The Now-Irrelevant 2024/25 Relegation Battle (Without Everton!)

[matty1878]

I just reckon they will be happy for now if he’s keeping us above the relegation places mate and as long as he’s doing that he will still be here.

happy they’ve spent millions to buy us with a manager that can’t win football games

with a risk for your asset to go down?

no mate

 

[BlueStevie35]

Leicester can win games, so can Wolves, we can only manage draws at best.

Leicester have only won 1 since October and 3 all season same as us

Wolves are the only one, barring us changing managers, who look capable having taken 7 points from since since swapping O’Neill for Pereira

 

[mikel_88]

Who would they get if they went the De Rossi club legend route? Struggling to actually think of an active manager who qualifies.

Thats on them is plenty of good managers out there, good coaching can improve this team

 

[ClausThomsen]

Had to laugh at Coleen Rooney being in the crowd today. Even she's given up on Rooney's managerial career (he'll be sacked by Plymouth very soon).

I think Baines as a caretaker will probably happen for a game or two but far too early to consider him as manager.

If he promises to pick himself over Mykoleko I'm all for it.

 

[matty1878]

Who would they get if they went the De Rossi club legend route? Struggling to actually think of an active manager who qualifies.

they will have who ever it is lined up

we as much are we are poo

( most to dyche on the pitch part )

are still an attractive job

 

[brieverton]

Do we have all of the big six to play at home, apart from Chelsea?

Surely that's better than having to play all of them away.

Bit confused about the argument that we've had a theoretically "easier" first half of the season than others.

 

[ClausThomsen]

Thats on them is plenty of good managers out there, good coaching can improve this team

I was speculating about 'Club Legend' type managers as happened at Roma under the Friedkins rather than good managers in general.

Needs more than good coaching to improve this team. It needs new players as well. Over half of the starting 11 isn't near PL quality in terms of individual ability.

 

[blueblueskies]

Do we have all of the big six to play at home, apart from Chelsea?

Surely that's better than having to play all of them away.

Bit confused about the argument that we've had a theoretically "easier" first half of the season than others.

We also have Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton at home to come

 

[knowing your history]

Do we have all of the big six to play at home, apart from Chelsea?

Surely that's better than having to play all of them away.

Bit confused about the argument that we've had a theoretically "easier" first half of the season than others.

Still got to play RS, Chelsea and Newcastle (final day) away. Fulham and Forest are also in the last six weeks and those games won't be easy either with both going to be in the shake up for euro qualification.

I don't see many away wins at all, a few draws yes so going to be needing possibly five more wins at Goodison to sure of surviving.

 

[HalfTimeSayers]

Leicester look quite neat and tidy going forward. But the more they push, the more they concede as their CBs and keepers are all atrocious. Even if they tried to shut up shop, they’d still concede through individual clangers.

PSR should stop them strengthening or gambling on spending big to stay up. Lower limit after a year in the Championship etc. Won’t get away with it twice.

Wolves have a couple of decent players and one potential superstar. That will be enough.

Bums are clenching to be honest. I don’t think it’s as simple as sack Dyche and rocket up the table. Any change is a huge risk for any club, never a sure thing regardless who comes in. E.g. Nuno at Spurs vs. Nuno at Forest. Element of luck that everything clicks.

 

[Del-boy]

Think we will end up in a straight shoot out with Leicester to see who takes the last spot.

 

[Blue peter]

Living in the past will do nothing for our chances. How has last season helped City win the league?

I think is naive to say Forest were supposed to be below us just because they were last season. If you recall Forest spent a fortune(and was docked points for it) on a complete overhaul of their roster. It nearly sunk them because as everyone knows, it takes time for players to bed in. But that gamble just barely paid off and now the players they spent vast sums on have seasoned another year together. Ive been told on these forums over and over again that we have to spend on talent or else we wont get better. Now we have another team that spent a lot on talent, and Im told they are "supposed" to be worse than us because at some point in the past they were.

They spent 357m in the past 2.5 years to upgrade their squad, a net spend of +213m while we were -79m. They added a WHOPPING 300m more in talent than us in the past 3 years and are "supposed" to be worse than us because last season they finished lower?

To be fair, there are some decent ponts above but the bit in bold has been achieved through a multiplier of having better players, yes but also effective coaching. You put their under performance down to being an immaturely assembled squad which has then matured, however it only does this if a manager knows how to get the best out of them and coaches them accordingly.

Finally, in light of say above, do you believe that the progress they have made has been reflective of a 36 point swing? They were 16 points behind last season and currently 20 ahead as of now. I like most people don’t think they will sustain it but who knows, and it maybe one of those seasons where everything falls for them, but what you say above does not justify the current delta between ourselves and them.

 

[knowing your history]

We also have Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton at home to come

Going to need to win all three I suspect. Can't be saying a draw at home to Leicester in a few weeks is going to be good enough if the gap is only three points to 18th still.

I have a feeling that will be the next manager's first game so hopefully bounce will be good enough for the three points there and then build from it.

 

[knowing your history]

Think we will end up in a straight shoot out with Leicester to see who takes the last spot.

I wouldn't totally rule out Ipswich. Yes they're limited and inexperienced at this level. However they have already taken 8 points away which shows they have some mettle and Delap is already making an impact at this level. Also will surely win some home games in the second half of the season so they could still hit 30 points which is currently six wins away from them.

 

[knowing your history]

Think we will end up in a straight shoot out with Leicester to see who takes the last spot.

Leicester also have Southampton and Ipswich at home in the final five games of the season which is an interesting quirk of the fixture list.