I don't think there's a chance we will be relegated, Mike. Not a chance in hell. As bad as we are, I think we've pretty much bottomed out. We've picked up a lot of points already in the context of avoiding relegation.

All the stats you quote are correct. However we are 7 points clear of the relegation zone with a vastly superior goal difference.

You mention our margin of victory in the games we have win but by the same token we haven't been hammered at all either.

It all points to mid table at the end of the season.

LH perhaps you could please inform me which teams currently below us you think will still be below us come May 2013 ? Sheffield Weds ? Just beat us at home and i think they've won their last 3 games with Dave Jones in charge. Or Barnsley with Keith Hill in charge no money but capable of going to Birmingham and pasting them 5 - 0 oh and we couldn't beat them at home. Or Ipswich with Mick MaCarthy in control who won away from home again last week and were rock bottom 10 weeks ago ? They say you can't polish a t**d but he seems to have organised the same squad of players who couldn't buy a point home or away( are you listening DF ).

I hope to god that he can get rid of the 7 or 8 players who are not good enough for this league let alone the Premiership and get in players with heart, commitment and some pride.

I have written off this year as some others have and like you L H I believe that the best we can hope for is some sort of turnaround and a middle of the league position.If we see another cowardly performance again tomorrow afternoon and Birmingham do the double over us then the pressure will be enormous.

I do not share your opinion that relegation will never happen to us I think that's dangerous talk and perhaps the unbelievable statement by our captain KD that Bolton underestimated Peterborough is proof to me that these players believe we are too good !!

Time for all to wake up get the sleeves rolled up and fight for every point.

SW, looking at the league, and I haven't seen every single team play this season, it's hard for me to name three specific teams I think will be below us this season, but personally, I think there will be far more than three teams finish beneath us.

Just for fun, if you'd like me to name three teams though, and lets check these at the end of the season, I will go for Barnsley, Bristol City and Ipswich.

You're picking at isolated evidence - teams who have performed well in one game. Well, we beat Cardiff quite recently. That's more impressive than Sheff Wed beating us of Barnsley pasting Birmingham. All those three results tell me is what we already know - it's a crazy league where, unlike the PL, any team can beat any other on any given day.

Which is why I look at the league table as evidence that, even on a run of two very damaging defeats, we are still 7 points off the relegation zone (and 8 off the play-offs btw). All it takes from some fans on this forum is a bad result and the relegation word comes out as though one such result brings it into the equation. We're half way through the season now and although we've been in the bottom half all the way through, we've not actually been anywhere near the relegation haunted part of the table in terms of either league position or points. If we'd won the Peterborough and Sheff Wed games, and someone had created an article talking about automatic promotion or finishing in the top three (yes I realise it's only top two go straight up but that's the fairest comparision with relegation) then they would have been laughed at.

But a couple of bad results and we're comparing ourselves with Bournemouth and talking about survival.

Can we maintain a sense of perspective please.

I don't say we will never get relegated, but I am a betting man, and I wouldn't bet on us to go down even if you offered me 100/1 against it, I wouldn't give you a fiver. Absolutely no way will it happen.

In his original (and well thought out) post, Mike says he expected a big turn around when Freedman was appointed. Does he think Freedman's middle name is Jesus? How can people come on to this forum, month after month, for nearly two years, and slate everything the previous manager did at the club, every signing, every piece of tactical work, every backroom appointment, every press conference he gave, and then expect some new young manager to just come in and instigate an immediate and dramatic improvement? So far, all Freedman has been able to do is bring in his own staff. Give him a chance to make systemic changes behind the scenes and bring his own players in, removing some of the surplus to requirements.

Freedman says in the programme for tomorrow's game that his target is to be in the top half of the table at the end of January. Not only is this an achievable target and a realistic target, it is one I firmly believe will be achieved. See you on the 31st January.

Evening/Morning
Good comments by all by the way.I agree with LH that its hard to judge DF with this squad as they are not his players.Although his selections do point/lean to he cant figure these players out or what his best 11 is.
Coyle left a team with a soft soft underbelly in my opinion,but thats yesterdays news isnt it.Where do we go from here? well not wanting to sound a smart ar$e but I predicted midtable before a ball was kicked.
Its going to be a long/horrible season for us I think,maybe a few seasons actually!.
Enjoy everyone tomorrow may see a few about for a pre match pint.

Evening nuns, I'm just working on the match thread, as I'm in the platinum suite tomorrow, early start for me pal! Got four courses to cram in before kick off. Prawn Sandwiches may be one of them? May be around for a pint after the game though if you're still around. Text you if so.

LH
Platinum suite eh? good on you mate.My phone died so just have numbers at moment without names using an old handset the only one I recognise is Bennys,so text me tomorrow

Oh and Mrsnuns number of course ha.

Will do mate. Might be having beers around Farnworth followed by a curry with some fellow whites too if interested. I'll let you know my plans pal. Match thread is up, don't want to dilute this excellent thread with our social plans so reply there if you want to bud.

Social networking site? Back to the OP, some good points made on this thread, we have not had any new manager positive effect at all in fact up to now it feels no different than when OC was here. The attendance figures are down when at this time of year you would expect the opposite, if i was ED i would be getting very concerned.

SWIE:

"LH perhaps you could please inform me which teams currently below us you think will still be below us come May 2013 ?"

LH:

"I will go for Barnsley, Bristol City and Ipswich."

It wasn't SWIE - it was SW

Both you and SWIE have said all season that we wouldn't get relegated.

Fun looking back at threads though.

Great result today!!!!!

Fail.