Relegation Fight 2014/2015

Groucho · March 5, 2015

matty1878 said:
We shoudnt be relying on other teams mate with this squad. We shoudnt be in this position with this squad. Martinez takes the blame by not changing his ways and now it's taking it's toll. He's had numerous games to fix this he's not and now we are staring into the bottom. Not good enough not good enough.

I agree completely.

However, this shouldn't be a cue to remain totally negative.

We must remain positive, even if it's based on blind hope.

Jason Allen · March 5, 2015

I think we are lucky that there's 3/4 poorer teams in the league. Would be nice to see a couple of wins before the season is out but with 1 win in 11 league games or whatever it is I see it as highly unlikely. Just wish he'd show us a plan B when things haven't gone to plan!

Mikey_Fitzgerald · March 5, 2015

In 94 and 98, I kind of expected it because, a few decent players aside, we weren't a very strong team

This side, on paper at least, is stronger than both those sides

The reason we are in this mess is a mixture of poor tactics, man managment and some players being massively out of form

The crowd doesn't help, I grant you, but the flacid and sterile football on offer hardly enthuses either

davek · March 5, 2015

Groucho said:
I was thinking this last night. We were bottom of the league for the first half of '94/95.

Can you imagine some of the younger fans if that was the case now?

It's not great, but this is fixable.

...very fixable. Beat Newcastle and the whole complexion changes again.

I cant blame people for being down in the dumps, but we have to have some perspective.

Terrible season that we have to get out the way asap. That's all this is right now. Does it have the potential to get worse? Yes. But similarly this can all be put to bed in the space of a couple of games...the window is closing on the teams in the relegation spots. We need to see this out, not scream and throw a tantrum and demand sackings.

Groucho · March 5, 2015

davek said:
...very fixable. Beat Newcastle and the whole complexion changes again.

I cant blame people for being down in the dumps, but we have to have some perspective.

Terrible season that we have to get out the way asap. That's all this is right now. Does it have the potential to get worse? Yes. But similarly this can all be put to bed in the space of a couple of games...the window is closing on the teams in the relegation spots. We need to see this out, not scream and throw a tantrum and demand sackings.

Very fair.

streeky · March 5, 2015

Del said:
Hoping to see that yellow ticker on sky news "Martinez sacked"

i was hoping when I woke up to see something on the sports channels, but nothing. The guy looked close to tears in his interview last night ,he has mentally gone.

neil999 · March 5, 2015

i think the crowd atmosphere will be different(i hope) against newcastle, we know now we need a win and we have to get behind the team

matty1878 · March 5, 2015

FOXINPEACE said:
Yeah I agree you shouldn't even be in the mix with the players at your disposal. You will stay up though and the summer should see a massive overhaul in your squad.

At the moment it doesn't look like you have any game plan. Just looks like RM sends the players out and hopes for the best. Even the best players need a system to play.

Good luck anyway, wouldn't like to see Everton go down. Would make it even harder for us to get promoted next season lol

Mate if Everton go down we won't come back ever. Good luck for the rest of the season.

The Esk · March 5, 2015

Blue Cheese said:
On the same note, where is your evidence that 'we are definitely not going down'?

How can I provide evidence about the future? I can express an opinion on the most likely course of events, as I have done and based on a projection that a 6 point cushion and a superior goal difference is sufficient with 10 games to play, the form of the bottom 3 and our remaining fixtures.

The poster to whom I referred was making a statement about the current situation using the past tense and qualifying his comment "certainly".

Bit of a difference...

matty1878 · March 5, 2015

neil999 said:
i think the crowd atmosphere will be different(i hope) against newcastle, we know now we need a win and we have to get behind the team

Yearh it can help us. But if we was to concede things might get ugly

streeky · March 5, 2015

Our left side needs to be fixed immediately, playing a rookie defender with no cover in front of him is suicide, when he does get cover it's usually naisey who is a striker, stokes first goal last night was a classic case of what are our left backs doing this year defending in an area around the 18yd box when their man they should be marking is on the wing crossing.

neil999 · March 5, 2015

matty1878 said:
Yearh it can help us. But if we was to concede things might get ugly

even then we have to keep going, the villa crowd were great against west brom

Blue Cheese · March 5, 2015

the esk said:
How can I provide evidence about the future? I can express an opinion on the most likely course of events, as I have done and based on a projection that a 6 point cushion and a superior goal difference is sufficient with 10 games to play, the form of the bottom 3 and our remaining fixtures.

The poster to whom I referred was making a statement about the current situation using the past tense and qualifying his comment "certainly".

Bit of a difference...

But a few of you are oh so sure we are not even in a relegation dogfight that i assumed you had hard facts for your argument.

People are getting jittery and whilst I can accept that a few of you are staying strong and positive it's too close to comfort for me. But we are all kopites and knee jerkers apparently for being worried about our predicament.

davek · March 5, 2015

catcherintherye said:
In all honesty mate I think the stability of Moyes has certainly influenced a generation of fans.

I don't remember 94 so clearly, but in 98 at times our strike force was Fergusan (injured a lot) then 3 teenagers, (cadamateri, Branch and Oster). When Fergusan was injured we had the equivalent of Long and McCaleny leading our line. We now have international forwards like Lukaku.

We were truly awful, and in honesty I have no idea how we avoided relegation over that 7 or 8 year period.

We will not go down. The only possibility is if Martinez completely loses the dressing room, in which case he'd be sacked and somebody else will come in and get the points required to stay up.

In 98 we had Barmby in the hole and Madar and Ferguson pretty much leading the line. You have to also factor in the absolute tosh in other teams back then too. It was a poor division and we were never out of the clutches of the drop zone all season. It was completely dire for about the last 8 months. HK had been let down by Johnson on transfer funds - although I think he agreed to it just to get the job back. It almost cost us.

Alex Hindmarsh · March 5, 2015

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
Ability wise yes

But tactically, our style of play is very easy for a team of "Naismith's" to negate, especially at the pace play goes at in The Premier League

It worked last season, but teams have had a chance to see it now and have sussed it out

We scored 5 goals against Stoke last season. We haven't scored once against them this season. That tells you all you need to know

They completely nullified us. As did Hull and WBA

Obviously we're only in this because of the tactics etc but I'd have our team over any team in the bottom half if we're getting really desperate. I'd have our manager over any other bottom half team aswell but yeah the blunt attack is a real worry, but that's confidence in my opinion.