QPR

Burnley and Leicester saved: our stats man has QPR, Hull City, Aston Villa doomed

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John McCormick:
John McCormick: History. Is it all bunk?

This is the latest of John McCormick‘s occasional delve into statistics and logic to weigh up relegation prospects – one day he’ll feel, as Sunderland fan, it’s worth a look at the other end of the table. It has already had an airing and attracted comment from SAFC fans. But what do supporters of the clubs he fears may be doomed think? Is his choice of Hull and Villa harsh, QPR’s inclusion at odds with ‘Arry’s famed powers of survival when given a full season, Sunderland’s exclusion over-optimistic? Have your say …

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Dodgy-ng relegation

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John McCormick:
John McCormick: History. Is it all bunk?

This post is about relegation, something never far from our minds, and who this season’s three might be. Over the summer I looked over a little bit of history and generated some numbers in order to bring you more of my dodgy predictions. Enjoy them or argue with them as you will. Just don’t nick the family allowance and run off to the bookies.

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Calling warm, witty or wise Leicester, Burnley and QPR fans: you’re needed

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Sunderland: the new away top*
Sunderland: the new away top*

First off, here – with SAFC’s much appreciated co-operation – is the new away strip for 2014-2015. It will be officially released on June 27 but orders can be placed now at www.safcstore.com or at official SAFC stores at the Stadium of Light, in Debenhams, Sunderland or at The Galleries, Washington. Now on to business of our own …


QPR being what we were and threaten often enough to become again, a yo-yo club, their supporters know the drill. Burnley ones with slightly longer memories will have an idea what is coming, too. For Leicester fans, it is uncharted territory.

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If it’s not Villa, Fulham or Southampton, or Newcastle or Sunderland, then it must be Wigan

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John McCormick: you know he makes nonsense
John McCormick: you know he makes non-sense

This is the final piece of a series I started around Christmas. It wasn’t intended as a series, it just turned out that way. Idle speculation about the importance of goal difference in the relegation dogfight led to the first post, in which I wrote “I’m going to stick my neck out and say that the five (from SAFC, the Mags, Villa, Wigan, Southampton and Fulham) whose goal differences show the greatest improvement in the second half of the season will avoid relegation, irrespective of their points on Boxing Day, and a consistent decline will point to the doomed team”.

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Will it be Wigan or Villa (or Stoke or Newcastle) to go down with Reading and QPR?

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John McCormick: better predictions than MOTD
John McCormick: better predictions than MOTD?

The headline, untouched by M Salut’s hand, is noteworthy for the absence of Sunderland from the list of contenders for the last of the bottom three slots. We must all (save for visiting supporters of the other affected clubs) take comfort from John McCormick‘s scholarly ways, sincerely hope he knows what he’s doing and be assured he is not tempting fate … it is the latest of his studies of how fluctuating goal differences may affect the outcome of the pressing Premier issue that remains to be resolved following Man Utd’s confirmation of the title

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McCormick’s Craic: down among the dead men, a lifeline for Aston Villa

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John McCormick: reviewing the trends
John McCormick: reviewing the trends

So who is going down? For virtually the first time this season neutrals are mentioning Sunderland as serious contenders. Given our awful run, and the tough bunch of games to come, that is hardly surprising. John McCormick has been studying trends again and comes up with potentially good news for Aston Villa, though he still sees QPR and Reading going. At whose expense would Villa survive? Ours? Not according to whatever can be gleaned from the stats John has been reviewing. Read on but expect to be blinded by this branch of science …

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Salut! Podcast: a discussion on Sunderland’s trip to QPR

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This may well be the first and last podcast that goes out to you lucky Salut! Sunderland regulars, writes Stephen Goldsmith. It’s an idea I’ve been toying with for a while and it may seem bizarre that it finally appears near the Easter period of the season.

Well, it is what it is in that respect and coming up with something from now until the end of the season means the summer break offers a chance of reflection and improvement. So, this is the dummy runs of all dummy runs – so try not to be too offensive on any feedback you may give. For this week, the link takes you to Soundcloud where it can be listened to and downloaded from there – though we will look into better or alternative options to that that in the proceeding weeks.

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