The crucial matches in Bristol City's run-in as they close the gap on the play-offs A look at some crunch matches coming up Bristol City's fantastic form has seen them close the gap on the play-offs to just two points. The Robins currently sit seventh in the table and are well and truly in the running for the top six. Here are some key games that could well decide their fate come May. Nottingham Forest vs Bristol City - Saturday, January 19 Forest sit just two points and two places behind the Robins in the Championship table. However, they are in disarray - Aitor Karanka departed the club on Friday before they went on to lose 2-0 to struggling Reading, ending the game with nine men. It seems the perfect time to face Forest, before Karanka's replacement, expected to be Martin O'Neill, can really turn things round, and a Robins win would give them some breathing space in the hunt for the top six. Blackburn Rovers vs Bristol City - Saturday, February 9 Mid-table Blackburn are the sort of side that City should be beating if they want a place in the top six - and they demolished Rovers 4-1 earlier in the campaign in one of their best performances so far this season. A good result in the game could prove crucial, with Aston Villa taking on Sheffield United and Middlesbrough facing Leeds United that weekend, meaning that play-off rivals will definitely be dropping points. Norwich City vs Bristol City - Saturday, February 23 Another game against a high-flying team, and the Robins will be keen to match the performance that saw them draw with the Canaries earlier in the season. This game is one of three between promotion rivals that weekend, with Nottingham Forest hosting Derby County and West Bromwich Albion playing Sheffield United. A good result for City here would really put them in contention. PNE vs Bristol City - Saturday, March 2 The Robins dropped points against Preston earlier in the season, suffering a disappointing 1-0 loss at Ashton Gate. However, if they are to make the play-offs, they need to be beating these sorts of teams, so the return fixture offers a chance for revenge. The weekend also sees two matches where promotion rivals face off against each other, with Leeds hosting West Brom and Villa facing Derby. More opportunity for City to capitalise on teams dropping points. Villa vs Bristol City - Saturday, April 13 Villa have slipped to 12th and five points off the play-offs after their defeat to Wigan Athletic on Saturday. With this game falling late in the season, if Villa have not made up the gap by this point, then a win for the Robins could well see them dealing a death blow to another team's hopes of the top six. Bristol City vs Derby County - Saturday, April 27 The penultimate game of the season sees the Robins face Derby County, who currently occupy sixth in the table. It is obviously impossible to predict how the table will lie at this point but a good result could be crucial - especially with Leeds hosting Villa on the same day. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/crucial-matches-bristol-citys-run-2426517
The current league positions of the listed teams are ~ * Nottinham Forest.....09th.. * Blackburn Rovers......14th.. * Norwich City.............03rd.. * Preston North End....18th.. * Aston Villa.................12th.. * Derby County.............06th.. Mixed bag of positions, all away games, will be very interesting.
has put forward 6 teams as crucial / crunch games / teams I would put it at at least 9 Swansea Leeds and Sheff utd and maybe even 11 as you must include HULL likely to be there come the end! and WBA SO OFTEN PEEPS HAVE SAID ON HERE . doesn't matter about what other teams do, but like myself one thing he has actually mentioned is the / just some of the other fixtures that will affect our RUN IN
Don't be too harsh John they did say,' A look at some crunch matches coming up'. It wasn't a statisical analysis.
Though obviously winning points off immediate rivals kind of kills two birds with one stone, I think it can be a bit of a mistake and possibly condescending to the other teams to value certain matches above others. If we can average something close to two points a game between now and the end of the season, who they come against isn't massively important - being extreme, if we lost all six of those fixtures but won the other thirteen, we'd probably still be ok! As we approach the last few fixtures when it becomes mathematically vital, it's then you can truly talk about crunch matches, otherwise all matches are important. Sometimes football can be very easy - take each game as it comes and try to win them, starting with Forest on Saturday!
If you go out with intent to win them all then you won't go far wrong but we all know it's never that simple. The next game is one we really want and hope we can claim all 3 points.
It's an interesting time to be playing Forest - apparently short on defenders, but potentially boosted by the likely appointment of Martin O'Neill. Looking on their forum, there's a real mixed response (which surprised me to be honest), and spirits seems quite low. No question they have some talented individuals there that need keeping quiet.
Not doing an analysis but crucial and crunch means " those most likely / impotant!?" and to be honest PNE and BLackburn moreso than v Hull WBA or Sheff Utd!? WHOM WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO NEGATE …….. = Beat or draw!
If promotion to the premier league is our aim then every league game is a ‘must win’. If we seriously want to be facing Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man C etc every week, then we should be able to beat all the others in our current division. Of course it won’t happen - it never does, but IF we were to reach the promised land, then the games against the teams that went up with us will be seen as the easier of the fixtures - that’s the TOP teams in this league!!!
assume you mean teams going up will easier fixtures in the "prem" … To go up we will need to concede no more than 14 goals in the next 19 games! and score at least 30 …..
Exactly. Compared to the big giants, a home fixture against Leeds, Norwich or Derby etc would look comparatively winnable, where we would look to gain some points.
