It was brought to my attention that our record this season is 7 wins 7 draws 7 losses. Got me thinking and I got the calculator out. Did the maths and our current points projected at the end of the season is 61/62 points. After looking back over the championship tables till the year we won it, 61points was always around 12th/13th. So current form is classic mid table. Now assuming (big assumption but personally I do feel positive about it) that our form and fortunes improve a little, there's enough matches left it's not unrealistic to scrape the playoffs again. I really big and quick improvement (getting on a big run lets say) and who knows. Seems one team every year has a good second half of the season, lets hope that's us.
I like your optimism, but I don't think we will make it to the playoffs this year, although I would be happy to be proved wrong. The idea of a season of mid table obscurity, and a summer for Hasselbaink to build the team that he wants to work with, is very appealing. We have experience of being promoted a little sooner than we were ready for in recent years and it was a short lived joy. Give it two, maybe even three years in this division, and lets hope we go up with a team ready to stay up and establish themselves in the Premier League.
Oh I'd agree about not going up unprepared. I'd take a playoff semi final loss (Couldn't bare losing at Wembley) as the perfect scenario to that end. But Charlie wouldn't be there next season, so we'd have to get someone with his goals. That's the bit that worries me. Being prem gives us a much better chance of getting a better player as his replacement. Hard one to call both points are perfectly valid.
Well, we could get between 0 and 75 more points. I'm guessing it'll be somewhere in between, and we'll finish above some teams, but below some others. Facetious, Moi?
Still think we will be around the play off places, maybe 5th or 6th....... I feel another day at Wembley is in the offering........
I agree. This set of players are just not play off material. On paper they are one of the strongest squads in the division but they have just not got their act together this season and for me, the play offs are not a possibility, although I would love to be proved wrong. If we went up to the Prem, we would finish in our customary last position, again.
I would like to draw on my experience in the knowledge that we've had a couple of draws under JFH. I would like to draw your attention to my crystal ball which tells me we will draw more games than not for the remainder of the season. I welcome you to draw your own conclusion on whether we continue to draw each week. Like my bank account, l think l'm overdrawn for any further comment on my part.
Points speculation is a little pointless if you will pardon the pun (but we all do it!). What interests me more is what will happen in the January window. Assuming, as seems likely, that JFH is reasonably successful, will we see the cash splashed again to strengthen or will we be hamstrung by FFP. They used the last Jan window to send 'Arry a clear message. Interesting days ahead at QPR, as ever.
If it wasn't for the CR experiment we would at a minimum been in the playoffs if not competing for automatic promotion which is where the squad should be. Non promotion means losing numerous players some who'll be difficult to replace, then reduced parachute payments means less finances to fund replacements so I think a chance of promotion should be welcomed any time it's available as no guarantees of anything in 2-3 years time so if we did get promoted this year whether prepared or not to me would be a positive.
I think the current top five are pretty nailed-on for the two automatic places with the other three in the play-offs. We are one of probably eight teams chasing one place. The next six weeks will shape our season, if we don't improve and strengthen we will be up against it. It has a similar feel to our 96-97 season under Houston, we had quality players who just didn't perform consistently enough...
From the table it looks like only the top 4 ought to end in the top 6 to me. Many teams are within reach of the other 2 places. Watched Birmingham get a very lucky 3 points tonight from a pen that never was. On that showing they barely looked a mid-table team
