One of the nest posts I've read in a while and so optimistic. Yes, it was a cracking all round display and if AN can keep the players fired up as they obviously were yesterday, anything is possible!!! We have such depth in the squad and now JH has served his suspension I'm confident we can go on a run - OK, we may not go on a winning run, but I don't expect to lose many more games and the players now know that a no shw' will result in them being dropped!!! I'm certainly keeping May 25th free - even if it is my daughter's birthday!!!!
Morning lads first post on this thread since pre match and I'm well happy after yesterday's result and performance. Really hoping that we can close that gap with the Binmen to at least 2 points before the derby as I'm going corporate that day, I'm taking a good customer of ours who's a bloody 1p5wich fan so we really mustn't lose It's my birthday on the 28th so a win agin the Binners and to leapfrog them in the table would be a great pressie ................Oh and for anyone who didn't catch Canarycall yesterday you really must take a listen to this it's pure comedy gold and you won't be disappointed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02jj3gs Butler and Forbes must have been creasing up with laughter off mike, where on earth do they get these muppets from
I'm afraid I still think we will fall a bit short, 3rd or 4th I reckon. There are now three teams who are 9/10 points ahead of us, and to hope two of those three teams go on a very poor run is asking a bit much I think. And even that is also assuming that the likes of 1p5wich, Watford and Brentford all have a drop in form at the same time. I honestly can't see the automatic spots going anywhere other than to two of the current top three sides. In one sense the bookies agree with you Tony - they have us ahead of everyone apart from the top three. But, we are 14-1 against 9-4 for the top three.
I agree with that Dorset, but I'd say 4th or 5th now. We've taken 20 points from the last 10 matches and if we continue with 2 points per match we'd finish on 81 points. The top 2 teams only need 1.5 points per match to reach that level. they'd have to fall away big-time for us to catch them. I always think that goal difference is a good indicator, and we are 5th highest in that regard. That's why 4th or 5th for me.
hello boys.The big test will be the next two games in my view.Although we won 4-0 and you can only play the team in front of you im still not 100% convinced.There were still some sloppy play and missed passes and I knew exactly were Pete on CC was coming from.Sorry for being negative but i can remember how many false dawns we've been through so im keeping my feet firmly on the ground.Next two games are must wins imo.
Your optimism is admirable Tony but I wouldn't be rushing to the bookies. The top 4 teams are all on course to beat the average score required for automatic promotion (82.2). Even 3rd placed team Middlesborough are on course for 89, so averaging 2.5 points per remaining game would only takes us to 3rd on form so far. To achieve automatic promotion I reckon, as well as achieving that 2.5 points per game, we'd also need two of the top 3 to drop form, and for none of Brentford, Ipswich, or Watford to improve.
I'm not saying that we will finish top two, and I accept that it will take something special from us and a serious wobble from a couple of others which probably isn't all that likely, but it's certainly not beyond the realms of reasonable possibility so that's what I think we should still be aiming for, not thinking "we might sneak in the play-offs" with so much of the season to go. The 14/1 quoted is for us to finish champions, and even I accept that dream is almost certainly gone now - not completely out of the equation though
No, I agree it's not lottery winning probability, but it's really not too far removed. I think what we need above all else is to be in good form, motivated and confident going into the play-offs so for me it's probably more about our performance and form over the last 6-8 games of the season (notwithstanding the fact that we need to pick up plenty of points between now and then to get into the play-offs!).
Completely agree with the above post. Talk of automatic promotion is not ridiculous, but it is a long shot and the chances of two of those top three dropping like a stone combined with us finishing like a train are remote - not even taking into account those currently 4th-6th. I think 4th is as high as we will finish but you never know. We just need to get on a roll and see where it takes us. Obviously we have to play almost all the contenders at home, so that gives us a chance of reeling a few of them in. Yesterday was a dominant performance, filled with exciting interplay and good build up with the front four of Grabban, Hooper, Redmond and Wes all playing their part. Andreu was introduced and did ok, nothing special but definitely seems to have that knack of being in the right place at the right time - I think he had three or four shots (all on target) during his cameo. Blackpool were absolute gash, so the game was effectively a gimmie, but you can only beat what's in front of you and we put them to the sword. Double figures could have been reached had we really fancied it. Personally I feel the key to our more fluent play is (controversially) because Jerome wasn't playing. Now don't get me wrong, Jerome has had a good season and is a good player and without question Neil Adams best bit of business. But when he is upfront, the tendency to hit a longer ball into him from deep is there. Yesterday, we didn't play a single pass more than 40 yards in the opening half hour. The interplay in and around their penalty area was fantastic, punctuated by Hooper's second goal which in my opinion was better than Redmond's free kick. Every time Ruddy received the ball it was fed to a centre back or full back. We didn't waste possession like we did against Brentford or in previous games this season. Grabban had by far his best game for us, even though he still managed to miss his now customary 3-yard sitter - god knows how he missed that one! But his movement and (for once) insistence on pressing their defenders high up the pitch meant we won the ball back 10 yards higher up the pitch than normal. Hooper kept finding that little pocket of space behind him and wreaked havoc - his finishing was of the highest calibre. As I say, Blackpool were bad - as bad as Millwall - so certainly won't be getting carried away but the performance was much more what I was hoping to see and best of all, the movement and interchange of positions between the front four was great to see. We looked a good side - a team - for the first time in a while. But we need to build on it. Its a crucial month of games and the games come thick and fast. Win at Charlton on Tuesday (absolutely must win game as far as I'm concerned) and we will have a little momentum going into some much tougher fixtures, starting with Wolves on Saturday. Encouraging. OTBC
Yes, I'm not hoping for more than making the play-offs and hopefully getting all the way to Wembley on May 25th.
Apparently of all the player in the league who have scored 5+ goals hooper has the best shots per goal ratio. It is starting to feel rare that he doesn't bury a chance, or at least force a save. The more chances we can create for him, the more he will put away. That second goal was superb.
i thought we played well,and yes blackpool are a poor team,but you cannot realy ask for more than a 4-0 win. i still think a top two place is achivable,some of those at the top will fall away( i always thought ipswich would and i think that has started now) . we can certanly beat charlton and i fully expect to beat ipswich, giving us a good platform to assualt the top positions
Let's hope this comment doesn't come back to haunt you. They are above us in the table because over 29 games, they've been far more consistent.
I admire your positivity Weald, perhaps you should ring Canary Call next week and hopefully Pete will be listening
It is worth adding, more on the positive side, that you can't really see us as 9/10 points behind Middlesbrough and Derby as we are yet to play them at home. Those are "must win" matches for automatic promotion - anything else rules it out more or less completely. We basically need to win those two matches and make up 6 or 7 points on those two teams over the course of 16 games. Tough ask. I still think it's achievable, especially if they each draw with each other. What would be really useful is if Bournemouth beat Derby on Tuesday and Middlesbrough in late March. Yes, that would make it very hard to win the league, but it would at least mean (assuming we pick up wins at the same time) that the margin shuts down to 3/4 points gap. Suddenly all looks a bit nicer. We actually have a relatively comfortable second half of the season compared to most other teams above us.
Cromer's point about consistency is the key. The top 3 teams have had it, which is why they're up there. It isn't easy to maintain that for a whole season though, so if we can find that sort of consistency of performance now the play-offs are certainly possible and an outside chance of a top two place.
I heard a rumour that our physio had got Peter's phone number from Radio Norfolk and are now seeking his advice on how to treat Seb!!!!
i agree cromer they have been consistant,and MUCH better than i thought they would be this season. after we beat them,i thought they looked like nailed on relegation candidites. however i do think they are a bit of a one man team(mr murphy) and were never going to maintain that level over a whole season. i think they are declining and we are on the up. also i ALWAYS fancy my team to beat our biggest rivals
