Play Off Rivals

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I see your point but what I was trying to put over was that it was more down to our failings than these teams being better than us.
Without sounding biased, I think we are the best team in the division, but we need to prove it.

Completely agree with that. My issue is I can't see us starting to prove it now, at what is historically our worst time of year under Bruce.
 
Just a thought but after the past weekend fixtures I would like to throw it out there.
Burnley came from behind at Bolton to win 2-1, when was the last time we conceded the first goal and went on to win a league game ?
I now think Middlesborough and Burnley will fill the automatic promotion places and we will be left to fight it out in the play off lottery. It looks like our play off rivals will be Brighton, Sheff Wed and Derby.
We have played all 3 at home and not scored a single goal in 270 minutes having lost 2-0 to Derby and drew 0-0 with the other 2. We lost away to Brighton 0-1, drew away at Hillsborough 1-1, and have not yet played at Pride Park.
So in the 5 games played against these potential rivals our record is 0 wins 3 draws and 2 defeats. We have scored only once. It does not look promising. I know I will receive the usual criticism but it is time to face facts and reality as I cant see us beating any of these teams over 2 legs

We've pissed on Burnley and Borough 3-0.

They couldn't live with us on the day FACT.

Head to head, all things being equal, we trampled all over them and they left here humbled and humilated.

Burnley edged a narrow win in the sleet at their ground against us.

However, promotion will not be decided on these head to head games-it will be decided on all the other games too, the jekyll and hide teams like Cardiff, Reading, Ipswich and Brum, even Bristol C & PNE. All on their day capable of taking points off anyone in the division. Consistency, tight defence, strength in depth, will be key.
 
Just a thought but after the past weekend fixtures I would like to throw it out there.
Burnley came from behind at Bolton to win 2-1, when was the last time we conceded the first goal and went on to win a league game ?
I now think Middlesborough and Burnley will fill the automatic promotion places and we will be left to fight it out in the play off lottery. It looks like our play off rivals will be Brighton, Sheff Wed and Derby.
We have played all 3 at home and not scored a single goal in 270 minutes having lost 2-0 to Derby and drew 0-0 with the other 2. We lost away to Brighton 0-1, drew away at Hillsborough 1-1, and have not yet played at Pride Park.
So in the 5 games played against these potential rivals our record is 0 wins 3 draws and 2 defeats. We have scored only once. It does not look promising. I know I will receive the usual criticism but it is time to face facts and reality as I cant see us beating any of these teams over 2 legs

As glass-half-empty as this post is, I'd still have let it pass without comment, had it come from a "lurker" that we don't want to discourage from posting.

However, this is no ordinary lurker - his very first post on the forum ever was this!
Well today's news backs up my initial comments. He is going soon too.

What is it with people and multiple accounts?
 
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We've pissed on Burnley and Borough 3-0.

They couldn't live with us on the day FACT.

Head to head, all things being equal, we trampled all over them and they left here humbled and humilated.

Burnley edged a narrow win in the sleet at their ground against us.

However, promotion will not be decided on these head to head games-it will be decided on all the other games too, the jekyll and hide teams like Cardiff, Reading, Ipswich and Brum, even Bristol C & PNE. All on their day capable of taking points off anyone in the division. Consistency, tight defence, strength in depth, will be key.
It is Boro not Borough. FACT
 
It starts to get a bit twitchy not playing teams immediately around you, but ones involved in a dog fight to stay up. I'd like to say i'm looking forward to the next 12 games, but i'm not. Lets hope that we up it a notch and win the thing..
 
Having seen all the teams I still think we are the best in the league how ever its ok saying it but lets hope we prove it, one concern is others are playing two or even three games between now and next Tuesday compared to our one so expect to fall further behind yes we will have games in hand but points on the board are better so lets not panic and hopefully over the coming games we will pull the points back. Regarding the Wolves game been moved to a Friday for sky we cant do much about it but do I miss the Saturday afternoon games, How many Saturday home games have we had in 2016? cant be many
 
We are doomed he tells us.
We should have beaten SW twice.
We should have beaten Derby. They got lucky.
Brighton offered **** all at the KC.


Do you want to bet against City being in the top 2?

No offence, but this will mean **** all if we don't get promoted. It's exactly these sentiments that are the most annoying and our fans were full of last season after relegation. It's no good looking at it in retrospect, we need to make the difference now otherwise it's the playoffs and I don't think we'll do it somehow.
 
No offence, but this will mean **** all if we don't get promoted. It's exactly these sentiments that are the most annoying and our fans were full of last season after relegation. It's no good looking at it in retrospect, we need to make the difference now otherwise it's the playoffs and I don't think we'll do it somehow.

Nonsense.

Burnley have already hit top gear and can't keep it up with a third of the season left.They're still not clear of us.
Still almost 40 points to play for, lots of six pointers, our defence is tight as ****, and we win for fun on the road.
We're tucked in nicely in the leading pack like Sebastian Coe in the 1984 Olympics 1500 m, just waiting for the final bend.
 
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Nonsense.

Burnley have already hit top gear and can't keep it up with a third of the season left.They're still not clear of us.
Still almost 40 points to play for, lots of six pointers, our defence is tight as ****, and we win for fun on the road.
We're tucked in nicely in the leading pack like Coe or Ovett in the 1984 Olympics 1500 m, just waiting for the final bend.

Says who? Why can't they keep it up? They've got a good squad and play attacking football, they're scoring more goals than we are at the moment. Nonsense is assuming we are unbeatable and talking as if we are superior in every respect.

How do you know we haven't hit top gear already and we aren't going to slump again? When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.
 
Says who? Why can't they keep it up? They've got a good squad and play attacking football, they're scoring more goals than we are at the moment. Nonsense is assuming we are unbeatable and talking as if we are superior in every respect.

How do you know we haven't hit top gear already and we aren't going to slump again? When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.

The importance of the game at Turf Moor. If only we'd have taken a point or 3.
 
Says who? Why can't they keep it up? They've got a good squad and play attacking football, they're scoring more goals than we are at the moment. Nonsense is assuming we are unbeatable and talking as if we are superior in every respect.

How do you know we haven't hit top gear already and we aren't going to slump again? When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.

Our squad is better than their squad. They're a one trick pony, they've had easier fixtures lately, they've not had the heat of being top of the table which means teams defend deeper against you.If they can keep up 2.4 points per game like they have done for the last ten, they will set some record....... .

Do you think they can keep it up?
 
Says who? Why can't they keep it up? They've got a good squad and play attacking football, they're scoring more goals than we are at the moment. Nonsense is assuming we are unbeatable and talking as if we are superior in every respect.

How do you know we haven't hit top gear already and we aren't going to slump again? When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.
We've all said plus the local media that theres more to come from City!!!
Well if theres more to come it needs to come now and dispel the theory.
 
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We've all said plus the local media that theres more to come from City!!!
Well if theres more to come it needs to come now and dispel the theory.

Bollocks, as long as it comes out at some stage and we go up, it doesn't matter when it comes.
Getting tired of repeating this: we have 20 points out the last 10 games.

Promotion form.
 
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Bollocks, as long as it comes out at some stage and we go up, it doesn't matter when it comes.
Getting tired of repeating this: we have 20 points out the last 10 games.

Promotion form.
Excuse me!!! Whats wrong does my opinion differ to yours or something ??
 
Our squad is better than their squad. They're a one trick pony, they've had easier fixtures lately, they've not had the heat of being top of the table which means teams defend deeper against you.If they can keep up 2.4 points per game like they have done for the last ten, they will set some record....... .

Do you think they can keep it up?

Why not? It's easy to make the mistake that because we're not hitting top gear, other teams won't. They panned Derby 4-1, MK Dons 5-0 away, Boro 2-1 away and Brentford 3-1 away. Burnley aren't keeping clean sheets, but they're winning games. They look like title contenders to me. We've managed four goals in our league games in February, you tell me which team looks more likely for a sustained promotion push. We need to stop building our team around our defence and let them do their jobs, they're quality anyway so why the focus on them? Get our attack sorted and we'd piss this league.

Yes, I think they can keep it up, if we can, so can they.
 
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Yes - playing a game on a Thursday night is bizarre - but he who pays the piper calls the tune and if sky or bt say we'll play at 11pm on a Sunday night then we will :steam:

I work away quite a lot and the perpetual changes as well as other commitments. A Thursday night FFS? I can't make the Arsenal cup game because they have made it a 7pm kick off - 7pm FFS.
 
I'm happy at another TV game. Playing before the Saturday can put pressure on rivals if the result is gained.
 
I work away quite a lot and the perpetual changes as well as other commitments. A Thursday night FFS? I can't make the Arsenal cup game because they have made it a 7pm kick off - 7pm FFS.

Not to worry, they considered both clubs' promotion challenges and ruled out Monday 7th for that reason. Very thoughtful of them.

Obviously it would have been absolutely fine for us and a nightmare for Arsenal, but that's a coincidence I'm sure.