So here we are again – unhappy as can be. Saturday is filling many fans with trepidation as Leicester are a very good team and we’re not exactly in the best of form. There are more than a few predicting doom, in the form of relegation, for West Ham come the end of the season but are they right to do so. West Brom can’t catch us so we could only go down in 19th or 18th spot. Three points will, all but, ensure survival. Should those points arrive this weekend then Southampton would need to win at least two of three vs Everton, Swansea and City to finish above us. Stoke must win both to overhaul us and Swansea, like Southampton, would also need 2 wins from Bournemouth, Southampton and Stoke. So why the positive outlook?
Leicester’s points haul, from their last 5 is one worse than ours with a WLLDL compared to our WDDLL. This against marginally easier opposition, of Brighton, Newcastle, Burnley, Southampton and Palace, compared to our matches with Southampton, Chelsea, Stoke, Arsenal and City. In isolation there’s not much in that but other factors are at play. The sending off, for the red card offence of pulling down Zaha while in the clear on goal, this weekend of Mark Albrighton means he misses the fixture against us. Albrighton is a key player in the Leicester team. Another massive contributor to their midfield engine room is Okazaki who is a major doubt along with their keeper Schmeichel. Between the sticks Ben Hamer, Schmeichel’s replacement, comes off a 5 goal tonking. Not ideal for a replacement’s confidence at the best of times.
Probably more than any of the reasons in the previous paragraph, though, is the fact that these points are far more meaningful to us. We’re desperate for them. Leicester appear to be coasting in to a mid-table finish without any real motivation. This need for points often plays a big factor in matches at this stage of the season. Mid table safety often softens teams with motivation waning compared to the hungrier teams attempting to avoid relegation.
Of course there’s still the clear and present threat of the Mahrez/Vardy partnership but it looks like they’re effectiveness has been seriously blunted of late with other key players missing. Add Albrighton in to that mix and it’s looking even more difficult for them. All things considered I’m seriously optimistic for this weekend and for good reason. Bring ‘em on!
It’s highly unlikely that West Brom, despite putting up a spirited fight, will survive. Stoke are showing a similar hunger for which Paul Lambert deserves some credit. When things have gone against him, and his team, he’s not made excuses but has chosen to commend his players for their efforts and promised to do everything in their power to win games. But taking maximum points against Everton and Swansea will be an ask.
Like so many others I can’t wait for the end of the season. I’m going to reserve judgement on whether I believe David Moyes deserves the job beyond that point until all the games have been played. When you’re not picking up any points, and so many others are on the ‘get rid’ bandwagon, it’s easy to make snap judgements. I also believe that it’s not right to discuss someone’s employment position while they’re still in the job so I do my best to avoid any speculation.
I was on record, the day before David Moyes’ appointment, as stating that he would ‘take us down’ if put in place. At that stage I genuinely thought that we’d be relegated with a few left to play but there are positive aspects to the job he’s done and I sincerely wish that I am proven wrong. I’m as critical as the next fan when it comes to DM’s in match tactics. Double and triple subs have been tactical errors, especially the double in the Arsenal game, but I’m not as bought in to the ‘Negative’ or ‘Dinosaur’ perspectives that have been shared. A degree of pragmatism has been adopted by Mr Moyes under current circumstances and I can’t really blame him for that. If results go our way this weekend we could be mathematically safe by 19.00 on Saturday night due to Southampton and Swansea still having to play each other, as well as one other fixture, while being 6 and 5 points behind respectively.
Overall the game on Sunday was pretty forgettable. There were signs of Lanautovic linking well again. Both need to start the remainder of games IMHO. I watched it in the pub where there were adjacent tv screens with the Snooker as the alternative. Higgins really was excellent. On this occasion the Goat was doing the staring at his brilliant 136 break to put him 8-3 up – not, as in HH’s report, the men staring at the Goats. All riveting stuff as the snooker fan in the picture below is testament to. Man City are a bit special. What pleases me the most is that a team playing intricate, enterprising and entertaining football are winning things which pokes one in the eye of the ‘pretty football wins nothing in England’ merchants who’ve held the game back decades in this country.
No such boredom in the game this coming weekend.
COYI!