Relegationometer

[Guest chopey]

Getting worried now

[Ketsbaia]

The only encouraging thing from yesterday is that we scored twice from open play (corner had been cleared a bit for the 2nd). We suddenly know how to score goals again, whereas before we were a good defensive team. It's a complete change.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

For me what gives me hope is Gayle, Atsu and Murphy as they all have pace, energy and a willingness to attack the opposition. We need to play them all together.

[Dave]

For me what gives me hope is Gayle, Atsu and Murphy as they all have pace, energy and a willingness to attack the opposition. We need to play them all together.

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I’d love to see 433 with Merino/Hayden/Shelvey with those three in attack. Fuck lumping it up to Joselu.

[Stifler]

For me what gives me hope is Gayle, Atsu and Murphy as they all have pace, energy and a willingness to attack the opposition. We need to play them all together.

Yeah, and with that we should deal with the elephant in the room, by dropping Ritchie.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Joselu was actually canny enough yesterday in that role, but we played far too many long balls up to him and Leicester cottoned onto this tactic very early on and the longer the game went on the less effective he become and the less we benefitted. We looked much better when Atsu came on, him, Murphy and Gayle were causing lots of problems and getting in and behind their back line. Morgan was eating up all those long balls and had an easy game, but whenever one of those 3 ran at him he couldn’t handle it. We actually played some very good stuff when Atsu came on.

[sempuki]

Everton, West Ham and Brighton - we need a couple of wins from these games before the new year. Arsenal and Citeh are write-offs.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

For me what gives me hope is Gayle, Atsu and Murphy as they all have pace, energy and a willingness to attack the opposition. We need to play them all together.

Yeah, and with that we should deal with the elephant in the room, by dropping Ritchie.

 

Yep which we may well see as Rafa wasn’t happy with him yesterday. Atsu did more in his cameo than Ritchie has done in open play in a few games recently. It’s not rocket science. Atsu can play left or right and offers us an outlet. He can be played in or can carry the ball and his pace makes defenders drop off. His pace allows us to stretch the opposition too.

[Stottie]

Up to five, but only by rounding up. Four point seven or similar.

 

I saw Brighton get shown up by Huddersfield, so I think them and Swansea are worse than us. It's then take your pick out of about four sides, including us and West Brom. Pards decided McClean was a better sub to bring on that Chris Brunt, so there is hope there.

 

[mrmojorisin75]

this bad run is starting to look like it might be epically bad by the time we win again...everton game imperative, we absolutely must beat them otherwise for the first time i could see us being in a bit of bother

[Hhtoon]

Up to five, but only by rounding up. Four point seven or similar.

 

I saw Brighton get shown up by Huddersfield, so I think them and Swansea are worse than us. It's then take your pick out of about four sides, including us and West Brom. Pards decided McClean was a better sub to bring on that Chris Brunt, so there is hope there.

 

Agree with this. We're in trouble and am concerned, but we had a good run earlier so still hope. Lascelles needs to return ASAP and then hopefully he can help firm up the defence. Merino needs to find form again and with Gayle and Murphy showing improvement then might have enough....obviously a couple of incomings wouldn't hurt!

[Zippity]

Up to five, but only by rounding up. Four point seven or similar.

 

I saw Brighton get shown up by Huddersfield, so I think them and Swansea are worse than us. It's then take your pick out of about four sides, including us and West Brom. Pards decided McClean was a better sub to bring on that Chris Brunt, so there is hope there.

 

Agree with this. We're in trouble and am concerned, but we had a good run earlier so still hope. Lascelles needs to return ASAP and then hopefully he can help firm up the defence. Merino needs to find form again and with Gayle and Murphy showing improvement then might have enough....obviously a couple of incomings wouldn't hurt!

 

I'd go further than that and say a couple of signings are imperative...without them we'll go down, imo. The team that went down last time had far more quality, albeit this team doesn't share their sh*tty attitude and we have a much better manager too (that was McClaren's relegation, not Rafa's). Much as you could make a case for strengthening every area on the pitch, if we're looking at a couple of signings only, I think someone to stop almost every single team taking the piss out of our midfield and a goalscorer would be the priority?

[The College Dropout]

It's a championship squad up and down.

 

Need a GK, AM & CF. Could also do with a winger, cm, cb, lb..... rb.

[sempuki]

Title says it all:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5165611/Newcastle-going-Benitez-doesnt-transfer-funds.html

[Dave]

Well it's total bollocks.

[Zippity]

Well it's total bollocks.

 

Not least because it calls it a 'mini crisis' 

 

[Disco]

I'd say we're about 50/50 to go down at the moment. I think the weird thing if we'd spread our results out there'd be a lot less panic than there is now but such is football.

[samptime29]

5 games in, we had 9 points. 11 games later, we've added 6 points.

 

It's absolutely shite form, no doubt. This Everton game feels vital.

 

No win there, we have Arsenal and City, in next 3 games. Very worried tbh.

[Rich]

The clems around us have finally started to pick up points as well:

 

[afar]

The assumption is that if we have some decent money to spend we'll be safe, is that really a fair assumption to make ? 17 million net spend in the summer brought in very limited quality and didn't improve our overall squad ?

 

If there is no takeover is Ashley going to commit to spending the same in January, a window he has always maintain you get no value in ? Where do you spend 17 - 20 million ? A few weeks ago you would be crazy not to say at number 10 or up top. Now suddenly the defence is probably our most worrying aspect, but can you really fix that with short term purchases ? A new CB ? Yet another full back ? Will that solve the problems we have shipping goals. Is it all just because we need a big upgrade at GK ?

 

In all, it's more than just "throw some money at it and it'll fix the problems" for me. We've been set up poorly in recent games, the team selections have been poor and too many players have been horribly out of form. Rafa has to get them back to playing the way we were at the start of the season, defensive first and foremost, concentrating on giving little away at the back, even when we lost against Spuds, Huddersfield and elsewhere, we didn't give up a bunch of chances. Now we are so wide open that a clean sheet seems impossible. Against Everton, I would much prefer to see a 0-0 than a 3-3 or something because we need to first and foremost get back to what we've been good at under Rafa.

 

Who else will be in a position to buy in January ? I think both the other promoted sides Brighton and Huddersfield over extended themselves a little in the summer and are struggling (although Brighton almost bought a big money striker on deadline day).  I'm doubtful either will be looking to spend more. West Ham and Palace both spent some money in the summer, but probably do have some kitty to work with and probably would be prepared to spend it to save their PL status. Swansea brought a lot in through the sale of Sigurdson, which they may want to reinvest but may not want to take the risk. Stoke need investment too and probably have the capacity to spend. West Brom are probably in the same situation as Stoke.

 

At the end of the day our rivals won't be sitting on their fingers either they will invest, we have to spend just to keep up let alone improve and we have to spend wisely, prioritise positions of need, focus on getting them in as early in the window as possible. But at the same time work a lot harder in training on our approach to games and team set up, which frankly hasn't been good enough over the last 8 games or so where we've amassed one point.

 

Three teams need to be worse than us, I can see Brighton and Huddersfield being two teams we can overhaul and are not likely to be big players in the window, Swansea have been in horrible form until Pardew rolled into town, hopefully that doesn't give them the lift. Palace and West Ham have found some form and are likely to get out of it I feel. West Brom haven't yet gotten Pardew usual start boost, hope is that that never arrives. Stoke have the quality to get out of the mess they are in, they are capable of putting together a little run that will push them up the table and I think they will do it.

 

Still a lot of other teams in as much of a mess as we are, we've simply got to pick up though and win those games against the teams around us, we've still got Brom, Swansea, Brighton and Huddersfield to play at home this season, got to make the most out of those games and also pick up points some place else, we are still a long way from 40 points and almost at the halfway mark.

[Superior Acuña]

The way people use these numbers pisses me off no end every single season. We are in a bad way but 8 is the most frequent number here, no rational f***ing way we're 80% likely to go down     3 for me. Soz for moaning.

[Hughesy]

Yeh - people voting for an 8 or above are so certain we are going down, they should be piling in on some bets on us to go down. We're currently about 3-1.

[HawK]

7 in the first poll, 7 in the second. If Rafa goes or we are taken over it would push it either way.

[Nexumaster]

I'm an 8 based on the fact that the takeover won't happen. I think as it stands we obviously aren't the worst team but when the takeover doesn't happen, Rafa leaves, confidence is sapped and injuries pile up I think it will crumble. A lot rides on the takeover, not for money for January as I don't think there will be time for that now, but in terms of keeping our manager and instilling some confidence in players.