With only 8 games to go (for most teams), you can genuinely say that all 24 teams still have something to play for this season. With Cardiff virtually promoted (even they can't screw this one up), you then have probably 3 teams going for the other automatic place (Hull, Watford and Palace) You then have, again "probably" 6 further teams going for the other two play off places (Forest, Leicester, Brighton, Bolton, M'boro and Millwall) I include Millwall, as they have two games in hand on most teams, and if they win them, are right back in the mix..but, if they lose them, could also be dragged into the relegation battle. I think Leeds are probably the only team you can probably write off for either a play off place, or relegation (unless they go a mad run and win loads, or start losing every week) You then have the remaining 14 teams that could easily be dragged into the relegation battle. Burnley, who are 11th, are bizzarely only 7 points clear of relegation, and only 3 ahead of us. If any of those 14 teams lose a couple on the bounce, then they could really be in the ****e, but on the other hand, you win two on the bounce and you could shoot right up the league. In all my years, i honestly have not seen a season like this before where everyone is beating everyone and is the most congested it has ever been. Looking at the final fixtures, i have predicted that the bottom 3 will be Bristoll City, Barnsley and Sheff Wed, and Ipswich in either 20th or 21st.
There are a couple of clubs who have rocketed or plummeted over an incredibly short spell in recent months. Both Blackburn & Bolton were floundering with us and back to back wins put them into touching distance with the play offs, Blackburn have since fallen like a stone again and I think Birmingham prove that back to back wins can change everything as they sit in 12th having been dire all season. Also I think the current bottom 3 will go down, I just can't see Wolves scoring enough, Posh are just ridiculous and I'm not sure if Brizzle have left it a little too late. A win against Leeds for us and we are virtually safe but then a loss and we are right back in the mire. Like you said everything is so tight in this league and very fine margins will split 11th down to 24th come the final day.
Still confident we will stay up but think we need more than the win against Leeds. I think the unpredictable Posh will jump out of the bottom at the expense of Barsnley or Wednesday.
A few weeks back I thought 53 points was needed to stay up, I now think it might be 54. Most teams in the bottom 7-8 keep picking up wins, there is every chance that teams above us are going to get dragged into this (Blackpool are a good example). As previous all the way up to Burnley are looking over their shoulders rather than looking up.!
Just read about Watford... everything is not above board. I'm shocked there is not a points deduction. This is why the FFP thing is nonsense. We should disregard it, they are not going to keep a team down who wins promotion for overspending a bit.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/...nd-fine-but-are-placed-under-transfer-embargo The funniest line is...Watford have been put under a transfer embargo, but are allowed to buy/sell players... as they say in South London..WTF!!!!
To be fair, that's a clause that says they would be allowed if the league agreed it, otherwise they're not.
Ha ha ha! Watford are in some serious ****. After all their fans were boasting about how they got around the FA rules and how they'd do the same if they got promoted, the league have come down like a ton of bricks on them. For 'transfers allowed if the league agree' read 'transfers banned for trying to play with the rules'. You can't field an Italian Serie A side and call it Hertfordshire's finest. I think this should go farther. Watford should be deducted points for every game where they skirted the rules and teams that have lost at the hands of this blatantly corrupt regime should be given the points they lost. E I E I E I O, down the football league you go!!!
