Would you take 17th if Villa win tonight?

[whelk]

I know, I know we are not getting relegated however I am not as confident as the bookies, so defeatist as it sounds I would take 17th if Villa were to win tonight. Before WBA wouldn't have settled for 12th - such fine lines.

[Barry Sanchez]

I would take 17th, what about us coming 10th though?

[Mouldy Coat]

Wigan are down ;-), I would have taken 17th at the start, but it will feel like a disappointing season to now finish 17th

[Glasgow_Saint]

We were on course to finish 12th under Adkins..... Anything lower under the "better manager" would be disappointing

[trousers]

We were on course to finish 12th under Adkins.....

 

This week's lottery numbers when you've got a sec please kind sir

[ibizasaint]

We were on course to finish 12th under Adkins..... Anything lower under the "better manager" would be disappointing

 

 

I loved Adkins and repsect what he did for us but look at the run of games we had coming up when he left..Everton , the Manc clubs,Chelsea, Liverpool etc... I dont think we would have got as many points after those games as MP did.

[Glasgow_Saint]

I loved Adkins and repsect what he did for us but look at the run of games we had coming up when he left..Everton , the Manc clubs,Chelsea, Liverpool etc... I dont think we would have got as many points after those games as MP did.

 

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these

[CB Saint]

I was up for 17 th before a ball was kicked this season.

 

Why is everyone panicking, we have lost our first game in 7 against a team that hasn't been out of the top half all season.

[Pilchards]

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these

 

I think we need to get in the champions league quickly if we can only beat great teams.

[ibizasaint]

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these[/QUOT

 

I can see your point , and MP's return against those teams hasnt been very good...but how many points did Nige get the first time round?

[alpine_saint]

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these

 

And considering 2 of our last 3 games are against such mid-table mediocrity as these, and the third is against a team trying to secure Champions League football, we should be very worried, because I can see us not picking up any more points at all.

 

Suffice to say we are in our usual fall-over-the-finish line mode, briefly interrupted by the promotion from League 1 season.

 

That "Champions League next season" cr*p during the wek did not help focussing the players.

[Glasgow_Saint]

And considering 2 of our last 3 games are against such mid-table mediocrity as these, and the third is against a team trying to secure Champions League football, we should be very worried, because I can see us not picking up any more points at all.

 

Suffice to say we are in our usual fall-over-the-finish line mode, briefly interrupted by the promotion from League 1 season.

 

That "Champions League next season" cr*p during the wek did not help focussing the players.

 

 

said the same when I saw Pinocchios interview. needs to start letting the football do the talking and concentrate on speaking English and our survival before he gets carried away with his media chums

 

like many on here think he's getting ahead of himself after wins against top 5. conveniently forgetting the awful return against our bread n butter

[dubai_phil]

I was up for 17 th before a ball was kicked this season.

 

Why is everyone panicking, we have lost our first game in 7 against a team that hasn't been out of the top half all season.

 

Like you I am not panicking BUT we have only picked up 2 points out of the last 9 on offer while only scoring ONE goal.

 

Getting something away to a CL chasing Spuds will not be easy nor will a point at Paulo's nutjobs.

 

Concerned is a better phrase methinks

[Wes Tender]

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these[/QUOT

 

I can see your point , and MP's return against those teams hasnt been very good...but how many points did Nige get the first time round?

 

Against those teams Nigel got eight points, having beaten Newcastle and QPR and drawn against Swansea and Norwich

[alpine_saint]

 

Against those teams Nigel got eight points, having beaten Newcastle and QPR and drawn against Swansea and Norwich

 

Glasgow has it right, everyone has got carried away and ahead of themselves.

 

Perhaps NA would have been better for the slug-fest we are facing now over the last 3 games. However, if it werent for MP we might well have already been relegated since the Chelsea, ManC and Liverpool results might not have happened.

[Wopper]

Too many donkeys in the squad and thats down to Adkins.

[Bucks Saint]

Anyway back to the OP, in short, no. I am expecting 4 points from the remaining 3 games and estimate 13-14th place

[Bucks Saint]

Too many donkeys in the squad and thats down to Adkins.

 

You sound like 'arry. "no no, these players are nuffink to do with me, i arrived in February, honest"

[Wes Tender]

Since Adkins was sacked, my position has always been that if we don't surpass the 15th position that Adkins left us with, then there will have been little point in replacing him with Pochettino. So no, 17th will not be good enough in my opinion.

 

Nobody knows whether Adkins would have got those results against Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City. It wasn't that long before those matches that we had drawn against Arsenal and come back from two down against Chelsea away. At least Adkins managed to get a draw against Redknapp's star-studded QPR team with a much poorer squad than we had.

[Saint_clark]

Too many donkeys in the squad and thats down to Adkins.

 

Sorry, such as who exactly?

[alpine_saint]

Since Adkins was sacked, my position has always been that if we don't surpass the 15th position that Adkins left us with, then there will have been little point in replacing him with Pochettino. So no, 17th will not be good enough in my opinion.

 

Nobody knows whether Adkins would have got those results against Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City. It wasn't that long before those matches that we had drawn against Arsenal and come back from two down against Chelsea away. At least Adkins managed to get a draw against Redknapp's star-studded QPR team with a much poorer squad than we had.

 

Its a fair argument, but I would counter argument with a simple statement : Sunderland at home - WTF happened there ? NA got the build-up to that completely wrong, imo. We were on a bit of a roll, and that happened. Almost a sackable offence in itself (in fact, it may well have turned out to be so)

[Stepgar]

Premier league survival is key this year so I guess you would have to take the guarantee of 17th wouldn't you? However I would be extremely disappointed if we did that, after the mid season form we have shown.

[Wes Tender]

Its a fair argument, but I would counter argument with a simple statement : Sunderland at home - WTF happened there ? NA got the build-up to that completely wrong, imo. We were on a bit of a roll, and that happened. Almost a sackable offence in itself (in fact, it may well have turned out to be so)

If you're going to take one game in isolation then I'll take the QPR game as my counter argument. Adkins had managed a 3-1 victory away, but Pochettino's team lost 2-1 at home against them. Which is the poorer team between Sunderland and QPR? Sunderland have been good under Di Canio, winning against Newcastle and Everton, without Fletcher, their top scorer, so they can't have been too far adrift when they played us, whereas QPR despite their star players have been relegation fodder most of the season.

[alpine_saint]

If you're going to take one game in isolation then I'll take the QPR game as my counter argument. Adkins had managed a 3-1 victory away, but Pochettino's team lost 2-1 at home against them. Which is the poorer team between Sunderland and QPR? Sunderland have been good under Di Canio, winning against Newcastle and Everton, without Fletcher, their top scorer, so they can't have been too far adrift when they played us, whereas QPR despite their star players have been relegation fodder most of the season.

 

I do wonder if MP is doing a particularly good job of keeping the players feet on the ground, especially after this weeks comments.

 

On the other hand, at least he can find a win after an international break. And against superior opposition.

[Matthew Le God]

I want Villa to win tonight.

 

Relegation isn't a worry and it helps keep Sunderland below Saints. I want Saints to finish as high as possible (as we all should), so a Sunderland defeat helps that.

[alpine_saint]

I want Villa to win tonight.

 

Relegation isn't a worry and it helps keep Sunderland below Saints. I want Saints to finish as high as possible (as we all should), so a Sunderland defeat helps that.

 

Survival first. We should be looking for a Sunderland win.

[Matthew Le God]

Survival first. We should be looking for a Sunderland win.

 

If Sunderland win Saints drop a place, if Villa win or it is a draw Saints don't drop a place.

 

The more teams below Saints the better do you not think?

[trousers]

Since Adkins was sacked, my position has always been that if we don't surpass the 15th position that Adkins left us with, then there will have been little point in replacing him with Pochettino. So no, 17th will not be good enough in my opinion

 

That assumes Adkins would have finished higher than 17th. If we'd stuck with Adkins and finished 18th then finishing 17th with Pochettino would be "good enough".

 

Of course, we'll never know where we'd have finished under Adkins so it'll never be possible to compare the two.

[alpine_saint]

If Sunderland win Saints drop a place, if Villa win or it is a draw Saints don't drop a place.

 

The more teams below Saints the better do you not think?

 

Nope. I expect Sunderland to beat us and pull away anyway, so better that Villa have fewer points.

[Matthew Le God]

Are you aware how this will all come back to haunt you as it did in 2010/11 and 2011/12? Cheer up Alpine ffs!

Edited 29 April, 2013 by Matthew Le God

[alpine_saint]

Are you aware how this will all come back to haunt you as it did in 2010/11 and 2011/12? Cheer up Alpine ffs!

 

Oh, I am quite used to having my predictions thrown back in my face, whether they were deserved or not. And of course, there is always some creative accounting/misrepresentation when said throwing occurs.

 

Its quite alright though MLG, it just makes me smile and pity the thrower, since I have better things to do with my life than track the veractiy of other contributors past predictions.

 

I am perfectly happy, but perhaps a little nervous.

[Matthew Le God]

Can't be good for your health being this negative all the time about what is actually a positive situation when a newly promoted team is 3 points from 9th and 7 points and has a far better goal difference from the relegation zone at the beginning of May!

Edited 29 April, 2013 by Matthew Le God

[Smirking_Saint]

Oh, I am quite used to having my predictions thrown back in my face, whether they were deserved or not. And of course, there is always some creative accounting/misrepresentation when said throwing occurs.

 

Its quite alright though MLG, it just makes me smile and pity the thrower, since I have better things to do with my life than track the veractiy of other contributors past predictions.

 

 

I think the reason they get thrown in your face is that you repeat ad infinitum your point that eventually ends up being completely wrong and makes you look a little silly.

 

What exactly do you have to do thats better ? Except obviously lurking around until we lose a game ?

[Matthew Le God]

Alpine,

 

As I've told you before... now we've adapted to the Premier League after a poor opening 10 games, the last 25 games have seen us pick up 35 points - top 8 form! Our summer signings played a big part in that, yet you write them off as poor. Can you not see why people get irritated with your negativity with facts like that going against your claims?

[Tokyo-Saint]

MLG lecturing poster about being imitating and annoying other posters! This is my favourite MLG thread ever (well since the one with all the spelling mistakes).

[kpturner]

MLG lecturing poster about being imitating....other posters!

I didn't realise we were not allowed to do that? I guess I will have to take my Bearsy mask off now

[Verbal Kint]

I expect Sunderland to beat us and pull away anyway

 

Were you born a loser? What an unbelievable mentality

 

Writing off a game against a team below us in the table. ****ing hell, they aren't Bayern Munich. Sunderland will be favourites with home advantage but it isn't a game to be writing off

[alpine_saint]

Alpine,

 

As I've told you before... now we've adapted to the Premier League after a poor opening 10 games, the last 25 games have seen us pick up 35 points - top 8 form! Our summer signings played a big part in that, yet you write them off as poor. Can you not see why people get irritated with your negativity with facts like that going against your claims?

 

The only one of our individual signings I have criticised is Ramirez. When I describe our activity as "poor", I am talking about the balance and the addressing of existing issues. We should be damned grateful that Shaw has worked out as well as he has; that was a difficult one to predict; without him, we'd most likely be down already.

 

If the existing issues (which were painfully apparent during the Reading home game last season when we surrended the title with barely a squeak) were addressed, we would have made even more progress.

[Wes Tender]

That assumes Adkins would have finished higher than 17th. If we'd stuck with Adkins and finished 18th then finishing 17th with Pochettino would be "good enough".

 

Of course, we'll never know where we'd have finished under Adkins so it'll never be possible to compare the two.

 

Yes, that's right, we will never know. But as a yardstick, it isn't a bad comparison to take Adkins' record up until he left, especially considering that at that time we had already played all of the teams and the season was over halfway through. Allowing also for the difficult start, the improvement in the players available and that they were more used to playing in the division the later the season went on, and nobody can argue that the comparison is stilted in Adkins' favour.

 

Everybody makes comparisons based on the position that a new manager inherited and judges them on how they fared afterwards. Exactly the same scenario has just been applied to Redcrapp on the other thread, but nobody seems to be speculating that Hughes might have fared worse had he remained.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Survival first. We should be looking for a Sunderland win.

 

Spot on,

 

How can anyone want Villa within 2 points of us, especially if Wigan go on a run like they can and have done before .

[Dellman]

I feel so sorry for Alpine. Saints have had a wonderful three years, an amazing recovery after the years of decline and the poor chap is still moaning and miserable and complaining, oh dear, how sad--why can't he be thankful and give some credit for all the excitement and fun we've enjoyed?

[saints-cris]

Were you born a loser? What an unbelievable mentality

 

Writing off a game against a team below us in the table. ****ing hell, they aren't Bayern Munich. Sunderland will be favourites with home advantage but it isn't a game to be writing off

 

Sorry to knit pick, but Villa are home. Think they could sneak it, but think it will be a draw. No bad thing.

[Matthew Le God]

How can anyone want Villa within 2 points of us.

 

So you would prefer Saints to be 14th by the end of the evening rather than 13th?

[KelvinsRightGlove]

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these

 

Prior to MP being appointed you were going on about how we won't stay up unless we beat some of the big teams?

 

It's the same as last season, when people moaned about how we never beat any of the top teams, and only beat the bottom teams. Look how that turned out. It doesn't matter how you get the points, as long as you get them.

 

All that matters is we have more points than 3 other teams. It's guaranteed that we will have more points than at least 2 teams, and in my opinion, extremely likely (actually that's not even opinion, statistics proof that it is indeed FACT that it is extremely likely) that we will finish with more points than one other additional team.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

I would take 17th, what about us coming 10th though?

 

Errrm, correct me if I'm wrong (which I'm not), but we are closer in points, places & GD to 10th than 17th.

[Saint Garrett]

So you would prefer Saints to be 14th by the end of the evening rather than 13th?

 

I definitely would. Although I really dont think we'll go down, the more that Villa and Wigan are kept away from us the better.

[Hamilton Saint]

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these

 

Why do you continue to use this demeaning epithet for our manager? Why the lack of respect?

[trousers]

Why do you continue to use this demeaning epithet for our manager?

 

Because its hilarious - surely I can't be the only one rolling around in stitches every time?

[Hamilton Saint]

Because its hilarious - surely I can't be the only one rolling around in stitches every time?

 

He was going for humour? Oh, dear. Worse than I thought!

 

[melmacian_saint]

Maybe not those games, but Pinocchio has picked up just 4 points from games against QPR, NEWCASTLE, WIGAN, WHU, WBA, SWANSEA, NORWICH. I believe Adkins would have a far better return from these

 

I actually don't.

I think we would be looking a much less certain survival prospect under Adkins. Maybe we would've avoided defeat v.QPR but I reckon we would've lost at Wigan, home to West Ham, same v. West Brom/Swansea but lost at Norwich (which we almost did anyway).