Staying Up Thread 2019/20 | Page 4 | Vital Football

Staying Up Thread 2019/20

Langoe66 said:
Watching the likes of Man U, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal put in some very average performances over the past few weeks, when they all arrive at Villa Park over the next few months we really should go out and play against them with no fear whatsoever.....Man City and Liverpool in a completely different class but that lot at home.....perfectly capable of accumulating a decent few points if we can show the same levels of commitment etc as we have done in 3 of the last 4. Can’t afford any more Man Cityesque no shows between now and May but perform as we have done in patches this season with more consistency, we‘re capable of taking points off anyone.
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So true.

As BFR would say we need to give it the full bollocks.
 
Villan57 said:
We have a couple of things going for us, our fans haven't turned yet, we have full houses backing the team Home and giving it a go away too.

We also have Super Jack and none of the bottom sides have anyone fit enough to clean his boots
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Read earlier that Steve Clarke is hopeful of Super John being available for the March internationals..

If we got him back for the last few games that would be a massive boost.
 
Villan57 said:
We have a couple of things going for us, our fans haven't turned yet, we have full houses backing the team Home and giving it a go away too.

We also have Super Jack and none of the bottom sides have anyone fit enough to clean his boots
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Yup......can you imagine if heaven forbid, Jack was injured and out for a while....nothing would surprise me with our bloody luck but in view of the way he’s playing that would be nothing short of catastrophic at this stage of the season! But very Villa! :slap:
 
Villan57 said:
We simply have to win a couple of games against the odds like Burnley and Newcastle have, jammy boring negative teams that just hope for a set-piece winner. Which is not always a bad thing to do.

The first time we launched one against Watford in the 95 min we score the winner, 3 big CB's combine and we score. One thing is sure if you keep passing it around the back four and back to the keeper there is only one outcome a cock up and a resultant goal for the opposition. Time to mix it up a bit. We need to beat Bournemouth Newcastle or Everton away and win 3 at home and we'll be high and dry
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I agree with the risk comment, my heart is in my mouth at times.

What I would like to see us do as we all saw worked well on Tuesday is launch more diagonal balls to Freddie and Targett who can make the pitch wide and get around their markers, to get balls into the box.
 
From another thread:

MGSteve said:

I think ultimately what this season has shown is that we're still living with issues caused by previous owners, namely the fact we ended up having to buy virtually a new team when coming up to the premiership. We were always risking a season like this, if the team didn't sync or the purchases either turned out to be bad ones or if they took a while to adjust to the new league. The idea to buy young players and build a team with a view to the future was an admirable idea, it just hasn't worked for us.

What really did us in was not being able to hold on to Abraham, we've basically lacked a recognised forward all season and for one reason or another Wesley hasn't worked out us (yet).

Yes, the Jan transfer window wasn't great, however, it wasn't great really for anyone as far as strikers go, there simply wasn't anyone decent around. Sure, splashing millions is one way to go, but we're then left with FFP issues if we go down and a potentially massive wage bill in the Championship.

I have to be honest, I don't watch enough games to know exactly where the issue lies, whether its with the manager or the players, its almost certainly a combination of both. Smith may have trouble picking his best players, simply because so many of them can't string a consistent string of performances together, playing decent one game and then committing simple errors the next.

This could be down to them playing a system they're simply not suited to - as I said, I don't see enough games to know for sure.

If we do go down, I just hope we manage to keep most of the squad together, sure we'll probably loose McGinn and Grealish, but we should get very decent money for them, which will help in the replacements (and probably with an eye on FFP too).

When you look at Wolves, when they did come up, they managed to keep nearly all of their loans, converting them to purchases, which meant they kept the squad together, we didn't have that luxury, plus we had a lot of players to clear out & replace.

Yes Smith will take a lot of the blame, but to be honest, if we do go down, it may be better he stays. Firstly, I don't know really if a new manager would really help anything a) who would want the job and b) there is something to be said for consistency. I suspect it was this and the longer term plan for building a young side that explains Smith's 4 year deal in November, even though I have to say, even I was a bit surprised when they did that.

As always, the answers are never clear cut. A new Manager bounce never lasts long - look at Man Utd or West Ham.

The run in is key.. (not all fixtures listed, mainly top 4/5 games or games with relegation teams shown)

Norwich:
* Hard Games: LIV, WOL, MCI, LEI, CHE
* Nearby Teams: ARS, BHA, WAT, WHU

Watford
* Hard Games: LIV, MUN, MCI, LEI, CHE
* Nearby Teams: NOR, ARS, BHA, PAL

West Ham
* Hard Games: LIV, MCI, LEI, CHE, TOT
* Nearby Teams: NOR, ARS, BHA, WAT, AVL

Villa
* Hard Games: LIV, LEI, CHE, WOL, MUN, TOT
* Nearby Teams: WHU (A), CRY (H), ARS (H)

Bournemouth
* Hard Games: CHE, LIV, WOL, MUN, TOT, LEI, MCI
* Nearby Teams: BUR, CRY

Brighton
* Hard Games: LEI, MUN, LIV, MCI
* Nearby Teams: ARS, NOR, BUR

Burnley
* Hard Games: TOT, MCI, LIV, WOL
* Nearby Teams: ARS, BOU, WAT, WHU, NOR, BHA, CRY

Palace
* Hard Games: LIV, LEI, CHE, MUN, TOT, WOL
* Nearby Teams: BHA, WAT, BOU, BUR, AVL

Arsenal
* Hard Games: LEI, TOT, LIV, MCI, WOL
* Nearby Teams: BUR, WHU, NOR, AVL, WAT

To be honest, looking at that, we've had most of our "6 pointers", albeit, we've got 2 left and both away, so on current form, we'll probably lose them both. Looking at the the harder games, we've only got Liverpool left, quite a few of the others have both City and Liverpool to play.

Either-way, the season is far from over. We just have to at least win our home games. Norwich I can't see surviving and probably West Ham or Watford are favourites for 19th. The only positive is that really we're only 6 points off 10th, in that the bottom half of the table is very close, we could survive with only a few wins from our remaining games. Equally if we can somehow put together a good run, it wouldn't take much to end up mid table.

Ultimately, the last game of the season against West Ham could end up being a do-or-die game. Our last 3 are EVE(A), ARS (H) and WHU (A). We need to make our home games against Man Utd, Palace and Arsenal count. Loose those and I can't see us picking up too many points on the road.

Its definitely going to be a close run-in, that's for sure!

Sorry for the long post!

UTV!
 
It's impossible to call right now.

One week things are looking up, the next we're doomed. Looking at those fixtures, we're going to have to pick up points where we're not expected to.
 
pvb1968 said:
Can we do it,,,?
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Honest answer, like anyone (I think)... I don't know.

Having not been impressed from the get go, I do have a sinking feeling, but what keeps me bouyed is the teams around us are pretty awful as well. But then, we didn't beat one of those awful teams, even when down to ten men.

Can we?

yes.

Will we?

:shrug:

If I was being forced right now, after yet another (I think) must win game lost, I would be saying no. Purely because we've not beaten any team in the top ten and we have most of them to face
 
At the moment there are 6 teams at the bottom wading through quicksand. They can't break free. I don't think we have worse problems than any of them.

We have conceded far too many goals. But not consistently. Until the start of December our goal difference was almost evens. Our scoring record has been good, even with a frustrating YTS centre forward.

My take. We CAN improve our defence, at least back to where it was. We CAN keep on scoring and maybe improve it with our two forward signings. We are as well placed to get out of this as anybody and I think we will. Just.
 
I think we will drop points where we expect to pick up points and pick up points where we least expect to. Not sure 37 points will be enough . Only norw Look doomed at the moment
 
McParlandTheGreat said:
We have conceded far too many goals. But not consistently. Until the start of December our goal difference was almost evens. Our scoring record has been good, even with a frustrating YTS centre forward.

My take. We CAN improve our defence, at least back to where it was. We CAN keep on scoring and maybe improve it with our two forward signings. We are as well placed to get out of this as anybody and I think we will. Just.
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There is a significant correlation between our dip in form and McGinn not playing anymore. Its also another blow to the armchairs experts who continually said McGinn was out of form, was he? Or was he being asked to do a job nobody else is able to do defensively?

Marv has his hands full in midfield. Between trying to cover the left side of the pitch and covering whoever is his partner in midfield.

I pin our entire hopes on either (a) McGinn returning (b) Drinkwater getting match fit and finding form.

When we were doing okay and not looking lost at sea Engels, McGinn and Mings were starters and Marv looked fantastic. All 3 of those players have missed significant time in the last two months and the fourth, Marv, has looked poor yet we are even worse without him.
 
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