Good Morning Everyone, In the past 10 seasons in the Championship, the points needed to gain a play off place has been as low as 68, or as high 79. The average stands at 73. Leeds, on 61 from 34 games, are surely on their way. 12 games left, and 8 points clear, though Fulham do have a game in hand. But... How many points will be needed this season for a play off place? Does anyone expect the top two to change? What about the top 6? Newcastle play Brighton tonight. Is the game relevant, or are they both as good as up? Huddersfield were due to play Wolves tonight but instead have to prepare to play Citeh tomorrow in the FA Cup 5th round reply. Let's hope none of their major (on loan) signings get injured eh)! Garry Monk will have to watch Fridays game at Birmingham from the stands after receiving a one match touchline ban and a £3000 fine (as well as a £10,000 club fine) following the melee at the John Smiths stadium earlier this month. Wagner received a two match ban owing that he faced two improper conduct charges, rather than Monk's one Thoughts?
Aston Villa release accounts showing £81m loss for last financial year Aston Villa recorded a loss of more than £81m for the last financial year, according to the club’s latest accounts. The figures for the 2015-16 period show that with an operating loss of £81.3m the deficit more than trebled, up from £26.6m, before Villa were relegated from the Premier League. The club’s statement states losses of £79.6m due to “exceptional items” but provides little explanation as to what these are, other than to say “for the impairment of tangible fixed assets and intangible assets”. Turnover fell from £115.7m in 2014-15 to £108.8m, with the club attributing the drop in revenue to a reduction in their share of money from the Premier League’s broadcasting agreements as a result of the final league standings. Villa were relegated from the Premier League for the first time last season after finishing bottom of the table and are playing outside of the top flight for the first time in 30 years. Dr Tony Xia completed his takeover of the club on 14 June 2016 so any figures associated with his purchase will not show until the 2016-17 accounts are published.
Morning Elland and all. Newcastle could conceiveably lose both games this week and be in serious danger of dropping out of the autos soon. Leeds Newcastle would be some play off final eh. Wembley could be sold out three times over. As for Villa, Ive said for a long time they are in serious trouble. Despite their big spending, they have a **** squad. For me, 76 will make playoffs. A win on Friday and were nearly there, would take a catastrophe to miss out
Good morning all. I got the impression from the first half of the Sheffield game that we have got over the blip.If we have we could be going into the last lap flying. anything can happen.
Morning all... I don't want to see Brighton or Newcastle in the playoffs, not unless it is because we are top 2 but that's pretty unlikely. Happy we are getting the points but its scrappy and I'm hoping we find a bit of form as we near then end of the season. Ideally, I don't want us to be needing points from our last two games, would be nice to rest a few players assuming we're solid in the top 6 I felt a few games ago, Reading could be the ones to slip up, I fancy Fulham replacing them, Preston are coming with a late run and some very decent results. I think any of the top 9 are more than capable of winning 6 of the last 12 get a couple of draws in that and you have 20 points. If that were Fulham it would give them 73 with a game in hand. I think it will be bang on the average, 73/74 should be enough? Fulhams next three games are Preston, Leeds, Newcastle Norwich next three games are Sheffield, Bristol, Blackburn Preston next three games are Fulham, Derby, Reading Apart from Newcastle Huddersfield have a pretty easy March Going to get very interesting, I think those 3 points against Sheffield W for us might prove to be very important indeed
Newcastle/Brighton could slip and Brighton have history of doing so but Houghton has a good team, hes an underrated coach and has won promotion a couple of times before. To get auto the norm means getting around 83 points mark, with just once a team hitting 90 points. We have 36 points to play for and I expect us to pick up 20 which gets us to 81 points, so possible. We could do better, but I expect both auto spots to be around 90 points this season unless the wheels really come off. I have no doubt now that we are in the play offs but as we know football can kick you in the knacks. Norwich, Fulham doing well, but who would drop? Reading have been consistent and so too have udders plus we seem to have forgotten about Derby in the last couple of weeks I expect a charge from them again too.
morning ... Brighton will win the league, they are flowing and know what is needed after last season, definitely doing their best to avoid playoffs ... Newcastle have been stuttering along and were very poor against a Bristol City team lacking confidence, definite chance they get sucked into the playoffs Leeds are showing stamina and determination, key ingredients for a promotion run ... six more wins will lock down a playoff place, hopefully we get those wins quickly and then Monk can assess the situation and either push on or rest key players for the playoff games Reading do look as if they are taking strain, but Wednesday also look as if they can go on a losing run ... the loss to Leeds will have dented their confidence, and their three home games in March will tell us a lot about their mentality, as they are under pressure to win all three Dog Botherers are due their blip, and I still feel their arrogance will bite them ... even their Radio Leeds man, Oggy, is becoming unbearable with his ridiculous one-eyed views ... Wagner is a cnut, and the strain is starting to show ... luck will only get you so far in a season, and when it deserts you the pressure mounts rapidly, and Town have definitely used up all their luck by now it's going to be a tense month ahead, and hopefully we can get a win at Brum on Friday, but it won't be easy ... they dominated Wolves, and that performance will have given them belief ... Zola will be demanding a win at home to lift their fans for the rest of the season, so expect a real battle, but with our defence playing so well we will win as long as everybody turns up ready to go ... we can't afford anyone to be coasting here's to lots of nail biting ahead, so much better than having nothing to play for and having to listen to Sombrero Steve gush uncontrollably about how great it is to be Leeds manager Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Morning all. Would a win for either team be best tonight? One of those two dropping 3 points tonight would keep the slim chance of top two alive. It would be a massive confidence blow for the losing team as well. My pick would be Newcastle to lose tonight I think and hit their blip going forward. Reading and Sheff Wed do look shaky at the moment and now that we are coming out the other side of our blip us and Huddersfield look the most likely to cement a play off place and even push on for autos if one or the other of the above slips up. I have never been a fan of the play offs and believe they need an overhaul. At the moment a team that over a season has been the third best team in the league can lose out to a team that was sixth best in a two game lotto. One change I would like which would make things fairer is this- make the play off semis one legged affairs and the team that finished higher gets home advantage in that game. This would give all the teams in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th spots reason to compete til the end of the season and not think we have made it to 6th lets take it easy.
good point about the playoffs hemase ... how about this: A) 6th away to 5th, winner advances B) winner of A away to 4th, winner advances C) 4th plays 3rd at Wembley to decide final promotion place this give 3rd a fair reward for a consistent season and not scraping in at the death ... it will also mean teams won't slack once a top six is guaranteed ... I agree that it doesn't feel right that a team finishing on 68 points can get promotion ahead of a team that finished on 82 points because things happened to favour them at the end of the season ... the 3rd placed team may have run into some injury troubles, and three of their key players are out of the playoffs with another one suspended, and suddenly all their hard work is undone for the "thrill" of a playoff game personally I fcuking hate the playoffs ... I still clearly remember the incredible tension at Elland Road when we played Carlisle, and also when we struggled against an ordinary Millwall ... you know our playoff Final record Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I like that idea, though really only counts when there is a big points difference between 3rd and the rest. But agree. 3rd should get home advantage over 6th. 4th play at home to 5th and then onto the final. I'm not as clever as WJ so couldn't follow his method
Evening Ell Brighton get another penalty tonight. the refs are doing their best for them this season, if they're not sending off one of their opponents they're giving them penalties
You know how they like going down in Brighton. Good isea about the play offs by the way, but will nevwr happen because its sensible & we know theres nobody with any sense at the FA/FL
Evening wcd. Indeed, hope the dog botherers start dropping points tho. I'd be so gutted if they got into the autos
