I’ve put them in the order that I think they currently are, but reserve the right to change the order after the last games this year!!! 1. Leeds 2. Blades 3. Derby 4. Villa 5. WBA 6. Boro 7. Forest Villa are on a pretty impressive run and there are rumours that Chelsea may recall Abrahams and also that Liverpool could recall Wilson. If either of those happen, it would certainly weaken Villa and Derby
Leeds is still the club I think will be there at the end even though they're now without Cooper and Dallas for about six weeks ( as well as Berardi and Ayling currently injured). After them Villa and Sheff United.
Ipswich. More seriously, probably ourselves. Need to make sure we support the players when they mess up. Not destroy confidence with negativity. Keep our feet on the ground. Avoid complacency - it’s the championship and anyone can beat anyone. Recognize that when we lose, we are going to come off a very big high. Need to bounce back quickly.
Chasing us for top two I am only concerned about West Brom and Villa. West Brom completely outplayed us, when they are on form they are hard to beat, Villa leak goals so I think at the moment a lesser threat of the two. Two weeks in football and a lot can happen so my opinion will probably change a few times.
Leeds, Villa, WBA. I don't think Leeds will stop. Villa have a great manager, great squad, and will spend big in January. WBA very good team, They can push all the way.
I'm also a bit concerned re Frank Lampard's Derby, as I've seen mentioned that he's looking to bring in MORE loan players (I wonder if CJ will ever play for them again???), so tomorrow night's derby is MASSIVE for both teams and then of course they both have to visit NR1, where we haven't dropped points since our defeat by Stoke on 6th October!!!
I think Derby and WBA are your biggest threats but also think you’ll go up auto. Blades lose too many games, Villa can be brittle (poor defence - well I hope so as we have to play them soon ), Boro are a good bet to go up from the playoffs as they are hard to beat, but can’t see auto for them. I didn’t mention us as I we are no threat to your drive to retain second place
REALLY appreciate your comment and IMO, I've no problem with us being in second place at 5pm on May 5th. We both have some pretty tough games before we meet on 2nd Feb in front of the Sky cameras and it should be a good game. #seeyouwiththebigboysnextseason
As we’ve been out of the top division for what feels like 100 years, I don’t care much about being top either. If we are both guaranteed top 2 when the last game of the season comes up, that’s when I’ll worry about who comes top.
Until seeing the game tonight. I forgot the Derby squad. Them. Marriot, Wilson, Mount, Lawrence. They are such a good line of attack. Also, heard a lot about Bogle as a prospect in the past. This season he is really kicking on. He is their Max Aarons. Really impressed by him this season.
I said in the OP that I consider Frank Lampard’s Derby one of our biggest threats, with the squad they’ve got and I’m sure FL will add to his loan players in January (after we’ve played them!!!). Following the game on ‘FlashScores’ and Derby have had 10 attempts at goal and only 1 on target!!! Can't see that happening with DF at the helm!! Edit - From the BBC text commentary - 'There have been chances at both ends, but the Rams really have tallied them up tonight.'
My thoughts are: What is that? Goal Attempts? Off target? Off off target? Big Love? My thoughts are: stats are getting out of hand.