NFR (I think) Interesting article-Martin Samuel-The Times re relegation battle

[Snibbo]

'Tis the season to be sacked if bottom three keep on fighting


Paul Heckingbottom's departure could be just the start. Ten clubs will be feeling tremors beneath their feet if Burnley, Luton and Sheffield United continue to pick up points

Paul Heckingbottom was the first but he surely won't be the last now the relegation sands have shifted.
Burnley have recently recorded a 5-0 home win and a creditable draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion. Chris Wilder has won his first proper game in his second spell as Sheffield United manager, given he had only 24 hours to prepare for the one against Liverpool. And anyone who saw Luton Town's narrow defeats by Arsenal and Manchester City will know Rob Edwards's side are no pushover and a more winnable sequence of matches lies ahead. As for Everton, it was as though the ten-point penalty never happened. Only a repeat by a vindictive and frightened Premier League administration could send them down now.
In other words: code red. There are a lot of owners in the bottom half of the table whose sense of security will have evaporated in recent weeks. Now we will discover if there truly is more maturity in the boardrooms, or whether there were just a lot of clubs who thought they could finish no lower than 17th this season, whatever happened, so could wait until the summer before making a move.
Wilder enjoyed an instant impact on accepting a second spell at Bramall Lane with victory over Brentford at the weekend
 
The three promoted teams have only all been relegated once in Premier League history. That was in 1997-98 when Crystal Palace, Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers returned immediately. Yet Bolton did so on goal difference from Everton, while only four points separated them from Newcastle United in 13th. As a result, Sheffield Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace all removed managers when placed 15th or lower in that campaign because nothing could be presumed. Unlike this season.
It was done, that's what everyone thought. The three up were the three down and that much looked certain months ago. By the end of September, we were already talking about the lowest points total ever needed to survive. Now, not so much. Crystal Palace sacked Patrick Vieira last season when they were 12th and five points off the relegation places; they are 15th and seven points off them currently. Steve Cooper has the support of the fans at Nottingham Forest, but the owner Evangelos Marinakis comes with no guarantee and perhaps future issues meeting the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. If Forest suffered the same punishment as Everton, could Cooper deliver a rebound like Sean Dyche?
After his experience at Bournemouth, Gary O'Neil would have to be fabulously unlucky not to be indulged at Wolverhampton Wanderers, certainly with the regular refereeing travesties they have suffered. Even so there is little room for manoeuvre. Wolves, like Brentford, even Chelsea, are ten points off relegation as it stands. It only needs a bad Christmas to reduce that space considerably. Palace, for instance, have Manchester City, Brighton, Chelsea, Brentford and Arsenal to play before January 21. In ten consecutive seasons in the Premier League, Palace have been placed between tenth and 15th. It only requires a small miscalculation . . .
. . . and they could finish 17th. That was the thinking. So relax, it won't happen. See how the season pans out and then make your move in the summer. Suddenly, that looks complacent. Luton's nine-point total for an 18th-placed club is still the lowest after 16 games in Premier League history. Yet, despite that, nothing feels definite anymore. There are ten clubs, at least, who will already be feeling disconcerting tremors beneath their feet.

[H4usuallysitting]

Chelsea in the relegation mix....oh dear

[Bassey the warrior]

Chelsea in the relegation mix....oh dear

Just goes to show Graham Potter wasn't the problem, the owner staffed a billion quid up the wall.

[3rdgenfan]

Nice to see Chelsea mentioned and not Fulham in a relegation battle 

[Marcel_Gecov]

Crazy how it flips. A week ago people would have included us in the running as we playing sh!t and only a few points above the relegation zone. It will be nice to look up rather than down for a while.

[Free Elvis Hammond]

Chelsea in the relegation mix....oh dear

Just goes to show Graham Potter wasn't the problem, the owner staffed a billion quid up the wall.

If they don't improve their league form, they've got a real financial issue haven't they?

They've effectively already pre-spent a big chunk of their FFP allowance for several years to come, by spreading out those contracts for so long. Without Champions League money coming in they'll either have to keep the squad as it is, or somehow stay afloat while selling players for big fees, presumably?