Who is for the Drop?

by guildfordbat Sun Feb 24, 2013 10:27 am

First topic message reminder :

Folks,

Wrong thread if you want to read about the possibility of Champions League football next season. This is all about the basement end where the muck and bullets are flying and all that matters is survival.

Interested in views as to who is going down. We can follow (changing) predictions and developments over the remainder of the season.

I'll start things off with my teams for the Drop:

* QPR - already some way behind and I just don't see them scoring the goals they desperately need. I'm also not convinced by Cesar between the sticks - some good saves but too Tefloneque (ie non stick) for my liking.

* Reading - don't see enough leaders on the pitch. Disastrous result yesterday as well.

* Southampton - managerial and playing inexperience may cost them dear allowing others to scramble free.

by **VDT** Wed May 22, 2013 6:56 pm

chris.wilkerson13 wrote:Hard to tell right now. Southampton were prepared to spend some serious wedge last summer to stay up. Must think they might do the same again.

If Palace come up they'll go back down. Holloway is just too naive. Hull probably came up a year too soon too. Cardiff wont spend a lot, they claimed they were going to do that then didnt really blow the championship a new bumhole with their spending. Some of their high money players are not Prem standard.

Everyone from Swansea down has the potential to collapse into it. All we need is for Michu to go quiet, Swansea to lose Williams and replace poorly and they might struggle. West Brom overachieved and might find themselves without the quality of Lukaku. I've certainly seen West Ham have good teams take tumbles, and at the moment we have one striker on our books in Mr Maiga.

Fulham seem to do a good job of being a boring side who just pick up a few decent signings every summer without much fanfare.

Sunderland are going to undergo an overhaul if Paolo has his way, Newcastle have some quality players and a chairman who will just sack Pardew if the performances dont improve.

Villa could have another season like this. Got to bring in some quality and experience. And keep Benteke. Stoke should make some changes. Some of their players seem awful but theres a core of good ones in there to work with for a new manager and the chairman isnt scared of putting his hand in his pocket.

Norwich need a few signings too, they dug their heels in with some fight when they played poorly though. Still annoyed we didnt get to Snodgrass first, cracking player. Think there are some glaring weaknesses in there though.

Bloody hard to predict before people start spending.

So everyone who outside the top 7 are that risk!

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Wed May 22, 2013 7:41 pm

I actually meant West Brom down, already forgotten they finished above Swansea! But yeah, I really think theres a top 7 and the rest and the rest can all crumble. Which is my point in my post!

by GSC Wed May 22, 2013 7:47 pm

I think West Brom are in serious trouble without Lukaku. Big summer for them.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Wed May 22, 2013 7:58 pm

I think I'll predict once we see what teams do in the summer.

by **VDT** Wed May 22, 2013 8:08 pm

I totally agree Chris, 2 or 3 long term injuries or bad moves in the transfer market could the leave any of the bottom 13 in trouble.

I'd include Everton in there as well if they don't get the right manager in and they are prob gonna lose Fellaini and Baines to Man United!

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Wed May 22, 2013 8:12 pm

But I will say I don't think we'll go down next season.

We had pretty bad issues this season (Ruddy injured for most of it, fact we could hardly muster a shot on target), yet we've still managed to pull through relatively comfortably.

Just need to improve the squad, and sort out the away form. Simples eh

by dummy_half Thu May 23, 2013 5:03 pm

Olly
I think you highlight the big issue for all of the teams below about the top 7 or 8 - get a goalscorer in form and you'll be fine, but if you are struggling to get shots on target you'll struggle.

2011-12 season Fulham were comfortably top half courtesy of Dempsey's goals. This year, with only Berbatov reliable in front of goal they suffered an alarming dip in form in the last month or so, and could easily have been under relegation threat to the last week.

Norwich were somewhat similar - Holt had a good 11-12 seaons but couldn't hit the broadside of a barn this season, resulting in you being much more in the relegation fight this time. Of course, Newcastle took it to the extreme - Cisse netted everything in his first half season and they finished in a European spot. This season he had a shocker in front of goal and his team were teetering on the brink.

The point really is that there is naff all difference in quality between the teams challenging for 8th and 18th, it just comes down to form through the season.

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