I don't think we'll see much change in the top 6 over the remaining fixtures, though places may swap around a bit. I also feel that Bournemouth are more likely to be champions and IMO they deserve to be for the way they play. I really hope that we can just hold onto 2nd spot, as don't fancy the lottery of the play-offs and see Watford as our biggest threat, as their recent form is almost as good as ours - luckily, all their wins recently have been by a narrow margin, so we need to keep winning and scoring goals to ensure we do hold onto 2nd. Let's hope Forest can do us a favour and take points off Watford on the 15th - does anyone know why it's a day later than all the other games that week???
Bournemouth have such winnable games and they must know (like yesterday) they can turn games around that aren't going their way. Can't see them dropping into the play-offs. Norwich have great away form, but some games could still be banana skins if decisions or fortune or inspired play go against them. We will need to find a couple of goals against Leeds and Bolton at good times to avoid them becoming a jitter Fest. We won't have BJ for those two after his ban (much better acting than Tettey when he got his ban for ten yellows). Middlesbrough will know they need to win their match at CR to have a chance of auto promotion. Then there's Fulham on the last day. Without seemingly any great opportunity to tonk the opposition our goal difference is under threat too. Watford will push us all the way. Watford themselves have great momentum and reasonable games. They will still fancy a top two place. Derby have got their goal threat back with the return of Martin and Bent. No surprise both scored and they won yesterday. No chance of auto promotion now, but should get to the play offs. Wolves also have momentum. Late run into the top six and can't see them being pushed out now. Middlesbrough have the points on the board and I reckon that even with a few tough games to come (such as us) they will get the sixth spot. Brentfordand Ipswich just miss out. Saying all that the great thing about this league (and it really is great) is that nothing can be taken for granted. We are in for a compelling few weeks of football.
Yes, the Championship now even gets mentioned in the BBC Breakfast sports report!!! It is indeed going to be a fascinating 3 weeks starting on Saturday with several twists and turns before the last day. I'm loving it, but my nerves are getting shredded!!!! PS - I feel that 2nd is really between us and Watford, though not discounting Boro either.
I must confess, other than being currently top of the league by a point, which inevitably gives them a head start, I don't get why people think Bournemouth are just going to cruise this. Yesterday, if nothing else, showed that Bournemouth have the ability to completely lose their heads defensively against really poor teams. They were lucky that it was Birmingham and they could rescue it, but there wasn't much difference between that result and ours against Cardiff earlier in the season. Our result against Cardiff disguised major shortcomings and I think the same is the case with Bournemouth. And as for their run in - away games at Reading and Brighton are not all that easy - we know that too well. Hughton will set Brighton up to be diffficult to beat. Reading are in reasonable form all told, though admittedly with FA Cup distractions. And as they say, in the Championship, anyone could beat anyone. As for Bournemouth's final match, Charlton, that is probably on paper the toughest of the lot. Not really all that much difference between this and our 'Boro match given Charlton's form. I'm not saying Bournemouth won't get autos and agree they are most likely, but I just think it's a long way from a done deal.
Spot on Rob - teams often stumble at this stage of the season and Bournemouth don't exactly have a lot of wriggle room. For all the faults of English football, it's main strength is the integrity of the teams involved - nobody's going to roll over for any of us. We have Milwall, Brighton and Forest away all of which are going to be tricky. I would haope that we will win our 2 home games against Birmingham and Wednesday but pressure can do funny things. It's great for the neutral but not so great for those of us with a vested interest!
A short and sweet prediction: Bournemouth and us or Watford for the autos Middlesbrough Derby Wolves to take the remaining playoff spots. I don't see it changing too much now to be honest.
The top 4 will be the top 4 at the end of the season and therefore two of them will be in the play-offs. I would say Boro and Bournemouth will be those two (Norwich and Watford for the autos), I just think Bournemouth will bottle it and the game at Brighton could be very tricky as it is a local derby for them and Brighton have little to play for apart from pride -potentially very dangerous. As for the other two you have to say that Wolves are on a terrific seam of form and will take some stopping. The 4th spot? That is hard to call. Derby were in freefall but won convincingly at Wigan and they have Martin back now which is significant. On that basis I will go for them with poor old Brentford just missing out. Oh and of course our friends in the South
Just had a good, long look at the top 8 and their remaining fixtures, and if I HAD to stick my neck out I'd say it'll finish like this: Bournemouth Watford Norwich 'Boro Derby Wolves Brentford Ipswich It's incredibly tight though; two or more of the positions could well go down to goal-difference. I really hope I'm wrong, and we make it into the autos. I really don't fancy playing Wolves twice and then either Derby or 'Boro in the playoffs!
Exactly JK, my thoughts entirely. To me it is the autos or nothing and although that position is not entirely logical because we are better than those other three teams, the play-offs never go true to form and 3rd place rarely even makes the final.
I wouldn't argue with any of your reasoning on the final placings JK and whilst I feel we could now beat Wolves over 2 legs, I wouldn't fancy playing Derby in the final - they were all over Koo Pee Arr and only Greeno saved them time and time again last season!!! Playing against two of our ex players - no thank you. No, for me it's either got to be autos or we won't go up this season and then it all comes down to how many of the current crop of players would want to stay!!!
It's really much to close to call now. Once you get down to the last five games things like a good or a bad penalty decision take on huge significance. I believe that luck evens out over a season but in the last game it may not.
Am I the only person who doesn't go along with this ' wouldn't it be a dream come true if Bournemouth get promoted ' crap. They have no footballing tradition and play at a ground with a capacity of under 12000. Their mystery owner might own half the world but the fair play rules apply as much to them as they do to Barcelona, Man City etc so there is a limit on what he can spend. How are they going to fund Premiership transfer fees and wages? What decent players are going to want to sign for them? Bournemouth or Brentford in the Premiership would be a bad joke and I hope they both lose out!! Harsh but fair?
And what about the other facts. We are 100 miles away from another Prem Club - Bournemouth are 30 miles from Southampton. Ground Capacity, catchment area, tradition etc etc. Despite all those advantages we struggle to stay up when we get there so what chance have they got? Again I ask - how are they going to fund it? Blackpool's year of glory - a dream or a nightmare?
Maybe I'm the only person who is sick to the back teeth of seeing the "Big Six" (or however many clubs are deemed to be "big") on the TV every single weekend? I love it when a Burnley or a Blackpool (in 2011?) upsets their precious little cartel and gives neutrals the length and breadth of the land a modicum of interest in what would otherwise be {and is fast becoming} a completely closed shop
My word, did someone get out of the wrong side of bed this afternoon? Perhaps we should organise future promotions on size of ground, footballing traditions (What ever that's meant to mean?) or even there catchment area. It would be an interesting race to the top. This season Leeds could go up, big ground, fine traditions and they are the biggest club in the world you know! Wednesday too, or is there catchment area too small for you? In fact we'll relegate anyone with less than a capacity of 32,500 as this is currently the 20th biggest ground! Coventry will rise again to the top tier! It's good news for Wolves as they only need another 801 seats to gain promotion, Ipswich if they had focused on seats rather than turnstyles could make it with a meer 2,200 but we have some way to go neeing at least 5,380 seats to reach the top tier, that's assuming we have sufficient traditions to be worthy? Whilst I only dream of City going up, I'd be happy to see any side go up that play good football and get the points necessary. Bournemouth appear to do one and may well get the other. So why again would you begrudge them a chance to join the PL? Burnley earnt their spot as Palace did before them. Both looked well out of their depth but both have played colourful parts in the last season or 2. Also I seem to recall that lil ole Norwich were fairly widely written off upon our PL return, were we not worthy then on account of shoestring budget? Seems like a very silly post, for someone who usually posts so sensibly! Bah!
I have to agree with the General here. The PL has become a closed shop enough as it is - god forbid the audacity of a Burnley, Blackpool, or even little old Norwich to gatecrash the party reserved for the moneybags and the perceived élite If you're going to snuff out the dream, 1950, then just what incentive is there for any club outside the top 7 / 8 to strive for. Give it five years and top PL teams will probably enter the {meaningless } FA cup at the last 16 stage. Or else, for the benefit of global TV audiences, lower league sides will be excluded altogether! Can't agree with you at all on this, I'm afraid - up the 'cherries'
