I guess MM had to say that his team are not under pressure, otherwise they would feel even more pressure! Their next two games will make or break them I reckon - Leicester at home & Sheff Wed away - drop points in those and the panic button will well and truly be pushed & they may well implode. That picture of Noone doesn't flatter him - anyone else see the resemblance to Lurch Addams?
they've been slipping lately...the Cardiff jitters are well underway...now all we have to do is take advantage! No point taking the mick if it's not us that overtakes them
Given how close the race is between us, Palace, Hull and Leicester, I can't see Cardiff finishing second. They'll either pull it around and go up as champions, or fall off the edge of a cliff and fail miserably in the playoffs (not unlike what we did five years ago).
It all depends. Is their form (7 points from last 5, but 18 from last 10) a blip or a trend. If the former, they'll recover and have at least 88 with 1 to play. (hull away ho ho ho) If it's the latter, they'll have 84 with 1 to play. Our current form (13 from 5, 23 from 10) indicates we'll get 89/92 points! (It's amazing I know). But with Hull,Leicester & cardiff to play, 85/86 seems more realistic. Tight,tight, tight!
I hate to join in with stats, but taking the last 12 seasons, to gain automatic promotion you need an average of 83 points. The highest was 88 points and the lowest 76 with all the others between.
I read the stats, look at the tables, compare results, check fixtures, ponder the ifs and maybes and realise that I have absolutely no idea how this season is going to end. Earlier today, when I should have been sleeping, I tried to work out which team has the easiest run-in. There isn't much to choose between them - possibly Hull. The games the top teams are playing against each other could be significant, or they could cancel each other out. Which team is going to make a late surge and who are they due to play? That seems to be Bolton and they play Cardiff in the penultimate game of the season but none of the other contenders. Will the relegation battle affect the promotion race? Peterborough seem to be able to beat anyone in the top six. In the end I think that it will come down to individual errors. A miss here, a slip there can do all sorts of things to confidence. We may be the form side at the moment but we have got some difficult games coming up. Our players may be tired but other managers are complaining that their players are tired too. All this is a long winded way of saying I can't predict the future - but it is fun trying.
That's it, Malky keep looking over your shoulder we, are after you.....one game at a time, just take one game at a time
As far as I know there are three possible outcomes to a game not two. Say you win two more games than us that does not give you 6 points if we draw those other two games. Usually a draw is not much good but suddenly with the lead we have that advantage but a draw to those below us is no good at all. Things change game to game we should all be thankful we are in the mix. If we do not win enough games I dont see what we can do about that but at least we have given ourselves a good chance, at this late stage of the season we are the lucky ones lets enjoy getting this far. Teams dont half look good when they win. The team over our shoulder is the only team we do not need to worry about we cant get both auto places, its the team over your shoulder we worry about. jck
Very good posts here..... Statistically Cardiff and Watford still look good bets for one and two http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D1/runin.html But YES it is the individual games and the late goal and bad or odd decisions that will tell. Of course what the stats too dont incoporate is the results of matches between the top clubs which at this stage will have a massive effect. I still think any one from 4 in the top two Cardiff Watford Hull Palace The other two places: from Leicester ( if they steady the ship) Brighton Bolton ( on a roll currently) Forest ( just possibly) .... and isn't it GREAT.. to spend a season end wondering in this way
I really can't call it........all I know is that we should continue aiming our sights high and doing our utmost to catch Cardiff and if we come second..........well, we'll get over it!?!
Our only automatic promotion to the top flight was sealed at home on May 4th 1982. Last game of the season is at home on May 4th. Here's hoping..
Look guys - we should have thumped both Brighton and Middlesbrough the way we played, but lost them both. We should have lost to Derby at home on Tuesday, but ended up with a point - there's no real sense to it. No real excuses, but we were without our two "captains" on the pitch out through injury on Tuesday. Hudson and Bellamy make a big difference at the back and front respectively, and we were generally poor on the night. If you're going on actual recent results, we are looking vulnerable - if you look at the performances (except the Derby game), we are playing well enough to see this out comfortably. Put it this way, anyone who overtakes us now will have avoided draws, because only consistent 3 point results will be enough. This is a similar level of optimism from a Cardiff supporter as the apparent level of wishful thinking from Watford supporters on here.
Yes, of course there is wishful thinking on this thread. There is also realistic thinking. For Cardiff not to be champions will mean that they have thrown it away. It will mean that whoever becomes champions instead will have played out of their skins for the rest of the season. You also have to remember that, for many on this site, it is not about beating Cardiff, but about beating MM. Some haven't forgiven the way he left us then picked the bones when we were very vulnerable. I, personally, don't hold grudges, and certainly don't believe that loyalty exists in those involved in the business of modern football. Only fans are loyal, and they are shafted as a result. (Do you like playing in red? At least it's not white.) I do, however, understand the wish to bring down MM who , however unwittingly, became involved in the near destruction of our club by stripping us of management infrastructure. My sense of the situation was that those that left could see how our then owner was destroying us and they wanted to get away from a Portsmouth-like disaster, but on the surface it looked like collective disloyalty. Having said all that, and having nothing against Cardiff fans, I would love us to pip you to the championship. Of course I would. We aren't going to give up at this stage of the season. I also acknowledge that you have a very clear advantage, but: If we beat Blackpool and you lose to Leicester? on the other hand you will have bragging rights if we lose to Blackpool and you beat Leicester.
I wouldn't expect anyone to give up Kiwi, but there are an awful lot of "ifs" in your last three lines. According to a Hull supporter a fortnight back, they were going to be the new leaders of the Championship by last weekend. What happened? They went to Bolton and got stuffed 4-1, whilst we went to Wolves and beat them 2-1............ plan consigned to the bin. As far as the Malky situation is concerned, I think that's all a bit of a red herring and offered up as forum rhetoric. He was offered the chance to come to Cardiff and took it - the "loyalty" word is overplayed in the modern football game to the extent that it is a very rare commodity. Taking his coaching staff and an out of contract Cowie may lay heavily on some Watford supporter's minds, but I doubt it does on his - it's what happens in the game - it wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last. Just to touch on this "loan loophole" that consistently gets airings from posters of other clubs who would have done exactly the same given the opportunity - the best of luck to you. We suffered a few seasons back when Dave Jones brought in Bellamy on loan from Man City for the season. We were dirty cheats and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it - give them a points deduction at least was the cry!! All I say is bollucks to them mate.
