Are we still going down?

[Devils_Advocate]

I know a lot of posters on here get a little irked that the so called "negative" fans only show their heads after we've lost. I thought I would create a thread so those supporters who despite a wonderful performance today still think we are going down are free to share that view without getting grief for it.

Great performance today and we are definitely in a lot better position that we was this morning but unfortunately I still think our team/squad is just too week to finish ahead of 3 other teams

[ALP]

No we're not going down, we can do it.

[boatshed bill]

I know a lot of posters on here get a little irked that the so called "negative" fans only show their heads after we've lost. I thought I would create a thread so those supporters who despite a wonderful performance today still think we are going down are free to share that view without getting grief for it.

Great performance today and we are definitely in a lot better position that we was this morning but unfortunately I still think our team/squad is just too week to finish ahead of 3 other teams

[Milltown1882]

Probably yes. But at least we’re going down swinging, today was brilliant.

[AlargeClaret]

Ooohhhhh matron ! Isn’t the OP edgy

[alwaysaclaret]

I know a lot of posters on here get a little irked that the so called "negative" fans only show their heads after we've lost. I thought I would create a thread so those supporters who despite a wonderful performance today still think we are going down are free to share that view without getting grief for it.

Great performance today and we are definitely in a lot better position that we was this morning but unfortunately I still think our team/squad is just too week to finish ahead of 3 other teams

Keep performing like we have last 3 games and arguably a couple more recently, and there's no way we go down, big ask, 3 or 4 weeks ago lots would have said no way Brentford are going down, their right in the mix, big if but we've set the standards again, coyc.

[jrgbfc]

I still think its a big ask, but we've given ourselves a chance at least. It will be tough to maintain this kind of form for another 16 games.

[thelaughingclaret]

1 win isn’t going to keep us up. At the moment yes, we are still going down. We are second bottom and have won 2 games all season, them are the facts. But we still have a chance, and we have to take it as it is probably our final chance.

[JohnMac]

It's a massive effort required to stay up but going down fighting is more acceptable than how it was looking a few short weeks ago.

If we can win a few more in the coming weeks I may feel we can turn the corner but I still think we have too much to do.

[Goody1975]

Since the away draw at Southampton towards the end of Oct... We've played six games at home and eight away.

P14 W2 D8 L4 Pts 14

Continue that form to the end of the season and it gets us 33 Pts which won't be enough, but if we remain hard to beat and turn just a couple of those draws into wins then 37 Pts might just be enough.

[Lancasterclaret]

We've given ourselves a chance

But we have to build on it

I repeat though, apart from the dodgy performances around xmas, we've been better this year in the main than the previous two seasons, but we've just not scored enough and kept the clean sheets like we normally do

[Goody1975]

We've given ourselves a chance

But we have to build on it

I repeat though, apart from the dodgy performances around xmas, we've been better this year in the main than the previous two seasons, but we've just not scored enough and kept the clean sheets like we normally do

Since the Elland Road calamity, we've played five and conceded just two goals, like you said we've not been as solid as in more successful seasons but it's looking much better.

[summitclaret]

The next 3 games are crucial imo. 6 points and I think we can stay up. We need to put pressure on Brentford before we go there, realistically the only team we can catch.

[Cubanforever]

It would be nice going into the game against Newcastle with our destiny in our own hands...and theirs too

[jdrobbo]

Keep performing like we have last 3 games and arguably a couple more recently, and there's no way we go down, big ask, 3 or 4 weeks ago lots would have said no way Brentford are going down, their right in the mix, big if but we've set the standards again, coyc.

Said since mid November, Brentford are the team to watch.

[EarbyClaret]

We're going to need to maintain the levels we achieved today in pretty much every remaining game - which is a huge ask

Whilst there may be too much to do no complaints if we continue to show this level of commitment and determination

[summitclaret]

Yep a draw that suits both would be ideal. We'd probably get a few million in a brown envelope as well.

[Goody1975]

Getting back to having a fully fit squad would be a massive bonus in the coming weeks, it showed today that having players available to step in seamlessly is a necessity.

Hopefully Taylor and Gudmundsson are very close to being involved again, even if that means adding more depth to the bench.

[warksclaret]

Only if we can bring sides like Brentford into the mix. If we keep drawing and winning some as well we give ourselves a chance as others will get sucked in

[JohnDearyMe]

I think it'd be Dyche's finest achievement if we manage it. I still think we'll fall just short but i don't think we'll be as cut adrift as far as i was fearing recently

[Goalposts]

We’ve not been losing games our difficulty has been converting draws into wins… if we maintain our defensive record and convert some draws to wins we have every chance

[bfcjg]

The thing is we have to win games now so that is the focus and with the squad and drive we have I think we can.
If we stay up I reckon next season we won't be in danger with how we are now recruiting.

[Goody1975]

Only if we can bring sides like Brentford into the mix. If we keep drawing and winning some as well we give ourselves a chance as others will get sucked in

Brentford are the obvious ones and their next three games are pivotal for them.

Newcastle (H)
Norwich (A)
Burnley (H)

[timshorts]

If we are still roughly in the same position in a month's time then we can probably stay up. The run in looks decent.

[rincon]

Everton are definitely not safe, despite being overlooked for the drop.

[Brisliam]

I think we need 6 more wins as a minimum if we have any chance of staying up. That gets us to 35 points, add a couple of draws and we're safe.

There are at 6 winnable games left so I hope we can do it.

[alboclaret]

Think we will still go down but after today's result and performance I'm roughly 4% less certain than I was this morning.

I'd be happy to come down in 4 or 5% increments steadily away for the next few months.

[KRBFC]

I thought we left ourselves 1 quality midfielder short after the window closed. We're gonna need to string together 3-4 wins on the bounce I think, Everton and Leeds should have too much and Brentford have been destroyed all season with injuries to huge players so suddenly they look catchable, although I wonder how big an influence Eriksen can have.

Chelsea, Spurs and Leicester to come at home.

[quoonbeatz]

There's nothing really changed, one game at a time. Points can come from anywhere in this league. We've always been able to stay up so we've never fallen very far behind. Hopefully the results have started to match the performances now. Loads of football still to be played yet.

[BabylonClaret]

It would be nice going into the game against Newcastle with our destiny in our own hands...and theirs too

Really? Win our games in hand and we are above Newcastle and I touching distance of Everton and Leeds ?

It's so tight this seaaon that even Villa and Palace aren't seen yet

[Longsider]

Staying up. I think Brentford fans are worried. It's a massively sh£t run they are on

[tarkys_ears]

Long way yet but certainly a step in the right direction over the last few games

[Spiral]

In the middle of a good run of form it can be easy to forget just how awful we were in the first half of the season. To my mind at the very moment of the Wood sale, I thought that to pull us to safety from the position we were in would be Dyche's biggest achievement so far. 38pts (enough for survival going back a good few seasons) would need to see us to pick up from this position 1.31pts/game. We hit 1.42pts/game in both the season we finished in Europe and in 19/20 when we finished 10th, to put it in perspective. You survive with just slightly over a point a game in most other seasons. To put it simply, from this position we need to get close to matching the seasonal form of our top half finishes in the PL, with an old squad that looked in December/January to be doomed. It's going to be a huge fight.

...BUT

...But Weghorst has completely changed how we play (cheers Newcastle!), Roberts is a revelation, Collins keeps proving he's reliable as hell, we're doing much better with injuries than we were in the first few months of the season, Lennon is playing better than anyone could've imagined (even me, and I was happy with him signing again!), Pieters has stepped up when it mattered in a way I never thought he could, and we're back to looking as difficult to beat as we've ever been. We're at the stage of the season where other clubs have had their managerial merry-go-round and the bounce that comes with it is wearing off for most of the teams around us. Trippier is out for what looks like most of the season and Wood still can't score. Lampard is overrated. Brentford (4pts since Christmas) could still have the kind of second half of the season collapse that a lot of newly promoted teams have (and we've four games in hand over them). Lots of things are aligning that give us reasons to be positive, nothing more so than the fight we've shown over the last month. If we go down it'll be because of that godforsaken Watford match which we gifted to them with our long-ball nonsense, but we can do this. It'll probably get ugly again at some point, but I'm far more positive than I was a month ago. Keep Weghorst fit and we can do this.

[steve1264b]

Quick look at the BBC table shows us getting 6 points from the last six games.

Watford, Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Villa, Leicester, Brighton,West Ham didn't.

Spurs got six.

Our goal difference is worth a point.

A defeat to Spurs is not the end of the world IF we can get a point at Palace and beat Brentford.

[Hibsclaret]

No way do we go down with Dyche in charge. I’ve said this all season and we have got better over recent weeks. We often do in the 2nd half of the season. We can definitely average over one point per game for the remainder of the season and I suspect it will be nearer 1.5 points per game. The individual game panic we see on here is irrelevant as we will no doubt drop points when you expect them and win them when you don’t. This has been the case most seasons in the prem.

As for Brentford, they are down with 2 others.

[Claretmisterg]

We have given ourselves a real chance with recent performances. If we can maintain that same level of performance for the remaining games we will stay up.

[Pearcey]

I think it’s very difficult for us to stay up. Brentford are the team that look to be getting dragged in. Still think it’s 3 out of 4 and us, Norwich and Watford have improved in the last month.

[Holmeclaret]

I think someone has said we’ve conceded only one goal in four, and that was against Liverpool. We’re looking hard to beat again and if we can score goals (and avoid major injuries) we’ll stay up.
There’s still loads of football to play.

[lakedistrictclaret]

I think someone has said we’ve conceded only one goal in four, and that was against Liverpool. We’re looking hard to beat again and if we can score goals (and avoid major injuries) we’ll stay up.
There’s still loads of football to play.

It's two in four, we also conceded against Manchester United..

But these last three games we've looked a much better side, defence, midfield and attack. We could still do it.

[NewClaret]

I repeat though, apart from the dodgy performances around xmas, we've been better this year in the main than the previous two seasons, but we've just not scored enough and kept the clean sheets like we normally do

I still doubt either of those results would’ve been much closer had Pope played. That’s not to say Hennessey played poorly, just that Pope is special and keeps a couple of the goals out in my opinion.

[NewClaret]

It's two in four, we also conceded against Manchester United..

I got this wrong yesterday too. It’s 2 in 5. 3 clean sheets in 5. Arsenal, Watford, Brighton clean sheets, conceded 1 each vs United and Liverpool.

[NewClaret]

I still think either of those results would’ve been much closer had Pope played..

[gtclaret]

I really hope not, but I think we have left ourselves too much to do any the small squad leaves us very vulnerable to injuries etc. It's a shame, because I think we have the basis of a decent exciting team, we are still a couple of players short

[claretandbluesky]

We might but we’ve now got a great chance to escape. It’s wins now not draws.
We need to be fearless.
Take the odd pummelling but go for broke.

[Claretforever]

Since Christmas…

Burnley:

Won: 1
Drawn: 3
Lost: 3
For: 6
Against: 8

6 of the goals we have conceded were the first two games at Man Utd and Leeds.

Brentford:

Won: 1
Drawn: 1
Lost: 8
For: 6
Against: 20

Everton:

Won: 1
Drawn: 0
Lost: 5
For: 4
Against: 11

Watford:

Won: 1
Drawn: 2
Lost: 5
For: 3
Against: 12

Watford had also lost 6 out of 7 before this.

Crystal Palace:

Won: 1
Drawn: 3
Lost: 5
For: 8
Against: 12

Haven’t won since Boxing Day.

Norwich:

Won: 2
Drawn: 1
Lost: 5
For: 7
Against: 19

Newcastle:

Won: 3
Drawn: 3
Lost: 0
For: 8
Against: 4

I doubt Newcastle will be at risk by the time they come to the Turf.

[fatboy47]

We've just won, by 3, away against a top half Prem team, where our keeper could have taken his flask and sandwiches out with him.

Weve recently held Man U and Arsenal to draws, and significantly upgraded at centre forward. And we've got leadership that's been here before and know the script.

We've got games in hand.

We're injury free where it matters..

We're starting to play.

Will we go down? Will we buggery as like.

[expoultryboy]

I certainly don't feel as despondent as I did a few weeks ago . I just wish we'd of turned up at Newcastle and Leeds.

[NewClaret]

I really hope not, but I think we have left ourselves too much to do any the small squad leaves us very vulnerable to injuries etc. It's a shame, because I think we have the basis of a decent exciting team, we are still a couple of players short

Feel the same.

I’d forgotten how great it feels to win, especially away. Sadly though, I still feel we’ve left ourselves too much to do. We need to have a near perfect end to the season, picking up surprise results and more away wins.

The really disappointing thing is that Cornet and Weghorst look players capable of taking us to the next level, Roberts and Collins look fantastic prospects too. With our core group, we look a decent PL team and one or two additions off being a team that could finish much higher up the table.

Really hope that our decent defensive record can continue vs Spurs. Just our luck that Kane has found form before we play them

[NewClaret]

I doubt Newcastle will be at risk by the time they come to the Turf.

In some ways I hope they’re not, and they’re all on the beach.

[Quicknick]

Before the season began, I predicted the bottom three, in no particular order, to be: Norwich, Brentford and Watford. Maybe I'll be right.