Let's be realistic .....?

A

addistiger

Active Member
Jan 26, 2011
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
We’ve seen lots of mention on various forums,the media (Daily Fail especially) and players about pushing for play-off positions – even automatic promotion and saying we are 6 points off play-off places (even 5pts at one stage) but that has never been the case. Games in hand have not been taken into account. Forest have been under the radar for some time as they’ve had games in hand – and still do - their full record is impressive. Watford need watching too. We are 8pts off 6th place Leeds with a game in hand on them. That makes 5pts if we beat QPR and better still if we beat Weeds, but we may have been too focussed on Weeds who have for some time been in something of a false position, having played more games. if Watford and Forest win both their games in hand, we are looking as far up as Swansea as the target, 9 or even 10 pts adrift. With almost 2 thirds of the season gone, making up 3 or 4 wins on those around is a big ask as we not only have to convert recent draws to wins, but the others have to start losing, if they stop winning but keep drawing, there may not be enough time left, especially as we need 5 or 6 teams to do that. A realistic look at the table is needed so ensure we do not feel too disappointed - and react too critically – if we do not make it.
To support my point, over the years I have noticed goal difference is a reasonably good indicator of where a team will end up – it works well in all divisions. If you look at end of season tables, especially at the top and bottom there is rarely more than one team that seems misplaced when looking at goal difference. Look at the Championship table now on those terms; 5 teams shaping up well: QPR, Cardiff, Forest, Watford, Reading. That leaves 1 place up for grabs between around 8 possibles, with us being one of them. But we are one of the 3 with negative goal difference leaving us at the bottom end of those 8. All that suggests that even if we keep our run going, anything above 10th place, and outside of play-offs will be good, and maybe the best we can hope for!

Apologies if I should have posted this as a response to Skidby Tiger about where we'll end up!
 
Aye, I can see what you mean, but if we go on a winning run then you just never know how other teams result's will go. W'eve still got to play most teams above us for a second time and those games are 6 pointers. In a sense if we do make the playoffs this year and somehow got promoted i dont think wed be as good a proposition as if we went up next year. But you can't generally choose when you do it, so i obviously would love to do both. Its just I feel by next year we'll have got problem areas such as a permanent quality keeeper, a more attacking and younger left back, a long term sucessor to ash, and some more experience on the wings.
 
There's still about 20 games to go, so there's a lot that could still happen between now and May and that list of challenging teams might look very different by then. A couple of teams lose a couple of key players and they could soon fall down the pecking order, particularly when there's so few points between everyone. The fact that we're on the up has to make us optimistic, though as long as we finish is the top ten, I don't think too many will be disappointed.
 
I've said that I think we'll make the play-offs but that's more in hope than realistic expectation due to our slow start. I'd be very happy with a top ten finish TBH when taking into consideration the state we were in over the summer and until the Allams took us over. The only way is up now, even if that's next season I'd be happy with that too. Automatic or play-offs not sure, probably the latter as if we get to Wembley, hopefully I'll be able to make that match (couldn't get tickets last time).
 
I am amazed at how well we are doing at the moment. We are getting results even though I don't think we are playing very well. With a little more improvement (and that seems to be happening) we could conceivably get into a play off position. That is the best we can hope for... This season!!
 
Although we are not playing well we are picking up points. I feel some team soon Scunny maybe will be at the wrong end of us clicking and be blown away. However this will only happen with us having a creative man in the middle. i.e Koren. He ripped up the championship and in the past the prem with his class he is wasted out wide. I think it will be very close the play offs all though untimately our slow start will cost us dear and we will fall short.....just.
 
originallambrettaman said:
There's still about 20 games to go, so there's a lot that could still happen between now and May and that list of challenging teams might look very different by then. A couple of teams lose a couple of key players and they could soon fall down the pecking order, particularly when there's so few points between everyone. The fact that we're on the up has to make us optimistic, though as long as we finish is the top ten, I don't think too many will be disappointed.
Click to expand...

that applies to now.
 
originallambrettaman said:
There's still about 20 games to go, so there's a lot that could still happen between now and May and that list of challenging teams might look very different by then. A couple of teams lose a couple of key players and they could soon fall down the pecking order, particularly when there's so few points between everyone. The fact that we're on the up has to make us optimistic, though as long as we finish is the top ten, I don't think too many will be disappointed.
Click to expand...

To OLM as moderator. It seems we have 2 addistigers on this forum. I don't know who the addistiger who started this post is but it's not me!
 
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