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Saints Have To Start Picking Up Points From The Top Sides
Saints Have To Start Picking Up Points From The Top Sides
Monday, 17th Dec 2012 10:49

So far this season all of Saints points have come from sides that, at the time of playing them at least were firmly in the bottom half of the table, if we want to stay up this has to change.

Saints are not in the relegation zone for one reason and one reason alone and that is they have picked up points from the sides around them at the bottom, QPR won for the first time on Saturday to haul themselves off the bottom, a sobering thought though and one that shows just how tight it is down there is that if they had beaten us at Loftus Road then they would now be above us in the League.

But if Saints are to avoid relegation they arent going to do it by just beating the sides at the bottom, they are going to have to pick up a win or two against sides in the top half of the table, Aston Villa leapfrogged us on Saturday by beating Liverpool at Anfield only two weeks after we went there and were lucky to get nil as the old saying goes, Villa won in a way that we didnt look like doing at Anfield or anywhere else bar QPR for that matter and that has to change.

To emphasise the point about what is needed if we look up the table to Fulham in 13th as being possible relegation candidates, then we have eight games left against our rivals down the bottom at time of writing, that equates to 24 points of course, in black and white if we were to win all of those games that would give us a total of 39 points come the end of the season if we took no points from elsewhere.

But the reality is we wont win all of those eight games and frighteningly six of them are actually away from home to make that task even more unlikely, so the start reality is we have to start beating those top half sides.

So those who say we can stay up just by beating those around us are sorely mistaken, as Aston Villa showed on Saturday the sides that stay up will be those that not only remain unbeaten against their fellow strugglers but who pick up results against the form book, so far that hasnt been us, we have not seen one result go our way when the form book suggests otherwise.

The next few weeks will be crucial for Saints, we need to win one of those two remaining home games against fellow strugglers, the Sunderland game being a must win game in anyones book, then we have to go to Fulham and drag them right into the relegation dog fight, after that Stoke is the first of several games where the form book points to defeat, what better place to start to turn it upside down than there.  

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Whatsforpud added 11:43 - Dec 17
What is worth noting is the fact that after the Sunderland game, we will have played 10 at home and only 7 away. Slightly worrying given our away form, irrespective of where the opposition are in the league. There is much riding on the next match.
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stmichael added 13:46 - Dec 17
We will need a couple of surprise results like VILLA's if we are to stay up.
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richardmdcooper added 14:46 - Dec 17
More importantly will be how we fare away at the lower-half teams. So far, our only lower half away games have been against liverpool, west ham and qpr. There's a lot of away points up for grabs..If we can get a win against stoke or fulham, we'll head into the new year in decent shape
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bstokesaint added 12:38 - Dec 18
We will inevitably do better in the second half of the season, away from home and against the better sides. Without getting bogged down with statistics or points per game forecasts, I think it's fairly easy to see with the naked eye that we have turned things around recently. The Liverpool game aside, we have players playing in the right positions now and seem to have a shape which we are comfortable with. We also seem to be a little less leaky at the back and appear to be wising up.

It's easy to dismiss results against teams lower down the table, but they're often the toughest ones to grind out. No wins should be underestimated in this league. I also happen to believe we have too much young talent to be relegation fodder. The only way we will end up being in the bottom 3 come the end of the season is if the team lose their belief. I can see teams about 7 or 8 teams (QPR, Reading, Wigan, Villa, Sunderland, Fulham, Swansea and Newcastle) being in the mix come May, but I reckon we'll be fine, especially if we sure up defensively in the next window.
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 09:46 - Dec 19
The number of away games we've got is worrying, but a win at Fulham or Stoke would build confidence on the road.
Sunderland is a must win game, much like the Reading game, I don't think a draw will be enough come the end of the season.
We do need a couple of big wins on the road, as well as maintaining our good home form. Its going to be one hell of a relegation scrap! If Wigan, Villa and Sunderland pick up then we might need more than 40 points to stay up....
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