Next 5

Massive massive games coming up within the next month, before we go into the last 6, including games against Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea, with Blackpool, Birmingham and WBA in and around those big games.

The next 5 though are huge, and its a real chance for us to cement our place in the league, and hopefully the top 10!

Bolton home- Bolton are a very good team, as they showed against us, they like to battle but can also play football, I will be quite happy with a point, although I do believe 3 is a possibility as long as the strikers don't have another off day.

Everton Home - Another massive game against underachieving Everton, who are always a threat. Again, a point wouldn't be terrible but we have shown we can beat them, we should have Ireland available for this one.

Stoke Away - Very hard place to go, they have beaten us once but surely we can't be any worse than that day at SJP. Our away form is decent, and look forward to watching us away from home. I believe our midfield will boss it, but worry about their strikeforce, quite clearly better than ours imo.

Wolves Home - Its a game we should win, but its one of those games we probably won't win. I hope we don't underestimate them, its still a tough game against battling for survival Wolves, I can see an annoying draw or even defeat in this one unfortunately.

Villa away - Villa on paper have improved, and are always a tough team to beat, but I hope the players who played there on the last day want revenge again, and hopefully we get it to really stick it up them horrible bastards. I see a defeat here though.

I hope to obtain 9 points throughout these games, which would see us all but safe with 6 games left, and we couldn't be happier at that could we?

What does everyone think?

 

Agree with it apart from the Stoke bit, Jones hasn't been on fire for them at all and with Collo at the back I feel we can deal with their other strikers. The midfield will be the thing that swings the game and (like against most teams) i'd back our midfield every day against Stoke's.

 

I think 9 points is achievable
but it's been a strange season(not just our results been some shock results all season) so far in the way the teams we should win against are the ones we have lost and vice versa.I'd love to think about top ten and all that but at the minute all I want is safety and jose and barton tied down to long deals which should be soon then crack on and see where we finish.
17th would have been good for me at the start of the season but now top ten is definitely a possibility

 

I'd back our midfield against every team outside the top six
Seriously whos gona beat Tiote Barton and Nolan in there

I think it's possible to take 3 points from all of these games but i would be happy with a draw against all of them apart from Wolves, we really need to be looking at 3 points especially at home

 

I'd take seven if I'm honest. Can see us drawing a lot of our remaining games. Maybe I'm not optimistic enough.

 

I would be very happy with 9 points from those games. Stoke and Villa away will be very difficult, but it is not out of the question that we can pick up points at these places.
With the return of HBA and Gosling, and Ireland recovering, we could have a decent end to the season.

 

I'll accept no less than 16 points

 

Only the best will do

 

Bolton Home - Will be tough as Owen Coyle has them playing good football. But i think since Pard's has come in our home form has changed. I'm going for a optimistic 3 points here.

Everton Home - I think with Everton's form this year we will have enough to overcome them, especially with our home backing!

Stoke Away - I just have a bad feeling about this game. Very physical side, and i dont think Loven will cope with it well. If we have Shola back i think a draw, but if not i think we will lose.

Wolves Home - I really, really think we will win this one. I dont think we will underestimate them after what they did to Man U. 3 points, and a classy 3 points to boot!

Villa Away - No idea what will happen here... I'll say draw, i think they will be on top form since we battered them at St James'.

Im summery, a, maybe, optimistic 11 points (with Shola, 10 without).

 

Bolton is the banana skin match for me as we'll have a 10 day break between games.

Should the squad still have the impetus to get forward and create chances whilst shackling the opposition midfield as we've done in the last 2.5 games then we could quite plausibly come out with 3 points.

If we do then the the squad will be confident going up against Everton who look a pale imitation of the squad we know they can be.

Stoke should be a must win game in the players minds as that will be the clincher for safety.

Wolves is a tough match as they are fighting relegation and I'd think a point will do for both squads.

Villa will be out for revenge but we know that teams hell bent on rectifying a previous result can come unstuck so I predict a draw.

Dare I say it but if we can beat Bolton I reckon 11 points are on the way... Lose to Bolton and we could look at about 3/4...

Looking further ahead we have to hope that Man Utd have essentially won the title by then, Chelsea are secure enough for a top 4 spot and still involved in the Champions League so they have more focus on other competitions.

Liverpool? I haven't got a clue but if Carroll is playing I hope he has the decency to do a Chopra