We are on 61 points. Cardiff are on 64 and a GD of +4 which is only 3 points higher but we have a -4 goal difference so unless we win the next game 9-0 we will need to recover 4 points. There are 9 points on offer with our 3 remaining games vs Stoke, Swansea and Preston. It really could go down to the wire if we build on todays result....... I’m sure our resident stat-man JGF will clarify the probability of this........
After all that has happened this season here we are still talking of a possible play-off spot. Previous history tells us that teams quite often go on a bit of good streak after the manager leaves and if that should prove to be the case then so be it. I would consider us a dark horse in these stakes but never say never.
Looks that way but you never know. You'd need all of the 5 teams just above you to accumulate less points than you over the next 3 games for you to get to 6th - any one team who gets more than you and you wont. Tough call but you could do it if others fail. If Swansea get anything tomorrow against Leeds, they could be the ones to watch. On the other hand, you've still got to play them and also Preston so a lot of it's in your own hands. Great result for you today BTW - anything can still happen.
If we do get to 6th I will snog RP and RR wearing a dress. I think all three of us are safe on that one.
If the Jacks get anything tomorrow against Leeds and then something from their next game at Forest than that's a definite yes. You appear to hold the key. Your games against the Jacks and Preston will go a long way to deciding this. Having said that, if we can beat Derby at home next up, it could be decisive with Boro and Hull to come to finish off the season. No easy games in this division, but I would fancy our chances of a playoff spot going into those final two fixtures with 67 points already on the board, because anything over 70 points could take that 6th spot.
For the first time I've got some sympathy for LJ, 2 games since his demise and we have taken 6 points, 1 away and 1 home, same players, same coaching staff, why the sudden change, lower in the table sides but they are fighting for their lives, why this sudden success? You've got to admit something seems is a little bit suspicious unless of course it was all LJ's fault, I'm not a fan of his but I don't think so.
after 3 losses our odds were piled high against top 6 or points over 2 days placed some wicked bets based on the following [ and the later short sighted ness of the city board … lol ] DERBY V FLOREST ...draw ...good BBURN V LEEDS ...away … good CITY V CARDIFF....away … bad hoped for a draw CARDIFF V BBURN . away good but hoped for a draw FOREST V FULHAM … away good WBA V DERBY …. home good FULHAM CARDIFF..... home good DERBY BRENTFORD ….away good BBURN V WBA … draw fair better an away PNE V FOREST … draw fair better an away SWANSE V LEEDS ……………………………………….. hoping for an away win! WBA V FULHAM CARDIFF V DERBY MILLWALL V BLACKBURN BRENTFORD V PNE FOREST V SWANSEA SWANSEA V CITY DERBY V LEEDS CITY V PNE On the last day only CITY v PNE HAVE TO TAKE ALL OR SHARE THE POINTS every other team in contention play bottom half games! THE KEY for city is v SWANSEA note every game [other than our Cardiff loss ] has gone our way …..
Of course we could, as 4 points seperate 7 teams, so with 9 points up for grabs and 2 of those games against sides right above us, but for me even if we win all our games, I think we will still be let down by our goal difference and miss out. As long as we finish the season strong and that means we end 7th or 8th, it makes us a far more attractive option to a new manager.
Nothing suspicious, we had been setting out and playing not to lose and that isn't our identity, something LJ constantly talked about. Our best spells under Johnson came when we pressed high and broke fast, this season it has been more slow, predictable and non creative, we are back close to what we are good at and giving Paterson the licence to do what we know he can do on a regular basis, something that had mainly been stifled for 18 months, it wasn't rocket science it was stubborness.
I've pointed out all along that these last 9 games are going to be difficult for all teams, that the lower teams [ especially bottom ones ] for the first 3 games would be unrecognizable, some teams find it hard to adapt and some teams find a streak of purple … we were in the hard to adapt! in all my "forcasting" I could not see city getting more than 3- 4 -5 points using different models from first 4 games total no more than 16 or 17 pts. DERBY I had as getting less than double figures! LEEDS and WBA around 16 -17 points also. A lot of this is due to how season falls fixture wise.. again I reiterate [ and most on here agree the season averages itself out and is 46 games not blocks of x y or z ] look at post #11 top 12 as of restart and fixtures to be played [ only from our pre Cardiff game ] and you can see how much of a mine field it is. SHOULD the fixtures have been in a different order [ hindsight element ] currently L L L L W W and been L L W L W L WOULD lee still be head coach? I suspect so as the board would not have an excuse to say "WE TOLD YOU SO" …. I am now sweating on 2 wins and a draw … but could not resist the odds available … and to be quite honest I don't know if I really care a s*** …. ONE THING IS CERTAIN I have lost an awful lot of respect for SL … having had a short spell working for the nucleus H L when they were kicking off in BRISTOL , which turned my life around... [ in hindsight ] … I reckon he has lost sight of his own principles ….
really! playing lesser clubs and picking up "on a plate points" should have been 4 -1 against Hull ….. with any coach …..
Dead cat bounce, happens to most clubs. Also being able to gamble on being more offensive and a mixture of playing two ****e teams. We’ve got another ****e team in Stoke coming up then some real 6 pointers. And for the record, even though I never posted it I wanted LJ gone last season and nothing this year has changed my mind. Just found it more interesting in bickering with you.
