Relegation 2022/23

[windymiller]

Regardless of who plays who this weekend......At this moment in time, right now at 11:29am on this very Friday, I'd rather be in Evertons shoes and every Leeds, Leicester and Saints fan would agree.

We've all got tough games this weekend, all capable of a surprise win and all capable of a good hammering.

BUT the main thing is, we have the points on the board and Leeds and Leicester have to claw them back. Forest know we are right on their coat tails.

We've given ourselves a fantastic chance of staying up and 100% after the likes of Fulham and Newcastle at home, I thought we were absolutely nailed on for relegation.

Players just need to find that belief and desire they shown at Brighton, 3 more times. If they do that, we'll get enough points to stay up.

At this stage, points on the board is everything, there's too few games to trouble yourself over games in hand, who has the most favourable fixtures etc... Just keep your nose in front and keep it in your own hands. It's why I was so pessimistic before last Monday and why I'm a lot more optimistic now (although still bricking it).

 

[TyphooToffee]

This is my thinking lately. At this point in the season anything can happen and often does. The scores earlier this week were bonkers.

We shouldn't really have been so surprised at beating Brighton. We were very unlucky not to win at Leicester and momentum was building. SD made the right decisions in team selection and his tactics worked perfectly. Their starting XI showed that RDZ had underestimated us. Obviously none of us expected such an emphatic scoreline but, after being 0-3 down at half time, if they didn't get an early goal back they would leave space at the back for Iwobi and McNeil to exploit.

The only problem now is that Wolves, in particular, will be prepared. But if they have to change their playing style that won't necessarily be a bad thing.

 

[DuncanPatterson]

We shouldn't really have been so surprised at beating Brighton. We were very unlucky not to win at Leicester and momentum was building. SD made the right decisions in team selection and his tactics worked perfectly. Their starting XI showed that RDZ had underestimated us. Obviously none of us expected such an emphatic scoreline but, after being 0-3 down at half time, if they didn't get an early goal back they would leave space at the back for Iwobi and McNeil to exploit.

The only problem now is that Wolves, in particular, will be prepared. But if they have to change their playing style that won't necessarily be a bad thing.

Given most of Iwobi and McNeil's performances this season it wasn't clear if they'd be up to exploting anything

The Man City game probably won't be the right game for us to work out if Brighton was a sign of better things or more of a one off performance like the Arsenal game in February

Not many games to go so hopefully our Brighton performance can be replicated at least once for another three points and potential safety

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

I've seen nothing so far from Leeds (including the City game) that suggests they can get anything from Newcastle. The last two games maybe.

Leicester for me are the ones on the brink. IMO they'll get f.a. from the next two games and we'll need just another two points to stay ahead of them. And I think Forest will only get a maximum of 1 point in their last three games.

Back to Leeds: I believe they'll get a maximum 4 more points.

Overall: two more points for us and we'll get over the line. We're in good form and so with a fit team we should do that.

Before Brighton I was hoping for 2 points from the Brighton and City games - we already have three. Hence everyone's sunnier disposition in this thread. We are still far from safe but 3 more good performances and we could be. This weekend is a coin toss all around, but Wolves and Bournmouth we are back on the "must not lose" trail.

 

[HKContractDave]

We shouldn't really have been so surprised at beating Brighton. We were very unlucky not to win at Leicester and momentum was building. SD made the right decisions in team selection and his tactics worked perfectly. Their starting XI showed that RDZ had underestimated us. Obviously none of us expected such an emphatic scoreline but, after being 0-3 down at half time, if they didn't get an early goal back they would leave space at the back for Iwobi and McNeil to exploit.

The only problem now is that Wolves, in particular, will be prepared. But if they have to change their playing style that won't necessarily be a bad thing.

No not really - only 1 change from their win against United (Undav for Gilmour who isn't a regular either)

 

[GoldenToffee]

Those west ham matches are the worry,especially with Europe sandwiched I'm between,they may rest players,although they have a pretty decent squad...

This is exactly why we cannot rest on our laurels and must continue to treat every game like a cup final. We have our destiny in our own hands and we have to pull ourselves over the line regardless of what the other teams do. All of West Ham, Leicester and Forest can win 3/3 games and, if we do our job, we will still stay up.

 

[Toffeepot]

No not really - only 1 change from their win against United (Undav for Gilmour who isn't a regular either)

yea just the one change from utd game
2 changes from their first choice 11...Buonanotte for March and Undav for Veltman(Gros to RB) which is far from underestimating us
March was struggling for fitness and Veltman injured too, so sort of forced changes

 

[maccavennie]

At this stage, points on the board is everything, there's too few games to trouble yourself over games in hand, who has the most favourable fixtures etc... Just keep your nose in front and keep it in your own hands. It's why I was so pessimistic before last Monday and why I'm a lot more optimistic now (although still bricking it).

Same here mate. As far as I'm concerned, that win on Monday meant that we should at least have a chance of staying up on the last day if we win.

I think @MikeH72 mentioned it last Sunday, if we lost to Brighton and City and results went against us, we could have been relegated before we'd even kicked a ball against Wolves. That's just how MASSIVE that Brighton win was.

It's given us a chance to keep our destiny in our own hands which we most definitely didn't have after Newcastle tore us a new one and the players looked finished

 

[MikeH72]

Same here mate. As far as I'm concerned, that win on Monday meant that we should at least have a chance of staying up on the last day if we win.

I think @MikeH72 mentioned it last Sunday, if we lost to Brighton and City and results went against us, we could have been relegated before we'd even kicked a ball against Wolves. That's just how MASSIVE that Brighton win was.

It's given us a chance to keep our destiny in our own hands which we most definitely didn't have after Newcastle tore us a new one and the players looked finished

The Brighton result for sure flipped the whole thing on its head. It was probably the biggest shock result I can recall us pulling off in my lifetime, when you consider how bad we are, the position we’re in, proximity to the end of the season and the form and quality of the opposition. I can’t think of another result quite like it in the past 25 years.

 

[blue to the bone]

Futile as predictions are but I'll guess of the 4 teams in the battle none of them Will win and only one team will get a point. Not sure who though

 

[COYBL25]

The Brighton result for sure flipped the whole thing on its head. It was probably the biggest shock result I can recall us pulling off in my lifetime, when you consider how bad we are, the position we’re in, proximity to the end of the season and the form and quality of the opposition. I can’t think of another result quite like it in the past 25 years.

The 3- 0 game at home against Arsenal in 2020, when Arteta scored an own goal and Baines put him on his arse ?

 

[HKContractDave]

The 3- 0 game at home against Arsenal in 2020, when Arteta scored an own goal and Baines put him on his arse ?

2014 you mean? We finished 5th that season though and Arteta had retired by 2016

 

[COYBL25]

2014 you mean? We finished 5th that season though and Arteta had retired by 2016

I stand corrected, that`s the game though.

Everyone thought Arsenal would tear us a new one and we just bossed the whole game, Arteta got really arsey during the game and tried to snap Baines, who promptly pushed him over and told him to pack it in.

 

[davek]

Before Brighton I was hoping for 2 points from the Brighton and City games - we already have three. Hence everyone's sunnier disposition in this thread. We are still far from safe but 3 more good performances and we could be. This weekend is a coin toss all around, but Wolves and Bournmouth we are back on the "must not lose" trail.

If we get to the end of Monday and Forest, Leeds and Leicester are still on the points they're on now I'd say the odds will have MASSIVELY shifted in our favour.

 

[MikeH72]

I stand corrected, that`s the game though.

Everyone thought Arsenal would tear us a new one and we just bossed the whole game, Arteta got really arsey during the game and tried to snap Baines, who promptly pushed him over and told him to pack it in.

No they didn’t? We were already ahead of them going into that game if I remember right, we were having a great season, that definitely wasn’t a shock result for me. They had also taken a few batterings that season, 6-0 at Chelsea and 5-1 at Liverpool, we really should’ve finished above them.