the 7 teams below us.....

[waalsendmick]

.... we've played 12 games against them (with West Brom and Huddersfield still to come to us) and in those 12 games we have 7 wins 4 draws and 1 defeat (2nd game of the season at huddersfield)

25 points from 12 games against our relegation rivals.....


but people still question Rafa's tactics?

he obviously knows how to get the results that matter!

[toptoon]

Exactly ....and if we can beat Hudd and WBA then we should be OK IMO.

[Nufcian]

.... we've played 12 games against them (with West Brom and Huddersfield still to come to us) and in those 12 games we have 7 wins 4 draws and 1 defeat (2nd game of the season at huddersfield)

25 points from 12 games against our relegation rivals.....


but people still question Rafa's tactics?

he obviously knows how to get the results that matter!

Exactly!

No matter what the f**ktard tries to say (and notice he isn’t about on any name today since the win... well, mostly)... teams who are punching above their weight have to give away possession and hit teams on the counter... we did that to make 5th, FFS Leicester did it to take the title!

Our entire midfield were awesome today, and If Slimani can get sorted in the next 3 weeks before our next fixture against Huddersfield and we take 3 points there then we’ve got to be 1 win from safety.

[Nufcian]

Also, Knockaert missing Huddersfield and Leicester in the league will make it a lot trickier for them to stretch ahead of us in the table.

[Zippity]

Just seen Southampton's remaining fixtures on MoTD...reckon they might be fucked too. I said before the game that the loser would go down and nowt's changed me mind.

[AP69]

I think west Brom and with their remaining fixtures Southampton are down
Are we better than
Stoke
West Ham
Huddersfield
Swansea
Palace
Brighton
I think so

[waalsendmick]

the bookies have us and Brighton comfortable at 12th and 13th

I'd still take 17th....

[Zippity]

I'd still take 17th....

In a heartbeat, Mick.

Sad that it's come to this but that's where we are.

[ghostrider]

We have never been a championship team battling it out in a premier league.
Anyone would be happy in the first season back to escape the drop. I get that but this entire squad had more to give earlier on as they built up but it was suppressed. Look at it now.
Could, would, should, maybe, if only...are all words that could be used to argue that we could have been in Burnley's position if we hadn't of laid down against the top teams and some mediocre teams at times, which was frustrating.
Rafa takes the rap for that as much as he takes the praise for changing it all up which is as clear as day to be seen, lately.

This championship team is a cop out in order to make it appear like anything we do other than be relegated, will be some kind of miracle.
No way.

That's where fans have been coaxed into believing that's where we are because too many have gorged on this fictional championship team doing their best in a league of shiny golden nuggets.
It's nonsense.

This squad is doing better because the mindset has changed and the tactics have changed to do that, not to mention players coming to the fore because of it.

A few months back this team battled but done it under duress more than gusto.
A first half offensive attempt as and when and a second half back in the trench to repel the onslaught with no plan B back up capable of doing anything different.

Look at it now.
The change is almost chalk and cheese because there's more of a confidence about the entire set up.

Rafa Benitez has started showing his managerial skills 70/80% more than he has done in the last few months.
Just take a look at what we were set up like to what we are set up like now, in terms of all the game.

Rafa deserved his kick in the gonads but he also deserves praise when he gets it right. He's getting it right because he's realising that this squad is capable of much more than he allowed it to be.

Kenedy and Dubravka, as well as LeJeune, Diame, Ritchie, Shelvey, etc adding a bit of extra gee up and revamped game play and the omittance of players like Joselu and what not has changed out game from chicken chasing runabouts to actual have a go with the ball mindset, throughout.

Rafa's done a lot wrong but he's also done a lot right, lately.
I know people won't have anything said about him because of who he is but just as a player will get stick for a bad performance, so will the manager, etc.

All in all Rafa is working with a very sub-standard top 6 squad but on the flip side, he's working with a very capable squad that can claim any place above that.
Nobody can tell me that Burnley are stand out above us, because they're not.
Nor are Leicester.

Where we are in the league is where we end up but the possibilities are far and beyond what fans have been coaxed into believing.
All it needed was a game changer...and Rafa is showing what happens when it's put to proper use with the players we have at our disposal, which would have been even more clever had we kept Mitrovic. However, we don't have him but we do have more than enough to be a force as it stands to more than hold out own from this point on.

[Nufcian]

Need to see the remaining fixtures results today and Mon night, could turn out very well for us...

Arsenal v Watford
Bournemouth v Spurs
Stoke v Citeh (Mon night)

Think a win against Huddersfield next game, at the end of the month, would be a massive step toward safety and a real confidence boost just when we need it most.

Think most of the teams below us have relatively similar fixtures, though Palace probably have the easier run in, but given how all of the teams (apart from West Brom) have took points (or should have taken points) against teams up at the top of the table, it’s still impossible to call just yet.

I’m just hoping results go our way in the next month so we can confirm survival before the end of the season... that should flush out any prospective take over deals, and i’d rather see that happen sooner than later... because I reckon Fatty won’t invest in the team with that in mind (again) and we can’t spend another transfer window where we bring in a cheap as chips striker, or injured players on loan.