Newcastle Bare Teeth in Relegation Dogfight

After a series of tepid displays, Newcastle and Shearer finally came good (after two points from five games) by beating Middlesbrough. ‘Boro were perhaps a tad unlucky, looking decent but unpenetrative. The story of their season. With this win, Newcastle took a huge stride towards safety, leaving Hull 1/3 to go down. And Sunderland fans must be nervous…

Here is the bottom of the table after last night’s games…

Here are the remaining fixtures for the sides still in relative danger:

Saturday, 16 May 2009
Bolton v Hull, 15:00
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa, 15:00
Newcastle v Fulham, 15:00

Sunday, 17 May 2009
West Brom v Liverpool, 13:30

Monday, 18 May 2009
Portsmouth v Sunderland, 20:00

Sunday, 24 May 2009
Aston Villa v Newcastle, 16:00
Blackburn v West Brom, 16:00
Hull v Man Utd, 16:00
Sunderland v Chelsea, 16:00
West Ham v Middlesbrough, 16:00
Wigan v Portsmouth, 16:00

Although not technically safe, it looks extremely unlikely that either Bolton or Blackburn will go down; they are pretty much safe. Likewise Portsmouth, who could go down, but have the easiest two fixtures with Sunderland at home and Wigan away. Probably the lowest placed side that could still be relegated are Sunderland; and it is a very real possibility. With fixtures against Portsmouth, and then Chelsea, they may well not get any more points; and are only two clear of Hull and Newcastle. Hull look resigned to relegation, however – in absolute freefall, it is difficult to see where their next points are coming from.

Apparently, in an attempt to restore team harmony, manager Phil Brown invited the entire first team squad to a day at Chester Races – and they all refused. That says a lot for team spirit. All it will take is for Newcastle to win again, and they could be out of reach. Even West Brom, the only side at the bottom in any sort of form, could potentially overhaul Brown’s side. Unfortunately for the Baggies, it looks too late for them to escape relegation, much as I would love to see them do it.

Boro, deflated and despondent after their derby defeat, will have to pull off a miracle to survive.

Our predictions to go down:

Hull, angrily and discordantly.

Boro, attractively and impotently.

And West Brom, even more attractively, gallantly, but ultimately inevitably.

Sunderland to survive by the skin of their teeth.