Fulham only have 23 points, an Anelka and Jussi-less Bolton only have 25 and don't look like winning a game soon, the mackems have only won 2 points away from home all season and now almost all their remaining home fixtures are against the top teams, and I think we will find two teams worse than us to go down along with Derby.

 

 

[Guest Spark]

Good post, Glorious Given. Sums up the reasons why we won't go down. I did that BBC predictor thingy last week, giving us deliberately poor results and we still didn't go down. Too many shit teams below us who have to play each other.

[Decky]

We are definitely in trouble but the Birmingham game tonight has given me cause for optimism. We created a good number of chances in the second half and coming back from a goal down is very encouraging. Martins looked very threatening too and hopefully he will take that into the Fulham game.

 

I think we'll have enough to get 4 points from Fulham (H) and Reading (H), which will take us onto 33. As long as we do this, even if we lose all the other games (I actually think we have a chance of taking something against the mackems and West Ham, but just suppose we don't) I actually think 33 points will be enough this season, and I'd be very surprised if 35 points isn't enough to survive this season.

 

Luckily for us, we have been very poor for most of the season but so have 6 or 7 other teams, and thanks to Derby being so utterly woeful there are only two relegation spots to avoid. If Birmingham play like they did tonight against us I don't see them picking up many points in their remaining games. Add this to the fact that Fulham only have 23 points, an Anelka and Jussi-less Bolton only have 25 and don't look like winning a game soon, the mackems have only won 2 points away from home all season and now almost all their remaining home fixtures are against the top teams, and I think we will find two teams worse than us to go down along with Derby.

 

 

 

[Guest Glorious Given]

We are definitely in trouble but the Birmingham game tonight has given me cause for optimism. We created a good number of chances in the second half and coming back from a goal down is very encouraging. Martins looked very threatening too and hopefully he will take that into the Fulham game.

 

I think we'll have enough to get 4 points from Fulham (H) and Reading (H), which will take us onto 33. As long as we do this, even if we lose all the other games (I actually think we have a chance of taking something against the mackems and West Ham, but just suppose we don't) I actually think 33 points will be enough this season, and I'd be very surprised if 35 points isn't enough to survive this season.

 

Luckily for us, we have been very poor for most of the season but so have 6 or 7 other teams, and thanks to Derby being so utterly woeful there are only two relegation spots to avoid. If Birmingham play like they did tonight against us I don't see them picking up many points in their remaining games. Add this to the fact that Fulham only have 23 points, an Anelka and Jussi-less Bolton only have 25 and don't look like winning a game soon, the mackems have only won 2 points away from home all season and now almost all their remaining home fixtures are against the top teams, and I think we will find two teams worse than us to go down along with Derby.