Lighthouse

You hate to see something so unfortunate happen to West Ham.

We ditched the 5-3-2 after the home defeat to Everton, at which point we were 19th/bottom (forget which) on 8 points from 12 games. At that same point The Blades were on 17 points. In other words, since we changed to 4-2-2-2 we've scored 3 points more in 15 games. Burnley clearly employ some sort of Shaman or witch doctor, who has summoned a typhoon to play in both times we've played them. Without that, we'd probably have managed a draw in at least one game and be level in the table. So yes, I do think we're better

Che Adams, who scored 15 goals at that level would struggle? Gunn, who all the Norwich fans were raving about, would struggle? Djenepo, man of the match according to many, against Villa? Boufal 'the most talented player in the Prem' according to someone on here? Was Hooiveld better than Vestergaard? Romeu, player of the season under Puel? It'd struggle in the Prem but I'm on about playing it in the Europa League. How do you think Hapoel Be'er Sheva would get on in the Prem? Or Levadia Tallinn, BATE Borisov and Grasshopper Zurich? Anyway, it wasn't really my point. People were suggesting we'd struggle in the League if we had to play in Europe too. My point is, even if we made no signings and rested our entire first XI, we could still put a reasonable team out. It's not like we'd be playing Fox, De Ridder and Seaborne.

Hypothetically (I don't think we'll qualify, even if 8th gets us in) our second string XI is a bit like Gunn Valery - Vest - Danso - Vokins Romeu - Smallbone Djenepo - Boufal Adams - Obafemi So if we rested our entire first XI for European games and put that side out, it's not a disaster. I think Boufal and Danso may well leave, so there could be a stronger option there. Possibly Stephens if we get a decent CB in. Also if we really insist on keeping Long, then one of the other two has got to go. One non-scoring striker we can live with but not three. Obafemi out on loan, a decent replacement and Long dropping from our first choice team would be my preference. In short, on the outside chance we qualified for Europe, I think we'd cope reasonably well. If anything, too many players is our problem and the likes of Moi and Hoedt might do alright in European games.

Lawro, Sue Smith, Crooks, Owen and Carra for me.

I was always taught that was an acceptable way of capitalising a title. Arguably the word 'which' shouldn't have a capital but I believe it to be otherwise correct.

No, I'm assuming that we're not one of the bottom 3 or even bottom 8 teams in this League. There's not one team below us I genuinely believe to be better than Saints and I think we're better than Burnley and Sheff Utd, in spite of the head to head against the former. If our early season form returns (and I can't think of any reason why it should, we don't even play the same formation) we'll end up about 14/15th.

If the season started now, all teams on 0 with 11 games to decide everything, I'd still bet on Saints being midtable and well ahead of Bournemouth, West Ham and Villa.

This is getting a bit sad TBH. If you two want to carry on this fascinating debate, PM each other or go to the duck rape thread.

If it’s up there, I’ll give you the money myself?

What are you rabbit ting on about, It was YOU. You started this thread because your relegation thread now looks foolish one game after it was posted.

Aside from the usual, ‘could of’, their/there etc. I’m seeing a lot of; "It’s too higher price to pay." "I could care less about..."

https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/welcome-to-the-new-season-everton-i-hate-you.107892/ Just a casual look on a couple of similar teams (this season anyway) forum. Unlike us, they're all unanimous in their optimism. They fully support the board, the players, the manager and there is absolutely no infighting or bitterness among keyboard warriors. We could really learn something from this thread.

Couldn’t give a flying f**k about Norwich at Watford. If we forfeit our last 11 games we will finish above those two. If we can find some consistency 8th and possible European football is a semi-realistic goal.

Not really going our way this afternoon. Hoping for a draw between Arsenal and Everton.

Yeah I know. I've seen this one fan who continuously slags off Forster and Gunn and being hopeless and never shuts up about them being League 1 'keepers at best. Where do we find these people... We were right behind our team when we lost 4-1 in the Cup in 2010. Our home support is no worse than any other team in this league. People leave early at every club, regardless of the score. People have early trains to catch, 2 hour drives, early starts on Sunday, kids who need taking to birthday parties, etc. Like it or not people do have other priorities higher than watching the last 5 minutes of a football game. I wasn't at the games Pelle was supposedly getting stick in. I'm willing to bet it was a very small, vocal minority and in any case, he seems to still hold us in pretty high regard.

Just out of interest, which fans in this league WOULD be pleased by losing at home to Bournemouth, West Ham, Everton, Burnley, Chelsea, Liverpool, Wolves AND being on the wrong end of a 9-0 in the space of 6 months?

You really believe a 33 year old can play every game of a League and Europa season? Also, Les pushing him out but not from League games because VVD only wanted to be captain for European games? Well, each to their own I suppose.

If only we could be more like his beloved Arsenal. When the going gets tough, they pack the Emirates to the rafters and sing themselves hoarse for their team.

There was nothing strange about that. Fonte was 33 and never going to be able to play every League game and 6 midweek European games. It was poor though. Sparta at home was decent but after that we only managed two set piece goals from VVD in the other 5 games.

Wolves were pretty bad in 2003/04 when we beat them home and away. However yesterday’s Villa performance doesn’t come close to the 4-2 at Villa Park when they were last up (the game when the few fans who actually turned up were chucking paper planes at their players) I think if we had someone who could finish better than Long we’d have won that about 7-2.

We’re difficult to please according to Keown. Yeah, I’m sure arsenal fans would cheering the house down if they were the worst home team in the league, with 3 wins, 8 defeats and a 0-9 in there.

Thought the first decision was wrong but the second one correct. The defender even stuck his arm up behind him to deliberately control the ball. It was more arm than shoulder IMO and a deliberate attempt to block it with his arm.

Good grief, I can’t stand when female commentators try to sound like blokes. The woman commentating on Bur/Bou is insufferable.

Our results against the four teams just above us look a bit painful now. Losing both games against Burnley (which will inevitably be replicated when we go to Goodison) throwing away 2-0 against Wolves and the win at Arsenal on 90+5 mins. A couple of reasonable results from those games and we’d be fighting Spurs, Man U and the Blades for a Champions League place.