Who’s for the drop?

[Bigvince]

Bit early to call yet, but who do you think the bottom three will be this season?

Aston Villa
Norwich
Watford
Is my guess

[cricketfieldclarets]

Will be very tight.

Pearson looked like he had them playing well yesterday but they couldn't finish at all. So as it stands Watford look certain. I think Southampton will pot their manager soon and go for Allardyce. If they do that would be a wise move and keep them up.

Although they are flying at the minute, I can see Sheff Utd struggling in the new year but should have enough already. Villa should have enough to get through it but the number of transfers they made in summer and if they get more in may unsettle them. So they wont pull away IMO.

Newcastle looked dreadful yesterday but Bruce is a decent manager. Everton will pull away.

On that basis

Norwich to finish bottom
Watford
Brighton to get dragged in

We will be in and around it. As will most clubs outside the usual big 6 and Leicester.

[LordBob]

I might swap Watford for Southampton and keep an eye on Palace if Wilf goes to Chelsea

[ElectroClaret]

I think Villa will be fine.

Norwich
Watford
Southampton

[Bigvince]

Just think villa are a bit open in the way they play

[Rowls]

Watford
Southampton
Brighton

[MACCA]

Think Saints will be too strong although I'd quite happily see them go so we could poach some of their players.

I think itll be

A Villa
Norwich
Watford

Although I would prefer

Brighton
Southampton
Watford

[jrgbfc]

Think it will be 3 from Watford, Norwich, Southampton and Villa.

[LeadBelly]

Current bottom three for me.
Norwich have had some decent results (such as beating City) but they let too may in. I dont think they have the £ to recruit and correct that. They don't score that many either and will really struggle if Pukki gets injured/has a poor patch.

Watford have some decent players (as shown in patches in previous seasons) but only scored 9 goals this season (half as many as the next lowest) & leaking a fair few + already 6 points behind 4th bottom. Difficult to see them pulling out of it & it'll require one of the teams above the current bottom 3 to go down the pan.

Southampton had a couple of consecutive wins end Nov/start Dec against Watford then Norwich (both 2-1 at home) but they're the easiest games they'll have. Ralph engineered the great escape for them last season but they look bereft in all departments this time. They're away at Villa next week, if they lose that it'll really put the pressure on.

[LordBob]

This is a really interesting post I hope it runs until the end of the season. Fascinating how we see things differently although I don't like Nigel Pearson especially how he was so disrespectful to us during our relegation season but I think he will turn Watford around .. don't want him to.

[Longside4evr]

Editing

[Longside4evr]

Said all along the mix will be between ourselves
Watford
Bournemouth
Southampton
Villa
Norwich
And i had Sheffield U as certainties

[Goalposts]

for me watford i think will have to much to do .
znorwich will put up fights but ultimately find themselves short

thens its one from anyone up to tenth place

[Dark Cloud]

Palace won't sell Wilf at ANY price as he's THE biggest reason they stay fairly comfortably in the PL each year.
I'm actually worried we could get dragged in at some stage as we are quite capable of going on a poor run with poor performances, especially if we lose a couple of key players, just as much as we're capable of producing a good spell or a freak result. It's far too early to name a bottom 3, but if I was Norwich or Villa I'd be very worried. Watford or Soton less so, as teams with PL experience can often turn things round.

[Woodleyclaret]

Any 3 from Watford
Saints
Norwich
Bournemouth
Newcastle
Villa

[claretblue]

Think Saints will be too strong although I'd quite happily see them go so we could poach some of their players

mmm what's that Ings like?

[evensteadiereddie]

I think the longer that Mings is out for Villa, the bigger the danger of losing even more ground is there. Their next few fixtures don't look too bad but they have to take advantage otherwise, I reckon, they're screwed.

[SalisburyClaret]

Southampton
Brighton
Newcastle

[Bosscat]

Any 3 from

Palace
Brighton
Wham
Villa
Newcastle
Bunmouth
Everton
Southampton
Watford
Narch

If I missed anyone feel free to add them in

[IWOODLOVETT]

Have you included all of the claret and blue clubs??

[Bigvince]

If your list is so comprehensive Bosscat, maybe we should be on it

[MACCA]

mmm what's that Ings like?

Doesn't matter, apparently wouldn't be welcomed back at our club due to his behaviour

Although I'd drive down and pick JWP up, and give him free digs at mine.

[Bosscat]

If your list is so comprehensive Bosscat, maybe we should be on it

Nah we will finish top 10 m8

[lesxdp]

Nah we will finish top 10 m8

Hope so as I have a small bet on it from pre season

[Burnley1989]

I keep hearing sheff Utd, I honestly can’t see that in a million years. They’re not scraping wins, they actually look good

[RalphCoatesComb]

Aston Villa
Norwich
Watford
Is my guess

Looks like a good shout.

Throw Southampton into the mix and you've got your bottom 3

[cricketfieldclarets]

Anyone know who has the toughest run ins?

[FactualFrank]

Anyone know who has the toughest run ins?

yep

[tiger76]

Watford-don't see where their goals are coming from,and they need 9/10 wins,that's roughly 1 in 2 they'd have to win,can't see it.

Norwich-they've had some decent results against the top sides,beating City and draws with Arsenal and Leicester,but they've struggled in the 6 pointers.

Between Villa and Saints for the last spot,everyone else will have too much to get sucked in,including ourselves despite the doom and gloom from some posters.

[mdd2]

Too early to say. Norwich maybe as they cannot spend their way out. Watford in deep do do but Pearson has managed a great escape before so maybe a second time.
Villa will spend big and Southampton with a different manager could climb.
Often a mid table team drops from February March into bottom three. Just hope we can get another 5 wins.

[ClaretTony]

Villa can’t spend much bigger can they?

[cricketfieldclarets]

Not sure spending will help Villa they already bought too many players IMO like Fulham before.

[FactualFrank]

Fulham are a strange one. Playing better football than half the Premier League but not winning games. And they have a very good striker too.

Money certainly doesn't guarantee anything, but they've kept some of their best players so you'd expect them to bounce back up and learn from mistakes.

[jojomk1]

We are right in the mix
Happy clappers can put their heads in the sand but just hope SD and the recruitment team/board don't
Norwich looked doomed if they don't improve their squad in Jan
Hate Pearson, but there is a reasonable chance he will get more out of Watford - don't forget what he did it with Leicester some years back
Southampton look aimless apart from Ings so just hoping they don't sack the manager till after Jan
You can't make so many changes to a squad and keep consistency, so Villa will be around the bottom six
I actually think Potter has got some good ideas at Brighton and they are trying to play football
Newcastle had three of their best players missing Sat and should be ok
Sat game at Bournemouth is a big one cos I think we may both finish in the bottom 6 - just hope we are above them

[FactualFrank]

We are right in the mix
Happy clappers can put their heads in the sand but just hope SD and the recruitment team/board don't
Norwich looked doomed if they don't improve their squad in Jan
Hate Pearson, but there is a reasonable chance he will get more out of Watford - don't forget what he did it with Leicester some years back
Southampton look aimless apart from Ings so just hoping they don't sack the manager till after Jan
You can't make so many changes to a squad and keep consistency, so Villa will be around the bottom six
I actually think Potter has got some good ideas at Brighton and they are trying to play football
Newcastle had three of their best players missing Sat and should be ok
Sat game at Bournemouth is a big one cos I think we may both finish in the bottom 6 - just hope we are above them

Agreed.

[NL Claret]

Fill your trainers by backing us to go down at 7/1 then. We haven't lost to any side below us in the table so far this season.

[ElectroClaret]

We may well be in the mix, but the reality is that five wins and a couple of draws will give us
38 points, which has been more than enough to stay up the last few seasons.

We'll be fine.