Villa 1-2 Bolton

Sorry lofty but the last few home games have been pretty much ''must win'', Swansea especially as we only now have 2 more home games and it was probably our best chance of 3 points up until the WBA game.

When you are 18th in the league with under 10 games left, they are must win.

Lofty_Love wrote:

And you made that prediction a while ago but we have won and predicted we would be last with 20-something points as I remember

To be honest I don't think I'll be far off with that prediction. We'll get 32 points tops.

Yes, every game since Christmas seems like a 'must win' game, but we have won very few of them. I'd like to think the players will be really up for tonight and go out there and perform - if we could somehow score first we'd have a sniff as I read this morning we have the best record in the league when we score first.

aaron_bwfc wrote:Sorry lofty but the last few home games have been pretty much ''must win'', Swansea especially as we only now have 2 more home games and it was probably our best chance of 3 points up until the WBA game.

When you are 18th in the league with under 10 games left, they are must win.

Must win to what degree? if you talking getting totally clear of the relegation zone then ok. My hope is for us to not get relegated, we could still stay up without that win, if we do we didnt have to win it to stay up, so it wasn't must win.

If you think it was must win then you must now be 99.999% confident that we are going down, thats what I think must win game really are... one you must win, not ones you would like to win.

+ im not convinced playing at home even helps us so im not particularly bothered what games we have home and away anymore, our home advantage seems to be N/A

Oh ye of little faith. A point against Villa tonight, a point against Spurs at the Reebok, three points at home to WBA followed by an away win at Stoke gives us 38 points. More than enough for survival IMO. I haven't forgotten about Sunderland but I reckon they will beat us.

Reebok Trotter wrote:Oh ye of little faith. A point against Villa tonight, a point against Spurs at the Reebok, three points at home to WBA followed by an away win at Stoke gives us 38 points. More than enough for survival IMO. I haven't forgotten about Sunderland but I reckon they will beat us.

Exactly, hence why tonight isn't must win.

Im going to Sunderland so we better bloody not! ive got overly optimistic hopes for that game

We're 19th and 4 points adrift with 2 games in hand, one away against a team who will want to make sure they pull safe and the other albeit on a bad run are still a top 4 team in the league.

I love your optimism RT about 38 points but the way QPR and Wigan are playing at the moment they will be on more than 38 before the end of the season.

I am off to the game now. I will give 100% during the game, but if we lose I'm taking out my bedsheets.

I've just had a look at Villas more than probably starting 11 tonight and quite frankly it's aweful: -

Given, Hutton, Baker, Cuellar, Lichaj, Albrighton, Herd, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Weimann, Heskey.

If we don't put up a fight against this shower tonight then you best drop your bedsheets off at the dry cleaners on the way Nat.

Natasha Whittam wrote:I am off to the game now. I will give 100% during the game

Are you playing? At last some steel in midfield

Coyle's thoughts on Vela: -

"We've got young Josh Vela who has improved no end and he will come into our thoughts. We haven't been blessed with the injury situation but we have just got to get on with it.

"Josh is going to be a top player for this football club - there's no doubt about it and if it comes to it then it won't faze us because he has the ability''

I'm sure he said all that about Riley, who has suddenly dropped off the face of the earth.

I can't see QPR beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. They might beat Stoke at Loftus Road but I think City will beat them at the Etihad so I reckon QPR will finish with 37 points..

Blackburn on 31 points are away to Spurs, home to Wigan and away to Chelsea. I reckon Spurs and Chelsea will do them and they will beat or draw with Wigan. that leaves Blackburn with 34 points.

Wigan are the dark horses on 34 points. I reckon they will lose at home to Newcastle, draw or lose away to Blackburn and beat Wolves. Therefore they could potentially finish on 38 points.

Blackburn and QPR will go down if we can get 38 points. On the plus side, Emile Heskey is playing for Villa tonight so there is every chance we could win the game, in which case we could finish up with 41 points!

I was quite shocked at Villas team, N'zogbia aside I never realised it was such an average side.

I like your predictions RT but I honestly think Wigan will beat Rovers at Ewood and wouldn't be surprise if they got a point against Newcastle.

As for QPR I may have a re-think on their points tally after seeing them 3 fixtures!

aaron_bwfc wrote:

I like your predictions RT but I honestly think Wigan will beat Rovers at Ewood and wouldn't be surprise if they got a point against Newcastle.

If Wigan beat Blackburn then that is even better because they are then cast adrift with Wolves. Let's not forget that I have factored in the possibility that we come away from Sunderland with no points! We could potentially turn them over. They were pretty boring against Villa at the weekend.

You poor deluded bastards discussing what other teams will do as if you're going to get loads of points yourselves. I was going round to give my slapper one tonight, but I'm staying in so I can watch you crumble at Villa.

I'm buying into your optimism RT, I have just put down our remaining fixtures and with a positive head on we could go unbeaten until the end of the season..........losing the plot maybe but: -

Villa - Win tonight, giving us confidence to take a point against Sunderland.

Sunderland - Draw, with a bit of momentum we could continue our great record against Spurs at the Reebok

Spurs - Win, 7 points out of 9 going into our final home game against WBA with the crowd up and a packed reebok we could take 3 points.

Take a point at stoke leaving us on 11 points from our remaining games.

I'm pretty much with you Aaron but I think the best we can hope for at home to Spurs is a point. They are not playing well but they are still pushing for a place in the top six.

I think we can beat both WBA and Stoke because their seasons are effectively over because they are both safe.

It's not just the number of points from these games, Lofty.

It's the psychological effect of failing to pick up a win in 4 games if we lose tonight and the lack of any momentum whatsoever that will kill us off, even if survival would technically still be in our hands.

I'm happy to accept we are down if we lose tonight. There will be no miracle.

largehat wrote:It's not just the number of points from these games, Lofty.

It's the psychological effect of failing to pick up a win in 4 games if we lose tonight and the lack of any momentum whatsoever that will kill us off, even if survival would technically still be in our hands.

I'm happy to accept we are down if we lose tonight. There will be no miracle.

I do agree with you that a poor display tonight would be disastrous.. but

If we for example battered (long shot I know) Villa tonight but pulled a Swansea and could get the finish and Villa got a 1-1 draw id still have faith we could stay up. Still would have a game in hand leaving us 1 point behind with easier fixtures.

Don't think it would hurt morale too badly and at least we would look like we had a chance of getting points off others.

If we play poorly then I will worry... More than im already worrying now

I cant understand all this calculation of the points we are going to get. Even when we play well, we either lose, or pick up a point. We had our purple patch when we won 3 games on the trot. (first time in 6 (8?) years. I know results are all over the place just now, but were playing crap. I think that tonight is the make or break of the season. If we lose or draw, I reckon were down. (even so, I'm still hoping I'm wrong))

Lose or draw tonight and we're down. Simple as that. We have to win. Do you know what, I am glad its got this bad for us because I got the feeling the players and manager didn't think we were in that big a mess. I think they thought Wigan and QPR would get no points against all the big teams. Well now we're in the shit and it is time for the players and manager to deliver. We can still stay up if the players get their fingers out of their arses and start putting in some performances like QPR and Wigan have done. It is our turn to show what we can do. Lose this and I hope the coach gets a puncture on the way home and falls down a ravine.