Relegation: A 2 Horse Race?

[RiG]

Yes I know we have a bundle of relegation threads on here already but with the new manager in place this normally gives fans and players of the club a lift and a more positive outlook for the future. Butcher will certainly not have any problem motivating the guys and we saw at the weekend a much more spirited turn out from ICT.

However, we still slipped to defeat and Hamilton pulled further away with an excellent away victory at Killie and now sit 9 points clear of us with St. Mirren 8 points ahead and only Falkirk in reasonable touching distance (2 points away).

Is the relegation battle now just between ourselves and Falkirk? I feel that Hamilton are grinding out results when they need to and will be safe, perhaps even safer than I had imagined, and St. Mirren seem to do likewise and beat the teams around them to get the important points.

But Falkirk are still there and we can still get past them. So can we over turn the deficit and haul ourselves up into 11th before the seasons end? Looking at their squad they have some creativity in McCann and O'Brien and some talented youngsters whilst also appearing to have one thing that we lack - a consistent goal scorer in Mr Amy MacDonald (aka Steve Lovell) but with Yogi under pressure, the lift we get over the next couple of weeks from Butchers arrival could prove crucial.

I feel very that it is very much between Falkirk and ourselves and we do have enough to get beyond them but we need to turn in results against the likes of Hamilton, Killie etc. at the bottom of the league. Spirited performances against Rangers and Celtic mean nothing if we lose our bread and butter games.

Edited January 27, 2009 by RiG

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

I think the fact that we have to play all the teams around us before the end of the season and then again when the split occurs means that we have two games against Hamilton, Falkirk, St.Mirren, Kilmarnock and one other - that alone is 30 points to play for....and then whatever we can take from the other games against Utd, Aberdeen and the evil twins etc....

A good run by ICT and a poor run by one or two others and they are back in the mix again....I actually think getting points of Utd is a real possibility especially after Saturday's performance....the biq question is how the players take to Butcher and Malpas and their style of play....and who we may bring in to give us more of a cutting edge up front....

Therefore to answer your questions I believe it is possible we can stay up and I think there will be more than 2 in the mix come the end of the season run in....

Edited January 27, 2009 by Tichy_Blacks_Back

[Guest Caleylass]

I think the fact that we have to play all the teams around us before the end of the season and then again when the split occurs means that we have two games against Hamilton, Falkirk, St.Mirren, Kilmarnock and one other - that alone is 30 points to play for....and then whatever we can take from the other games against Utd, Aberdeen and the evil twins etc....

A good run by ICT and a poor run by one or two others and they are back in the mix again....I actually think getting points of Utd is a real possibility especially after Saturday's performance....the biq question is how the players take to Butcher and Malpas and their style of play....and who we may bring in to give us more of a cutting edge up front....

Therefore to answer your questions I believe it is possible we can stay up and I think there will be more than 2 in the mix come the end of the season run in....

Agree !!! We can do it, we deserve to stay up look at what the club has achived to date.... this is just a blip..... the one thing that the media always goes on about is the long treck the teams have to make to Inverness shame tee hee they would 'love' to see us go down just for that reason ALEDGEDLY !

[alimci]

I am at the moment hugely optimistic

[Guest Caleylass]

I am at the moment hugely optimistic

We can do it............ the pundits predicted us to go down at the begiing of the season, I live in the central belt and its constantly as you can imagine about all the teams in the west of Scotland etc....

[Iain]

I don't think it is a 2 horse race just yet. 9 points seems a lot, but I remember the season when Dunfermline went down when they were rooted to the bottom of the table and looked certain for relegation and then towards the end of the season they started to pick up a fair few wins - yes they went down in the end but they gave themselves a bloody good chance of staying up before we ruined it for them! Not over till it's over.

[Scotty]

early indications suggest that site users feel positive it is not a 2 horse race and we can avoid the drop ...... I like both of those ideas

[rinomac]

well surely hamilton are going to have at least one bad run before the end of the season. I'm pretty sure that 9 points is not impossible to catch up on at this stage. Falkirk have been pretty poor all season and if we start picking up points, confidence will grow. I feel confident for the rest of the season!

[Ronaldo]

I think words "relegation" and "division 1" should be banned form the site

[tm4tj]

I am a no and yes man.

Anybody below Aberdeen could easily be dragged back into the battle. The obvious reaction would be to make it a two horse race but with fifteen points up for grabs after the split I see no reason that we will not be capable of winning these games. We will also get a boost, hopefully, from the recruitment of Butcher.

Yes, for the reasons in my above paragraph..................plus I don't want us to get relegated.

But, if thats what happens, then so be it.

[Guest Caleylass]

well surely hamilton are going to have at least one bad run before the end of the season. I'm pretty sure that 9 points is not impossible to catch up on at this stage. Falkirk have been pretty poor all season and if we start picking up points, confidence will grow. I feel confident for the rest of the season!

Yes xactly and St Mirren could have another bad run and what you say about Falkirk is spot on..... on the news earlier and in the press that Celtic are after James McArthur of Hamilton... that wont help the ackies. Lets be positive and we can turn this around, Terry Buther is fresh blood he can do it

[Caley Stan]

No.

Yes.

I'm liking the belief on this thread.

[davieB]

I think it's far from being a two horse race. Six of our games before the split are at home, and other than this Sunday, they're all games we SHOULD take something from.

Post split gives us a reasonable shout of 3,4, or even 5 wins, so I'm pretty optimistic that, with a new manager an all that, we can save ourselves this season.

[Guest EdgeleyCT]

IMHO it's not a 2 horse race as yet.

There's still 30 points to play for - and that's before the split!! Can we avoid the drop?? Think Obama.

I'm sure the new management duo will be looking to get everyone pulling in the same direction and nicking all the points we can.

Would help too if the negative posts on here went quiet for a while too.

[TSTtiger]

i think that in this 3rd quarter of fixtures we may actually now benefit with getting all the harder games out of the way over the past and next few weeks especially if we can get dome points on the board in the next three fixtures. hamilton and falkirk will have a tougher run in to the split

[stevico1]

I voted yes for a 2 horse race when I meant to vote for no, I think it is a 4 horse race between ourselves, St Mirren, Falkirk and Hamilton. I would be happier if Hamilton were closer to us but with the points still available I think we can catch 1 if not 2 of those teams above us. However I think for us to do that we need to get a striker in before the window closes.

[kencar]

I honestly believe we are a better side than Hamilton & St Mirren and that's why losing home & away to them both annoyed me so much.

[Howdenender]

I voted yes for a 2 horse race when I meant to vote for no, I think it is a 4 horse race between ourselves, St Mirren, Falkirk and Hamilton. I would be happier if Hamilton were closer to us but with the points still available I think we can catch 1 if not 2 of those teams above us. However I think for us to do that we need to get a striker in before the window closes.

I dont think Kilmarnock are out of danger yet either - they are in freefall at the moment and look like a team very low on confidence. No worries - the "Butcher Bounce" will save us!

[Guest Murdock]

I am certain Falkirk are going down and we will be 11th. My mate at work is a Falkirk fan and has almost resigned himself to that too.

[Alex MacLeod]

I also say no and yes. It is far from a two horse race. This league can throw up all sorts of strange results. We're three wins of 8th. We could go out on sunday and get a win. Been done before. Any of the teams above us could go on a losing streak. As the saying goes It aint over till the fat lady sings.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

I reckon its a 2 horse race between ICT and falkirk , St Mirrens move to their new stadium will give them a boost and I think they'll win at home on saturday and be out of sight . Comparing squads I think Falkirk are stronger and more experienced so its not looking to good IMHO .

[SMEE]

No and Yes i voted. I believe,EVERY team in the league normally has at least a wee run of results going for them (ala Hamilton at the mo)

We are long overdue our run, and i think with TB coming in, it will give us the impetus we require

Edited January 27, 2009 by SMEE

[Guest Muir-Jaggie]

yes we can stay up. i would say right now its a 2 way horse race but if we and falkirk get a few wins in the next few weeks it will be more open at the bottom

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

There are no horses in the race to avoid relegation just some very nervous chairmen, managers and players. If Roy had been mature and kept his cool we might have scraped a point on Saturday at Hearts. We didn't so we start with this weekend's game. Celtic may witness some key player movements before Sunday so sooner rather than later our luck will change. Our players will get their self respect back under Butcher and Malpass. Malpass is a good number two and will be as determined as Butcher to win this battle. Guys like Bannerman will see this as a glorious opportunity whilst Essen, Cowie and Black, if he gets a chance, will want to lay down markers for Scotland. Imrie will likewise want to improve on his consistency and if he is a Rangers supporter you can bet he'll work himself into the ground on Sunday.

[Guest maddy]

will not win the race with butcher as jokey