SaintTex

regulation flirter is right. there is some quality on this team, but it is woefully inconsistent (Redmond, JWP, Armstrong, DJenepo). And then we have Championship quality players filling key positions (Valery, Stephens, Vestergaard, Adams, Obafemi, maybe Bedernek) We have enough quality to stay up in the PL, but without upgrades at GK, CB, CM, and RB we will be regulation flirters again next year. A distributer who is forward thinking would be nice too, but i think Armstrong could fill that role if given the opportunity. I feel like Djenepo could have possibly been a difference maker today on the offense side of the ball. I have lost faith in Obafemi, not that i ever had much. Changes for Sunday? Pretty much start all of today's substitutes - Romeu, Walker Peters, Long, oh.. and Vestie (gulp)

the problem is we were at 1% chance two weeks ago, now we are at a 4% chance Not trending in the right direction.

I am thinking.... 18. Bournemouth 19. Brighton 20. Norwich Southampton being the only South Coast club in the top flight next year.

i would love to win these next two matches and put this relegation thread to bed. Or would that not end it for some?

Oh, you think we can catch City?

on top of that, there was actually contact on Bertrand's penalty shout with Lloris earlier in the 2nd Half. Not that Bertrand asked for the call or that anyone who has watched football in the last 50 years thought it was a penalty.. but hell... if Son's was a penalty, Bertrand's must be.

Why, oh, why can't we have nice things?

oops.. my bad on KWP, i guess Valery?

McCarthy KWP Stephens Bednarek Bertrand Redmond JWP Hojberg Djenepo Long Ings they can rest after.

the loss last weekend really didn't change the forecast in 538's prediction of us finishing with 49 points. (the Liverpool loss was baked in I reckon) https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/premier-league/ that being said.. I think we get 7 points Burnley (h)- Loss Villa (h)- Win West Ham (a)- Draw Newcastle (h)- Loss Norwich (a)- Win which will get us pretty damn close to safety (538 is predicting 39 points would do it)

This. and Danso is staying? They rated Danso at CB over Yoshida? Interesting.

I think the short answer is the emergence of Stephens. I think the club thought Danso could be a starter considering all the unknowns coming into the season at CB. Obviously, from what he is showing in training, he is not. Secondly, the CB position isn’t rotated all that much for Cup games like midfielders or LB/RB. So, his opportunities to play his natural position is far and few between. In retrospect, it appears he is not the position player that we though we desperately needed. It happens. He is on loan and won’t be signed. The club was smart not to do a permanent signing. I still would love a 25£ nailed on starting CB signing this summer, but Danso was never that guy not was expected to be.

Dalek for years would wrongly predict a 17 place finish at the beginning of the season, and when we came in 17th in 2017/2018 he took a victory lap. some quote about a blind squirrel...

after 24 matches 2019/2020 - 31 points | 09th place Hasenhüttl 2018/2019 - 23 points | 16th place Hughes/Hasenhüttl 2017/2018 - 22 points | 18th place Pellegrino/Hughes 2016/2017 - 27 points | 13th place Puel 2015/2016 - 34 points | 07th place Koeman

Spurs - 3 points Leicester - 3 points Wolves (H) - 0 points Palace (A) - 3 points LiVARpool (A) -? 9 points! 9th place! Outstanding!

most have said it.. Players 1. Ings on fire. 2. Dropping Vestergaard (convinced he can still be a good player though) 3. Dropping Romeu (and i like Romeu) 4. Armstrong's influence (has great instincts) 5. Shane Long's energy (i know it is a cliche at this point - but it makes a difference) 6. JWProwse's workrate Managing 1. settled formation 4-4-2 2. settled Starting XI 2. no more tinkering 3. better substitution strategy (of late)

Our first 6 second half matches (matches 20-25) have been/will be all Top 10 teams: 20. Chelsea (4) W 21. Tottenham ( W 22. Leicester (3) W 23. Wolves (7) ? 24. Palace (9) ? 25. Liverpool (1) ? ...and have taken all 9 points from those matches so far. Incredibly, we are in pretty good shape going forward. It was looking dire.

Nope. And i was hoping for 5 points from this. glad to be wrong.

Hopefully, they are a tired team. They haven't had a proper full week off between matches in long time. basically, they have had a match every 3 or 4 days for the last 8 matches.

Can we just be direct please? How many stupid errant back heels have been attempted so far? Do our players think they can afford to be this cute?

if you had asked me before the Spurs game, i would have said i would be happy with 5 points from that lot; essentially keeping pace with a point per match. So, if we can get another win or two draws in the next 4 that would be brilliant.

sorry.. i am excited... that is 10 points earned, not 13!

sorry.. i am excited... that is 10 points earned!

13 points earned during the holiday match season! That's how you do it! COYS!

Does this ever work? I would reckon loaning him out would destroy his confidence. What players in the past (last 10 years) have come back to the squad from a loan spell with guns a blazing?