Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

2024/25 Relegation Thread

We always seem to start badly. Probably because the players are knackered from doing the bleep test all summer. I don’t think we are in serious peril this year. We were comfortable last season and we have better players this season.
 

Igrok said:
6 teams will play it out…
Click to expand...
And I don't think we'll be one of 'em.

Ipswich and Southampton will be cut adrift sooner or later, and Leicester don't have the strength in depth to get clear from the pack for any length of time imo. I actually fear for Brentford despite their start to the season - they have dropped off significantly from two years ago. Palace and Wolves will likely be in the mix. I think West Ham have too strong a squad to be down there, us too, maybe also Bournemouth but that said, they'd only have 2-3 points after 5 games if we hadn't handed them the win over us.


-

Although we're likely to always be fielding two or three liabilities every game (yesterday you'd say Mykolenko, Doucoure and Young - but Young was actually very good, so just two of them were expectedly crap) we have more than enough players that are easily top half / top six quality.

Branthwaite gets in any team, Pickford on his day starts for a lot of teams, Tarkowski when alongside Branthwaite is a top CB, Ndiaye absolutely class, Mangala looks like he is head and shoulders above relegation quality, Gueye is still very good, Garner would be a good squad player for mid-table clubs, DCL the same and I'm sure he'll hit form at some stage, McNeil looks like a new player now that he's given the opportunity to play centrally.

We'll need to carry some players, but we have plenty enough quality throughout the squad to finish around 10th imo, and all of us would settle for anywhere that sees us safe before the final handful of games, which we ought be be, be it in 10th, 12th or even 15th. Just get us to the new place, new owners, new manager and finally a moderate amount of money to spend.
 
So now we've got the monkey off our back with that first win can we take a step back and be sensible? I know its going to be a long season but I see no difference between this one and the last three we've endured. The bottom five or so teams (including us) are desperately poor and EVERYONE outside the top teams aren't much better. Its a truly wretched league. We'll coble together more points like we have with the last four and stay up via default. Who knows, maybe once the takeover is officially sorted we might even get a little bounce and be able to bring in a little reinforcement come Jan. Chins up blues. This isn't the season we finally collapse. Its just more of the same garbage we've come to expect.
 

Got a feeling Ipswich will get something off Villa today. They have a few injuries (Digne and McGinn out) and also Bayern Munich on Wednesday so a long trip to Suffolk and attention elsewhere.

I think Ipswich and Leicester are better than their promotion equivalents last season and they'll both get past 30 points. Southampton are a clone of Burnley last season so nothing to worry about there.

It would be good to beat one of them in the next few weeks, away wins to relegation rivals is what gets you into the mid table pack.
 

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Register
Back
Top