These games are clearly seen as crucial to our season. Our objective has to be to maintain a gap as we face these teams. I can't honestly see them pulling back anything like 10 points + the goal difference.

I could see Hull being dead and buried by the time we face them.
Chelsea - away
Man Utd - away
Liverpool - home
Arsenal - away
Burnley - home

Swansea is also difficult
Liverpool - away
Southampton home
Man City - away
Leicester - home
Chelsea - away
Burnley home

Sunderland's is a bit easier
West Brom - away
Spurs - home
Palace - Away
Southampton - home
Everton - away
Man City - home
Boro - away
Burnley - home

I agree.

We are safe.

It's just a question of how much is the cushion.

I could honestly see the gap growing.

4 wins and a couple of draws will almost certainly see us stay up, fantastic position to be in.

We'll need no more than 37 points to survive due to the top half have more points than last season when Newcastle went down with 37.

The bonus, this time, is how close it is from 8th to the bottom. There will be no freebies.
So many clubs playing each other makes our 10 point cushion a huge factor now.

halfmanhalfbiscuit wrote:These games are clearly seen as crucial to our season. Our objective has to be to maintain a gap as we face these teams. I can't honestly see them pulling back anything like 10 points + the goal difference.

I could see Hull being dead and buried by the time we face them.
Chelsea - away
Man Utd - away
Liverpool - home
Arsenal - away
Burnley - home

Swansea is also difficult
Liverpool - away
Southampton home
Man City - away
Leicester - home
Chelsea - away
Burnley home

Sunderland's is a bit easier
West Brom - away
Spurs - home
Palace - Away
Southampton - home
Everton - away
Man City - home
Boro - away
Burnley - home

Our run of games is not easy - especially given our away form:
Arsenal - away
LEICESTER - home
Watford - away
CHELSEA - home
Hull - away
Swansea - away
Liverpool - away
Sunderland - away

We will win a couple of them away games

Spijed wrote:We'll need no more than 37 points to survive due to the top half have more points than last season when Newcastle went down with 37.

I prefer a more cautious attitude, and 40 points is well within our ability.

Arsenal - 0
LEICESTER - 3
Watford - 3
CHELSEA - 1
Hull - 3
Swansea - 3
Liverpool - 1
Sunderland - 3

17 points and safe

We're already safe, we could lose our next 10 in a row and we'd still be outside the relegation zone, that's how awful the current bottom 3 are.

CnBtruntru wrote:Arsenal - 0
LEICESTER - 3
Watford - 3
CHELSEA - 1
Hull - 3
Swansea - 3
Liverpool - 1
Sunderland - 3

17 points and safe

I see the Silk Road website is still around.

Realistically the one we HAVE to win is Leicester and the ones we have to not lose are Watford, Hull, Swansea and Sunderland. Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are write offs tbh

Funny old season. The big clubs are for the main back at it. The bottom clubs you would think have got to get at least a few good results before the end. As for us a couple of wins we could see us looking at the possibility of sneaking into Europe...... ok pushing it and I'd more than settle for a nice comfy lower mid table. I don't think we should be over concerned with the bottom three. Football is strange and until we're safe it cannot be taken for granted but really think the mind-set should be on how high can we get the way we are going.

Dark Cloud wrote:Realistically the one we HAVE to win is Leicester and the ones we have to not lose are Watford, Hull, Swansea and Sunderland. Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are write offs tbh

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are write offs tbh, Never say never, Already beat one of them, Arsenal we was stitched up, Chelsea will be lucky to get away with a draw Can understand why you call yourself "Dark cloud",

I mapped out predictions for the 38-game season at the start and we're one point adrift of a 47 point haul

just like last season and the two before it, there will be no counting of chickens until the mathematics of our season is finalised !!

bfcmik wrote:Our run of games is not easy - especially given our away form:
Arsenal - away
LEICESTER - home
Watford - away
CHELSEA - home
Hull - away
Swansea - away
Liverpool - away
Sunderland - away

Doesnt matter. If we lose all ours the bottom 3 are certain to lose all theirs.

We are safe now with a 10 point cushion. None of the bottom 3 will make up 10 points on us with us not gaining morw

Even going very negative:

Hull
Chelsea - away (0)
Man Utd - away (1)
Liverpool - home (1)
Arsenal - away (1)
Burnley - home - Now 7pts adrift assuming we lose 4 in a row

Swansea
Liverpool - away (0)
Southampton home (3)
Man City - away (0)
Leicester - home (3)
Chelsea - away (0)
Burnley home - Now 4pts adrift assuming we lose 5 straight

Sunderland's is a bit easier
West Brom - away (0)
Spurs - home (0)
Palace - Away (1)
Southampton - home (3)
Everton - away (0)
Man City - home (1)
Boro - away (3)
Burnley - home - Now 2pts adrift assuming we lose 7 straight.


So even assuming we lose 7 in a row, including all three away games at Hull and Swansea, we would still be out of the bottom 3 going into the Sunderland game.

The above results won't happen, I have been extremely generous. Also we won't lose 7 straight.

But we can't think the job is done. One game at a time and let's work on extending that gap.

I've twice been relegated in my Birthday, it would be nice to have it secured up with a home win v United on 22nd so I can enjoy my birthday a few days later!

Its not over till the fat lady sings.

Grimsby Claret wrote:Its not over till the fat lady sings.

Four more wins and a couple of draws and she'll be clearing her throat.

bfcmik wrote:Our run of games is not easy - especially given our away form:
Arsenal - away
LEICESTER - home
Watford - away
CHELSEA - home
Hull - away
Swansea - away
Liverpool - away
Sunderland - away

I realise this, the point I was making, is that the teams in the bottom three have equally difficult games in their run up to us. Hull in particular - who I could see getting 0 points from their next four games.

Well if anyone fancies it you can get 7-1 for us to be relegated,bookies don't give odds like that willy nilly in January,so at this point it's about 85% chance of stopping up,and that's without additions.