Provisional dates have been set - we 'might' need to know ! All games are being shown on Sky http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.c...take-place-between-14th-20th-may-2998582.aspx I haven't been able to establish which is Match A and B - but I suspect that Match A will be 6th v 3rd and Match B will be 5th v 4th with the return legs giving the 'higher' placed club with Home 'advantage'
For my personal commitments hopefully we can be the higher placed club, hence then we get the away game at a weekend, easier to attend, then the home game evening weekday. IF we make the play-offs of course.
Quick question for you. Do you think you are capable of making the automatic places, or are you settling for the play offs?
The L1 statistics indicate that automatic promotion is technically possible - but we've suffered awful long term injuries to arguably two best players at the same time - and add injuries to other key players ( again at the same time as our main duo), and TWO more injuries on Saturday ( when we could only field 6 on the subs bench ) - you'll not be surprised to be told that our performances have suffered greatly - even the 3-0 win against Crewe ( 23rd in the league ) wasn't 'spectacular' ( but most welcome ) Relistically I'd be surprised if we could make the top 2 places - - but I'm sure if you asked any Gills fan to take the play-offs before the season began, they'd have bitten off your hand ( or if that fan was Diego Costa, your neck )
Although it isn't out of the question for us to get into the automatic places, I think we would have to be more reliant on both Walsall & Wigan going through a dip in form to get that 2nd auto spot. It's also how this current team is able to cope without the current stars who are missing through injury but the optimist in me certainly isn't ruling the autos out
Looking back at the last few seasons the final playoff spot has been achieved with the following points :- 2007/8....76 2008/9....76 2009/10..82 2010/11..71 2011/12..73 2012/13..74 2013/14..74 2014/15..69 our form over the last 6 games has seen us achieve 5 points, 0.83 ppg or 7.47 over the next 9 games. this would fail to secure the last playoff spot so improvement is needed.
With the return of Jackson to fitness with also El-Abd looking to be available next game it will certainly give us a bit more depth next week despite the Wales call ups. I think after the international break and the potential return of some of our other stars April looks a bit more promising despite some of our fixtures.
Yep....got to rise to the big matches. Sheff Utd will be treating us with respect as will Millwall and we owe Walsall big time. Burton away will be a huge test.....but not beyond us (if we don't throw any lead away). If we don't do well, we just don't deserve the success......
we have 66 points with 5 games at home and 3 away left. 4 more wins should take us to 78 points and probably a play off place
We need to get play-offs secured before Burton and Wall, hopefully rest players then within the rules. Unless of course the last two games are us vying for autos.
Burton's form recently has been poor for their standards and means that they are starting to be clawed back into the fight. With that in mind it should be a straight fight between Walsall and Burton right? Well we have to play both of those, and wins against both of them (not impossible) could throw us right back in the mix for autos. Come on guys, stay positive and hope for as high of a finish as possible.
Don't be so cocky ? It's all getting a bit bunched up in terms of teams on same / within one point One of our members, last week, stated that it looks like the top 6 places are being contested by the top 7 clubs. If we don't start scoring we'll end up lower than 7th !! From memory, I don't think we had any shot on target v Coventry -- and the couple of efforts 'off target' did nothing to dispel my gloomy prediction. We have lost a huge amount of 'lead' we once had (only a few weeks ago), over the 7th placed team, I fear it will go terribly wrong. ( yes - I do hope I'm wrong ). ............. and if we do sneak a top 6 place, we'll have to hope our best places hit the ground running in the play-offs --- and that has probably become more difficult with the injury to Samuel -- does anyone know its' severity ? It looked like a calf problem - probably 2 - 3 weeks out !!
Haven't you heard always? Our messiah is fit once again. Add to that Egan and Dack will also return for this weekend guarantees that we win all of our remaining games. Doesn't it?
'Haven't you head,' brilliant best typo for a while and who's this messiah ha ha....I assume you mean Dack
OK - I'm going to stick my neck out - if only to stir up a bit of controversy I will publicly say that we WON'T end up in the play-offs --- in fact not even in the top 7. Further to my previous post ( No.15 ), I believe that our fixtures, combined with current form ( and that of anything predictable from returning players ), that we will not win enough points to stay in the top six places . I think that we might draw ( if not lose ), too many of our remaining games - and that the other clubs, currently just below us, will overhaul our total - even with Sheffield Utd possibly forcing us down to around 8th ( especially if we lose on Saturday at their ground - so, why am I going to the match ? see my post , No.18 for the answer). So, The Gills Pegleg, I have stuck out my head for it to be lost. I sincerely hope that many of you will come back to thrust my words down my neck - as I actually hope to be wrong in my prediction - because you can rest assured that I won't be bearable if I'm (always)right.
Interesting and not trying to cross this thread witg the other one....but....maybe you are not alone in your thoughts, despite me thinking yhe opposite. Think of the psychology...Scally restricts incentives on the Wall game...again think about that for a minute....because i could read that restriction as a message that he also believes we will struggle to cross the line. The Wall game should be a nothing game....i rest my case.
