The Great Escape

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Derby - 11 points - TICK
Sunderland - 15 points - TICK
Sunderland - 19 points - ?
Watford - 24 points - ?
Wolves - 25 points - ?
Bradford - 26 points - ?
Ipswich - 27 points - ?
Leicester / Watford - 28 points - ?
Bolton - 29 points - ?
Forest / Swindon - 30 points - ?
Survival - 37 points? - ?

That's two of the wins we'll need, seven to go?

We need an absolute minimum of 6 wins with a few draws thrown in to stay up IMO. If most of those wins come against others in the relegation fight then 6 in total might just do it.

Newcastle don't look great at the minute. We really should be earmarking that as an away game we can actually win if we want to survive.

[Gav]

I said I hoped we'd get more than 25 points

That's the spirit. Reach for the stars.

[tulip]

Yes we can!!!!

There is so much luck involved anyway. If the decisions go our way there is a chance for sure.

[Gordons Cumming]

No.

Unless we learn how to keep the ball.

[Millsy]

Only 3 points from safety?

Typical Brian team going into uber form after Christmas?

Already started our excellent form?

Haven't signed any big names that'll disrupt our squad?

I think you have to b pretty crazy to be pessimistic. We can definitely do this.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Only 3 points from safety?

Typical Brian team going into uber form after Christmas?

Already started our excellent form?

Haven't signed any big names that'll disrupt our squad?

I think you have to b pretty crazy to be pessimistic. We can definitely do this.

Damn you hope! Was just getting used to the despair..

[Millsy]

Only 3 points from safety?

Typical Brian team going into uber form after Christmas?

Already started our excellent form?

Haven't signed any big names that'll disrupt our squad?

I think you have to b pretty crazy to be pessimistic. We can definitely do this.

Damn you hope! Was just getting used to the despair..

Don't worry I'm very good at being a doom merchant

[Big Ern]

Can we pull it off and stay up?

QPR
Villa
Sunderland
Southampton
Villa
Wigan

^^^All to play at home.

We only have to score one more point than 17th, so I don't care whether we do it with the last kick of the last game of the season, or whether we storm up the league..

I reckon we'll do it.

Winning all of these is a big ask. and is no means a foregone conclusion. QPR and Sunderland are getting better, Southampton have managed a couple of away wins and Villa can only get better. We will also need to pick up a couple of wins and draws away if we are to stand any chance.

I feel a little bit more optimistic now about our chances and would say I am now only 99% sure we will go down, before i was 99.9%. If we can beat Newcastle away next game, then we will have a figting chance, but even if we do, it will be squeeky bum time for the rest of the season. Newcastle are in freefall and we need to take advantage of that. Very few chances left and we have very little margin for error.

[creative_username_1]

If we stay up i'll be surprised if we don't get results against teams we shouldn't

[royalsteve]

if we play like we did for 60 mins then no, 60-80 mins i doubt it, last 10 mins i reckon we have a chance

[royalsteve]

Can we pull it off and stay up?

QPR
Villa
Sunderland
Southampton
Villa
Wigan

^^^All to play at home.

We only have to score one more point than 17th, so I don't care whether we do it with the last kick of the last game of the season, or whether we storm up the league..

I reckon we'll do it.

Winning all of these is a big ask. and is no means a foregone conclusion. QPR and Sunderland are getting better, Southampton have managed a couple of away wins and Villa can only get better. We will also need to pick up a couple of wins and draws away if we are to stand any chance.

I feel a little bit more optimistic now about our chances and would say I am now only 99% sure we will go down, before i was 99.9%. If we can beat Newcastle away next game, then we will have a figting chance, but even if we do, it will be squeeky bum time for the rest of the season. Newcastle are in freefall and we need to take advantage of that. Very few chances left and we have very little margin for error.

been saying this all along, all of the sides around us except newcastle have to play us at the mad stad....true but NO game in this division is easy and IF we have ambitions to stay we HAVE to win games against these lesser side, after all theyll say the same about us. just saying we HAVE to win them doesnt mean theyll be a push over, no way, they are all good sides

[Millsy]

if we play like we did for 60 mins then no, 60-80 mins i doubt it, last 10 mins i reckon we have a chance

Actually I disagree (for the sake of good HNA discussion of course)

If we play like those last ten mind, we'll get found out and raped 7-5 time and time again.

Play like we did earlier when I think we were unlucky to go 1 down and we stand a chance.

Only risk the all-out aggressive risky football if things aren't going our way.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

if we play like we did for 60 mins then no, 60-80 mins i doubt it, last 10 mins i reckon we have a chance

Actually I disagree (for the sake of good HNA discussion of course)

If we play like those last ten mind, we'll get found out and raped 7-5 time and time again.

Play like we did earlier when I think we were unlucky to go 1 down and we stand a chance.

Only risk the all-out aggressive risky football if things aren't going our way.

^ kinda agree with ole 2 girls 1 cup for a change


442 will see us go back to getting raped at will by the better teams. Have no problem when needing to go for it though

In a 451 we just need to find a way of making sure Jobi & Kebe are there to support Pog when the ball gets up to him

[Ian Royal]

if we play like we did for 60 mins then no, 60-80 mins i doubt it, last 10 mins i reckon we have a chance

Actually I disagree (for the sake of good HNA discussion of course)

If we play like those last ten mind, we'll get found out and raped 7-5 time and time again.

Play like we did earlier when I think we were unlucky to go 1 down and we stand a chance.

Only risk the all-out aggressive risky football if things aren't going our way.

What we really want to do is play like we did against West Ham and to a lesser extent Man City for the first 70 - 80 minutes, and then if we're behind or drawing look at going like we did for the last 10 minutes against Wet Brom.

Didn't McDermott do that in oneof his first seasons in charge? Keep it tight then hit teams hard by switching to a more attacking 4-4-2 late on.

[Victor Meldrew]

If mcderm can grow a pair soon and drop mcanuff and harte then yes i think we have every chance!!!

FFS - They did nothing much today. Either of them.

Edited.

[brewcity77]

Can we? Yes. Will we? Not so sure. It's encouraging that we have a better goal differential than Villa or Wigan and that we get both of them, QPR, and Southampton at the MadStad. We could use another player. I'd like to see another midfielder that can help with possession and delivery. I have confidence in Pog and ALF, and both Hunt and Roberts can still poach goals, but someone has to get the ball there consistently.

[jellytot]

Games at home to play in no order - Chelsea, villa, qpr, man city, saints, wigan, liverpool and sunderland.
Games away again in no order - Newcastle, norwich, fulham, arsenal, man utd, everton, stoke and
West ham.

Winnable games at home - villa, qpr, saints, wigan, sunderland and Liverpool.
AWAY winnable - newcastle, fulham, norwich and stoke.

We need to hit around 38 points to have a chance.. 22 more needed.

Probably need 6 wins minimum plus a few draws. Probably need 5 wins at home from the 6 i
Identified. probably too much to ask.

Wr were so poor and jammy yesterday. We need at least 2 more quality players signed
Because clearly we are way short especially in the midfield. Sadly i do not see it but i am sure
We will give it a go. The win should not hide the fact that we were awful.

Anyway up the royals!

[TheRoyalJoe]

Can we stay up? Yes
Will we stay up? No

HTH

[jellytot]

Can we stay up? Yes
Will we stay up? No

HTH

22 points from that lot is very hard. We could all see how poor we were on Saturday. The quality
Is not there. Unless AZ and co have a couple of quality signings coming in then for me we will
Fall short.

Still do not understand why we played Carrico on Saturday. Why did we sign him when he clearly
Needs a month at least to get fit. Perhaps he is one for the future. Kelly will help as Gunter"s
Confidence looks shot.

Akpan is hardly going to make a significant impact to change things this season.

Not confident at all.

[Arch]

West Ham away not winnable? Don't we pretty much always beat West Ham?

I think if we can get five wins and five draws before the last game of the season, we'll be in with a shout when that day comes around.