Premier league: who gets relegated 2016/17?

[dontcallme]

Like every year I feel the relgation battle is most exciting. Mostly because there is so much at stake for those facing the drop.

We are now halway through the season. The current table is:

Burnley 23points
West Ham 22 points
Watford 22 points
Stoke 21 points
Leicester 20points
Middlesboro 18 points
Palace 16 points
Sunderland 14 points
Hull 13 points
Swansea 12 points

Swansea are looking terrible. The loss of Williams in centre back has hurt a lot. They have sacked two managers and look set to hire Paul Clement. Just don't see them spending enough or correctly to survive. Sigurdsson is their main hope and some form from Llorente could help but imo will not be enough.

Hull simply don't have a squad. They have an OK starting 11 and were doing well in the first 6 games. But without a board willing to spend they are surely destined to go down.

Sunderland have a goalscorer in form and a manager who has a history of good organisation. In my view a couple of sensible purchases will be enough for them to stay up.

Palace have hired Big Sam. They have an awful record spanning the whole of 2016 but Sam will turn it around.

Middlesboro are my third pick for the drop. Despite having Negrado they just don't seem to have goals in them. Quite well organised defesnsively but not enough.

I think Leicester and Stoke will improve and Watford will drop more places but should have enough to stay up.

So my 3 picks are Swansea, Hull and Middlesboro. Who does everyone else think?

 

[Marty]

Hull and Swansea look certs at this point, though I maintain that if Swansea get two good CB's this month they can still stay up as the rest of their squad isn't that bad. Who the third will be is anyone's guess from the rest of the teams you mention.

 

[Shadydan]

The current bottom 3

 

[Danners9]

I went for Swansea, Hull and Palace.

Allardyce said yesterday that it will be March before they start to push/pull (he said both) away from the others. If they don't kick into gear sooner, that gap may be too difficult with just 2 months to go.

 

[nightgoat]

Hull just don't have enough quality and only Snodgrass scoring anywhere near regularly for them. They're doomed for sure. Which is a shame as I'd like to see their ex-Spurs contingent do well. Swansea as well. They rely too much on Sigurdsson, and their defence is terrible. Now they're hoping a man with very little management experience who got sacked at Derby will keep them up.

If Sunderland keep Defoe and Pickford, I can see Moyes just about scraping enough points to stay up. Burnley's home form will keep them up. If Fat Sam can get Palace's defence organised they have enough going forward in Benteke, Zaha, Townsend to stay up comfortably. Watford need Deeney to start scoring again, and sacking Flores is looking an incredibly dumb move, but I think they'll do enough. Stoke will be alright too.

That leaves one from Boro, Leicester and West Ham. Leicester are impotent away from home as teams have sussed them out. They're scraping a few points as some refs still think it's last season and there's still a fairytale on, but they've got a load of players going to the African Nations coinciding with a tough run of games - Everton, Chelsea, Southampton, Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal in their next 8 games. By the end of February they could well be slumming it in the bottom three.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Can't see how Hull or Swansea stay up. As for the 3rd - I lean Sunderland. I just can't see any teams Leicester or above dropping more points than Sunderland - but maybe Palace or Boro could drop.

 

[VegasII]

The present three are the most likely, but I've got a feeling one of them will get a run going and stay up - all while another side currently above the relegation zone has a tumble and goes down.

I'm really surprised Palace have been this bad this season as their squad is actually OK. I think Harry Redknapp would probably get that squad ticking faster than Allardyce will. Pity as that would of been fun to watch.

Gut feeling says Swansea or Sunderland will get something going and stay up. Watford or Leicester to tumble.

 

[Mr Pink]

Can't see Palace going down. Hull and Swansea for sure, Watford could be the other team for me - that Deeney/Igalo partnership has withered and died this season and if Sunderland keep Defoe fit I think they'll stay up.

Burnley are too good at home, and Middlesbrough are good defensively and Negrodo is looking good.

So Swansea, Hull and Watford for me.

 

[Lappi]

I've got a feeling stoke will struggle. Hughes teams always seem to become soft and wither after a few years and I think only Swansea and hull will properly struggle

 

[Snarfalicious]

I just want Leicester to get relegated and stay there forever.

 

[Lilbaz]

Would love west ham to go down but unfortunately think it will be the three who are bottom now.

 

[Snarfalicious]

I really don't want Swansea to go down just because I still harbor a love for Siggy.

 

[Yid-ol]

I really don't want Swansea to go down just because I still harbor a love for Siggy.

if they go down, can they keep hold of siggy? and posh has said we should never have sold him.. ...

 

[hughy]

Bottom 3 for me, and I think the gap between them and 17th will only increase as the end of the season draws closer.

Only team who I think could survive would be Sunderland. But that's at a huge stretch considering they're relying on a 34 year-old to bail them out.

 

[hughy]

if they go down, can they keep hold of siggy? and posh has said we should never have sold him.. ...

No chance. He's way too good to be playing in the Championship, even for a single season.

 

[mightyspur]

I would say Hull and Swansea are pretty much dead certs. As for the 3rd spot, it depends if Sunderland can turn it around. They set up and played quite well against Pool, but there are a lot of stupid defensive errors giving away goals. My hope is Leicester TBH.

 

[spursfan77]

I've had money on Sunderland since before the season started.

The worse teams I've seen at WHL this season are Swansea and hull so I'd go with them. Although Leicester were the next worse, unfortunately there are shitter teams than them who are likely to go down.

 

[nightgoat]

Bottom 3 for me, and I think the gap between them and 17th will only increase as the end of the season draws closer.

Only team who I think could survive would be Sunderland. But that's at a huge stretch considering they're relying on a 34 year-old to bail them out.

And a 22 year old goalkeeper. But, if they can put in a few performances like they did yesterday against the teams around them (and let's face it, they should have won yesterday) then they could be safe. But let's face it, if Defoe gets injured for 7 or 8 games they're fucked. He's scored nearly 60% of their league goals.

 

[UpTownSpur]

I think Sunderland might get out of it and Watford replace them, which will be shame for us as it's nice easy journey. They won't be missed though. They've got no business being in the PL and they add nothing to it.

 

[DanielCHillier]

Can see Watford sliding down the table rapidly, a mixture of injuries, players going to AFCON and a terrible defence will cost them. Leicester are going to struggle up front with Mahrez and Slimani off for a few months, but probably have enough to grind out a couple of wins.