Just for fun, I have predicted the results of all the remaining league 2 fixtures to see where we may end up at the end of the season. First the good news, mathematically, we cannot be relegated this season! My results give us a total of 85 points which puts us joint 3rd with Portsmouth, but due to our poorer goal difference, we finish 4th and therefore will be involved in the lottery of the play offs again. I have the top 7 as Northampton, Oxford, Portsmouth, ROVERS, Plymouth, Accrington and Wimbledon so we would be looking Wimbledon first in the play offs and when we beat them, a West Country Wembley final against Plymouth which we will win in 90 mins without the need for penalties. Simples!!
I think top 2 will be... 1 Northampton 2 Oxford For 3rd, its out of Plymouth, Accrington, Portsmouth and Rovers. Looking at the fixtures, I think Plymouth and Accrington have the hardest set of fixtures out of the 4 teams. So 3rd comes down to Rovers and Portsmouth. I think we have the easier set of fixtures but I also think (based on previous experience) we will miss out on 3rd. So Portsmouth takes it. 3 Portsmouth In the play off places, its tough to pick the 4 where so many teams are involved. And even tougher to put them in order too! If im saying Rovers, Plymouth and Accrington are in the running for 3rd but will just miss out, then they have to be 3 of the 4 teams finishing in the play offs. 4 Rovers 5 Plymouth 6 Accrington Looking at the fixtures for all the other teams, I think Wycombe, Mansfield and Cambridge will miss out. This leaves Wimbledon, Carlisle, Orient and Luton fighting for the final play off spot. Wimbledon were the best team I have seen at the mem this season and we just ended their 4 month unbeaten away record. Carlisle got a game in hand and if they win they will be in the play offs positions. Their final fixtures are ok, not bad but not great. Orient have the hardest fixtures for me out of these 4 teams. But they got the top scorer and can get a big result. Luton though, for me are the team to watch. They are doing well and could be the team that makes that late run into the play offs. Its tough to pick 1 out of these 4 - which could change on a game by game basis! So for now I will pick Luton. 7 Luton .
You are obviously getting confused with your Naval Ports in Bristol....I wish you well at Wmbley though when you play the other one.
You do have a tough set of fixtures. And a growing injury list! I see our ex player Brunt is out for NINE months!!
They are all tough at this stage of the season Captain Jack. If you do a prediction league then you all know how bleddy hard it is to get them right and there is no such thing as a nailed on result. It was really tough on Brunt. He had got his chance and grabbed it with both feet and was scoring regularly. Some players are just unlucky like that I suppose. You are right though that our wounded are dropping like flies at the minute and our squad is one of the smallest despite our gates this season. We are likely to have several back this weekend but we need to reproduce our earlier form if we are to stay up there with a chance. I don't fancy being in the play offs again this season. I do think the main threat to staying in the automatic position for us and Oxford has to be Portsmouth. Not discounting you but with their squad and resources they have to be favourites. If they turn their draws into wins then we are both in trouble. I'm sure there are a few twists to come with the exception of Northampton who in my book are done and dusted already. Wonder what they did with their £10.5m the had from the Council for their new stand? Grasping at straws with that one to affect anything.
Yes, we can say goodbye to Northampton. I have predicted Portsmouth to be the one (over us) to catch the automatic spots, so I agree with you regarding them. Im frustrated though because its just 6 points at the moment and I know its IF's and BUT's.... BUT IF we had beat Wimbledon away when they had a man sent off in the 1st 10 mins and somehow we ended up losing 1-0 AND IF we beat Barnet away when they had a man sent off before the hour and somehow again we ended up losing 1-0. Thats 6 points right there that we should have got and we would be level now. I know it dont work that way and that im sure there is games that you lost under similar circumstances but its still frustrating nonetheless Brunt was good for us when he joined. He then got a serious unjury and pretty much missed the whole season that we got relegated on goal difference. Im sure had he been fit, even if we still won, drew and lost the same amount of games, he would have scored at least 4 goals that would have kept us up! A serious injury with us being out for a year and now out for 9 months with you, would be interesting to see how he comes back from this. We got Rory Fallon as you know who had a serious injury. We gave him a chance to be back into football but havent given him a chance on the pitch apart from a few mins here and a few mins there. I hope he gets a chance soon as I bet he will be itching to impress.
You can look at most seasons and do the "what if" thing I think. We have a few this season where we could have but didn't and our points would have been much better than they are. Portsmouth have managed to draw loads they probably should have won and if they had they would be up with Northampton now. You get what you get and there is nothing much we poor old supporters can do about any of it apart from pay and cheer that is. Fallon was a bit of a flop for us if I'm honest. He didn't score anywhere near what he should have done and he was a bit out of sorts with his hold up play and lay off stuff as well. Mind you I felt a bit sorry for him at times where he would be got at by sections of the crowd because he didn't win something the back line hoofed up at 90 miles per hour. Loads of free kicks against as well as the Ref didn't seem to like him much in most games. I honestly don't think he is the answer to your prayers somehow. Mind you, football is full of players who fail at one place and become a star somewhere else.
I think the current top 3 will fill those spots at the end of the season - so Northampton, Oxford and Plymouth up automatically Portsmouth and Rovers will be 4th and 5th The last 2 play-off spots are harder - in my view it's between Accrington (whose form is poor with 2 points from 4 games), Wimbledon, Orient and Wycombe. I'm going for Orient and Wycombe Then it's a lottery! If it's a Pompey v Gas play-off final it would surely be a sell-out
I cant see Plymouth doing it. Injuries and form will hurt them and they are looking over their shoulder will worry them. It will be the play offs for them and Portsmouth will take their place in the top 3. Wycombe will miss out on the top 7 and thats not because of our history, I am just going by the fixtures. I think it will go down to the last 2 games on who will make the play offs. Looking at the last 2 games that each of the teams challenging for the top 7... http://www.not606.com/threads/who-got-the-easier-fixtures.324434/#post-9008352 No way Wycombe. But Wimbledon, Orient and Luton (if Luton keep up their current form) will be the ones who will be really fighting for the last play off spot. Accrington, Plymouth and us will be in the play offs.
I still think Accrington will fall short of the playoffs. They've done amazingly well so far, but I think they'll run out of steam.Luton, Wimbledon, Plymouth, us or Portsmouth will be in the playoffs imo. I think Plymouth will probably drop out of an automatic slot and Pompey may just have the edge for third place. But it will be close.
My head says Portsmouth for 3rd place with Plymouth v Rovers in the playoff final, but my heart say Rovers in 3rd place with Portsmouth v Plymouth in the playoff final
I know that predictions is all about opinion but I think a number of you are looking at this from a "what I want to see" point of view which is that your club fills a spot to gain the best advantage. You all need either Plymouth or Oxford to fall over before you can become a candidate to fill the gap. I think you see Oxford as the least likely of the two to do it so therefore predict Argyle to fail. I can understand that of course I can. If I were in your shoes I would be willing both to fall apart. I am never confident about what Argyle do or rather will do. That's born out by years of disappointment. You all pretty much choose Portsmouth to fill the hole created. Why? Because they have a recent history and have decent resources? I think that's mainly it. But, you have to ask if they are that great then why are they looking to fill a gap left and not occupying Northampton's position already. They may well make it but there are numerous clubs who could also do the job and there is no certainty that either us or Oxford will give them or you the opportunity. Going to be interesting isn't it.
I totally agree with you about the "what I want to see" problem with predicting results. Despite the best of intentions, it is amazingly difficult to remain objective and unbiased when your own team is involved. Optimism can cloud one's judgement sometimes! This league of ours continues to throw up crazy results so quite why we even try predicting what will happen in the next 11 or 12 games is beyond me - who on earth would have forseen Pompey getting stuffed at home today? Oxford losing at home was an excellent result for us also and to be honest, the Accrington / Plymouth game had a draw stamped all over it as far as I was concerned so it just goes to show that I actually know jack **** when it comes to predictions! You wait, someone we are not even considering worthy of a mention so far, will put a good run together, and sneak into the last play-off spot, edge their way through the semi final and end up being promoted.
