Relegation

[Dezz]

That Twitter chart does box it off really. The majority of teams in the SPFL buy from the same bargain footballer shop and almost all of them have to rebuild at the end of every season, so inconsistency and league position jostling are inevitable.

 

Realistically, there are four teams fighting to avoid 11th. All it takes is any one team to go on a run and they are safe. I believe that given the next five fixtures, we could just be that team. We've had our bad run, and whilst we'll never turn into Barcelona, there is enough in that squad to put us in a comfortable position before the split.

 

Conversely, one team could plummet allowing the rest of the pack to breath easy. But as our 2016 results show, you could be utter dogshit and still be within touching distance due to the inconsistency of others.

 

It'll be interesting to see how Kilmarnock respond to the new gaffer. Clark has a fairly good rep down south and if he hits the ground running, could manage to get them to put a run together.

 

Thistle will manage to limp over the line just as unspectacularly as they have been all season. Which leaves Accies.

 

What can be said about accies without heart ruling head? I think/hope that come season end, they will be in 11th and will get their arses well felt in the play offs!!

 

And then, they can take their joob joob manager, amateur league pitch and pitiful excuse stadium back to where it belongs in the lower leagues.

 

Either way, we have a major rebuilding job to do for next season and with hibs and the Rangers back in amongst it, it'll become even more difficult for us to stay in the top flight.

Agree with pretty much all of this. Good post.

 

Although, I'd argue Clark's rep down south has taken a bit of a battering recently with his jobs at Birmingham and Blackpool, but I think even Pep would have his work cut out there with the state they're in!! However, he's exactly the type of rabble-rouser who could give them a 4-5 game bounce which would see them safe this season.

[Welldaft Mk1]

Yet another late kick in the haw maws. All sadly predictable.

 

We should lobby the SPFL to play games for 85 minutes.

 

That result and others today suggests to me that the bottom 2 spots will be contested between Dundee United, Hamilton, Killie and ourselves. Who would you back after 85 minutes in post split matches

 

Would like a boring end to the season. Does not look like it is going to happen.

[underboyleheating]

...the bottom 2 spots will be contested between Dundee United, Hamilton, Killie and ourselves.

That sounds about right. Another nervous end to the season, great for the neutral, however, heart stopping for players and fans alike.

[mfc]

it's easy too keep saying the league table is that tight so we shouldn't be too concerned right now but when it's all said and done somebody is going too finish in the play off spot and the way thing's are going it could quite easily be us.we are chucking points away at an alarming rate and if we don't get the finger out it's going too come back and haunt us big time.

[Lobey_Dosser]

With the imminent return of Rangers and Hibs, the likelihood is we're going to get relegated sooner or later unless there s significant change at the club. Our general standard of play has been very poor for the best part of three seasons now, despite finishing 2nd in 2013/14.

 

Whether it's a lack of characters like Hutchinson, the drop in quality or the absence of relatively lucrative bonuses, we no longer look to have a squad capable of grinding out some half decent form in an increasingly mediocre league. Yet on paper and accounting for financial outlay, I suspect we should be in and around top 6.

 

We are stuck in a rut and have been for some time.

[Dezz]

Been bored at work today so been looking at the fixtures ahead for us, Accies, Killie and Partick who I feel will be the teams fighting it out to avoid the play off place.

 

Motherwell - Partick (H), Accies (A), United (H)

 

Accies - Celtic (H), Motherwell (H), ICT (A)

 

Killie - Hearts (A), County (H), Aberdeen (A)

 

Partick - Motherwell (A), St J (A), Hearts (H), Aberdeen (H), Celtic (H)

 

There's no doubt that over the next month or so we have the easiest run of the 4 teams trying to avoid the playoffs. For me, it's absolutely vital that we pick up at least 5 points from the these games. If we can do that and maybe nick another point or two from the other fixtures before the split I would be quite confident of picking up 4-7 points after the split which should see us safe.

 

Based on the fixtures above I predict us getting 5 points, Accies 1 point, Killie 3 points and Partick 3 points. This would leave us on 34 points, joint with Partick who have games in hand, 3 ahead of Killie and 4 ahead of Accies. 8 points from the final 8 games should see us safe...I think.

 

A very long winded way to say it but the next 3 games really are make or break time! I've been pretty positive all season that we won't end up in 11th but if we take anything less than 5 points from these games and the fear will really set in.

 

FWIW I think it'll be Accies that finish in 11th.

[DEWELL]

In answer to the thread topic...Relegation. My response is...Staring us in the face. If we,re hoping Access and Killie roll over we,re gubbed .Slightly encouraged by Hibs getting pumped the other night. The potential is still there for their bottle to crash in play offs just like against Access couple of seasons ago. The highest we can finish is 10th. Nervous times ahead.

[Haggischomper]

Fuck the fuck off, for fuck's sake

[Ianc]

In answer to the thread topic...Relegation. My response is...Staring us in the face. If we,re hoping Access and Killie roll over we,re gubbed .Slightly encouraged by Hibs getting pumped the other night. The potential is still there for their bottle to crash in play offs just like against Access couple of seasons ago. The highest we can finish is 10th. Nervous times ahead.

The highest is 10th ? Were 9th now. Just keep winning and we wont move?

[daver]

Do Thistle not have a stack of games in hand on top of this fixtures, mostly at home where they've been doing pretty well recently? I just don't see them being involved in the run in and think we're fighting it out with Accies and Killie.

[Tamwell]

In answer to the thread topic...Relegation. My response is...Staring us in the face. If we,re hoping Access and Killie roll over we,re gubbed .Slightly encouraged by Hibs getting pumped the other night. The potential is still there for their bottle to crash in play offs just like against Access couple of seasons ago. The highest we can finish is 10th. Nervous times ahead.

Serious question.

 

Do you have hammers for hands?

[Al B]

Serious question.

 

Do you have hammers for hands?

 

[Well-Made]

My biggest concern is that Accies have just taken a point from Celtic, Killie have the new manager factor plus have added an experienced player in Julian Faubert to their ranks, so botht hose are likely to give them a lift. Utd have just added three points onto their tally for the season and apart from our result against them they haven't done too badly, in recent games when you add cup result in.

 

So where is our lift coming from? Should we have got it when we signed Faddy? Shouldn't we have got when we beat Utd? 1-0 up at St Johnstone? 1-1 at St Johnstone, surely we should have had a chance of seeing out the game? But none of these seemed to have inspired us.

 

I ain't including Partick in this equationbecause of their games in hand at present.

 

On the last minute goals is down to the subs McGhee is making, or is just we have players that panic and can't see out 90 minutes of football?

 

We need something to give us a little impetus to even think about starting a run of games, to gather enough points for survival and I have a feeling at the minute, despite how good some people think our team is, we are seen as being the weakest position just now. I would say a play-off scenario beckons again but could be worse.

 

However a win against Thistle today and Accies next week can change that. The players have to realise that and the fans will need to do their bit and pull them through as well. No matter how dire the game is.

[underboyleheating]

Todays another tough one, however, at every Thistle home game I usually take my Patrick supporting mate along for the ride. To date he is yet to see a Thistle victory at the Ark, so I can say with confidence that the 3 points are in the bag. 2-0 Motherwell.

[Del_Superwell]

Last time Partick came to Fir Park we beat them with Craigan in interim charge and we were arguably even worse than we are just now, so from that point of view I am actually confident of a result today.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Partick have been pretty tough to beat away from home.

 

Two 0-0 draws away to Aberdeen and Inverness and a 0-1 defeat to Celtic. Before that they beat Dundee Utd and Kilmarnock, got a draw at Dundee and beat St. Johnstone.

 

Pretty good record, of course if they get a result against us it will be because we are the worst team in the world.

 

Actually I think Alan Archibald has done a tremendous job at Patrick as he's had to completely rebuild the team twice and kept them competitive.

[Ya Bezzer!]

If we won today, we'd only be 4 points short of last seasons final points tally with 10 matches to play.

 

So that to me says we have definitely improved this season, regardless of league position.

[Tweed]

 

Two 0-0 draws away to Aberdeen and Inverness and a 0-1 defeat to Celtic. Before that they beat Dundee Utd and Kilmarnock, got a draw at Dundee and beat St. Johnstone.

 

Actually I think Alan Archibald has done a tremendous job at Patrick as he's had to completely rebuild the team twice and kept them competitive.

 

After today a third of the goals Thistle have lost on the road have been at Fir Park. That is an unbelievable stat.

[mjw]

Ooft!

Some of the posts on here recently.

[Desp]

Ooft!

Some of the posts on here recently.

"Killie have Julien Faubert" is probably my favourite from recent times.

 

[mjw]

I know it's Dewell, but keeping an eye out for hibs results!

Fuck sake.

[underboyleheating]

I usually take my Patrick supporting mate along for the ride. To date he is yet to see a Thistle victory at the Ark, so I can say with confidence that the 3 points are in the bag. 2-0 Motherwell.

...And his run continues.

[ankles]

Fuck yer relegation thread my eye is on a European tour.

[capt_oats]

If we won today, we'd only be 4 points short of last seasons final points tally with 10 matches to play.

 

So that to me says we have definitely improved this season, regardless of league position.

 

Going to chuck this in here, make of it what you will:

 

As of just now with 28 games played we're 10 points better off than at the same point last season having scored 11 goals more and conceded 10 goals less.

 

At this point in the season we're only 5 goals short of our TOTAL goals scored in the league last season not that being better than last season is in any way something to crow about but still...

 

The one piece of info that did surprise me was at the moment, with 28 games played we've only conceded 1 more goal than we had after 28 games in McCall's 2013/14 season when we finished 2nd (though we're 13 goals short in the 'for' column at the same point and that's the rub I suppose). It's a bit 'if your auntie had baws...' but if you were to take out the Hearts debacle our defensive record would actually be better now than that season. Which is quite mental when you consider the nick of our defence and some of the goals we've shipped.

[Kmcalpin]

 

Going to chuck this in here, make of it what you will:

 

As of just now with 28 games played we're 10 points better off than at the same point last season having scored 11 goals more and conceded 10 goals less.

 

At this point in the season we're only 5 goals short of our TOTAL goals scored in the league last season not that being better than last season is in any way something to crow about but still...

 

The one piece of info that did surprise me was at the moment, with 28 games played we've only conceded 1 more goal than we had after 28 games in McCall's 2013/14 season when we finished 2nd (though we're 13 goals short in the 'for' column at the same point and that's the rub I suppose). It's a bit 'if your auntie had baws...' but if you were to take out the Hearts debacle our defensive record would actually be better now than that season. Which is quite mental when you consider the nick of our defence and some of the goals we've shipped.

Good post. My overall impression is that we've improved since last season whilst rival clubs have tended to tread water or deteriorate. We have an improved squad, look to be better organised and have had a better season injury wise. That said, there's still considerable scope for improvement. The goals we lost on Saturday and the first at McDiarmid Park are still goals that we were losing 3,4,5 years ago. Maybe we're now losing less of them? We are scoring more and our striking department is definitely better than it was ie compare Moult and Sutton. Freak results like Tynecastle can always happen and hopefully it'll be a one off this season.