Relegation 2022/23

[luuk_deventer]

The problem we've got is it could click for a Leicester in a way it never was going to for Burnley or Watford. Maddison is the type of player that could keep them up single handedly if he finds form. We haven't got anyone like that in our ranks. If we go into the bottom 3 next Saturday, I find it hard to see us getting out.

I expect we’ll be in there by the end of today as Forest is a difficult place for any team to go, especially a very out of sorts Man Utd team missing big players.

 

[jinkyali]

Simms only starting games at Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd (and Chelsea) away is a bit of a joke like. Bin him off or give the lad an actual chance.

Simms scores one, if not both, Maupay sitters yesterday.

 

[efcforever]

Yep, looking like Leicester, Southampton and one from ourselves and Leeds.

Not Forest?

 

[COYBL25]

Not Forest?

Forgot about them

 

[BlueStevie35]

I expect we’ll be in there by the end of today as Forest is a difficult place for any team to go, especially a very out of sorts Man Utd team missing big players.

United have got the player that makes their midfield tick back in Casemiro plus Eriksen

 

[ForeverBlue92]

It’s hard to see a way out of this after that , it was a massive kick in the teeth and hugely depressing but if we can’t beat a out of form Fulham team with nothing to play for then we’ll get what we deserve .

Every team can point to a defeat throughout the season and say they "should" have won on paper. If football was that simple the bookies would be out of business.

Just need to take each game as they come.

 

[friendlyleeds]

Think Leeds will be fine

I don’t

 

[matty1878]

Every team can point to a defeat throughout the season and say they "should" have won on paper. If football was that simple the bookies would be out of business.

Just need to take each game as they come.

well we do mate under dyche. it’s not working 3 defeats on the spin

his honey moon period is ra over after that yday

it’s his job to try and get us back up now

which won’t happen.

you will get your grim day out at blackpool tho lad.

 

[Drico]

I thought we had enough about us when Dyche came in to get us over the line, and hopefully we still can, but this squad of players are embarrassing.

The fans have been worn down and yesterday was the first time I’ve thought the fans seemed tired of trying to lift players who are either not good enough or not interested.

The fans are worn out. They've been taken for granted - and for fools - for 25 years. They've had their good name taken by a nefarious, self-aggrandising board. They can see that most of these players aren't up to it. They can also see that some of these not-up-to-it players are hugely overpaid and are, in some cases, looking for more or do not want to be here.

Not the ingredients for fervent support, I'd say.

I reckon yesterday was a penny drop moment for Dyche. All illusions are gone after that.

 

[JamesEFC]

Only source of optimism for me is we’re still outside the bottom 3, just.

If Leicester overtake us then we’re done in my opinion. As dreadful as they’ve been they have attacking options, and some tough but winnable games coming.

 

[degsy]

I'm waiting at an airport so got all sorts of time on my hands here...

We need Leicester and Forest to lose five more games, and also hope that Leeds utterly collapse to join the fight they currently have a two point advantage on.

We have no goals in us and for some really, really strange reason our only possibly source of goals, despite having been in full training for weeks, isn't being included in the match day squads.

He was "touch and go" for the Liverpool game two months ago and I can't remember being told of any major setbacks in his recovery. Very peculiar from Dyche to be so cryptic as if people aren't aware DCL returning and instantly scoring goals is our only hope of survival.

All of Wolves, Bournemouth, Palace, West Ham for me are, sadly, easily safe now as there isn't a chance they'll not pick up a handful of points from here, which is literally all they'll need. So much for a bottom half dogfight. It's now two from four to join Southampton.

Leicester fixtures:
Wolves h, Leeds a, Everton h, Fulham a, Liverpool h, Newcastle a, West Ham h.
- New manager, didn't get thumped by City, and on paper the best squad amongst those fighting the drop. I've put three home victories, but hopefully they take no more than 5-7 points instead from those three, and perhaps a lucky draw against Fulham. Maximum 10 points, but hoping for Wolves to do us a favour, take a draw, and them to get 8 more only.

Prediction: Leicester end on 33 points and a better GD than Everton.

Leeds fixtures:
Liverpool h, Fulham a, Leicester h, Bournemouth a, Man City a, Newcastle h, West Ham a, Spurs h.
- Two games I can see them winning here, with the potential of digging out a win against one of Bournemouth/West Ham in there too, or 4 points from those two games. Absolute maximum return of 10 points for me, hopefully more like 7-8.

Prediction: Leeds end on 37 points and a better GD than Everton.

Forest fixtures:
United h, Liverpool a, Brighton h, Brentford a, Southampton h, Chelsea a, Arsenal h, Palace a.
- Going to say an absolute minimum of 3 points, possibly spawn another win and two unexpected draws if they really fight for it. No more than 7 more points as that run in is as tough as it gets.

Prediction: Forest end on 33 points and a better GD than Everton.

--

Obviously all of the above is utter guesswork, but I don't feel it'll be too far off. Leeds will be safe with 2--3 games to go imo, and Forest will enter the final day needing a win, plus Leicester and Everton defeats to stay up.

Everton for me should target 34 points. A point a game is enough, but we're comfortably below that and no indication at all that our form or return will improve.

Three victories will do it, but when you've had six in 31 games, you can't go expecting three in seven games.

That Leicester game is absolutely huge now, but I just don't see it. We don't win away, simple as that, and especially not against teams who are quick and nimble, as Leicester can be. A flukey draw would absolutely do.

But we'd still need 6 more points somewhere.

Bournemouth will be mathematically safe with about 4 games to play, so we have to hope we have DCL, Onana, Doucouré ready and can get at them final game.

Forget Brighton and City, we will get battered by both.

Wolves will also be safe by the time we play them, if we battle and not get defeated by Leicester, it might take a similar effort to not be beaten by Wolves to take another point.

I honestly can see a maximum of 5 more points for us. We are absolutely crap, cannot defend, cannot score unless it's a fluke, penalty, set piece (rare occasion) or a moment where one of our players decides it's actually within the rules to shoot from range (McNeil). No six-yard tap-ins for Everton for the rest of the season, or through balls latched onto and put past the keeper.

Prediction: Everton to end on 32 points and finish 19th, behind Forest in 18th on 33 and Leicester also on 33 but with a superior GD.

16th: Leeds - 37
17th: Leicester - 33
- - - - -
18th Forest - 33
19th Everton - 32
20th Southampton - 25-30

Will return to this after the final game and hope I've been dreadfully wrong.

At this point, one persons guess is as good as anothers and who's to say you're wrong

...until our next win

 

[Drico]

If forest and Leeds lose today and tomorrow then we are in no worse of a position than the start of yesterday, granted some a pulling away but it was always going to be between us, Leeds and forest to go down with Southampton, but we have the added bonus of Leicester being in there too, keep your heads guys.

It's not so much the mathematical facts that are upsetting right now, it's yesterday's performance and the sense that we will not have a more favourable home fixture in which to earn points until the last day.

You're assessment is correct - but we're soon going to resemble the snooker player who is sitting in his seat with a 26 point lead while his opponent comes to the table with all the colours in a very pottable position.

 

[Drico]

Only source of optimism for me is we’re still outside the bottom 3, just.

If Leicester overtake us then we’re done in my opinion. As dreadful as they’ve been they have attacking options, and some tough but winnable games coming.

We're going to need some wins now. Starting at Palace.

 

[JamesEFC]

We're going to need some wins now. Starting at Palace.

Yup, and I just have zero faith in us getting an away win.

Palace in form and a win sees them safe if they’re not already.

Wolves maybe if they’re safe and on the beach when we visit?

 

[ForeverEverton]

I don`t see how we stay up.... I think Southampton and Forest will go just because Southampton are 4 below us and have hit some poor form and Forest have by far the worst run in.

Leicester with their bounce will get out of it, Leeds are 2 ahead of us and are capable of scoring goals.... The way I see it is we need 3 points more, because of our inferior GD, than Leeds between now and the end of the season....

Simply not going to happen, we need to prepare for what`s coming, after seeing the last 2 games and how the team just folded it is clear Dyche has lost the players and they`ve reverted back to how they were under Carlo, Benitez, Lampard and now it is happening to Dyche.

Dyche cant stop this now, perhaps he could with a Burnley side he had together for years but not this group of mercenaries who do not give one toss what happens to this club... I dont see a way back.