[Sir Megson]

I can`t believe 4 people here actually think we have a chance of surviving!!

DD    

DD, if we were still playing the way we played under TP, I would say different but we are playing better, yes saints was a set back but we have many injuries, outside our first team things are threadbare standard wise, with the majority of our best players fit and a few anfield performances we can claim wins ....

Twelve games only four would I say are bonus games that leaves eight against teams that are only slightly better off than us ...... why would I concede defeat already, that attitude will take us down.

To say we've only won three games this season so aren't going to win five in twelve is like saying we only won one game from Feb until May (guessing not research) so why bother playing this season. Other teams are slipping and sliding and playing each other, April will be when I start to prepare the towel for throwing ........

COME ON YOU BAGGIES ........ ALL OF US BAGGIES.  

Time for reprisals is when the season is done. ..... for now get behind the team, back the team.

I love and applaud your optimism 4eva. I think we've all deep down still got hope and will be supporting the team regardless; next games myself will be at home in the Cup against Southampton before a massive game against Huddersfield, before my next away trip which for me will be Watford in March, sadly can't make the Chelsea game due to work.

My worries stem from the key results that sees us at the foot of the table and not just the number points we are from safety. We've had our fate in our own hands for a very long time and the losses below (teams current league position in brackets) are the ones that will come back to haunt us if we cannot find some form and/or luck between now and the end of the season.

Brighton (16th) A
Southampton(15th) A
Huddersfield (19th) A
Swansea (17th) A
Stoke (18th) A
West Ham (12th) A
Southampton (15th) H

To escape the drop we need four things to happen and happen immediately.

1. Gibbs, Evans & Krychowiak to recover from injury and to stay fit for the remainder of the season. Nyom, McAuley & Yacob, their replacements on Saturday weakened the side.

2. Sturridge to get a goal ASAP/at Chelsea to get his confidence up. Top player but strikers need a goal to get their confidence up.

3. Reintroduce Nacer Chadli when back from injury or give Burke or Leko a go - there's no real competition for Phillips and when he's not on his game; we have a bad game.

4. Stop resting players in games against the top sides. Man City away as the most recent example. Burnley showed us very quickly that it's possible to pick up points in these games. 

If we can do those things above we may well be in with a shout.

Good post Sir Meg ......I'd debate your No. 3 a  tad tho ......IMO as it was only a few days after the Liverpool game and also only a few days before a REAL 6 pointer there was a real need to target the Southampton game.
Shame it didn't buddy work! !

Good on Watford for sticking a strong side out tonight though. Goes to show upsets can happen if you make a go of it