Upadted after last night a form guide showing the last five results and the next five fixtures in the promotion race. 1 Southampton (P35) â 66 pts â DWWWD â Barnsley H, Millwall A, Hull City A, Doncaster H, Blackpool A 2 West Ham (P34) â 65 pts - DWDWD â Doncaster H, Leeds A, Middlesbrough H, Burnley A, Peterborough A __________________________________________________ _______________________________ 3 Reading (P34) â 63 pts â WWWWW â Leicester H, Doncaster A, Barnsley A, Peterborough A, Blackpool H 4 Middlesbrough (P34) â 59 pts â WWLWW - Leeds H, Birmingham A, West Ham A, Bristol C. H, Ipswich A 5 Blackpool (P35) â 56 pts â WLWDL â Peterborough A, Brighton H, Leicester H, Reading A, Southampton H 6 Birmingham (P33) â 55 pts â WDWLD â Burnley A, Coventry A, Leicester A, Middlesbrough H, Portsmouth A __________________________________________________ ________________________________ 7 Brighton (P35) â 55 pts â DDWDD - Portsmouth H, Blackpool A, Derby H, N. Forest A, Middlesbrough H 8 Cardiff (P34) â 54 pts - LWLLD â Bristol C. A, Hull City H, Burnley H, Coventry H, Birmingham A 9 Hull City (P33) â 53 pts â WDDDD â Ipswich H, Cardiff A, Crystal P. A, Southampton H, Leicester A 10 Leeds (P35) â 50 pts - LWDLD â Middlesbrough A, West Ham H, N. Forest H, Millwall A, Watford H 11 Leicester (P34) â 48 pts - WLWWL - Reading A, Birmingham H, Blackpool A, Hull City H, N. Forest H 12 Crystal Palace (P34) â 48 pts â DWDWD â Burnley A, Hull City H, BarnsleyH, Derby A, Doncaster H 13 Burnley (P34) â 47 pts â LWLLL - Birmingham H, Crystal P. H, Cardiff A, Ipswich A, West Ham H 14 Derby (P34) â 46 pts â LLLDW â Watford H, N. Forest H, Doncaster A, Brighton A, Crystal P. H 15 Ipswich (P34) â 44 pts â WWLWD â Hull City A, Peterborough H, Burnley H, Watford A, Middlesbrough H All the top three have what looks on paper home wins on Saturday but......... I think I need a lie down! COYR!
Leicesters form will be key. If they get their act together after the defeat to City, then they will troule the top six no end. Go Foxes! Still think they will nab 6th place, though its looking a big ask.
After this weekend WH have Leeds away and Boro and Reading have three consecutive away games. All building up nicely to 31 March when WH have Reading at home and we are at Blackpool.
It's good to see that the bookies still have faith in us getting automatic promotion. West Ham and Southampton being quite close around 1/3, Reading evens and Birmingham and Boro around 3/1. It's going to be frantic towards the end of the season with the top five being so close. I can easily see Reading taking the lead barring any misfortune to players, but we can match or even better West Ham and I think we'll take second place. Exciting, but nervy times.
In our hands to stay top after the weekend. We'll know a lot more by next Tuesday as Reading have their game in hand against Doncaster. West Ham's game in hand isn't until late March against Peterborough (a). Doncaster could do us a few favours against West Ham this wkend and on the Tuesday night. I hope we get thrown yet another lifeline and tend to our own garden from now on!
Readings game look quite good on paper but after this 5 game run their fixtures look hard so if they drop points in these 5 games i'd be extremely confident of us going up!
I also think Reading will drop points against Leicester this Saturday! That will relieve some pressure!
Not sure that we can really count on Leicester...dangerous though they are on their day, sitting in eleventh at this point cannot be doing wonders for their motivation. Still, if they find an early goal, they certainly have the quality to take points off Reading.
Reading can't win every game and if the wonderful MOM jinx kicks in hopefully the wheels will come off. Player for player they can't match either ours or the Hammers squads. A couple of injuries and/or red cards and they will struggle. All fingers and everything else crossed!
I think Reading have peaked slightly too early, and if they do keep winning to the end of the season then they deserve it. Still think West Ham will win it, and the away win at Leeds is the one that has finally got me believing that we can do it. Out of interest, who are Reading and Hammers games in hand ?
That is on 27th march,, so i am praying that we beat donnie and reading slip up this week end because we have no midweek match this week, so we could find come tuesday night Reading are 2nd to saints on goal difference. All the best Brooking
Cheers Brooking, away to Peterborough won't be an easy game in hand on a Tuesday night, I believe our game at 'Boro is midweek as well. Gonna be exciting either way.
