Premier League Relegation

cgpg5

Now that the season is well underway who do ye now feel will get relegated? Has ye're opinion from the start of the season changed? Will start by saying
20. Wigan
19. QPR
18. Swansea...

In contention: Blackburn, Wolves, Bolton.

AT start of season I reckoned.
20. QPR
19. Swansea
18. Wigan

Only position has changed!

What do ye think?

Kristopherus

Wigan & Wolves anyway. Possibly Bolton also. They are playing very poorly. Really between them and Blackburn for the last drop place.

Micko23

Swansea QPR and Blackburn were my predictions after seeing Blackburn playing in that Asia cup. I know it was meaningless but they were awful. Sticking with them

cson

Wigan definitely; I rate Martinez but he really does have a shite bunch of players and he has to take a little bit of the blame for that.

Then it's 2 out of Blackburn, Wolves and Bolton. Probably the former two as I think Owen Coyle has enough about him to get Bolton out of the ****.

Think all the promoted clubs will stay up.

its_phil

Wigan and Blackburn. Two teams who should have went down last year. Blackpool and Birmingham over them two any day of the week, but at least it made for great final day entertainment with the title over at that stage.

It's between Wolves, Swansea and Norwich then imo

BlueBaron

Im a Wigan supporter, and I loathe being in the bottom three on most occasions, but love being the underdog every season, no on ever gives us a chance, granted were playing terrible at the moment, we will pull off a few shocks yet and surprise a few people at the end of the season.

Blackburn, Bolton and Swansea/Norwich for the chop
MON THE LATICS!!!!

Shanotheslayer

Bolton,Blackburn and I've a feeling Sunderland!

eagle eye

Three of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves, Norwich, Swansea and West Brom.

Its far to early to even guess at which three of those.

Sunderland will be safe now that they've finally hired a good manager. QPR have enough money to sort themselves out in January and Fulham just about have enough about them to not get dragged into it. Everton will do their usual and finish in the top 8.

dfx-

Usually some gets dragged down to it, Hull, Blackpool, Birmingham, Sheffield United. It'll be either Swansea or Norwich for me, probably Norwich.

Wigan, Bolton, Norwich. Hopefully Blackburn instead of Wigan.

kraggy

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

Bolton,Blackburn and I've a feeling Sunderland!

Not a chance Sunderland will go down.

I reckon

Blackburn
Wigan
Swansea.

Not in that order.

Blatter

eagle eye wrote: »

Three of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves, Norwich, Swansea and West Brom.

Its far to early to even guess at which three of those.

Sunderland will be safe now that they've finally hired a good manager. QPR have enough money to sort themselves out in January and Fulham just about have enough about them to not get dragged into it. Everton will do their usual and finish in the top 8.

This. It's far to early to start predicting who will get relegated with any sort of degree of conviction. Too many of the teams down there are too close to each other in terms of quality.

Optimalprimerib

Can someone please explain how Martinez is so highly rated. Wigan are terrible but no worse player wise than the likes of Stoke or west brom, yet they are always fighting off relegation. My 3 are Wigan, Blackburn, Swansea

That_Guy

Can't see past Blackburn, Wigan and Swansea at the moment.

VW 1

People keep saying Swansea, I would imagine because of what happened with the last footballing side that amassed a large amount of points so quickly, Blackpool. Just cant see them dropping myself, fr me it is Wigan, Blackburn and possibly Bolton.

Nalz

Wigan, Blackburn and Norwich for me

West Brom won't go down

Raskolnikov

BlueBaron wrote: »

Im a Wigan supporter, and I loathe being in the bottom three on most occasions, but love being the underdog every season, no on ever gives us a chance, granted were playing terrible at the moment, we will pull off a few shocks yet and surprise a few people at the end of the season.

Blackburn, Bolton and Swansea/Norwich for the chop
MON THE LATICS!!!!

Are you the only Wigan supporter on boards, not being smart, seriously!

Wigan and Blackburn look very poor.

Sunderland might be ok now they have O Neill.

Norwich and Swansea will surely be in the mix come May, QPR too.

Hard to pick 3 tbh.

duiggers

Wigan, Blackburn and either Bolton or Norwich

Wigan have no quality in attack or defence this season without Nzogbia and Blackburn are just a mess between the owners and Kean. The third team is a tough one to call as so many clubs look like going down.

ctrl-alt-delete

Not looking good for Lancashire at the moment,

Wigan will find it very tough to get out of it this season, Bolton have been shocking from what I have saw so far.

The next 3 games will sort out Blackburns season for me, included are Sunderland and Bolton. They have Man Utd and Liverpool over the Christmas and if they are not out of it, or still as close to others around them by then it will be very tough to drag themselves out of it.

O'Neill will have a tough job at Sunderland, the squads confidence is non existent, Bruce couldn't motivate schoolkids for Christmas. Their season will all depend on how O'Neill starts.

Others not down there now, like Swansea will get dragged in as the season goes on.

Overall, it is very very hard to try pin down 3 clubs, so much still to come out in the wash.

Fr Tod Umptious

VW 1 wrote: »

People keep saying Swansea, I would imagine because of what happened with the last footballing side that amassed a large amount of points so quickly, Blackpool. Just cant see them dropping myself, fr me it is Wigan, Blackburn and possibly Bolton.

Swansea are only on 14 points, then are a mere 4 points from safety.
You get relegated on 40 or under, then have a long way to go to get safe in the 45 range.

This time last yaer I said here that Blackpool would go down and got roundly abused for it, they were 6 points from the drop at the time, and in the end it happened.

Teams like Blackpool, Hull, etc get out of the gate quickly and get surprise results when they would not be expected to.

Then the half way point comes, and things change.
Players start to get injured and because your squad is not that deep their replacements are not of the same calibre .
Games get postponed because of weather, resulting in congested fixtures further on that again puts a strain on the squad.
Players get suspended beacuse they have too man yellows over the season.
You start playing teams for the second time, and they know a lot more about you and how you play.

All the above means that you go on long winless or losing streaks, amassing only a tiny proportion of the points you did in the autumn.
Some teams have survived (Hull, Bradford, Wigan) but at the end of the day it is a close call, going down to the last games.

cgpg5

Think QPR are genuinely in trouble... They're very inconsistent and I think someone like Barton will be a liability when the going gets tough in or around March/April. However not many saw Birmingham last season. Anyone could get brought down into it... Think Norwich will be fine, good attacking side and great at picking up results!

cgpg5

Thought I'd bump this. With ten games to go who do ye think will face the drop? Could be as intriguing as who'll get top 4. Last season it went down to the wire, looking like it could do the same this year. My prediction has swayed from Wigan, QPR and Swansea to Wigan, QPR and Bolton. Hope Wigan stay up though. What do ye think? I reckon Wolves will get out of it by the skin of their teeth.

mike65

Can't see Wolves escaping, not only are they still conceding they are now not scoring either. So Wolves, QPR and AN Other, honestly can't split them.

JerryHandbag

Current bottom 3 will go down imo

keano_afc

Wigan and Wolves look doomed. After that, could be one from Blackburn, Bolton and QPR.

gnfnrhead

Wigan are done for my money. As for the other two, I'm not quite sure yet. Reckon Wolves will either scrape survival or face the drop. Maybe QPR then but I'd rather it be Blackburn.

Paully D

I think Blackburn will stay up. For some strange the players seem to be playing for Kean (I quite like him, which is also strange but anyway) and they have a great team spirit. They have a good goalkeeper, a creative threat in Hoillett and a goalscorer in Yakubu. They should have enough.

QPR's fixture list is atrocious. If you were to pick the most difficult last 10 games imaginable for them then you'd be very, very close to their current fixture list. They have the best starting 11 of all the bottom sides though, but on paper their fixtures are horrendous and for that reason I'm going to have to say that they'll take one of the spots.

Wolves have a few nice fixtures on paper coming up over the next few weeks, but Terry Connor (despite seeming like a decent fella) makes Ricky Sbragia look like Jose Mourinho. Unless a dramatic turn of events there see them going and hiring a proper manager in the next few days then they'll go down too.

Wigan have all the experience in this kind of situation, but they don't have a Charles N'Zogbia to bail them out this time, nor do they have a goalscorer. Fixture wise they have an average run in with some difficult games during the last few weeks. I think they'll go down this time. Shame, as I like the club, they've done superbly well over the years, it's amazing what Dave Whelan and co have achieved but I think this will be the year that can't perform the great escape.

Bolton will stay up on account of there being 3 worse teams. Owen ''The Barclays Premier League'' Coyle is a very, very lucky man. Poor manager who is completely overrated, plays poor football but has this ''good football'' myth following him around. They could easily go next season if rumors of their financial troubles are proven to be true.

So, I think it'll be:

18) QPR
19) Wolves
20) Wigan

QPR have taken a massive roll of the dice mind and could end up in a lot of trouble. The likes of Barton, Ferdinand, Zamora, Cisse, even Hughes will be on nothing near small wages and I'd fear for them if they go down. I still think if they can stay up they can become an established PL side because of the backing they have, but the next 10 weeks could be massive in the clubs history.

Some interesting games coming up, in no particular order:

Bolton V Blackburn
Wolves V Bolton
Blackburn V Wigan
Wigan V Wolves

Looks like we could have last day drama again. I love a relegation dog fight when my teams not in it

Revolution9

Paully D wrote: »

Bolton will stay up on account of there being 3 worse teams. Owen ''The Barclays Premier League'' Coyle is a very, very lucky man. Poor manager who is completely overrated, plays poor football but has this ''good football'' myth following him around. They could easily go next season if rumors of their financial troubles are proven to be true.

I do agree with what you're saying, to an extent, but on the flipside, he is also very unfortunate that the two best players in his squad (Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-Yong) haven been injured for the entire season.

Take Flecther and O'Hara, Barton and Helguson, Moses and McCarthy, Yakubu and Hoillet, out of their respective teams for the whole campaign and I'm sure the quality of football and results would suffer.

Paully D

Revolution9 wrote: »

I do agree with what you're saying, to an extent, but on the flipside, he is also very unfortunate that the two best players in his squad (Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-Yong) haven been injured for the entire season.

Take Flecther and O'Hara, Barton and Helguson, Moses and McCarthy, Yakubu and Hoillet, out of their respective teams for the whole campaign and I'm sure the quality of football and results would suffer.

Very fair point which I had overlooked.

Cheers.

kryogen

Start of season I picked Wigan, Bolton and QPR.

I would now have to pick Wigan Wolves and Bolton.

Dunno why the change really, just think Hughes will find a way to keep them up whereas Wolves are very much falling apart.

Having said that, they will probably take points off us next week!

edit- having posted it, and read it, I still can't work it out, I said when Hughes took over he was gonna have a massive task on his hands with that bunch, and the fixtures they have to boot put me at odds with logic in this. Just a gut feeling I guess

dfx-

dfx- wrote: »

Usually some gets dragged down to it, Hull, Blackpool, Birmingham, Sheffield United. It'll be either Swansea or Norwich for me, probably Norwich.

QPR this season it turns out.

Wigan unfortunately, Bolton, QPR for me. Still hoping for Blackburn instead of Wigan..

Sasquatch76

I really can't see Wolves escaping. So if I was a betting man, I'd say Wigan, Wolves and Bolton. Cue all three to immediately climb to safety.

cgpg5

QPR can't buy a win and have a tough run-in. Bolton have the easiest. Granted there is no such a thing as an easy run in for teams down in the bottom, but they've the nicest looking set of fixtures than the lot.

Is it too late for anyone to do a "Birmingham" on it? I thought Swansea might but that win yesterday should as good as confirm their safety.

I think QPR are gone, but I think it's between Bolton, Wolves and Wigan for the other spot.. Think Blackburn are safe

cgpg5

I also agree completely with Paully D, if QPR stay up they can become an established PL club with financial backing, if they go down they are in trouble. Hope they go down because of the owners! Also, put money on them early on to be relegated so there is another reason for wanting them gone. If they don't come 20th I'd be amazed, they have very little (if any by their standards) winnable games left and can't buy a win. They've also just come out of a very easy run of games against fellow bottom sides and got barely anything. Liverpool could stuff them next week

mike65

cgpg5 wrote: »

I also agree completely with Paully D, if QPR stay up they can become an established PL club with financial backing, if they go down they are in trouble. Hope they go down because of the owners! Also, put money on them early on to be relegated so there is another reason for wanting them gone. If they don't come 20th I'd be amazed, they have very little (if any by their standards) winnable games left and can't buy a win. They've also just come out of a very easy run of games against fellow bottom sides and got barely anything. Liverpool could stuff them next week

Liverpool couldn't stuff a turkey right now.

That_Guy

That_Guy wrote: »

Can't see past Blackburn, Wigan and Swansea at the moment.

I expect Blackburn and Wigan still to be in the mix but Swansea have been very impressive. Really turned it around and play some marvellous football. Delighted for themselves and Norwich to be honest. Punching well above their weight and playing some great stuff.

QPR have to be in contention now. I really can't see Hughes turning it around there.

In no particular order it'll be Wigan, Wolves and QPR methinks.

Jax Teller

Qpr
Wolves
Wigan

Qpr have a really bad run in they won't pick up many point

Raskolnikov

It's almost definitely between 5 teams now. Villa and West Brom would literally have to lose all 10 matches between now and the end of season to go down. I don't think either team is that bad.

Blackburn Rovers have turned things around rather amazingly since Christmas. Whatever you say about their leaky defence, they probably have the biggest attacking threat out of the bottom five. Hoilett is obviously a quality player who shouldn't be in a relegation slog. Yakubu has been excellent in putting himself about, creating and scoring goals. Formica has also been brilliant, very determined, slogs his guts out for most of the game, but can come up with quality in the 10% too. N'Zonzi is a powerhouse in midfield and doesn't go missing often. Out of all the bottom five, Blackburn impress me most, they might get tonked 7-1 by Arsenal one week, but they could equally do a number of a top 4 side the next.

Bolton winning on Saturday was absolutely massive and I think it has given them a lifeline. If QPR had won, I think that might just have sealed Bolton's fate. As it stands I think Coyle has been slammed unfairly. As has been pointed out already, he is missing two of his best players (Holden and Lee) and has the threat of 11 first team players leaving the club in the Summer as they will be out of contract. QPR on the other hand should not be struggling. When you have Joey Barton twittering about being on 80k a week, it's a disgrace that QPR should be in this mess. I like QPR as a club, but I would love to see that despicable loudmouth being relegated again, especially after he said he was a better player than Scott Parker.

"He's not in my league", Barton wrote, "...FACT he s [sic] actually in the championship." Barton also pointed to the games between Newcastle and West Ham last season: "Did I not dismantle him twice, think it was 2-1 at their place, 5-0 at ours!! And they were easily relegated #justsaying."

ctrl-alt-delete

With Swansea and Villa both getting wins at the weekend when form and opponents suggested otherwise I think it is safe to go with 3 from the bottom 5 as it stands now.

Villa do play Bolton next though, that is their last game against the current bottom 5, and after that they play many of the teams that occupy the top half of the table.

If Bolton manage to win that game, then it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility for McCleish to manage to do what he did with Birmingham last season. Villa are the only team that can do a 'Birmingham' for me.

Other than that it really is still a case of any of the bottom 5, they all have their own pressures and problems.

Relegation 6 pointers:

Bolton v Blackburn
Blackburn v Wigan
Wigan v Wolves
Wolves v Bolton

Due to the minimal chances of another team getting dragged into it, these are going to be the crucial games.

QPR don't feature in any of these, leaving the other teams having two chances each to get a massive advantage on their relegation opponents. Blackburn have shown good form in these of late beating both QPR and Wolves.

Of course QPR have an advantage any time one of these matches takes place, but when you look at their run in, it is very difficult to see where they will pick up the points to take full advantage of it.

For me as it stands, I think QPR's run in will take them down, the fact Wolves have managed to put a guy that makes Steve Kean look good in charge will take them down, and I think Wigan's inability to score goals will take them down.

At least that is what I am hoping for as a Blackburn fan.

TheSpecialOne

Wigan,Wolves and QPR for me!

CSF

Wigan, Wolves and QPR aswell.

LuckyLloyd

I sincerely hope Wolves get relegated for the utterly ridiculous sacking of McCarthy.

I don't see Wigan pulling it off again this year - but then we say that every year.

For me it's one more from QPR, Blackburn and Bolton. Of those three I think Blackburn are the most together as a squad at present, and possibly their determination will see them through.

QPR look really bad at simple things at present. There is a lot of quality there, and if they could gel at all they'd be fine.

SlickRic

Paully D wrote: »

Owen ''The Barclays Premier League'' Coyle

i lol'd.

ctrl-alt-delete

Paully D wrote: »

QPR have taken a massive roll of the dice mind and could end up in a lot of trouble. The likes of Barton, Ferdinand, Zamora, Cisse, even Hughes will be on nothing near small wages and I'd fear for them if they go down. I still think if they can stay up they can become an established PL side because of the backing they have, but the next 10 weeks could be massive in the clubs history.

According to this

Hughes is on £3 Million a year.

The_Kew_Tour

QPR run in is horrendous.

Liverpool (h)
Sunderland(a)
Arsenal(h)
Man Utd(a)
Swansea(h)
West Brom(a)
Spurs(h)
Chelsea(a)
Stoke(h)

Bye Bye QPR!!

cgpg5

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

QPR run in is horrendous.

Liverpool (h)
Sunderland(a)
Arsenal(h)
Man Utd(a)
Swansea(h)
West Brom(a)
Spurs(h)
Chelsea(a)
Stoke(h)

Bye Bye QPR!!

With the exception of the Stoke game (who'll be playing for nothing at that stage) I can quite easily see QPR winning none of these.

I am pie

QPR and Wolves will pay the price for panic sackings. Hughes is totally over rated as a manager and has done nothing with a QPR squad who seem to collectively think they are better than they really are. Taraabt has been one of the biggest disappointments for this year. Has not stepped up at all.

Wolves are sinking with a novice at the helm.

If Rodallega gets on a run he might get Wigan out of bother, unlikely he can do it two years in a row tho !

The_Kew_Tour

cgpg5 wrote: »

With the exception of the Stoke game (who'll be playing for nothing at that stage) I can quite easily see QPR winning none of these.

I actually forgot to mention they have Man City away last day of season.

fullstop

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Reckon Wolves will either scrape survival or face the drop.

A bold prediction indeed

gnfnrhead

fullstop wrote: »

A bold prediction indeed

Haha, I mean by something like a point or even a few goals. Last day stuff for them imo.

dfx-

cgpg5 wrote: »

With the exception of the Stoke game (who'll be playing for nothing at that stage) I can quite easily see QPR winning none of these.

Swansea and WBA shouldn't be playing for anything either by that stage, possibly Sunderland too, arguably Liverpool as well, Spurs might be comfortably third at a stretch.

Whether QPR can win these is up for question, but they are games they or a team looking to stay up should be targetting.