Relegation a real possibility?

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Now let me start by saying I don't think we'll get relegated however I also didn't expect us to lose so many games so soon and as defending Chamoions I thought we would be at least up there. Right now though we just don't look like winning and when we have i.e. West Brom away, Villa at home we've either been lucky or our opposition has been so poor that there's no way we would lose. I am honestly worried about where we're going to finish this season and right now we're in relegation form.

[bluegraham]

Keep playing the way we are of course we could get relegated

[big blue]

Il be relieved when we hit 40 points!

[Thrives]

Chelsea won't be relegated, but mid-table nothingness probably awaits this season. 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Il be relieved when we hit 40 points!

That's how I feel lol

I just can't believe we are the worst defending Premier League Champions ever, it's embarrassing

[MarkWilliam]

The play of this team is certainly a mystery, but I can't see being relegated.

 

I also don't see Mourinho getting the axe.  He took what was arguably the 4th or 5th best team on paper in 2013-14 and finished second, and last year comfortably won the championship.  This will turn around sooner rather than later.  Book it.

[Backbiter]

Every team knows how fragile the spirit is at the moment, and every team (bar Arsenal) seems to play their best football of the season against us (no coincidence). With every setback - every bad decision, every defeat - confidence drops further, and the out-of-form players (just about the entire squad)  show zero signs of recapturing their best form. I'm not yet convinced the players have thrown in the towel, but this is such a demoralising slump that they are at their lowest ebb. As is José.

All season you can look at the team, identify obvious weaknesses, and think: it's Ivan, it's Fabregas, it's Matic, it's Hazard, JT's past it (it was pre-season, it was Eva, it's the refs, it's the media ..... )

The fact is, José has left all of them out (OK, Ivan's been injured) and the team looks little better without them than with them. Maybe we have been more solid without Ivan and Fabregas, but that's not saying much.

Playing the way we are, we can lose to anyone, so we are unquestionably a team in freefall.

Hopefully we can have a positive result on Wednesday and build from there.

[charierre]

'They are too good to go down' is one of the oldest adage in football. We have a lot of great players who are used to winning giving them a feeling of invincibility,the inverse of this we are now suffering with. Too many heads dropped when we went behind today,not enough strong characters in the team. We are mentally fragile.

So the question , are we in a relegation battle?is it possible we will drop? At present the answer is yes.Replicate each third of the season like the first third and we go down. Will we? I'd say no at present but we have to arrest the slump rapidly,teams at the bottom in December tend to stay there and only the mentally tough escape. Just like the old days we are once again looking at reaching the magical 40,makes me all nostalgic. At least no one can sing to our younger fans 'Where were you when you were sh*t' now.

[NorthernMonkey]

Every team knows how fragile the spirit is at the moment, and every team (bar Arsenal) seems to play their best football of the season against us (no coincidence). With every setback - every bad decision, every defeat - confidence drops further, and the out-of-form players (just about the entire squad) show zero signs of recapturing their best form. I'm not yet convinced the players have thrown in the towel, but this is such a demoralising slump that they are at their lowest ebb. As is José.

All season you can look at the team, identify obvious weaknesses, and think: it's Ivan, it's Fabregas, it's Matic, it's Hazard, JT's past it (it was pre-season, it was Eva, it's the refs, it's the media ..... )

The fact is, José has left all of them out (OK, Ivan's been injured) and the team looks little better without them than with them. Maybe we have been more solid without Ivan and Fabregas, but that's not saying much.

Playing the way we are, we can lose to anyone, so we are unquestionably a team in freefall.

Hopefully we can have a positive result on Wednesday and build from there.

I think you're dead right with the word "confidence".

When your team (insert sport here) has no confidence:

1) The slightest knock has a much larger effect than normal.

2) The goal (or target) is much smaller to you than normal.

3) It's so much easier for the opposition to unsettle you.

4) You lose any swagger.

5) You bicker amongst yourselves.

We shouldn't under estimate the effect of the timing of Liverpool's equaliser.

Not only was it 40 seconds after the whistle should have gone for half time, (and there were centre pitch opportunities to blow the whistle), but can you imagine the mood in the dressing room at half time?

[axman2526]

Yeah we can be relegated.

This squad is simply not set up for the dog fight of the relegation scrap, they will most likely feel that they are too good to be there and can easily get offers elsewhere.

Contrast that to watford or Bournemouth and their boys know that them staying at the top level means they need to pull their finger out.

[Chippy]

Relegation...I don't think so.

 

I have fears, realistic fears that we are going to struggle to finish top seven or so but really for me the better results will come sooner rather than later, I can't see so many players form staying so low for too much longer.

 

A CL place is almost out of the question but at risk of the faithless accusing me of burying my head in the sand I'd say relegation is about as likely as retaining the title.

[MANoWAR]

I think the probability of us finishing in the top 4 is exceptionally low based on a few figures, however ultimately I don't think we're bad enough to fight for relegation. Lol that would be catastrophic. 

[Socrates]

Could be we get relegated but qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.

 

Wonder if Jose would get to keep his job then.

[dellaw]

How the hell can you even mention the R word your a bloody disgrace

[Theafonis]

We're gonna beat the drop. Believe!

[Teritus]

I don't think so, but mid-table at this rate is a distinct possibility.

[axman2526]

If we do end up in the Championship I do not expect the NA tc channels to be showing our games anymore. Go from many games a season to none, that would suck, even with how bad we are I would still rather see it.

[Erik]

Come on, let's not be too dramatic. Relegation is pretty much impossible under the ownership of Abramovich. Most bookies still have us at 500/1 to be relegated, just shows how unrealistic that is.

[cfcblue]

If Jose continues to run the same team, more or less into the ground, continues to play defenders out of positions, brings back Ivan, Mikel, Rambo as if they are the answers ... Then things won't improve much for the rest of the season ... if he lasts ...

There are alternatives, to be tried but Jose seems so reluctant to try anything else ...

It's not rocket science ... It's only football ...

[CFCCAN]

We are bordering on the zone now...I don't think Roman will hold out much longer though and I am afraid sacking Jose will be the only option he feels he has to turn this disaster around.   I think he wants to give Jose a shot to turn things around, but for whatever reason things are going from bad to worse every week....its a case of 'when do we hit rock bottom?' because this free fall is not going to end any time soon by the look of things.  And if by some divine intervention we do get relegated, the dynamics of this club will change dramatically...sponsorship withdrawn, TV deal money gone, CL money gone etc.  Nope Roman is not going to get us relegated...but he might just get us a new manager.

[AnIrishTrueBlue]

If that was even a distinct possibility Jose would be gone by now.

[lesblues]

The play of this team is certainly a mystery, but I can't see being relegated.

I also don't see Mourinho getting the axe. He took what was arguably the 4th or 5th best team on paper in 2013-14 and finished second, and last year comfortably won the championship. This will turn around sooner rather than later. Book it.

Sorry but what football did you watch in 2013/2014? Pls let's not overestimate

[Thrives]

Look, things are bad, but not that bad. First of all, if Abrama/the board go into panic mode and actually starts muttering the r-word, Mourinho (as much as I like him and want him to stay) is toast. Then, it is in the end a question of resolve and money(!), and we have the money to stay up ... the club will throw the kitchen sink at such a situation. 

 

It won't happen. 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

How the hell can you even mention the R word your a bloody disgrace

I'm a disgrace? We're in relegation form.

How about thinking before posting next time d**khead

[The Drogfather]

Not if Villa, Newcastle and Sunderland can help it.