At least Sunderland, Hull & Boro look dire.

[Spijed]

9 point gap with 11 to play.

[box_of_frogs]

We're still in the relegation fight.....

[Spijed]

We're still in the relegation fight.....

The bottom 3 that are currently there are the ones who will go down.

[KefkaClaret]

We've still Sunderland and Boro to play and considering our away form...

[Rileybobs]

We're still in the relegation fight.....

We're really not.

[Jakubclaret]

We've still Sunderland and Boro to play and considering our away form...

& palace away we will be ok thankfully points on board.

[ewanrob]

We shouldn't be in a relegation fight, but the fella has clearly got issues with setting a team up away from home. The Sunderland and Boro games really are cup finals

[Spijed]

Even if Sunderland win they''d still be nine points behind us.

[ksrclaret]

We looked dire today as well.

[FactualFrank]

We're really not.

Oh.. we are. I really hope you'll prove me wrong, but we'll be down there with 2-3 left to play.

[Spijed]

Oh.. we are. I really hope you'll prove me wrong, but we'll be down there with 2-3 left to play.

What evidence is there that our home form is going to collapse?

Remember Chelsea in our last home match?

[Rileybobs]

Oh.. we are. I really hope you'll prove me wrong, but we'll be down there with 2-3 left to play.

How can we be in a relegation fight when we're 9 points clear of the relegation zone?

We need about 5 points in the next 11 games - what makes you think we won't get that?

[ClaretAndJew]

In 3 games time, depending on how results go we could very well be in, or close to, the bottom 3.

[Rileybobs]

In 3 games time, depending on how results go we could very well be in, or close to, the bottom 3.

I bet it's mathematically impossible that we could be in the bottom 3 in 3 games time.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Skybet have us as 18-1 now which I think is about right.

We have to remember the reason for the away (and home) form is about scoring the first goal, we've failed to do that repeatedly away, but often do at home. We've got our first two points of the season recently after conceding the first goal (Chelsea and Hull) and nearly made it three today. We are scoring more away from home too (we hardly scored at the start of the season away).

The stats are still moving in our favour - that tells me we will be fine. Maybe next Sunday won't be our time, but it is coming.

[box_of_frogs]

What evidence is there that our home form is going to collapse?

Remember Chelsea in our last home match?

I remember Lincoln in our last home match......

[criminalclaret]

http://www.worldfootball.net/table_calc ... er-league/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've just put in the next 5 games, with the bottom 3 winning the games they come up against (including Sunderland beating city tomorrow) plus us losing all away and drawing the Stoke and Spurs game) and it still has the bottom 3 as Boro, Hull and Sunderland with us 13th and 8 above safety.

Realistically

Hull - Swansea, Everton, West Ham (draw draw, draw) - 3 out of 9 [24 points]
Boro - Utd, Swansea, Hull (loss, loss, loss) 0 out of 9 [22 points]
Sunderland - City, Burnley, Watford (loss, draw, draw - against us being negative) poss 2 out of 9 - [21 pts]

Think Swansea will pull away from the pack in the next few games, same with Palace. Hull I see giving it a good shot, but failing to make the mark.

[ElectroClaret]

None of the three will reach thirty points.

[Jakubclaret]

The bottom 3 that are currently there are the ones who will go down.

We don't that for sure but what we do know is that we are probably very unlikely to go down we are sitting reasonably ok the 1s below us aren't pulling tree's up so when we are losing & the the teams below us are losing eg boro & hull the gap remains the same. Had hull & boro won today it would be slightly different but not cause for concern.

[Rileybobs]

We played very poorly and lost, yet we're only 1 point closer to the relegation zone with 1 game less to be caught. Bad day at the office but fairly inconsequential.

[Cooperclaret]

Again, non of the current bottom 3 will get to 30 points

[Goddy]

Rileybobs - I think we're no nearer to the bottom 3 (just a different bottom 3) now than before the games today. We were 9 points ahead of third bottom before and we remain 9 points ahead of third bottom now.

Regarding upcoming away matches, check out the home and away tables here http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/pr ... table.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Essentially we're playing the 3 teams who have the worst home records. I would hope that we might be able to pick up one win, or, at least a couple of draws out of those games. If we lose all three then we might get dragged in, but even then, I still think S'land, Hull and Boro look doomed

[Spijed]

With 11 to go, In the last 11 matches:

Boro have got 7 points
Hull have got 9 points.
Sunderland have got 8 points.

We've got 14 points.

[Rileybobs]

Rileybobs - I think we're no nearer to the bottom 3 (just a different bottom 3) now than before the games today. We were 9 points ahead of third bottom before and we remain 9 points ahead of third bottom now.

Regarding upcoming away matches, check out the home and away tables here http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/pr ... table.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Essentially we're playing the 3 teams who have the worst home records. I would hope that we might be able to pick up one win, or, at least a couple of draws out of those games. If we lose all three then we might get dragged in, but even then, I still think S'land, Hull and Boro look doomed

Thought the gap was 10 points before, my mistake. So today's defeat has been entirely inconsequential, in fact we've gained on the bottom 3 in the form of goal difference.