...with fifteen games to go - where are the naysayers who said we've got no chance of a top two finish? We can still win this division, definitely
I still think we will win this league. We have the right man in charge and once that winning feeling becomes habit he's not going to let it slip.
I am struggling to understand why it has opened up so quickly since Carrabuh said we could still win the League. That said, Derby and Middlesbro still have a game to play so the margin could be 9 (theoretically of course)
Any of the top 6 can win it. I'm not saying we can't win it, but I'm just unsure we will. Of course I'm hoping we'll be in the top 2 as I hate the play offs lol.
Come on Thai, we've spent enough years in this division by now to realise how topsy-turvy it can be and how things can change quickly. Don't forget we've got Derby and Boro to play at home yet, win both of those (which we have to if we're being serious, and we certainly can) and things will look very interesting We've got the momentum going now, great win today and I can honestly see us going on an epic run from here until the season ends. Very happy Canary tonight, my curry will taste amazing - happy Valentine's Day everyone
Munky, I am remaining very wary. We have some horrible games to come still, starting next weekend at Watford. Blackburn away holds no end of fear for me too. I agree on the plus side that we have 3 of the teams above us have to visit Carrow Road, and they could turn everything even more upside down. If we win the next two, i may start to believe we can sneak back in the top 2.
Six points will almost certainly become either eight or nine, and that is only one of the factors. The bigger factor is the fact that we would need to get past four other teams who are all in good form. Impossible? Of course not! Likely? No.
15 games to go, that's a hell of a lot of football and if we win those games against teams above us then that gets us right in the mix with plenty of other games for our rivals to drop points. Bournemouth and Brentford both dropped points today that nobody would have expected, and I'm sure some of those top teams will have the opportunity to drop points against each other. I honestly don't think it would be that unlikely or unrealistic for us to finish top two personally, I've never lost my faith
Just to back up this, these are the remaining fixtures between the current top six. Lots of points that have to be dropped, and 4 games for us to guarantee we make up ground. watford vs norwich norwich vs Ipswich middlesbrough vs ipswich norwich city vs derby county derby vs middlesbrough bournemouth vs middlesbrough watford vs ipswich ipswich vs bournemouth derby vs watford watford vs middlesbrough norwich vs middlesbrough what sticks out for me is how many away games again top sides middlesbrough still have to play.
of course not, i meant guarantee as in, if we win them, we are guaranteed to make up ground, rather than a win against a team below us which could just see us keeping pace with those in front.
Yeah - poor Boro I think they will go up this season, one way or the other. I think you were right to ignore Brentford. i have always thought they would not quite have enough to make top 6, good effort by them all the same.
Why not? I know we were poor when we played them the other week but, equally, they were very good. They played us off the park.
On the other hand then, if you don't win them (or lose them), guaranteed to fall off the pace with those in front?
i personally didnt include them as they are below us, so their fixtures no longer guarantee points dropped ahead of us as of this moment.
Well no not entirely, because if we draw them, theres no guarantee that all the teams above us will win theirs, so if they all lose or draw we would either keep pace or gain on them by a point. If we lose against a team ahead of us then yes, we are guaranteed to lose ground on the victorious team. Point is, if we want to climb the table, its actually in our best interests to have games against those ahead of us coming up, especially if they are at home.
I've gone from utter pessimism after 70 mins vs Charlton to cautious optimism this evening. Don't think we'll quite make top 2, I reckon Derby and Boro will get them just ahead of us in 3rd, then we'll beat Ippy in the playoff final. That said, Boro having to play 4 of the top 6 away could put a rut in their form.
In terms of the full 90 minutes, today was our finest performance of the season. Everyone played well. We now have a good manager in place. I've been impressed with his man management skills but most of all, he's quickly got these players gelled and playing as a unit. He's breathed fresh life into two or three under performing players and got us operating as a team, working hard and playing some exquisite football in the process. Wolves were no match for us - and they're a good side who were in terrific form. They were brushed aside with ease. Do I think we can get automatic promotion? I think it's extremely unlikely. Maybe a 10%-20% chance is all I'd give it at this stage, so we need to get seven points from the next three games, absolute minimum, if we are to give ourselves a serious shot at it. Overall, I'm just pleased we finally have a talented man in charge. He's ticked all the boxes as far as I'm concerned so far. I'd be staggered if we don't make the play offs and I still maintain, as I have all season that this side should have walked this division this season. No question whatsoever in my mind. OTBC
If we're going to make the autos we're going to need something like 6 wins from the next 7, then I'll start to think it's possible. Our form recently is pretty good, but we're still 4th in the form table, and it's taken an awfully long time to move from 7th to 6th, overtaking a Brentford side none of us expected to make the playoffs. To make significant inroads into the gap to the autos is going to be even harder. We should make the playoffs though, and under Neil I feel far more confident in our chance of coming through them than I did under Adams. As Neil continues to work with this side, I think all the arguments about Ipswich being the better 'team' will become irrelevant. Neil is going to have us matching them for work ethic and desire, but hopefully the greater quality in our squad will show. If we can win the derby then we should have nothing to fear from them in the playoffs, as I can't see them improving further between now and then. That said, I'd rather we played them over two legs and not in the final! Whilst on the topic of Ipswich, I've spent today across the river from Craven Cottage, and there fans are capable of making noise apparently. I do think we'll have a big say in whether they go up or not, and vice versa.
