Today saw another good performance by Villa, full of spirit, endeavour and some good football. A lot will no doubt be disappointed by a draw against Fulham but I do think that those who 'expected' a win, were misguided. Fulham have only lost one in seven, they've only lost six from 17 away from home and they are above us in the league. So why on Earth would Villa be 'expected' to win? If anything, Fulham would have 'expected' to get something from Villa Park!
As it turned out, Villa played well enough to win and but for some great goalkeeping, would have won. The problem now though is that if Wigan and Sunderland win their games in hand, then we're once again, in the bottom three. In other words, we remain in deep trouble. This predicament is brought into focus even more sharply by the fact our next match is at Old Trafford. The probability is such that, despite another 'good' performance today, the clash with Sunderland will present itself as some sort of 'loser goes down' match. The pressure is certainly back on.
But don't be too downbeat about today. If we are to go down, it will not have been because of a draw with Fulham. It will actually be down to home defeats to Wigan, Newcastle and Southampton! That's what will have sent us down.
So what happens now? Well for a start we need both Sunderland and Stoke to lose tomorrow. I don't go along at all with any theory that a Newcastle/Sunderland draw will be good for us. It won't! If Newcastle were to draw, they would be three points above us, with a vastly superior goal difference. That would be a difference of TWO results (with only four to play, after United). So no. no, no. It HAS to be a Toon win tomorrow or we are in even bigger trouble. Of course, Man City simply MUST beat Wigan in midweek, after that. Any other result, giving the Latics even more confidencew and momentum, doesn't bear thinking about.
Wigan, Newcastle, Southampton ......if only..
Pressure back on now
posted on 14/4/13
Agree that games against Southampton and Wigan at home have been crucial and also a draw with Norwich.
With our goal difference we need 7 more points I think to hopefully be safe.
There will be a lot of pressure initially, if we get nothing expectedly at OT, on the games with Sunderland and Norwich which realistically we would hope to get 6 out of 7, but that is nowhere near easy
Chelsea at Home we have until recently done ok but they are chasing 4th.
That could leave us depending on what happens in-between with the other teams , and that could be anything, with having to win at Wigan to stay up still.
I hope we do and long before the last game, but yesterday and I think Fulham are a good side, was a fixture we had left that we needed to win.
Come on you Mancs and Geordies
UTV
posted on 14/4/13
Didn't you just know that would happen
posted on 14/4/13
looks like our bad luck is back... Newcastle had a perfectly good goal disallowed to make it 1-1... they prob would have gone on to win or hold on at least.. now sunderland are 3-0 up ffs
posted on 14/4/13
At least we're not alone! If Wigan lose 1 and win 1 of their games in hand then there are 4 teams on 34 points, also 1 on 35 and 1 on 36. Close! Also, if MU knock a few past Wigan then their GD will be close to ours.
So long as we don't have a slump I think we'll be OK. Play as we played against Stoke then we can win enough matches. Bit worried though that against Fulham we didn't quite have the edge we needed.