Six pointers

[anR]

Waiting for the train after the final game at Birmingham got me thinking. I was chatting to some Arsenal fans who that day had failed to win at Stoke. The seemed to like the fact that we'd been promoted as it would be an easy six points for them next season. I was lost for words. QPR and Swansea both beat them with Norwich drawing one, so their 'beat the new boys' theory was rubbished straight away. Next season anything over the Gooners will be extra sweet!

If you could pick just one team who you do not want to win six points on our behalf, who would it be?

[Wimb]

Any team in our mini league.

It was dropping 6 points to Fulham and Bolton that doomed us last time round. Can put up with Arsenal, City etc taking six from us but giving Swansea six would be galling.

[royalZILLAAA]

Waiting for the train after the final game at Birmingham got me thinking. I was chatting to some Arsenal fans who that day had failed to win at Stoke. The seemed to like the fact that we'd been promoted as it would be an easy six points for them next season. I was lost for words. QPR and Swansea both beat them with Norwich drawing one, so their 'beat the new boys' theory was rubbished straight away. Next season anything over the Gooners will be extra sweet!

If you could pick just one team who you do not want to win six points on our behalf, who would it be?

Arsenal fans have the most inflated sense of entitlement. Sit in any London pub where Arsenal aren't trouncing a non-top-4 team and the groans of 'ugh, we should be 3 up, these guys are shit' creep oput of the woodwork.

Therefore I agree with OP, let's not give the gooners their 'easy six points' please.

[pea]

West Ham would be the worst, Swansea would have been hard had Rodgers still been manager

[TheWearing]

Realistic six points:
West Ham
Southampton
Norwich
QPR
Swansea

[blueroyals]

I see where he's coming from though, we're always shit against Arsenal.

[Z175]

Its a bit scary, I can only realistically predict us doing the double v Wigan. Possibly Norwich/Swansea/WBA depending on how they fare. The likes of Stoke, QPR and Fulham are to strong at home.

Following sides are beatable at the Madejski, Southampton, West Ham, Fulham, QPR, Swansea, Norwich, Aston Villa, West Brom, Stoke, Wigan, Sunderland. I think we'll get 7 or 8 home wins from that, plus maybe a bonus win or two v the big boys.

I think we'll fluke at least 3 on the road. The best thing is our manager's penchant for away tactics. With Brian McDermott in charge, I think we'll pick up some surprising points on the road. Anfield for one.

9 home wins from 19, 3 away wins from 19, and 4 draws and 22 defeats from the remaining 26 = 40 points.

Can't blame Arsenal fans for their optimism. Our last two year stint included victories v Man City, Tottenham and Liverpool and points from Man Utd (twice) and Chelsea. A grand total of 0 from 12 v the Gooners, who boringly never let us have the ball. Both very different teams this time though, winning at the Emirates would not surprise me!

[Barry the bird boggler]

Any team in our mini league.

It was dropping 6 points to Fulham and Bolton that doomed us last time round. Can put up with Arsenal, City etc taking six from us but giving Swansea six would be galling.

Wasn't even that, if we'd only lost 1-0 in both the home games v Fulham and Bolton I believe we'd have just saved ourselves.

[Stuka]

An Arsenal fan said the same thing to me "an easy 6 points then"

I'd love it if we snuck a win over my local team!

[Jackson Corner]

We have I believe lost every fixture in our history against Arsenal. 9 I think so a draw would be good.

[Gordons Cumming]

Waiting for the train after the final game at Birmingham got me thinking. I was chatting to some Arsenal fans who that day had failed to win at Stoke. The seemed to like the fact that we'd been promoted as it would be an easy six points for them next season. I was lost for words. QPR and Swansea both beat them with Norwich drawing one, so their 'beat the new boys' theory was rubbished straight away. Next season anything over the Gooners will be extra sweet!

If you could pick just one team who you do not want to win six points on our behalf, who would it be?

Hopefully it's that sort of attitude from our opponents that will keep us up!

[Silver Fox]

If I was going to bet on any team doubling us up next year it would be Arsenal

[Mintymurray]

I think they (Arsenal) will implode next season and by xmas they will have O´Neil in charge and just survive on 46 pts!

[Ian Royal]

Waiting for the train after the final game at Birmingham got me thinking. I was chatting to some Arsenal fans who that day had failed to win at Stoke. The seemed to like the fact that we'd been promoted as it would be an easy six points for them next season. I was lost for words. QPR and Swansea both beat them with Norwich drawing one, so their 'beat the new boys' theory was rubbished straight away. Next season anything over the Gooners will be extra sweet!

If you could pick just one team who you do not want to win six points on our behalf, who would it be?

Given we've never even managed a draw against them and our league record against them is played 4, scored two, conceeded eleven. I'm not in the least surprised. They come as close to any as being guaranteed six points by us.

[SydenhamRoyal]

Waiting for the train after the final game at Birmingham got me thinking. I was chatting to some Arsenal fans who that day had failed to win at Stoke. The seemed to like the fact that we'd been promoted as it would be an easy six points for them next season. I was lost for words. QPR and Swansea both beat them with Norwich drawing one, so their 'beat the new boys' theory was rubbished straight away. Next season anything over the Gooners will be extra sweet!

If you could pick just one team who you do not want to win six points on our behalf, who would it be?

West Ham

[SLAMMED]

West Ham obviously.

[Optimist]

Gotta remember that McDermott is an ex-Arsenal man, which means hopefully he'll know "the Arsenal way" inside out, much in the same way as ex-Red Devil Coppell knew exactly how to play against Man United. So I think we could do better against Arsenal this time.

Tbh Arsenal were the only team that really flummoxed SC, he came up with some wierd tactics and none of them seemed to work!

[SLAMMED]

Arsenal were the best team I saw play at the Madejski in our 2 years in the premier league.

After Henry scored after less than a minute I knew we were in for a long night.

[Wimb]

Gotta remember that McDermott is an ex-Arsenal man, which means hopefully he'll know "the Arsenal way" inside out, much in the same way as ex-Red Devil Coppell knew exactly how to play against Man United. So I think we could do better against Arsenal this time.

Tbh Arsenal were the only team that really flummoxed SC, he came up with some wierd tactics and none of them seemed to work!

Given that he left the club 30 years ago, I don't think he'll have anymore insight than any other Premier League manager tbh

[under the tin]

Any team in our mini league.

It was dropping 6 points to Fulham and Bolton that doomed us last time round.

^^^^^^^ In a nutshell.
Whilst it is a feather in the cap to pick up unexpected points from the bigger fish, survival hinges on putting those around us to the sword. Whilst the home games vs. the giants may be the most attractive on paper, the most important games will actually be those against smaller fish.