Dalek2003

3-0 is at least respectable. Liverpool are a very good team. We have to beat the teams in the bottom third.

Bournemouth taking a spanking

Well, in the circumstances I would take that!

Not easy to accept but realistically the more important games are to beat the teams in the bottom third, our near rivals. These games are all about keeping a defeat respectable and just maybe nicking a point on an off day.

Leave those sentiments for WHEN we go down. I think we will be successful this season and stay up. I stand by my prediction of 16th.

It is NOT inevitable we will get relegated. However, we are in the mix. This has been on the cards for some time and the years when we finished in the top 10 were the 'golden years'. Trouble is, some people unrealistically began to dream this would be the norm and closed their ears to the more objective posters.

Not ridiculed by me.

I predicted another hard season when we would be scrambling around the relegation zone but doing just enough to survive, in other words a successful season. Minimal outlay with cash coming in. I predicted 16th and expect to be right again this season as I was last season.

So are you saying we will finish 17th?

Someone stole my script.

I got lambasted for saying this a few years ago and probably an infraction.

Being in the premier league is NOT pointless. Ask all the teams in the leagues below desperate and dreaming of the day they get in. We cannot win the premier league, true, but how many times did we win the old Division 1?

I wouldn't say we have 'lost our way'. I think we had a good spell but ultimately our objective has been to remain in the Premier League. Nothing wrong with that. I have understood this to be the case for a number of years and consider any position above the relegation zone as success and that includes 17th.

Well, I you are implying we are going to settle for mediocrity in one of the hardest leagues in the world, then I would say that this shows ambition from a relatively small club.

Have we gone back in a time machine?, seems like we are back in the 90's. 2-0 to Palace.

Well said.

Confidence, confidence, confidence. Plus, a lack of leadership and direction. We have settled on 'survival', which means we are playing close to the wire and the fear of relegation seeps into the team. If we can just get a few lucky wind and a good little run we will be OK

Agreed, I was making that kind of point earlier on. Our 26 year run, which came to an end in 2005 was quite an achievement. As I said, we are 17th in the all time league, so not bad at all. There is everything to play for this season and simply staying up is something we should be rightly proud of and not be afraid of celebrating to the rafters!

Are you going to apply that mantra to our rivals like Brighton and Bournemouth?

I can't understand why people don't pack a flask of soup or Bovril and a kit kat for half time.

I disagree. Before we were relegated in 2005 we had a 26 year run in the top league. We are also 17th in the all time league. Not bad for a 'small' club. Our ambition to 'stay up' without bankrupting the club is about right. We are self sufficient and we are not being bankrolled like some clubs. As long as we stay up we will have achieved our ambitions and objectives and I for one are happy with that!

That's exactly my point. Canary fans around me would love their club to be in the PL like Saints. They see a club last season that dug in and showed guts to stay up and a club that is trying to defy the odds this year to stay up. Lets face it, Saints are a club that will most often be playing to either stay up in the top league or trying to get promoted into it.

Hang on, we are premier league club. Whilst we retain that status do we not have something to be proud of?

People are demoralised because they expected us to be a regular top 10 club. However, the recent years were a bonus, or golden time. In the 1990's we were a club that fought to stay in the top league. Before being relegated we had been on an unbroken 26 year run in the top division. This was an amazing accomplishment and it was worth preserving. Therefore it was just as exciting and satisfying finishing just above the relegation zone. We should aim to recapture that spirit and enjoy the drama of 'staying up'. At the moment we are 17th, but with a win we could rise to lower mid table, 14th even ! Remember, there are a lot of clubs in the leagues below that would aspire to our Premier league status and relish the idea of a season fighting 'to stay up'

We are 17th at the moment...seems to be our level.