NickG

Strange post. I didn't go, but your view seems like you were viewing different game to reporters on sky/ talk sport / Solent etc and Sunderland's fans. The stats also suggest we were far from inept. Squad reached its limit? In 2nd half of the season we are 8th. If that's our limit, with current squad / manager, it ain't bad! 2nd half of season is also the time, stating obvious, we play teams for 2nd time. So have we now been found out, no answers? 1st half of season - w4, d4, l10. Points -16, placing 18th. 2nd half of season - w5, d9, l5. Points -24, placing 8th. Inability to score? ( we did score ) As a lover of stats can't argue that one in four games is poor. However, 3 of those 4 were away. Of those 3, two against decent sides (spurs/Swansea).other against Sunderland who have good defensive record at home. (Man u and Arsenal both recently only scored once there). So really this inability to score is predominately a poor game against WBA, which maybe you are right, was foot off pedal when safe after long uphill season. Only month ago we 7 in 3 games against Reading, Chelsea and Liverpool. Happen to be watching MOTD as type this quotes such as us being 'far better side'. 60% plus possession. 15 shots. 10 corners away from home = inept?

Lallana - underachiever? 25 year old in first season in prem. Playing in a side that was so bad that you said would be so far adrift by Christmas safety would already be impossible. Managed 3 goals, 5 or 6 assists. Playing well enough to get called up for his country. Impressed both managers enough to capt side. Impressed MP/NC enough for 5 year contract. Led team, with his underachieving, to what you thought was impossible - safety. Suffered bad injury. Loves the club. Opposition fans after seeing us invariably rave about him over most others. But with your clearly limited understanding of football slag him off as an 'underachiever'. FFS but a lot of pro footballers wish they underachieved like that in their first season in prem after two in league 1 and 1 in championship! To answer OP; I would go for blend. Can't see point in full youth/reserve team. I also want to see players who have done well and who deserve their day - Boruc, Yoshida, Clyne, Shaw, Morgan, Jay Rod, Lambert. I would like to see Forren and Mayuka get decent part of game. Think, but not sure, that we can only play youngsters if were listed in 25 man squad (although wouldn't count for 25). Don't really know enough about those to know who is close and maybe worth sub? Jack Stephens?

Since January transfer window the defence we failed to address has let in less goals than; Villa Newcastle Wigan WBA Swansea Fulham QPR Reading Sunderland Matched Spurs. Only bettered by one or two goals over last few months by Chelsea, WHU, Stoke and Norwich. The only teams noticeably better defensively have been Man U, arsenal, man city, Liverpool and Everton. We did sign a young international CB who it appears is seen as cover / future. It seems the evidence to those who are running and managing the club was that the defence would be good enough this season. It seems they weren't the mental ones but, amazingly, yet again they knew better than you! Sumner window, with club safe for next season is far better time to recruit...if needed? Every window you say they got it wrong. Every window they get it right and we improve... Every single window since NC has been here. No other club is doing that. Accept it, they know better!

If we stay on 39 we will stay up. More likely not only to stay up but to finish 15th on 39 than get relegated. Relax Dalek, remember I get it right, you don't

Reckon not too hard for the club. They know him, see him daily, will have a good idea how he will settle next season. If they are confident he will be happy, settled and perform as he can they will keep unless can see easy profit and somewhere to spend. Hopefully easy decision for them to keep him.

Outfield ages Clyne 22, Shaw 17, Yoshida 24, Cork 22, Morgan 23, Gaston 22, J-Rod 23. Young! That's forgetting your deadwood of - Lallana 25, Mayuka 22, Forren 25, JWP 18 Our under 25 side Gazza Clyne Forren Yoshida Shaw Cork Morgan Ramirez Lallana JRod Mayuka Wonder how good they will all be at 28?!

My guess is CB, CM and winger key signings. Think the key thing which I find hard is how much the young players can/will improve as they mature and with experience. I've just looked at the Everton squad. Their players are older and many positions I would prefer ours. Our first team are good quality but do lack options when players off form. Assuming we stick we 4-2-3-1... How could we have improved this season? The few poor games RL has had we have really struggled. Is Jay R seen as CF or part of three? Can Mayuka be answer? If not we do need at least on CF. Our AM/ wide mid have been inconsistent - Lallana/Puncheon/Ramirez. (Mayuka??!!). Think we could do with new signing. However, Lallana and Ramirez could be excellent. Think Morgan would be regular for virtually any side - our midfield should be built around him. Cork / Davis have been good and personally happy to keep them. However I can see new 1st choice. CB - think most agree top signing to replace Fonte/ Hoovielt is quickest way to improve us. Forren is strange one, but guess New/Yoshida first choice.

Different opinions. Sorry I think he is unfairly criticised. Prefer less of real quality than consistent mediocrity. Don't know how we will finish viewing him but think it is astonishing how quickly he is being written off.

Rickie Lambert describes Gaston Ramirez as the player with the best awareness and vision he has ever played with. I think it is this subtlety that a few miss, looking for the more superficial headless chicken players. I have been disappointed that he did not continue after the impressive Villa game. In the last game in the short spell between coming on and before the sending off he looked our most able player and most likely to make something happen. 6 months ago posters were writing off Jay Rodriguez. Not good enough for us. A waste of money. "Why the f#ck did we sign him" (alpine). Now linked with England and Liverpool. Ramirez is 6 months younger, foreign, not played English football before. I wonder what Ramirez will be like in 6 months time? In my opinion he has disappointed, partly due to fee, partly hype, partly because his ability is clear. But I have seen that he has the ability and potential to be our best player.

I was too pessimistic 39 is safe. Lose to Sunderland and still very good chance we go into last weekend mathematically safe (my season long prediction)

Yep. We were safe once we got 39. Relax and enjoy the sun

Anyone can make up false quotes for someone, then say that proves them wrong, lol. Sad you feel need to boost your low esteem picking on people here. Appreciate you are not the sharpest tool but if you don't understand this principal maybe stay out rather than looking silly? Recent form projected to end of season? Look at my posts, I've done it every time your attention seeking asked, and we always stay up. Try posting with sensible football comments like most here do, whatever their opinions. You are like a slow insecure 12 year old being rude at school to get attention and feel good.

Thank you. For some reason Turkish thinks its fun to over run this forum with posts proving only he is both unpleasant and not very bright. Of course, anyone with half a dozen brain cells (can see why Turkish didn't follow) can see it as a response to the post saying 39 is now certainly not enough - hence an extreme bad example of results for us, results for others that wouldn't shock any betting shop. Point proven. Turkisk, if you are genuinely interested in how the form table works now (teams with two games repeating last couple of games form etc) then it still has us safe. I suspect you were just being an immature attention seeking ***** though.

Sorry but you are wrong. One thing you can say for "CERTAIN" is 39 MAY be enough. It is far from a fact to say that 39 would see us relegated. 39 could, and I think probably will, be enough. These results have us finishing in 15th...(39 points!) Sunderland 4 - 0 Saints Saints 0 - 4 Stoke Wigan 0 - 0 Swansea Arsenal 1 - 0 Wigan Wigan 4 - 0 Villa Norwich 0 - 0 WBA Man C 1 - 0 Norwich QPR 0 - 0 Newcastle Newcastle 0 - 1 Arsenal That will be enough if any of these teams' results happen, not all, just one! I think at least one, if not more than one of Wigan, Newcastle or Norwich will fail to better those results meaning two 4-0 defeats would be plenty. Safe before last game?? If we lose to Sunderland we are still safe before last game if Wigan don't get at least two points from Swansea and arsenal. (If Wigan lose home to Swansea can't see them staying up whatever happens in any other game this season) If we draw with Sunderland we are safe before Stoke game if Wigan don't beat one out of Arsenal and Swansea. Relax, if we get just one point from last two games (which would mean the last 6 games was worst period in whole season) For us to go down we would need BOTH of Wigan and Aston Villa to take points in their games against Chelsea and Arsenal. One of them getting great result would still mean 1 point enough. Reckon Fulham more likely to go down than us

Wow, we lost 1-0 with late goal to team who have also beaten Man C, Arsenal, Villa, Newcastle, QPR, WHU, Liverpool, Swansea, Reading. You are almost always wrong, add relegation prediction to your failures.

Still are.

We are safe. We won't go down.

Oct 2009 bottom league 1 May 2013 13th prem Football is talking very well under him

Hope so, bit optimistic for me. Very close at end of season between all of mid table but, as felt all season, easily safe.

Thought you would have learnt that you shouldn't write of young players by now! After slating Schneiderlin and welcoming the signing of Jay "already being tipped for England" Rodriguez with "why the f#£% have we signed him". Ramirez has more ability than our other attacking midfielders. He has been inconsistent and petulant but if you get back to UK when we are playing (assuming still here after suspension!) He is worth seeing live. Did more on Saturday in his brief appearance than the other attacking players. He is still one of our youngest players - personally hope he stays and we sign others with his ability.

We got fairly and comfortably beaten. It was the reverse of Liverpool game - we went ahead after 6 mins and they didn't start playing looking nervous. WBA started well, scored, gained confidence. Our defence lacked confidence. Fox had a nightmare, and knew he was which made it a viscous circle. jos wasn't as good as recently. Lambert was below his normal standard with a few loose controls. Lallana was a shadow of the player v Liverpool. Thought Schneiderlin was excellent but alone for much of the game. Rodriguez made a difference when he came on, clearly huge potential and class above many. Blatant fouls on him before sending off. Needs not to react but still think could easily escaped red as more shrugging him off with arm (still wrong) rather than elbow to face. The play acting helped, that broken nose from elbow in face from big bloke didn't leave mark! Huge amount of possession without looking likely to score. Games turn like that - recently our way. Not much to change view just shows we really could do with Shaw signing! Reckon after long hard first season there was some subconscious taking foot of pedal now we are safe. Happens to clubs every year.

Last season I used T-Mobile, I could easily and quickly check score at half time. This season moved to different part of ground, use different phone and GiffGaff and cannot connect at all. Curious if move of seat or network. Where do you sit and can you use internet? Me - Itchen T-Mobile - good Kingsland giffgaff / O2 - none

Sunderland 43 Saints 41 Norwich 41 Fulham 40 Newcastle 38 Villa38 Wigan 34 QPR 25 Reading 25 Just for you. To answer OP yes we are safe. To go down (without another point) we would need to go into last game with either ; Both Wigan and Villa on 39 or more and then draw. Or One of them on 40+ other 37+ and team on 37+ wins. O

If you are worried have a play with the BBC predictor .http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/predictor/default.stm I just struggled to get us relegated without another point! If we lose our remaining 4 games (we are currently 6 games undefeated the best in prem) AND Wigan win their next three they will overtake us. Most points they have achieved from 6 games this season was early on with 10 points. These 6 they have spurs h, man city a, arsenal a. Them getting 11 is very optimistic. This would leave us needing 3 points from last 4 games to finish above them. If they do have this good finish, and we have our worst there are still 5 other out of form teams that would need to overtake us. I had quick try thinking with Wigan and Villa improving...Norwich were still below us! Relax, we may or may not be top 8 next season, but we will still be here!

Good post. After our start, players we have now (signings not available initially, young players developed during season - Shaw, Clyne, Jay-rod ) plus hopefully improvements as players mature and manager does what was hired for - should aim higher, despite Turkish's view even if we don't sign anyone