Who is for the Drop?

First topic message reminder :

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?

They can't all be good days though. I'm not defending the job persay. But if anyone was offered a chance to manage a premiership club with the wage increase he no doubt received then they would have accepted. He is doing the best job with the skills he has. He just isn't good enough. No shame him believing he could turn it around, he was just wrong. He could have taken the easy option and gone back to a coaching job but he has given it a go.

Bolton play Spurs (disappointed wannabe manager) tomorrow and WBA this Sunday (happy England manager plus future thrown into uncertainty players).

Bolton 0 Spurs 0 after half an hour.

Satifaction for the Trotters if they can get a draw. Delight if they pull off a win. Best not mention what a defeat does ....

They went down to a super strike from Modric and have played really poorly, and yet...have pulled it back to 1-1. Reo-Coker getting the goal.

But have now gone 2-1 down.

3-1 now.

Bolton are in big trouble.

Dreadful result for the Trotters. No points and a damaged goal difference. Not all over for them but QPR will be feeling better tonight ....

Update to the Race for the Bottom table

R20: Wolves		19: Blackburn		18: Bolton		17: QPR		16: Wigan		15: A Villa
P36 GD-41 Pts24		P36 GD-28 Pts31		P36 GD-31 Pts34		P36 GD-23 Pts34		P36 GD-22 Pts37		P36 GD-14 Pts37
Everton (h)		Wigan (h)		West Brom (h)		Stoke (h)		Blackburn (a)		Tottenham (h)
Wigan (a)		Chelsea (a)		Stoke (a)		Man City (a)		Wolves (h)		Norwich (a)

It's all getting very close. I think it is likely that Blackburn will get relegated this weekend, and that the final relegation spot will be decided on the final day of the season. I think Spurs will win against A Villa - as they now seem to be "rejuvenated" after the uncertainty associated with the England Manager job has finally been resolved.

In the unlikely event of Blackburn drawing with Wigan, Bolton losing to WBA and QPR winning against Stoke, then Blackburn would be relegated and Bolton would be effectively relegated.

Bolton have to hope that City are still playing for something on the last day of the season so that QPR can be destroyed.

looks like stoke have a big say in who goes and who stays

I think the most exciting final day scenario would be if:
a) Blackburn beat Wigan
b) QPR draw with Stoke
c) Bolton draw with WBA
d) A Villa lose to Spurs

as then we would have the following:
Blackburn P37 GD-27 Pts34
Bolton P37 GD-31 Pts35
QPR P37 GD-23 Pts35
Wigan P37 GD-23 Pts37
A Villa P37 GD-15 Pts37

With all five teams not safe from relegation (two from five going down), but with all five teams having a chance of avoiding relegation (depending on final day results).


Other interesting possibilities:
Steve Kean and Blackburn being relegated and Sam Allardyce (with West Ham) being promoted.
Alex McLeish taking both Birmingham and Aston Villa down to the Championship division in successive seasons.
Aston Villa with McLeish being relegated and Birmingham City (with Chris Hughton) being promoted.

Would be a disaster for midlands football if Villa go down. Why did Lerner appoint the dithering oaf McLeish?

Based on the run in you'd have to say Wigan are looking pretty safe bets to stay up.

A home game against already relegated Wolves to finish the season is ideal for them.

Update to the Race for the Bottom table

R20: Wolves		19: Blackburn		18: Bolton		17: Wigan		16: QPR		15: A Villa
P37 GD-41 Pts25		P36 GD-28 Pts31		P37 GD-31 Pts35		P36 GD-22 Pts37		P37 GD-22 Pts37		P37 GD-14 Pts38
Wigan (a)		Wigan (h)		Stoke (a)		Blackburn (a)		Man City (a)		Norwich (a)
		Chelsea (a)				Wolves (h)

Well done to Aston Villa for avoiding relegation

Blackburn need to win their two remaining games (including away to Chelsea) plus overcome a six goal deficit to have any chance of avoiding relegation.

Bolton have to win away to Stoke to have any chance of avoiding relegation.


It does seem now that Bolton along with Blackburn will be relegated. However, if Bolton do beat Stoke then they are likely to stay in the division, as I don't think QPR will get anything away to Manchester City. However, Stoke seem to be playing well again, having suffered earlier in the season due to being overextended by their European adventure.

Nore Staat wrote:Update to the Race for the Bottom table

R20: Wolves		19: Blackburn		18: Bolton		17: Wigan		16: QPR		15: A Villa
P37 GD-41 Pts25		P36 GD-28 Pts31		P37 GD-31 Pts35		P36 GD-22 Pts37		P37 GD-22 Pts37		P37 GD-14 Pts38
Wigan (a)		Wigan (h)		Stoke (a)		Blackburn (a)		Man City (a)		Norwich (a)
		Chelsea (a)				Wolves (h)

Well done to Aston Villa for avoiding relegation

Blackburn need to win their two remaining games (including away to Chelsea) plus overcome a six goal deficit to have any chance of avoiding relegation.

Bolton have to win away to Stoke to have any chance of avoiding relegation.


It does seem now that Bolton along with Blackburn will be relegated. However, if Bolton do beat Stoke then they are likely to stay in the division, as I don't think QPR will get anything away to Manchester City. However, Stoke seem to be playing well again, having suffered earlier in the season due to being overextended by their European adventure.

Villa don't deserve to be congratulated on not being relegated, they need to be slaughtered for being anywhere near it!
It all rests on the Stoke v Bolton game, Bolton win they stay up as I can't see QPR getting anything at Man City

Villa won't get rid of McLeish. O'Neill quit and Martinez turned the job down. There is no more funding at Villa, they have sold off their best players, and all they have are kids and old players that are past it. McLeish has done well - compare his team to Blackburns etc.

McLeish has done well

Not according to Villains he has. Villa hyave been terribly negative, and Swansea/Norwich have proved you don't have to spend much to compete in attack and defense.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

McLeish has done well

Not according to Villains he has. Villa hyave been terribly negative, and Swansea/Norwich have proved you don't have to spend much to compete in attack and defense.

Yes, I have heard the Villains don't like the brand of football they are playing, but then sometimes a better brand of football leaves you in a lower division. I just think if they get rid of McLeish will they improve matters for next year if there is going to be no change in Randy Lerners policy? Personally I think McLeish is a good manager. The small concern I have with him is that he doesn't seem to have full control of the players. Fair enough if the Villains want a better "style of football" whatever the division that might bring them.

On a separate matter: QPR get their winner in the 89th minute, while WBA get their draw against Bolton in the 90th minute. Effectively in the space of a minute there was a four point swing in favour of QPR.

Can you imagine failing badly at your job (like he did at Birmingham) and then getting offered an even better position at a better company?

Randy Lerner is a terrible owner.

McLeish hasnt done well at all.

He is a joke.

He needs to get the hell away from Villa.

Very bad season. 4 home wins is shocking.

Thank god our goal difference is better.

Time to regroup in the summer, hope for a much better 2012/13 season.

Steve Kean going into the Wigan match:

"We have to make sure we stay up. I'm still convinced we can do it."

Taking optimism to a whole different level!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17980488

It will be sad if both Blackburn and Bolton are down... they both came up together in the same season around 2001 and have been there since. Wigan should have went down...or QPR!

Josiah Maiestas wrote:It will be sad if both Blackburn and Bolton are down... they both came up together in the same season around 2001 and have been there since. Wigan should have went down...or QPR!

How are Blackburn, or Bolton for that matter, more deserving than Wigan of a PL place next season?

FreekShow wrote:Steve Kean going into the Wigan match:

"We have to make sure we stay up. I'm still convinced we can do it."

Taking optimism to a whole different level!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17980488

"Steve Kean did not expect Blackburn relegation battle" taken from the link.

It's surprising since it seems many of the Blackburn supporters predicted this at the start of the season. Selling your best prospect (Phil Jones) at the end of the 2010/2011 season was probably not a good step. They sell their central defender which results in them shipping in a whole load of goals.

Worst defences in the Premier League
Wolves (played 37) 79 goals against. average = 2.14 goals let in per game
Blackburn (played 36) 75 goals against. average = 2.08 goals let in per game
Bolton (played 37) 75 goals against. average = 2.03 goals let in per game

Selling your best prospect (Phil Jones) at the end of the 2010/2011 season was probably not a good step.

Their best youngster? Maybe.. their best defenders were by miles Chris Samba and Ryan Nelsen, who they also sold. They did not really replace either of them, which has made their first team look bare boned.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

Selling your best prospect (Phil Jones) at the end of the 2010/2011 season was probably not a good step.

Their best youngster? Maybe.. their best defenders were by miles Chris Samba and Ryan Nelsen, who they also sold. They did not really replace either of them, which has made their first team look bare boned.

I forgot about Samba and wasn't aware of Nelsen

The club replaced them with Bradley Orr and Scott Dann, no wonder they are down.

The fat lady is warming up for Blackburn. Wigan are looking more than comfortable.

Blackburn gone! Hoilett & Yakubu.......bidding war starts now!

Down and out! Wigan leading 1 - 0 with couple of minutes to go. Fat lady has gone through all her routines...

Update to the Race for the Bottom table

R20: Wolves		R19: Blackburn		18: Bolton		17: QPR		16: A Villa		15: Wigan
P37 GD-41 Pts25		P37 GD-29 Pts31		P37 GD-31 Pts35		P37 GD-22 Pts37		P37 GD-14 Pts38		P37 GD-21 Pts40
Wigan (a)		Chelsea (a)		Stoke (a)		Man City (a)		Norwich (a)		Wolves (h)

Congratulations to Wigan for avoiding relegation, they outplayed Blackburn today

Blackburn are the second team to be relegated.

The remaining relegation spot is between Bolton and QPR.

So for Bolton it is win or bust.
There is no way QPR will get anything at Man City.

With Bolton needing a win, it may be a better thing than just a point. If it was just a point they may have tried to defend instead of just going for it. If that makes any sense

Epic fail there by Ed Chamberlain informing us that Blackburn are the first PL Champions to be relegated.

We knew that in 99 when they went down!

Surely it's Alan Shearer to takeover now. I'm sure the Venky's will be forced out. He was going to take the Cardiff job but now surely it's his time to take them on in the championship.

Ironically Wigan needed to win at Stoke last year to stay up and did. Over to you Bolton.

ollyrules wrote:...With Bolton needing a win, it may be a better thing than just a point. If it was just a point they may have tried to defend instead of just going for it. If that makes any sense

That's what Coyle says - there is no uncertainty as to what they need to do - it is win or bust. However I think it will be bust - Stokes recent form has not been good and I would imagine Pullis will want to see Stoke finish with a home win. At the moment Stoke are in 14th place and a win could see them finish in 11th. Anyway, it should be interesting to see what happens: or .

..........................Blackburn versus Wigan
final score ..........0 .........................1
possession% ......44 ...................... 56
Shots on goal ......12 ...................... 19
shots on target ....7 .........................9

John wrote:Surely it's Alan Shearer to takeover now. I'm sure the Venky's will be forced out. He was going to take the Cardiff job but now surely it's his time to take them on in the championship.

No disrespect John but Shearer is nowhere near qualified to bring them back up. Plus could the owners afford him and would his ego allow himself to drop to that level? He was linked with Cardiff and West Brom a couple of years ago but nothing materialised. Money issue perhaps?

If it was Newcastle yes but Blackburn? I don't think he cares for them that much.

ollyrules wrote:So for Bolton it is win or bust.
There is no way QPR will get anything at Man City.

With Bolton needing a win, it may be a better thing than just a point. If it was just a point they may have tried to defend instead of just going for it. If that makes any sense

I give Qpr (not bolton doh) a 2% chance of getting something.

City will be nervous and whilst they might tank them (most likely) you never know if QPR could get to half time level.

I wonder if Big Sam has stopped laughing yet?

The reality is Bolton are much more likely to win at Stoke than QPR are to get a point at City. Mind you they (Bolton) are even more likely to either lose or draw. But 2% chance? I'd say more like 25% given Stoke's recent run of form.

Personally I'd love to see Bolton stay up. Coyle's a good manager and it appears to be a reasonably run club. QPR's money men can get a salutary lesson from City's tycoons and hopefully that would shut Hughes up. There would be some justice there as you might be able to buy the title but, on the other hand, not be able to buy guaranteed premiership status.

Ent wrote:

ollyrules wrote:So for Bolton it is win or bust.
There is no way QPR will get anything at Man City.

With Bolton needing a win, it may be a better thing than just a point. If it was just a point they may have tried to defend instead of just going for it. If that makes any sense

I give Bolton a 2% chance of getting something.

City will be nervous and whilst they might tank them (most likely) you never know if QPR could get to half time level.

Where on earth do you get a 2% chance from? Lets remember that Wigan had to win at Stoke final game last season and did.

What has happened to Bolton this season - have they been selling their players ... are they having financial troubles?

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

My apologies to Blackburn and all their supporters - I'm sure my original post jinxed it for them. Mind you, it would have helped if Chris Samba had possessed half the decency and fight of Steve Kean.

Elmander has been a big miss for Bolton in my opinion. As soon as he settled he looked tailor made for the Premier. Obviously Gary Cahill is a big miss too. There's been too much reliance on Kevin Davies who is what age now? 33/34?

I found this article in the Telegraph - dated Jan 2012:
Bolton Wanderers must avoid Premier League relegation to tackle £110m debt
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/bolton-wanderers/9014275/Bolton-Wanderers-must-avoid-Premier-League-relegation-to-tackle-110m-debt.html

Nore Staat wrote:I found this article in the Telegraph - dated Jan 2012:
Bolton Wanderers must avoid Premier League relegation to tackle £110m debt
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/bolton-wanderers/9014275/Bolton-Wanderers-must-avoid-Premier-League-relegation-to-tackle-110m-debt.html

Doesn't make good reading that. Relegation coupled with the loss of 12 players is pretty grim.

NS I stand corrected!

Mind you there must be quite a few either sides who potentially could find themselves in Bolton's position with similar levels of debt.

Qpr not Bolton - whoops

Hoilett & Yakubu.......bidding war starts now!

Hoilett's contract has run out now anyway so no need for a bidding war, hoping Liverpool try and snap him up.