Is it already a 5 team relegation battle?

Huddersfield, Fulham, Newcastle, Cardiff and Saints.

Leicester and above are already safe IMO and I don't see West Ham or Palace being in the bottom 3.

Burnley will grind enough out at home.

Grim, grim start considering fixtures.

yep...we will do very well to stay up under the current set up.

we are atrocious and probably deserve to go down. When we do, no one will miss us

we have become a fuking awful club

newcastle have the best manager by some distance and if Fulham change theirs, they have a very talented squad..............

yep...we will do very well to stay up under the current set up.

 

we are atrocious and probably deserve to go down. When we do, no one will miss us

we have become a fuking awful club

 

newcastle have the best manager by some distance and if Fulham change theirs, they have a very talented squad..............

Only in attack their defence is still awful probably on par with how bad we are attacking at the moment.

I was more worried we would get relegated last season than now. It’s not because we have improved but other teams look even worse.

Huddersfield, Cardiff, Fulham, Newcastle are among the one who will go down. Would love it to be west ham but can’t see it.

With Man City already having won the league, the only other two places left to play for this season as the other 2 relegation spots. I think Hudders and Cardiff will take those.

People looking at our relegation as a negative though, whereas I think we should be a lot more positive about it. Knowing early lets us properly plan for next season. Let's enjoy this season for what it now is, a chance to restore some pride. Sink with grace and you're far more likely to bounce back up in the coming years IMO. Fight it at your peril.

We will be very very lucky to stay up this season.So depressing supporting Saints these days.

Yes, it's looking like 3 from those 5. I would say Cardiff and Huddersfield are virtual certainties, so it's then 1 from 3.

If you had to pick an outside bet then as you say it would be Palace or Burnley, but I can't see it.

I'll stick my neck out and say the third team will be Newcastle.

P.s. I also think it may be possible to stay up with as little as 31 or 32 points.

By all accounts Huddersfield have played well in some of the games they have lost - they just lack goals in a big way. In January possibly they will sort that?

Re Newcastle - check their fixtures between now and January. They could comfortably pick up double the points we likely will. I think they will do enough to stay up personally, and they are defensively sound.

No, anyone could still go down outside the obvious league title contenders. It only needs a complete collapse in form and confidence to plummet. Was it Hull under Phil Brown who stormed the league before Christmas, then never won again and almost went down.

In fact I just checked, yes it was; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%9309_Hull_City_A.F.C._season

Interestingly we're 6th favourites to go down behind Cardiff, Newcastle Huddersfield Burnley and Fulham.

https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/relegation

I think having watched us, and the fixtures we've had already, we'll be lucky to stay up.

By all accounts Huddersfield have played well in some of the games they have lost - they just lack goals in a big way. In January possibly they will sort that?

 

Re Newcastle - check their fixtures between now and January. They could comfortably pick up double the points we likely will. I think they will do enough to stay up personally, and they are defensively sound.

People do have a tendency to assume all the other teams in a relegation battle will get better and we won't.

A bit like the assumption changing manager will make a difference last season all three relegated sides changed manager (West Brom twice) didn't help them one bit.

There is no denying this is shaping up to be another absolute ****e season but there are plenty of awful teams in the PL this season. Even as ****e as we are we have every chance of staying up so we can rinse and repeat next season ad infinitum.....

I don't remember the relegation scraps of the 90s being as dire as this season and last. I don't suppose that the football was any better but at least we had players who were prepared to give it a go, despite their limitations.

I think that we will stay up this season (just), and then next season is likely to be just as bad.

yep...we will do very well to stay up under the current set up.

 

we are atrocious and probably deserve to go down. When we do, no one will miss us

we have become a fuking awful club

 

newcastle have the best manager by some distance and if Fulham change theirs, they have a very talented squad..............

Only in attack their defence is still awful probably on par with how bad we are attacking at the moment.

Agree with that. In midfield and attack, Fulham are fine. But look at their back 4 and they are weak, no-one there a big name. Come January, I expect them to 'go big' and get Gary Cahill in. He won't have to relocate either. We are weak in defence, midfield and attack, so no hope for us.

The only thing in our favour is that it is still early on in the season, so a few wins close to each other would allow us to climb the table.

What worries me this season is that we are more or less putting our best side out, week in week out. The lack of quality is depressing.

I said this last season and I'll say it again - defensively we're too good to go down. Our problem at the moment is scoring goals but we're not leaking goals at the moment and historically it's teams who can't defend that go down. And there are three worse teams than us in the league, we haven't been in the relegation zone at any point.

I don't remember the relegation scraps of the 90s being as dire as this season and last. I don't suppose that the football was any better but at least we had players who were prepared to give it a go, despite their limitations.

No, the football wasn't any better. Most of the time it was a lot worse. But the big difference between now and then was we had players who cared and wore the shirt with pride.

For instance, Franny Benali may have been an incredibly limited player, but he never gave anything less than his best effort. Compare that to the casual attitude of our current left back (and captain), it's no wonder fans are so disengaged.

We also had MLT, who could look completely anonymous for the entire 90 minutes but still win us the game with a sublime bit of individual magic. There was always that hope that kept you believing we could still get something out of a game, which is so sadly lacking at the moment.

No, the football wasn't any better. Most of the time it was a lot worse. But the big difference between now and then was we had players who cared and wore the shirt with pride.

 

For instance, Franny Benali may have been an incredibly limited player, but he never gave anything less than his best effort. Compare that to the casual attitude of our current left back (and captain), it's no wonder fans are so disengaged.

 

We also had MLT, who could look completely anonymous for the entire 90 minutes but still win us the game with a sublime bit of individual magic. There was always that hope that kept you believing we could still get something out of a game, which is so sadly lacking at the moment.

And frankly the gap between the top and bottom teams was smaller back then.

No, the football wasn't any better. Most of the time it was a lot worse. But the big difference between now and then was we had players who cared and wore the shirt with pride.

 

For instance, Franny Benali may have been an incredibly limited player, but he never gave anything less than his best effort. Compare that to the casual attitude of our current left back (and captain), it's no wonder fans are so disengaged.

 

We also had MLT, who could look completely anonymous for the entire 90 minutes but still win us the game with a sublime bit of individual magic. There was always that hope that kept you believing we could still get something out of a game, which is so sadly lacking at the moment.

Can't disagree with any of that. I've been to two home games this year but otherwise I haven't really bothered to watch much of us. It just seems so pointless when the players don't seem to care and have seemingly settled for the lower third of the table. Zero passion and zero fight.

And frankly the gap between the top and bottom teams was smaller back then.

Was it though?

OK we didn't have the obscenely rich teams of Chelsea and Man City in those days, but the PL was still completely dominated by Man U and Arsenal, and there were some truly awful teams to 'grace' the top flight in the 90s. Barnsley and Swindon spring to mind.

We will go down. FACT

Was it though?

 

OK we didn't have the obscenely rich teams of Chelsea and Man City in those days, but the PL was still completely dominated by Man U and Arsenal, and there were some truly awful teams to 'grace' the top flight in the 90s. Barnsley and Swindon spring to mind.

There were fewer dominant sides than today and even the likes of United were beatable on their day - hence some of the classics against them at the Dell. I am virtually resigned to writing off our games against the top six - something I don’t think I could have said in the past.

I think Hudds / Cardiff will go regardless, the last spot will be between us, Fulham and Newcastle. My only real hope is that Newcastle implode if Rafa goes, but no guarantees.

As other have said, the relegation scraps of old I never doubted the effort of our players, but this lot just sleepwalk to defeat every game. We all know they are capable of doing more, but never do.

Think the OP is about right, can't see past that 5 for the relegation spots.

We are dire but if we can shift some dead wood and bring in a few decent forward players in January we should be OK. Cardiff and Huddersfield look limited, Newcastle are a mess and Fulham just can't defend.

If we don't strengthen we are going to be in big trouble though.

We will go down. FACT

Is FACT the new Mess! ?

We are terrible and will do well to avoid becoming last. The only possible way out is to get rid of the entire coaching staff now, get good, or even just inspiring manager in and buy a top striker in January. Oh, and stop playing Hoedt

Is FACT the new Mess! ?

It's the old Mess. #Retro sign off

Given the fact that we are one point from being 13th in the table I'm not so sure that it is cut and dried. Win a couple on the bounce and things could change quite dramatically. That said, I'm not sure that we could actually score two goals, let alone win 2 games on the bounce - so I'm not optimistic.

yep...we will do very well to stay up under the current set up.

 

we are atrocious and probably deserve to go down. When we do, no one will miss us

we have become a fuking awful club

 

newcastle have the best manager by some distance and if Fulham change theirs, they have a very talented squad..............

An awful club? just because we haven't won many games in the last year or so? or is there another reason why we are an awful club ?

We have some huge away games coming up - Fulham, Huddersfield and Cardiff away all before Christmas. Need some points from those as can't see us getting anything from Spurs, City obviously, Man Utd or Arsenal

We have some huge away games coming up - Fulham, Huddersfield and Cardiff away all before Christmas. Need some points from those as can't see us getting anything from Spurs, City obviously, Man Utd or Arsenal

All three of those away games are must wins imo.

An awful club? just because we haven't won many games in the last year or so? or is there another reason why we are an awful club ?

My favourite part of his post was that "no one will miss us" like anyone actually misses any team that gets relegated.

The only team I actually miss us playing is Pompey because of the excitement. Couldn't give a crap about any of the others.

An awful club? just because we haven't won many games in the last year or so? or is there another reason why we are an awful club ?

we are an awful club. Zero identity on the pitch, none off it. record signings out of the side/on loan. Weird/terrible ownership.

Gao on his own does enough to make us awful.

I said 16th before we started the season and I maintain that prediction.

I was bang on last year and expect to be this year.

We will go down. FACT

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There were fewer dominant sides than today and even the likes of United were beatable on their day - hence some of the classics against them at the Dell. I am virtually resigned to writing off our games against the top six - something I don’t think I could have said in the past.

As well as saints being bad, this has carved away at my enthusiasm for the Prem.

By all accounts Huddersfield have played well in some of the games they have lost - they just lack goals in a big way. In January possibly they will sort that?

 

Re Newcastle - check their fixtures between now and January. They could comfortably pick up double the points we likely will. I think they will do enough to stay up personally, and they are defensively sound.

TBF, you could say exactly the same about Saints !

I said 16th before we started the season and I maintain that prediction.

 

I was bang on last year and expect to be this year.

Can’t disagree with this.

The problem is that, given the cost of the squad and quality of players (international caps, top level experience etc) we are in real terms comfortably finishing bottom 2..again. Argument in real terms we finished bottom last season.

Fans can barely bring themselves to boo the team off. Apathy from players in for a PL pay day. A far cry from Kelvin, Lambert at al or Benali, Claus etc before them. Guys who loved the club and were proud.

Happily f*ck off this entire squad including muppets out on loan and let the under 18’s crack on in the National League South.

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Newcastle winning. As they were always going to sooner than us

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Newcastle winning. As they were always going to sooner than us

 

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Really where you at SMS last week? we are awful but trust me Newcastle where far worse they are first team to make Hoedt look like a defensive god their attack was so poor.

Burnley are pretty hopeless defensive, wouldn’t write them off yet.

Nah just a 4 team battle now as we are relegated already apparently, because Newcastle won

Nah just a 4 team battle now as we are relegated already apparently, because Newcastle won

Can't disagree with any of that. I've been to two home games this year but otherwise I haven't really bothered to watch much of us. It just seems so pointless when the players don't seem to care and have seemingly settled for the lower third of the table. Zero passion and zero fight.

What are you on about? If you were there last Saturday you would have seen that every one of our players was totally committed to our cause none more so than Bertrand. It isn't passion that's lacking it is basic football skills among our front three attacking players that is killing us. Until we can get shot of that quartet of neanderthals we'll get nowhere.

What are you on about? If you were there last Saturday you would have seen that every one of our players was totally committed to our cause none more so than Bertrand. It isn't passion that's lacking it is basic football skills among our front three attacking players that is killing us. Until we can get shot of that quartet of neanderthals we'll get nowhere.

Newcastle seemed lucky yesterday. They are still sh1t.

Annoyingly Watford who are up next don’t

Looking at the table this morning I think all teams from Palace down are the in the scrap. But still tight and a couple of wins changes everything.

We seem to lack confidence at moment. We create opportunities but not real clear cut chances. Need to address that asap. Today is a write off but must target Watford and Fulham for 6 points.

Who do you genuinely feel is in the relegation battle, then?

It's the beginning of November, there is no relegation battle yet. I would say there are 10 teams who could be scrapping it out come the business end of the season.

No, anyone could still go down outside the obvious league title contenders. It only needs a complete collapse in form and confidence to plummet. Was it Hull under Phil Brown who stormed the league before Christmas, then never won again and almost went down.

 

In fact I just checked, yes it was; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%9309_Hull_City_A.F.C._season

Agree with this to some extent.

The Wolves bandwagon has stalled, Palace and Burnley are struggling, looks like it could be 3 from 8 or 9.

West Ham, Leicester, Everton all safe I think. Watford and Bompey will be OK they are solid sides.

We desperately need a striker soon, we have no-one who can make things happen, like a Zaha or Arnoutovic. 0-0 draws will not keep us up....

Is it too soon to think about the South Coast derby next season?