Two way conundrum ...

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Always hoping for the playoffs.

Anyone expecting automatic promotion is asking too much of this young squad.
 
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Nothing has been settled, too many points still to play for.
My gut instinct is that we will finish where we are and that we will get to Wembley, but there will be twists and turns before the end of the season
 
Maybe that's true but Sheff Utd play Boro next which won't be easy then have Luton away and Leeds.

They're also away to Burnley and Wednesday so someone is dropping points along the way.

Sheff Utd lost 3-0, at home to Hull, and Burnley couldn't beat Portsmouth while we did twice.

There's always shocks and surprises in the run in, plenty to feel confident about imo.

Fingers crossed.
 
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I can live with Wycombe 2.0 if that’s what it comes down to.

One of the most magical days of a life I have thoroughly enjoyed.
I’ve said on other threads that I hardly imbibe these days. But the night of the playoff final watching it on a big screen was just sublime. I woke up the next morning with an horrendous hangover but it was by far the best hangover I’ve ever had.
 
I've still not given up on automatic promotion - there is far too much time and too many matches left.

It would be kinder to our hearts if we could ourselves been out of sight at the top but it wouldn't be Sunderland without a heart stopping run-in?

Between matches I can convince myself that I'm going to enjoy the ride and let the destination take care of itself, but then that kind mental philosophy goes out of the window come kick-off time.

I can look back at the days of the Chuckle Brothers and see the general upward trend since, but I still feel like **** if we drop points in a game, so come on Lads, go and get us promoted so we fans can moan about VAR!
 
Not given up on automatics at all but we've gotten ourselves in a position to really put ourselves into top two contention over recent weeks and blown it with draws/defeats (Blackburn/Stoke away/ Plymouth/Watford).

I get that other sides have tough games, no disagreement there, we also have some tough away games to come, Leeds, Norwich, WBA, Bristol City.

In truth, I can see us getting a result against Leeds but I can also see us dropping more points at home.

If it’s the playoffs then so be it but, we can still make the autos if we get our act together at home.

The last two home games have been massive opportunities missed.
 
... play-offs or promotion.

I've seen a few suggestions that we've clearly blown the top two and the next three months will just be a wait for the play-offs. Fair enough, people are entitled to their opinions, but I don't expect the players to give up so easily. Isidor made it clear, after the Boro game, that promotion is the aim.

With Sheff Utd, Burnley playing each other and having derby matches that could help and Leeds have some hard games coming up including Sunderland, Sheff Utd and West Brom in the next few. I've always gone to Leeds feeling confident, for some reason, and have seen us win there a few times.

Whatever the case, if it's the play-offs we have the perfect scenario to introduce players, get the injuries back and try out things we couldn't otherwise. We could really get to a point where we gain momentum and hit Wembley at exactly the right time.

I'd love to see the likes of Isidor, Mundle, Mayenda, Rigg, Neil, Jobe, Le Fée, etc stepping onto that pitch with a huge following. I'm sure the PL would want us to win rather than have the 'grind out merchants' like Burnley, Sheff Utd, Boro or Blackburn.

These next 15 games will be great if we can all just accept we won't get it right every time and support whoever is on the pitch. At times we can really click and score some sensational goals, I'd love to see a winner like that to put us up ...

... although I'm sure a clean sheet for Burnley and a header from a corner would delight Sky and a few others <laugh>

45 points up for grabs, imo it's still all to play for. Still some twists and turns for all. But we have to play better
 
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Poor form mate I told the wife months ago that our hols could not be the last week of May.

That said I cocked up with the Charlton play off final a few years back when i booked mates stag do for the weekend of the final.

So did I to be fair. I looked at the table at the time and was terrified of losing to Boro in the final. When she said she day early morning flights to Tenerife I just went for it.
Hence the lads better get automatic <laugh>
 
So did I to be fair. I looked at the table at the time and was terrified of losing to Boro in the final. When she said she day early morning flights to Tenerife I just went for it.
Hence the lads better get automatic <laugh>

Don't think they will be in there but if we do play them we will smash them.

Tenerife will be lush I'm sure and there will be plenty bars to watch us do Burnley on pens.
 
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This determination to be first to rule us out has been a really weird element of this season. I’m sure there’ll be plenty to pat themselves on the back for being right all along. Truth is we’d been ruled out by the autumn by a fair few and we’re still in the mix in Feb, so they’re already wrong in my view. It was always gonna be tough and the chances were low. We’re competing against 4-5 teams with FAR greater budgets so any autos run is objectively an excellent performance by the club. So I’m not all that impressed by the ‘foresight’ shown in saying that we’re gonna miss out from October. Got people creating threads to crow about it on RTG. Weirdo behaviour in all honesty.
 
This determination to be first to rule us out has been a really weird element of this season. I’m sure there’ll be plenty to pat themselves on the back for being right all along. Truth is we’d been ruled out by the autumn by a fair few and we’re still in the mix in Feb, so they’re already wrong in my view. It was always gonna be tough and the chances were low. We’re competing against 4-5 teams with FAR greater budgets so any autos run is objectively an excellent performance by the club. So I’m not all that impressed by the ‘foresight’ shown in saying that we’re gonna miss out from October. Got people creating threads to crow about it on RTG. Weirdo behaviour in all honesty.

Some can't wait to have a dig at the club, players, manager, etc ...

... you're right, it's quite weird.
 
I'm drawn on this one. I've said that we would get in the top 2 but after yesterday I'm wondering whether we've given ourselves too much to do if the other sides drop points. There's still part of me that thinks top 2, dunno just a feeling but part of me would love for the grandson to see the SOL full and totally bouncing in a playoff semi then onto Wembley and the day we all know would be waiting. It would be his first ever trip there
 
Another conundrum I'm having with myself is do we WANT to go up?

The obvious answer is yes as you always want to be playing at the highest level that you possibly can.

So I guess that leads me onto another question. Am I looking forward to potentially playing in the premiership?

My honest answer there is no. There's no denying it's a huge gap which is constantly growing due to increased tv money and the squads established teams are able to build.

My glimmer of hope I'm clinging to is that we will be going up with a squad of young lads who haven't tried and failed up there before like Burnley Sheffield Utd and Leeds all have.

Also these lads are only going to improve in the main anyway.

Obviously we will also do some recruitment. So I guess a third question is do people think we could compete up there? And by compete I'm meaning put up a fight for 17th.
 
Another conundrum I'm having with myself is do we WANT to go up?

The obvious answer is yes as you always want to be playing at the highest level that you possibly can.

So I guess that leads me onto another question. Am I looking forward to potentially playing in the premiership?

My honest answer there is no. There's no denying it's a huge gap which is constantly growing due to increased tv money and the squads established teams are able to build.

My glimmer of hope I'm clinging to is that we will be going up with a squad of young lads who haven't tried and failed up there before like Burnley Sheffield Utd and Leeds all have.

Also these lads are only going to improve in the main anyway.

Obviously we will also do some recruitment. So I guess a third question is do people think we could compete up there? And by compete I'm meaning put up a fight for 17th.

Excellent post mate, I'll look forward to the responses.
 
Another conundrum I'm having with myself is do we WANT to go up?

The obvious answer is yes as you always want to be playing at the highest level that you possibly can.

So I guess that leads me onto another question. Am I looking forward to potentially playing in the premiership?

My honest answer there is no. There's no denying it's a huge gap which is constantly growing due to increased tv money and the squads established teams are able to build.

My glimmer of hope I'm clinging to is that we will be going up with a squad of young lads who haven't tried and failed up there before like Burnley Sheffield Utd and Leeds all have.

Also these lads are only going to improve in the main anyway.

Obviously we will also do some recruitment. So I guess a third question is do people think we could compete up there? And by compete I'm meaning put up a fight for 17th.
Welcome to my world.

I love the championship, it's a cracking league with most games being close fought affairs. It's curious that the worst games so far have been between those pushing for promotion- see sheff utd v Burnley as an example.

My worry is if and when we do get promoted a large percentage of our fan base will expect the impossible.

We have already seen this season players labelled "****e", "arse" etc. There's already posts on here that 90% of the team aren't gpod enough for the premier league.

Can we get promotion by automatics or the play offs then refuse the opportunity?