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Thread | The League we are really in...
at 09:21 4 Nov 2014
We are not going to finish top half in the Premier League. We are in a relegation battle with the other teams that are not going to finish top half. I would say that means we are competing with pretty much everyone from 11th in the current table down. It is amongst these teams that we need to make sure we pick up our points. Other games are 'bonus' opportunities.
Each team in the bottom half will probably pick up at least a win or two against teams in the top half and maybe 4-6 draws. We haven't got a single point in these types of games yet, but hopefully we will definitely get something this coming weekend!
Anyway, this means for a team to secure 40 points (to be sure of avoiding relegation) it needs about 28-30 points against teams in the bottom half of the division and there are only 18 of these fixtures - this means a Points Per Game (PPG) ratio of around 1.6 is required from these fixtures to guarantee survival. Currently, we are averaging 1.75 PPG in these types of games, but all these games for us have been played at home. However, in this type of league table, we would currently be sitting 2nd out of 10! The bottom three teams would be Stoke, Leicester and Burnley.
West Brom - Played against bottom sides:4 (3Home-1Away), Won:2, Drawn:2, Lost:0, Goals For:9- Goals Against:4; Points: 8, Points Per Game: 2.0
QPR - P:4 (4-0), W:2, D:1, L:1, F:5, A:3, Pts: 7, PPG: 1.75
Aston Villa - P4 (2-2), W:2, D:1, L:1, F:3, A:3, Pts: 7, PPG: 1.75
Sunderland - P5 (1-4), W:2, D:2, L:1, F:8, A:6, Pts: 8, PPG: 1.6
Hull - P5 (2-3), W:2, D:2, L:1, F-7, A-5, Pts: 8, PPG: 1.6
Newcastle - P5 (3-2), W: 1, L:3, L:1, F-6, A-6, Pts: 6, PPG: 1.2
Crystal Palace - P6 (3-3), W:1, D:3, L:2, F-8, A-10, Pts: 6, PPG: 1.0
Stoke - P6 (3-3), W:1, D:2, L:3, F-5, A-8, Pts: 5, PPG: 0.83
Leicester - P5 (2-3), W:1, D:1, L:3, F-3, A-6, Pts: 4, PPG: 0.8
Burnley - P4 (1-3), W:0, D;3, L-1, F-3, A-7, Pts: 3, PPG: 0.75
I know it is early days in the season., but if we keep doing well in this league then we should be okay. Another fact that may interest you when looking at these stats is that, although our away form is horrible (P:5, L:5), we have been against the top 10 sides in all of these games, and we are the only side in the league to have not played any of the bottom sides away from home yet.
Anyway, it was nice to see the stats suggesting that as the season plays out we may well begin to climb the table. Here's hoping... |
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Thread | I wouldn't be surprised to see this team next Saturday...
at 05:47 21 Sep 2014
Green
Onouha Caulker Ferdinand Hill
Isla Henry Fer Traore
Krancjar
Austin
Subs: McCarthy, Dunne, +1, Philipps, Hoilett, Vargas, Zamora
With all the midfield injuries, and need to be more solid at the back and the fact that Isla and Traore both look suspect as the full backs and better going forward, I wouldn't be surprised to see Harry play a back four consisting of four center halves!
Despite being up against a form team in Southampton, hopefully, we'll look a bit more solid and find some form ourselves and sneak a point or more. It would be more by luck than planning, but it could work well for us in the long run once he has the midfield players fit and back.
Before you think I am being madly optimistic...remember that West Brom held the Saints to a goalless draw, and we won last time we were there and Harry will be determined to do well back at Southampton. Come on you R's - we need to get our away form sorted! |
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Thread | Hoping to fly in from Hong Kong!
at 13:19 17 May 2014
Depends on whether I can get tickets for the game and hoping to be near my cousin to enjoy this crazy experience together... |
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Thread | Will 35 points be enough?
at 12:00 4 Mar 2012
Definitely some more positive comments on the MB after our performance against Everton. Have we turned the corner? I believe we have.
Many people have been worried about our run in, well yes it is tough but that may bring out the best in us. I could actually see us doing pretty well against some of the big guns of this league, and believe that we will now be a tough team to beat.
I think we've got the players and now believe that we've learned the lessons from our mistakes so that we can toughen up and get some points and move away from trouble.
Given these assumptions, I believe we may pick up another 13 points...my question is will that be enough - not if you think we will get that many or think I'm crazy...it's okay, I've read the negativity threads and posts and don't need anymore, not here anyway - so will it be?!
Here is where I see the points coming from...
Bolton (a) - critical and we go there feeling pretty good and they are feeling battered and bruised: 3 points
Stoke (h) - not great away from home, and will be very safe when they play us: 3 points
Liverpool (h) - will be focused on their FA Cup game when they eventually come to Loftus Road, and won't like a midweek game in West London whilst we'll be pumped for it and the players (especially Cisse) will love playing Liverpool: 3 points
Sunderland (a) - will be feeling pretty safe and although very tough to beat at their place I think we'll do better at stopping them scoring than when we played them in December: 1 point
West Brom (a) - will feel very safe now after their great run of form, but it will run out: 1 point
Swansea (h) - a game that could go either way, will not be easy at all: 1 point
Tottenham (h) - running out of steam after early season promise and worried about Harry's exit: 1 point
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Thread | Time for some positivity and some success starting this weekend...
at 09:01 22 Feb 2012
Wow, there is a lot of pessimism on this board. I've been reading through the predictions and recent threads about what's gone wrong, and what's going to happen now and pretty much every poster is predicting we'll go down. I agree we have played terribly recently, and our key players (Barton and SWP) have lacked confidence and are not exerting enough positive influence on matches for us to take more points, and we've had some key players out with injury or suspension (Young, Helgusson & Cisse) and I have also been supporting this team since the mid 70's and so I've been a lot of heartbreak before with the R's, but I refuse to allow all this negativity to pull me down. Come on Rangers, we will get out of this mess.
First of all, I believe that Hughes and his team will solidify our defense and make us a very difficult team to beat, and so we will not be an easy three points for all the top six teams that we still have to play - particularly since they will be facing extreme pressure as well (remember how we struggled to win games last year when the end seemed so near?).
Secondly, the recent two week break will help gel the squad and enable the new players to feel part of the team and most importantly after nearly two weeks of working together I'm sure the players will understand the system and expectancy of the management much better now. This will result in increased desire and playing for each other of the team and in turn we will see better performances and results that earn us points.
Thirdly, the form and work rate of Adel in recent games could well be the same kind of tonic to our season this year as it was last. In addition, we have many other star players who will come good as good things start happening around them. I honestly believe that Djibril Cisse looks a class striker for this league, and he will come back at Bolton and beyond determined to win back points that we have lost/missed since his craziness against Wolves. I do believe our players will win us points even when we think the opponents are better than us!
Finally, I hope Mark Hughes will realize he hit a masterstroke when he bought on Mackie in the second half against Blackburn - not that Mackie is the answer...but that a diamond shape midfield is. What I mean - our strikers look like they have needed support all season and are not getting it from midfield. We need someone playing just behind them to support them and give them passes to split defenses. Taarabt is the perfect player for this kind of role, and I hope Hughes will endeavor to make this possible. I believe in the 2nd half against Blackburn he sort of did this - Barton at the bottom of the diamond, Traore on the left, SWP on the right with Adel at the top. This enabled Zamora and Mackie to put more pressure on Blackburn’s defense than we did before. For the Fulham game onwards I would go with something like - Diakite at the bottom of the diamond, Traore on the left and Barton on the right, with Adel at the top. I believe this was a formation suggested by other posters and I could really see it working - or certainly in the second halves of games when we need to push on.
All in all, I can see us succeeding, and believe that we will survive...but this positive spirit is vital. Come on...we can do it! BELIEVE and we will ACHIEVE!!
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