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

[knowing your history]

Fair point. Of the teams at the bottom I think Ipswich would be the most likely to go on a run. That’s why we need to keep picking up points and stacking wins.

Could stay up without winning another game imo, the recent run has been that good. Five more draws will keep this team up.

Ipswich are really really odd. Yesterday was actually their 10th away point of the season so they're competitive on the road but 7 points from their 13 home games is a desperate return.

It bemuses me the promoted clubs can't grasp they need to ditch their ideals and be tough to beat at home as that frequently keeps you up. Forest had it right when they first came up, think they collected 30 points at the City Ground in their first season.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

I never felt like Spurs would really be in this

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

It’s amazing we’re so close to Brentford when you consider just how much better they’ve looked this season compared to us for large periods of it

 

[knowing your history]

It’s amazing we’re so close to Brentford when you consider just how much better they’ve looked this season compared to us for large periods of it

They went months hardly getting an away point.

Need to be regularly finishing above them in next few seasons given they're established as solid mid table team which is huge overachievement based on their history and what they spend.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Which is why I have been saying for the last 3 years, it doesnt matter what the other teams do, it only matters what we do.

People spending their weekends praying no mark teams get beat was crazy.

Tbf, Newcastle holding Leicester was pivotal in the Doucoure Vs Bournemouth season

Leicester win that and we’re down

 

[blue61]

It’s amazing we’re so close to Brentford when you consider just how much better they’ve looked this season compared to us for large periods of it

If we'd won one of the games against Villa, we'd only be 2 points behind them. And look at all the plaudits they get in the media.

 

[Goat]

Tbf, Newcastle holding Leicester was pivotal in the Doucoure Vs Bournemouth season

Leicester win that and we’re down

Yes, when its that close, but if Everton had picked up another point at some point, yes I sound like Dyche, but we always controlled our destiny.

 

[brieverton]

It’s amazing we’re so close to Brentford when you consider just how much better they’ve looked this season compared to us for large periods of it

Three wins running is like golddust for any side below the Top 8.

Two wins running takes a big step to safety (unless you're Soton).

The margins in a 38 game season are quite small if you can string even two wins in succession.

We would probably have drawn our way to safety under Dyche but it's not an experiment I'd have wanted to try.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

They went months hardly getting an away point.

Need to be regularly finishing above them in next few seasons given they're established as solid mid table team which is huge overachievement based on their history and what they spend.

Brighton is another side in that bracket too

Well run club who are usually mid table and play decent togger

Need to overtake those clubs if we can so we can regain the “best of the rest” crown and then start looking at kicking on

Going to be a gradual process I think. Nottingham Forest going from nearly relegated to top four isn’t a regular occurrence

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Yes, when its that close, but if Everton had picked up another point at some point, yes I sound like Dyche, but we always controlled our destiny.

Big chance from the 1990’s that as well, where we needed favours

 

[jazzy]

Spurs will finish above us , they have so many good players coming back from injury.

However I see no reason whatsoever why we shouldn't finish ahead of Wham , Palace, Man U and Brentford. Brighton might just be too far ahead to catch.

 

[knowing your history]

Brighton is another side in that bracket too

Well run club who are usually mid table and play decent togger

Need to overtake those clubs if we can so we can regain the “best of the rest” crown and then start looking at kicking on

Going to be a gradual process I think. Nottingham Forest going from nearly relegated to top four isn’t a regular occurrence

Brighton and Brentford have similar methods with the owners and their data. I think Brighton will be a bit more difficult to overhaul in long term as they've shown their performances remain consistent even when changing managers and selling key players.

Brentford had Frank since October 2018 and I reckon he'll move on in the summer so that's the big question mark.

Good thing for next season is Forest and Bournemouth look certs to get some form of European Football so that will knock both down 4-5 places if not more as neither have the squad to play Thurs-Sunday and Bournemouth could lose key players and Iraola soon.

Go back 10 years and Stoke, Swansea and Southampton were consistent top 10 prem finishers so that's the cyclical element of Football if you're a mid table club and get a few managerial appointments and key signings wrong.

 

[Tony’s Carp]

Clearly as bad as they are United aren't in the battle this year, but you look at their situation and I honestly think it might get worse before they get better. They are stuck with so much crap they won't be able to shift due to high wages, and they are in a real hole financially / PSR wise without any European football.

Yeah they are a big club with a big profile internationally but all that will be on the wane too - if you're some gloryhunting kid from another country why are you choosing United? So in so many ways these years of underperformance will just be making their finances worse and worse. It all really feels like Moshiri's Everton on a grander scale.

Quite possible they might have to sell their better young players to keep things steady, and be stuck with the players who keep letting them down. As crazy as it sounds they could very well be in an even worse position this time next year.

 

[jazzy]

Three wins running is like golddust for any side below the Top 8.

Two wins running takes a big step to safety (unless you're Soton).

The margins in a 38 game season are quite small if you can string even two wins in succession.

We would probably have drawn our way to safety under Dyche but it's not an experiment I'd have wanted to try.

I'm genuinely not convinced that Dyche would have key is up Bri.

Teams that can't score are prime candidates for relegation

 

[jamieni]

Clearly as bad as they are United aren't in the battle this year, but you look at their situation and I honestly think it might get worse before they get better. They are stuck with so much crap they won't be able to shift due to high wages, and they are in a real hole financially / PSR wise without any European football.

Yeah they are a big club with a big profile internationally but all that will be on the wane too - if you're some gloryhunting kid from another country why are you choosing United? So in so many ways these years of underperformance will just be making their finances worse and worse. It all really feels like Moshiri's Everton on a grander scale.

Quite possible they might have to sell their better young players to keep things steady, and be stuck with the players who keep letting them down. As crazy as it sounds they could very well be in an even worse position this time next year.

Their fans just think they’re still the biggest and most successful club on earth. They don’t see it’s all imploding. Ratcliffe isn’t doing great with Ineos at the minute. Taken to court by the All Blacks. People seem to think he’s over extended himself. Could be major trouble ahead for them.