Does history offer any clues?

I don't know if this table will tell us anything about West Ham's fight to beat the drop, but I compiled it (from Wikipedia), so I may as well share it. The three columns in the middle give point totals for the: the team that was the last to avoid relegation, the team that was the last to be relegated and the champs:

Year	Last in	Last out	Champion	Teams	Notes
2005-06	38	34	91	20
2004-05	34	33	95	20	West Ham promoted
2003-04	39	33	90	20
2002-03	44	42	83	20	West Ham relegated
2001-02	40	36	87	20
2000-01	42	34	80	20
1999-00	36	33	91	20
1998-99	41	36	79	20
1997-98	40	40	78	20
1996-97	41	40	75	20
1995-96	38	38	82	20
1994-95	48	45	89	22	Four sent down this year
1993-94	43	42	92	22
1992-93	49	49	84	22	West Ham promoted

Right now, West Ham stands at 29 points with six fixtures remaining. Manchester United are top of the table with 78 points and six fixtures remaining. Either Man U or Chelsea figure to win the Premiership with 90 points or more. Looking at the 11 Premiership seasons that have been conducted with 20 teams, when the league champions have 90 or more points, 35 or more points has been enough to finish ahead of the three relegated teams. Right now, Charlton Athletic sit on the edge of the drop zone with 32 points after 33 fixtures, leaving five fixtures remaining. So it seems likely to take more than 35 points beat the drop this season.

Saturday's fixture against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane is another in a series of must-wins for West Ham. The match will not be shown on Fox Soccer Channel, so The Marquette Grad and I are planning to go to the Globe pub on Irving Park Road to watch it. Sheffield United have managed just one point in their last five matches (a draw against Everton at Bramall Lane). West Ham need to pass Sheffield United and one other club to climb out of the relegation zone. After Saturday's fixture, they have one other fixture against a team within striking range: at Wigan Athletic on April 28. In 2003, the last time West Ham was relegated, they managed 42 points -- the most points accumulated by a relegated team in the 11 years of the 20-team Premiership. If they manage 42 points this year -- which would take four wins and a draw in their final six games -- they seem likely to beat the drop this time.