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Post by hchpotter on Jan 14, 2009 12:15:14 GMT
The margins are so fine in this league that had we held on for the draw against Boro we'd now be 3 points clear of the bottom three.
To me the biggest disappointment so far this season is that avoidable sendings off have cost us valuable points. 1 against Boro, 1 or 3 (opinions vary) against West Ham and the 1 against Man u. 5 more points and we'd be talking about Europe!
Add to this the suspensions that meant we had to play Pericard up front and it is clear that if we can improve our discipline there is no reason why the improved squad shouldn't finish well clear of the drop.
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Post by bettyswallocks on Jan 14, 2009 12:24:30 GMT
This years table is absolutely great- I love how tight it is. We have never had an easy ride, it even took us to the last match last season to secure our place in the league. Stoke take us on this wonderful rollercoaster of ups and downs its better than being at Alton Towers me owd duck. Silly red cards I agree that we may be a few points clear but other teams might say that too and they might be a few points clear. Great league, great table and I can see this coming down the the last day too
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Post by th05 on Jan 14, 2009 12:24:41 GMT
Agreed, it is ridiculously tight. We need a bit more luck as well I think.
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Post by hchpotter on Jan 14, 2009 12:26:55 GMT
Please don't let it go to the last day!
Arsenal away is a long way removed from needing to draw with Leicester at home!
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Post by A-teen_six_T3 on Jan 14, 2009 12:27:41 GMT
If we had as much Luck as (and I know we shouldn't keep worrying about them, but it's hard when they are a bunch of lucky bastards) Hull, we would be in a similar position to them, hopefully the second part of the season, the tables will be turned and we go past them in the league
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Post by kevkj on Jan 14, 2009 12:28:26 GMT
Ive beed doing a few prediction leagues for the remainder of the season.
Some teams have very hard runins including Boro,Castle,B,Burn and Pompey .Its hard to find many points for Hull also between now and the end.Similarly baggies.
All this you will need 40 points wont come true 40 points will definitely see you safe.
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Post by ManderBeast on Jan 14, 2009 12:46:48 GMT
at the end of the day... there are ONLY so many points on view in one season....
with so many teams being so close together at the bottom i can see an all time record low points getting someone safe...
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Post by smapples on Jan 14, 2009 13:57:53 GMT
Please don't let it go to the last day! Arsenal away is a long way removed from needing to draw with Leicester at home! As much as I agree with you, How good would it be to win away at Arse to secure survival.
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Post by stan on Jan 14, 2009 14:04:45 GMT
I don't get too carried away with luck, or our lack of it. It's always easy to forget when the decisions that go for us. For instance, I was gutted by West Ham's "off-side" goal, but, in the same game, Whelan should have conceded a penalty minutes earlier.
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Post by dexter97 on Jan 14, 2009 14:09:03 GMT
If we had as much Luck as (and I know we shouldn't keep worrying about them, but it's hard when they are a bunch of lucky bastards) Hull, we would be in a similar position to them, hopefully the second part of the season, the tables will be turned and we go past them in the league Hull had used up all their jam by the end of November, and actually I think they've been a little unlucky in the last couple of weeks. Come May, I think their spawny start will prove just enough to keep them up.
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Post by dexter97 on Jan 14, 2009 14:14:58 GMT
I don't get too carried away with luck, or our lack of it. It's always easy to forget when the decisions that go for us. For instance, I was gutted by West Ham's "off-side" goal, but, in the same game, Whelan should have conceded a penalty minutes earlier. True. Although couldn't you also argue that Boa-Morte should have been sent-off in the first half? I can't think of too much that's gone our way: - Cort's handball not given, although it was in a game we lost anyway. - Playing Spurs at their lowest ebb. Any more?
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Post by stan on Jan 14, 2009 14:25:52 GMT
Higginbottom's (?) hand-ball against Fulham.
Although I still maintain it WAS off-side, 9 time out of ten, Gerrard's goal at Anfield would have stood.
Whelan could easily have conceded a penalty on Saturday: somebody other than Kuyt would have gone down.
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Post by dexter97 on Jan 14, 2009 15:05:07 GMT
Good shout with Higgy's handball. Don't think you can count the Anfield "goal" though - As unlikely as it was we'd ever get a tight decision like that, at the end of the day it was the correct decision.
As for the Whelan incident, I didn't notice anything myself and haven't seen anything reported (And let's face it, if we'd benefited from an injustice, someone somewhere would have made sure it was broadcast in ten-feet high capitals!), so I'm guessing it was something and nothing.
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Post by stan on Jan 14, 2009 15:09:22 GMT
The Whelan incident was shown on MOTD (I think); he seemed to trip Kuyt in the penalty area. It was clumsy at best. I noticed it mainly because it was the second league game in a row where Glenn could have cost us with a rash challenge in the box.
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Post by Paul Spencer on Jan 14, 2009 15:11:26 GMT
I don't get too carried away with luck, or our lack of it. It's always easy to forget when the decisions that go for us. For instance, I was gutted by West Ham's "off-side" goal, but, in the same game, Whelan should have conceded a penalty minutes earlier. Stan as usual, you're talking a lot of sense mate. Fuller could just as easily have been booked as got the penalty against Hull and he could quite easily have been sent off in the Fulham game. They say it pretty much evens itself out over the course of the season, and I can live with that.
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Post by salopstick on Jan 14, 2009 16:01:36 GMT
if luck evens itself out over the season we are going to have an extremly lucky 2nd half
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Post by stan on Jan 14, 2009 16:05:00 GMT
Thanks, Paul.
Occasionally I've felt that the referee has shown an obvious propensity to favour the opposition -Man. City away and Man. United at home being prime examples- but, generally, I think we've been fairly treated by the officials this season. Indeed, I seem to remember feeling more aggrieved by refereeing in previous seasons.
We are certainly working in fine margins, though. In my opinion, other than the Chelsea match, every single game we've played at home this season could have gone any of the three ways, given the balance of play!
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Post by Bick on Jan 14, 2009 16:13:37 GMT
Its probably a good thing. A good run of 4-5 games, we could get safe very quickly!!!!
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