Who is for the Drop?

I've probably just given Blackburn the kiss of death by suggesting on their thread that they'll avoid the drop.

My teams for the drop are the three new boys. I think inexperience will ultimately count against them. QPR's recent poor results are not far off becoming a freefall. Despite very respectable starts, I don't see Norwich or Swansea scoring enough and believe their commendable work rates may lead to them both running out of gas around Easter.

All carefully worked out and most likely entirely wrong. What do others think?

18th - Bolton
19th - Wolves
20th - Blackburn

QPR
WBA
Blackburn

I think we'll see Blackburn, Wigan and QPR all drop.

I think Bolton should start to improve, Coyle is a good manager but they're all just low on confidence after the FA Cup semi-final, they have a group of players that should keep them up.

Unfortunately I can see Wigan going down, I really like them and the players, they play some good football sometimes but they are horribly inconsistent. I think it won't be long before Martinez gets an opportunity at a bigger club.

I also think QPR will go down, they're already struggling and simply don't have the players to keep them up, signing other team's rejects doesn't really work. Saying that, I've been impressed by Shawn Wright-Phillips, he's also been a little good player so it's a shame that it's only now that he's had a good run in the first team of a club since his early days at Manchester City as I think he could have done well. Players like Traore, Gabbidon, Luke Young are not going to keep you up!

18th:Bolton
19th:Wigan
20th:Blackburn

18th Wigan
19th QPR
20th Bolton

Bolton look pretty dreadful this season, and even K. Davies can't get them the goals this season.
Still reckon Blackburn have enough experienced players to get them out of it, Wigan don't look good enough so I say they will drop.
Unfortunately Wolves can't stop leaking the goals so this is my 3 teams.

18 - Blackburn
19 - Bolton
20 - Wigan

I think these 3 teams won't be able to summon the reserves needed for survival.

IMO blackburn are gone, i cant see them winning many games....bolton dont score enough goals, and wigan's squad dosent have enough quality in it.

cricketfan90 wrote:IMO blackburn are gone, i cant see them winning many games....bolton dont score enough goals, and wigan's squad dosent have enough quality in it.

With Yakubu at the front and Samba at the back, if they keep them fit, they might be ok.

Excellent away wins today for Swansea and Norwich, the latter pushing QPR further into the mire. Add into the mix a home defeat for Blackburn undoing some of the good from their win at Old Trafford. Intriguing and still a long way to go ....

In my eyes Norwich need another 10-12 points to stay up and Swansea need another 12-14 points. I feel 35-37 points will keep teams up. I can't see Blackburn, Bolton or Wigan getting over 20 points in there remaining 19-18 games.

personally i think that it Blackburn, Wigan & Bolton. because i can't see them picking up enough points to stay up, plus they could be losing some key players this month.
QPR will be buying some players which could keep them safe, but i expect them along with Norwich down there and Villa also.

Olly - you make a good point and I understand entirely where you're coming from. I still think confidence and experience might play a part. If (I accept it's a big ''if'' at the moment), Blackburn, Bolton or Wolves can get a couple of wins on the bounce, their position and, more importantly, their whole outlook could be transformed.

Equally, two or three losses in as many games for Norwich and Swansea and self doubt could creep in. If that does happen, it will be interesting to see how such inexperienced Premier League players cope. To be fair, both sides are far nearer the safety line than I expected at this stage. However, sometimes the final step is the hardest to take ....

Can't look past Wigan and Bolton as dead certs for me.

Think Blackburn might join them, although I am hopeful Wolves go down.

QPR
Wigan
Bolton

Have a feeling Blackburn will survive by the skin of their teeth.

guildfordbat wrote:Olly - you make a good point and I understand entirely where you're coming from. I still think confidence and experience might play a part. If (I accept it's a big ''if'' at the moment), Blackburn, Bolton or Wolves can get a couple of wins on the bounce, their position and, more importantly, their whole outlook could be transformed.

Equally, two or three losses in as many games for Norwich and Swansea and self doubt could creep in. If that does happen, it will be interesting to see how such inexperienced Premier League players cope. To be fair, both sides are far nearer the safety line than I expected at this stage. However, sometimes the final step is the hardest to take ....

I think Paul Lambert has said he is looking to get Premier League experience in this transfer window and I wouldn't be surprised if Brendan Rogers did too. Two of the best managers coming up in a long time, wily in the transfer market and great tacticians.

Blackburn
Wolves
Bolton

qpr
blackburn
bolton

A very surprising win tonight for Bolton given the majority of views here ....

This window could determine their fate.
For me their Wigan won't scrap and claw their way out of it this year.
Blackburn just look horific.
I'm predicting Norwich will do a Blackpool unfortuantely.
I think Swanseas defence is good enough to keep them up therefore my predictions are,
Wigan
Bolton
Blackburn.

A Fine Folk. wrote:This window could determine their fate.
For me their Wigan won't scrap and claw their way out of it this year.
Blackburn just look horific.
I'm predicting Norwich will do a Blackpool unfortuantely.
I think Swanseas defence is good enough to keep them up therefore my predictions are,
Wigan
Bolton
Blackburn.

Surely if Norwich are going to do a Blackpool they'll go down????

blackburn, wigan and QPR at the minute, QPR could have a better chance depending on who they sign in the window. but just dont see warnock being able to lift the players. slagging off your players to the media certainly wont be helping

seems the QPR owners were listening to me about warnock!!

18. Bolton
19. Blackburn
20. Wigan.......

18. Blackburn
19. Wolves
20. Wigan

A cracking weekend for Norwich and Swansea who seem hellbent on making me eat my relegation prophecy for the three clubs promoted last season from the Championship. QPR at least seem to be living down to my expectations. Meanwhile, Steve Kean veers between being nominated as Manager of the Season and burnt at the Blackburn stake ....

I think Bolton & Wigan look certainties. Blackburn might just do it if they can hold onto Samba & the Yak stays fit.

Sadly, as a Wolves fan, I'm not sure we'll be able to battle our way out of this one.

But I do think there will be a team that just drops into it, like there usually is. Birmingham & Blackpool last season & Hull & Burney the season before that.

I find it difficult to pinpoint three sides that don't seem able to get themselves points and get out of it.

I agree that Bolton and Wigan are the weaker teams of the likely candidates, but I can't commit to either being certainties. Somehow Wigan always seem to dig themselves clear...

Even though they were at home, still a darned fine performance and valuable point for Norwich today. More than a week left in January and they are probably only 7 or 8 points from safety and proving the first of my relegation tips absolute garbage!

Vital drop game coming up - QPR v Wigan. Both desperately need 3 points from that ....

Another useful point for Blackburn today - even though they are back in the drop zone...

very handy point today for us, i think we need around 11 points to make certain of safety

ncfc_Tooze wrote:very handy point today for us, i think we need around 11 points to make certain of safety

Hi Tooze - you're right that you need 11 more points to be ''certain of safety''. However, in reality, I don't think you'll need as many as that. A final tally of around 36 or 37 will probably be good enough. I do though understand you erring on the side of caution.

Good wins (they're all good!) for QPR, Bolton and West Brom yesterday. Meanwhile, Swansea lost at Sunderland and could still be sucked into the mire.

Btw, what's the word on Norwich Hight Street about Simeon Jackson? I saw him play a few times for Woking. He stood out at that level but I never thought he would progress to the Premier League.

when jackson came on yesterday, the crowd immediatly started signing a song about him lol.

hes very well liked Guildford,
he is a quick player and likes to beat the man, works well with holt
he scored the goal which got us promoted which always helps likeability.
scored 4 goals at prem level which is a decent return when he starts from the bench more often than not

Catastrophic loss for Wolves and Mick McCarthy, chance to drag Villa in to the weeds and gain some separation from the bottom, but that was thrown away.
Plus perhaps he'll finally get the message about misplaced loyalty for Karl Henry.
Big gap in midfield for three games at least now Henry AND Frimpong are gone.
Will Doyle and Hunt ever wake up and contribute this year?
Lots of questions, but not many answers. Sadly.

Who is going down??
Wigan.. i hope not Dave Whelan has done a fantastic job with Wigan so i hope they stay up

Blackburn.. For Steve Keans sake i hope they do stay up. Then the moronic lot who want him out can shut up..(but they wont)

Wolves.. I do like Mick McCarthys style, he says it as it is, top class fella.

Bolton.. Do want this team to go down as it could be the end of them. Coyle is a good manager, he will get it right.

Q.P.R. Looks like with Hughes in charge they will stay up
For me it is very very tight this season.
For me though i think
Norwich
Swansea
Wigan.

For me

18. QPR
19. Wolves
20. Wigan

I just think Blackburn & Bolton have it in them to get out of the bottom 3. Both have good sqauds and every other season have done well at mid-table. Blackburn seem to finally putting together a string of results. They looked dead & burried a month ago. Wigan are gone as far as I'm conserned, Wolves even though play good stuff I just seem them just not having enough. I'm sure they'll be fighting until the last day. QPR even though they suddenly have money that Warnock never got to see, I'm not so sure Hughes will have the time to get in players who want to play for a team who could end up finishing bottom, and getting them to play together

There's still plenty of twist & turns from now until the end of the season for sure.

nissan wrote:Who is going down??
Wigan.. i hope not Dave Whelan has done a fantastic job with Wigan so i hope they stay up

Blackburn.. For Steve Keans sake i hope they do stay up. Then the moronic lot who want him out can shut up..(but they wont)

Wolves.. I do like Mick McCarthys style, he says it as it is, top class fella.

Bolton.. Do want this team to go down as it could be the end of them. Coyle is a good manager, he will get it right.

Q.P.R. Looks like with Hughes in charge they will stay up
For me it is very very tight this season.
For me though i think
Norwich
Swansea
Wigan.

So you seriously think Norwich and Swansea will go down although realistically Norwich need 3 wins from 16 games and Swansea 4 wins from 16 games.

aboslutely ridiclous to say swansea and norwich will go down...they are safe already surely

My gut feeling says Norwich will fall away as will Swansea. Pretty football i agree. But the likes of Blackburn Wolves will kill or be killed to stay in the Premiership.. If Swansea had to play all their remaining games at home, they would survive. Norwich have no depth in their squad and will fall away

I think your right about Norwich struggling. But I think that will be next season, they all need a handfull of points really to stay clear of the drop. Next season the momentum will fade, better players will come in and not know how to adjust the lambert's system, they also won't go into the team full of confindence and fearless. I can Swansea being around in the premiership for the next 3 years.

I will disagree. Swansea for me will drop. Norwich too.Too be honest i would love to see
Chelsea
Man United
Spurs
In the bottom 3.

nissan wrote:My gut feeling says Norwich will fall away as will Swansea. Pretty football i agree. But the likes of Blackburn Wolves will kill or be killed to stay in the Premiership.. If Swansea had to play all their remaining games at home, they would survive. Norwich have no depth in their squad and will fall away

You've obviously never seen any of these teams have you. Norwich have played most of the season with a right back playing centre back because of injury issues and Lambert constantly rotates his squad and still brings in results. Swansea have been improving away from home and with there home form should easily survive. You've got to remember they're all but up already. Norwich nearly have double the points of Wigan at the bottom of the league!

ollyrules
Arsenal have played most of the season without any full backs.. Everone has injury crisis. For me Norwich if they do survive, as they do have a better goal difference, next season they will go down. But me thinks experiance will get Blackburn and wolves threw. Only by playing unattractive football.
It is the big boys league, as the likes of Blackpool and Burnley have found out.

why norwich will be safe

current run is strong
star players are settled
the depth of our squad is good, if a players form dips we have similar quality players to come in
we are not reliant on any one single player (this is not the charlie adam show)
the who squad know their roles
have flexibility; we dont know what the tactics are likely to be - so should not be found out in the second half of the season syndrome
there will be no complacency from the team in assuming they are safe

http://www.eplindex.com/8421/norwich-city-mid-season-comparison-rivals.html

Silly is it??
In the prem. this season you have beat..
Bolton.. relagation rival
Sunderland. will you beat them away?
Swansea .. will you beat them at home? relagation rival
QPR. give you that one
Newcastle at home
To me it will be a long hard season for you ending in relagation sorry

IMO swansea and norwich will finish around 10th-14th

nissan, have you watched any PL football this season?

we will be safe by the time we play wolves at home on March 24th if not before

also draws with Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea

you are also missing a win against West Brom

we played swansea at home.

tooze norwich will be fine this season mate