A question that´s been sitting there Uppermost in my mind, Is no closer to an answer As this years´ games unwind, And that is, naturally enough Whether in May we find, The top two or just three to six at best Before the players can relax On some exotic beach, To air their toes after learning What this tier has to teach, They have to find a sprint finish To know if we will reach, The top two or just three to six at best As far as I can estimate Eighty-five points in all, Might be the minimum required When the May songbirds call, But that then might well be enough To practically install, The top two, not just three to six at best These next four I see as the crux If we are to maintain, Our push for glory with A. Neil That masterminding brain, But I´d say three wins out of four If we do hope to gain, The top two, not just three to six at best And that could be a hard enough Task, with the three, away, But only one of those really Need points to help their stay, So if we can pick up again Who says we can´t waylay, The top two, over three to six at best. OTBC
...But I have to say that my gut feeling is, that Bournemouth will win the league, especially if they win tomorrow, which I think they will, so that the rest of us will all be scrambling for that second auto spot.
Brilliant verse as usual RBF and my feeling is that Bournemouth will win the league. I predicted around early March that they would be top at the beginning of April and their GD is superior to all the other teams chasing them. Their run in is comapritively easy compared to the likes of Middlesbrough and I would be surprised if they didn't end up as champions.
What do you feel about the 85 point requirement for attaining auto promotion? I know it´s impossible to really accurately nail a number, but it seems about right to me, I can certainly see Bournemouth picking up 4 more wins at the very least, a little tougher for Watford and Middlsbro, but not impossible.
Tricky one RBF, but I've got a hunch it may be as high as 87 for autos, so all to play for and we've just got to win as many games as we can. With the exception of Watford, we've got a slight edge on GD, but recent form favours us and they have a couple of tough games coming up. I'd be amazed of they pick up 6 points from these two, so AN has to get the team fired up so that we DO!!!! Derby V Watford Fri 3 Apr 19:45 Watford V Middlesbrough Mon 6 Apr 12:30
Excellent verse RBF and I cannot wait for this weekend and whatever it may bring, there are so many permutations as we have all said so often. I really cannot call the top 2 and it seems that every time a club looks to be in pole position they immediately lose their next game and drop a couple of places. There is still plenty of opportunity for Bournemouth to do that and I think I will stick with my earlier forecast (about 3 weeks ago I think) for the autos to be Watford and Norwich. Raincheck on Tuesday.
I don't think it will be that high unless none of the top four slip in any matches other than between each other, which I think is unlikely. If we get 86 I'd be astonished if we don't get autos from here. I still think 83/84 might even be enough as I said some time ago - that just means two of the top three getting 11 points or fewer - given their fixtures, not unbelievable.
Well I´m going for Bournemouth and I THINK Watford as my two autos, with us to finish 3rd, but it´s going to be very close I think.
My money is on Bournemouth and us - I think Watford's luck has run out of coming from behind and winning games. I'm sure some of the places will be decided on GD!!!
The Easter games are making me nervous. Brighton under CH look exactly like the kind of team we struggle against - 10 men behind the ball and then hope the other side make a defensive error and concede. And Sheff Wed may be mid-table, but their away form is promotion-seeking standard, plus they have been a bit of a bogey side for us over recent seasons. I like the way AN uses the PinkUn to challenge his players, though. If anyone can give them the mental strength they seem to have lacked over the last season and a half, it is him. And so far no PinkUn pick-me-up talk from Russell Martin, which is good. They are always the kiss of death. COYY!
please log in to view this image Looking at the form table over the last 7 games, Watford, Bournemouth and ourselves have averaged 2 points a game, so my estimate may be slightly too high, but I'm with RBF and will be surprised if it's lower than 85 for 2nd. Edit - just seen this article by Ian Clarke in the EDP and I agree with a lot of it, but not convinced that the points needed for 2nd will be that high - http://www.edp24.co.uk/features/pre...r_place_in_premier_league_dreamland_1_4020998 3 points and at least a couple of goals to add to our GD today would be a BRILLIANT start to the run in!!!
Well I agree with you as regards today´s game, Brighton´s home form hasn´t been at all bad, and if there´s one game Hughton definitely will not want to lose, this is it. As I said on another thread, I´m not even sure he´ll try that hard to win, probably sitting back as you say, and hope to take a point or sneak a crafty 1 - 0 win, we´ll need to stay awake!
I believe Brighton could have a say in the top challenge. They are at home to us and two other contenders, Bournemouth and Watford, plus away to Boro. We win this afternoon and we will be wishing CH all the best luck for the rest of the season.
was a great game yesterday think we did well to get all 3 points and JR defientley shut up any doubters sitting right behind the goal the save he made in the fist half was brilliant, Johnson shot was amazng but my sons ipad screen came off the worse for the celebration ! just hoping the seagulls can get some points off the others and help us along but I think we shot ourselves in the foot earlier in the season and maybe its too much to hope we can get automatic now the game against Boro is going to be a high pressure night will keep believing until its taken away but just know if we can keep this squad with this manager if we fail this year next year we will mount a far stronger challange OTBC
