The relegation battle - get out of my league!

grey_til_I_dye

Fair to say we are back to looking down not up after the last few weeks.



It's easy to get disheartened, but the relegation battle is like musical chairs: as long as you've got a seat at the end of the music, it doesn't matter where it is.

We can look at Watford, Brighton, Swansea and panic, or we can look at Southampton, Stoke and Palace, and realise they are doing no better than us (assuming WBA are gone.).

It's looking increasingly likely that our home games against Soton and Stoke will be season defining.

MIAHammer

If we assume WBA are down. Stoke has one of the toughest fixture lists with a bad GD. If we beat them I can't see them overtaking us. Palace has one of the easiest run ins, so they have a good chance of making it.
That leaves one more team to go. We and Brighton also have a tough run in but Brighton effectively have a 5 point lead with their GD so unlikely we will overtake them on current form. Huddersfield have a really tough final 4 games and they form is as bad as ours.
My guess (and hope) is that WBA, Stoke and Huddersfield will go down and we'll survive by the skin of our teeth on the final day of the season.

imagelost

We need to beat Southampton and stoke, plus odd point

whupathman

I need to explain to that stats company who had us at 6% to go down, this is west ham they are talking about

Bazshuayi

So.... is anyone still confident we'll stay up? I have to say (especially with the current climate) I'm totally worried (no Cali accent there). If we dont get points from Stoke and Southampton we'll be that free fall stereotype team. No points from Swansea and Burnley really hurt. We could've been virtually safe already and need two wins desperately and a couple of backs against the wall draws.

#stating the obvious

IronHerb

I am, although a little less than I was a couple of weeks ago. ;ok

Pearces_Left_Foot

If we don't beat Southampton I think we will get relegated

Hammerex

I think we have to win both matches against Stoke and Southampton.
Can't see that happening with the way things are at the moment.

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

Down.....hope I’m wrong but felt it for a while the ending to a massive storm, big Sam cups his ear at the final whistle

TheMadcapLaughs

Would people prefer another season in The Premier League just like this, (and last season come to think of it), where the cups are seen as an annoyance and a hindrance to "survival", and where games against Liverpool etc. are seen as a "free hit", where the level of ambition seems to peak at somewhere between being the best of the rest and keeping out of the relegation zone. Or, a season in the championship. For me it`s a tough call. For the most part, apart from the odd highlight, I have hated the past two seasons. If we survive, I can`t see next season being any different. We lucked out the last season at The Boleyn. Payet was the difference. ;scarf

MrsGrey

Premier League.

It's not for wimps. ;wink

Yeoldhammer

i dont think we will fare better in the Championship.

the likes of Lanzini / Arnie will move on. We will be left with literally the academy and the over 30s which isnt good enough. I can see us being a Champo club for a long time to come if we drop.

ASLEFshrugged

If we are relegated I can't see Arnie, Lanzini or anyone else with international ambitions staying, we'd be left with Noble and not much else.

thornburyiron

Exactly. We got lucky the last time we were in the championship. I think we'll be down there for a few years.

TheMadcapLaughs

True regarding our better players, although there is not a lot to keep them here in or out of The Premier League. If we do stay up, and if we do retain the services of our better players, GSB really need to push the boat out come the summer transfer window or it will all go horribly wrong again (imo).

Pearces_Left_Foot

If we get relegated we still maintain a financial advantage over most other clubs in championship , Newcastle are abit like us they yo-yo between divisions I think we would have two years to get out of it and if after that then we would be in trouble

alderz

Personally, I think we'll stay up.

But if we did go down, I would imagine we could realistically hold onto a few still.

I'd expect Masuaku, Antonio, Arnautovic, Lanzini, Hernandez, Obiang to be gone for sure. Then I would like expect: Reid, Ogbonna, Kouyate to go, but if they stayed I wouldn't be surprised.

IronHerb

Question is why would you want to keep players who weren't good enough to keep you in the Prem?

Yeoldhammer

alderz said:

Personally, I think we'll stay up.

But if we did go down, I would imagine we could realistically hold onto a few still.

I'd expect Masuaku, Antonio, Arnautovic, Lanzini, Hernandez, Obiang to be gone for sure. Then I would like expect: Reid, Ogbonna, Kouyate to go, but if they stayed I wouldn't be surprised.

Think Reid is finished cant see him moving on now, too many injuries.
Dont think anyone from the Prem would come in for Kouyate now either. Overseas possibly.

OutcastLondoner

TheMadcapLaughs said:

Would people prefer another season in The Premier League just like this, (and last season come to think of it), where the cups are seen as an annoyance and a hindrance to "survival", and where games against Liverpool etc. are seen as a "free hit", where the level of ambition seems to peak at somewhere between being the best of the rest and keeping out of the relegation zone. Or, a season in the championship. For me it`s a tough call. For the most part, apart from the odd highlight, I have hated the past two seasons. If we survive, I can`t see next season being any different. We lucked out the last season at The Boleyn. Payet was the difference. ;scarf

The Championship is the same. We might win more games but everything will ultimately centre on the PL and we won’t see any kind of rebuilding the club around new, young players. It will instead be getting in old hands who’ve done it before. On top of all of that, we won’t be able to watch half the games.

Moojor

I honestly no longer care. I'll always follow West Ham but not only am I sick and tired of the constant in house bickering which just creates a toxic them and us atmosphere but I'm also sick of the whole spectacle of football.

When you have players going for £100m+, game times being dictated by the media companies, it's just no longer a sport that I can feel any real attachment to.

TheMadcapLaughs

Moojor, I asked a customer of mine, who I know has no interest in football whatsoever, what he thought Sanchez (who???) earns per week. He said he didn`t know or care. Go on, have a guess, says I. Well I suppose you are going to shock me so I`ll say £10,000 per week. ;lol When I told him £350,000 he was 100% absolutely shocked and gobsmacked, so much so that he didn`t believe me so googled it. He just couldn`t believe that there could be any justification for that level of pay. It`s mind boggling. It will take a nurse nearly 15 years to earn what one person can earn in a week. Football has been ruined by money.

Adam

Clubs will only pay what they are willing to pay. Man U get so much money, they can afford to pay one player £350,000 per week.

If this is to reduce, everyone in the UK and around the world need to stop watching premier league games.

It’s probably easy to stop watching West Ham right now, I guess.

horshamhammer

Rip up your SKY contracts for a start. I've never had it, and never will. If you can't get to West Ham watch non-league instead and this should be more than enough.

madridhammer

TheMadcapLaughs said:

Would people prefer another season in The Premier League just like this, (and last season come to think of it), where the cups are seen as an annoyance and a hindrance to "survival", and where games against Liverpool etc. are seen as a "free hit", where the level of ambition seems to peak at somewhere between being the best of the rest and keeping out of the relegation zone. Or, a season in the championship. For me it`s a tough call. For the most part, apart from the odd highlight, I have hated the past two seasons. If we survive, I can`t see next season being any different. We lucked out the last season at The Boleyn. Payet was the difference. ;scarf

A good post & a tough call which ties in with your later post about players wages.I hate what football has become but I would also hate us to go down. I hated going down to the old second division before the creation of the PL & Championship & I think going down could be dangerous. There is widespread disillusionment at the moment & the thought of a home game against, well let's face it most of that division with all due respect isn't appealing & yes,I know I'm being hypothetical but I can see a lot of empty seats if we do. When we've been down before & I've been back visiting I've gone. I don't have much inclination to go to the new ground because i just don't like it although I've been a few times. No way would I want to go to a championship match over there.

Brother_Sledge

How many nurses wages are paid for by the tax from premiership footballers I wonder ;wink

grey_til_I_dye

horsham

If you can't get to West Ham watch non-league instead and this should be more than enough.

Why should it?

BubblesNeverDies

bbb you beat me to it, but if they do ;wink

Google: uk income tax rates

Income Tax rates and bands
Band - Taxable income - Tax rate
Personal Allowance - Up to £11,500 - 0%
Basic rate - £11,501 to £45,000 - 20%
Higher rate - £45,001 to £150,000 - 40%
Additional rate - over £150,000 - 45%

grey_til_I_dye

According to this site, in 13-14, the PL contributed £2.4 billion in tax, with £891m coming directly from taxing players.

https://www.quora.com/How-much-tax-does-England-levy-its-professional-football-players

Here's a link to the actual report: https://www.google.gr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiG1o22xufZAhUqCcAKHb8ACjYQFggoMAA&url=http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY_-_The_economic_impact_of_the_Premier_League/$FILE/EY-The-economic-impact-of-the-Premier-League.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1-3eOiukwXo4JeLafHVrm_

And players do pay PAYE.

BubblesNeverDies

From the first link:
If a club is making a payment to an image rights company rather than a salary payment through the PAYE system, the player is not being taxed on that income at 45% but rather is paying corporation tax of 20% (falling to 18% by 2020).