Relegation 23/24... Who goes down?

Blackburn and Plymouth picking up points isn't ideal but they shouldn't be our focus.

Huddersfield/Sheff Weds/Birmingham are key.

I doubt think any of us have ever predicted Blackburn or Plymouth to go down.

We really are in trouble if we lose another game

100% agree
All the teams around us have got or are getting to the 50 point mark now
We really are now running out of chances
We have to beat Preston simple as that,we can’t rely on the other teams slipping up no more
We’ve really found the wrong time to hit poor form again,we are literally staring at league one right now
3 games decides our season
On paper and current form were going down
If we’re lucky and I mean lucky we may stay up
But that’s based on Huddersfield and Wednesdays results

Would be hugely surprised if he does this. It would mean shifting to four across the middle which doesn't suit any of Chair, Willock or Andersen because they are too fragile to sit next to Field, Hayden or Colback leaving us with 5 forwards and 5 defenders. That would be too anarchical and leave us incredibly open all game. Sheff Wed could do it because Bannan is technically great and nasty in the tackle. None of our three are like that. Equally, aside from Smyth, we have no pace wide. If he was to play 4-4-2 he would have balance issues on the left with Willock unlikely to track the attacking full back and help out his full back defensively. That would mean Paal or Larkeche would have to start on the left to achieve not only balance but also defensive solidity down that side when out of possession. That would look too defensive, I think, to many fans, even if it did mean allowing us to get two strikers on the pitch. It could also leave us fragile in possession of the football. Willock or Andersen will definitely start, so it won't be 4-4-2.

The alternative is to go to a back three; say Dunne, Cook, JCS or Cannon and Fox either side of Cook. Don't see that happening either. Primarily because it undermines Paul Smyth going forward as he'd be almost certainly pinned as the Right Wing-Back or he ends up getting left out altogether which robs us of our most dangerous player against a team like Preston -- a pacey winger who attacks the full back. It would also cause problems on that left hand side if he's not favouring Paal at the minute. Fox is not a wing-back, he can't play there. He can barely play full-back. So who plays there? Willock? No chance. Chair did against Sheff Wed and was useless. So it would have to be Paal or Larkeche, which would mean playing essentially 6 defenders, 7 if he picks Cannon ahead of Smyth at Right Wing-Back. That makes us even less offensive than normal.

The best option is as I've said elsewhere is to play Armstrong wide as an outside forward, play Smyth on the right as a natural wide man and then play three in midfield, which for me would have to be Hayden as the defensive midfield with Field and Chair either side. Dykes then down the middle unless Frey is fit.

I agree with jrperry we were effectively relegated after last weeks defeat to Sheffield Wednesday can’t see us beating Preston and Leeds or Coventry
We are relying on other teams slipping up and that is really scraping the barrel

We have nobody to score our goals
That’s why we are all worried northwest mate
The problem we have this season is and it sounds a bit cliche
But we don’t have a Chris Martin type player to get those vital goals to get us over the line
Frey has not delivered and we are desperate for goals right now
This is the closest we’ve come to relegation in years
Can one of the poorest teams we’ve had in this division actually keep us up
The 3 remaining games are a nightmare in my opinion
I personally think we are in big trouble now
We’ve had our chances and unlike the the other teams we didn’t take them
It’s annoying as were so near to avoiding the drop but this useless lot probably won’t get us those points we need to stay up now
One win and a draw from 3 games against 3 really good teams on our current form isn’t looking good is it boys and girls