The rest of the season?

[Stranded]

Here's an idea, lets just enjoy a team that is high on confidence and winning. If after the next 13 games that form takes in to the play-offs brilliant.

If it doesn't (more likely) then we just get to enjoy a great 2nd half of the season.

[wolsey]

Why do people feel it necessary to want to be involved in a promotion push just because we've won a few games recently?

We aren't anywhere near good enough to go up and it be a positive event. I certainly have no desire to just make up the numbers in the play offs.

Can we not just be satisfied with a push out of danger and a good run of form? SO we can then build on that for next season with good signings. THEN look at a promotion push when it might actually be beneficial to us?

Agree. But.....

If we got to the play offs and failed narrowly, would it not: -

encourage players who may have looked to leave, have second thoughts?

encourage senior management to approve spending in the hope of making a quick sale?

provide plentiful sources for meaningless discussions on HNA?

[Lower West]

This league is terrible, terrible.

With the exception of Newcastle at St James any team is beatable. I just got a feeling.

We as fans owe JM so much for having the balls to make a decision most were opposed to.

Isn't it great to play in a league where the results aren't a formality. Where money and therefore the size of the squad dictates your league position.

Football is becoming fun again. Injuries, suspensions etc have a bearing on results.

JM has to take credit for appointing an unknown individual as the manager. JM seems to have taken his ideas from Liverpool of old. When managers and players alike came through the ranks of the club. So by the time they reached the main stage they were red through and through. You can't buy committment, loyalty and passion for a club but you can breed it. As with the academy JM had the foresight to look far into the future rather than waste money on short term benefits, ie expensive players.

[Ian Royal]

Why do people feel it necessary to want to be involved in a promotion push just because we've won a few games recently?

We aren't anywhere near good enough to go up and it be a positive event. I certainly have no desire to just make up the numbers in the play offs.

Can we not just be satisfied with a push out of danger and a good run of form? SO we can then build on that for next season with good signings. THEN look at a promotion push when it might actually be beneficial to us?

Agree. But.....

If we got to the play offs and failed narrowly, would it not: -

encourage players who may have looked to leave, have second thoughts?

encourage senior management to approve spending in the hope of making a quick sale?

provide plentiful sources for meaningless discussions on HNA?

Will that do anymore than a run to take us to midtable having been looking in poo pond? In fact, a run good enough to get us to the play offs is as likely to attract more interest in our players and make them harder to keep as it is to encourage them to stay.

The only ones really affected are Griffin, Khizanishvili & Bertrand. Is play off failure vs mid-table going to make that great a difference to our ability to sign them? Doubtful IMO.

[Gav]

I certainly have no desire to just make up the numbers in the play offs.

Whilst I'm not looking at, hoping for, nor expecting the playoffs...

We would certainly not "just be making up the numbers" if we were to reach the playoffs. The form required to actually achieve that feat would mean that we'd have more momentum behind us than a runaway steam train with no brakes. Form is a massive factor in the playoffs and we'd be in with a very good shout of winning them.

Saying that... WNG.

[Stranded]

Well I was a tad bored and was doing the predictor on BBC didn't quite get to the end of the season but with 5 games left I had us on 58pts - 5 off the playoffs with 2 in hand - ah it's all fun...

[fester_royal]

wheres a hand to forehead emocion when you need it!!
if theres anything this league has taught me its never predict, nothing in this league goes to plan EVER! we could get spanked by scunthorpe and then beat newcastle.
i know everyones starting to look up instead of down but with only 4 points as a buffer i shall firmly stay in the kill joy zone with my head looking down thanks!

[rhroyal]

I'm confident we can get the 4 more wins to take us to 53 points from those. That'll do for me.

[Stranded]

wheres a hand to forehead emocion when you need it!!
if theres anything this league has taught me its never predict, nothing in this league goes to plan EVER! we could get spanked by scunthorpe and then beat newcastle.
i know everyones starting to look up instead of down but with only 4 points as a buffer i shall firmly stay in the kill joy zone with my head looking down thanks!

Ah lighten up - yeah it'll probably all go tits up but we can't do anything about it either way...

[SWLR]

Championship = Bad run => good run => bad run

As certain as Night follows Day.

We can revisit this thread after the Baggies game.

[Man Friday]

You have to say that Plymouth and Peterboro are probably both down so only 1 space to fill.

My bet Scunny or Wed

For us, 4 more wins and we're safe. That's all I want this Season.

Next Season... 107 pts and 101 goals please.

Why not 100 goals?

[SpaceCruiser]

You have to say that Plymouth and Peterboro are probably both down so only 1 space to fill.

My bet Scunny or Wed

For us, 4 more wins and we're safe. That's all I want this Season.

Next Season... 107 pts and 101 goals please.

Why not 100 goals?

Why lower your targets?

[FiNeRaIn]

Here's an idea, lets just enjoy a team that is high on confidence and winning. If after the next 13 games that form takes in to the play-offs brilliant.

If it doesn't (more likely) then we just get to enjoy a great 2nd half of the season.

Agreed. Nice to see some of our youth like church and sig get more experience and produce some good displays. If we can hold onto them as well as a few of our other youngsters then this has been a good season in the end. If we sell them in the summer than its been a waste of time IMO. Need to start building a team to get out of this division.

[Ian Royal]

I certainly have no desire to just make up the numbers in the play offs.

Whilst I'm not looking at, hoping for, nor expecting the playoffs...

We would certainly not "just be making up the numbers" if we were to reach the playoffs. The form required to actually achieve that feat would mean that we'd have more momentum behind us than a runaway steam train with no brakes. Form is a massive factor in the playoffs and we'd be in with a very good shout of winning them.

Saying that... WNG.

Fair point. I'd just prefer us to do what we should have done all along this season = consolidate in midtable. Then kick on hardcore next season. I can't help feel promotion would be a bad thing this season. I get frustrated because you just know that plenty of those saying we are in with a chance of the play offs, will end up complaining if we finish 16/17th. When actually that's a pretty good result.

Personally given the 1st half of the season I'd be delighted with 17th.

I'm not saying we should throw games if we start getting close. WNG is definitely the way.

[facaldaqui]

I certainly have no desire to just make up the numbers in the play offs.

Whilst I'm not looking at, hoping for, nor expecting the playoffs...

We would certainly not "just be making up the numbers" if we were to reach the playoffs. The form required to actually achieve that feat would mean that we'd have more momentum behind us than a runaway steam train with no brakes. Form is a massive factor in the playoffs and we'd be in with a very good shout of winning them.

Saying that... WNG.

Fair point. I'd just prefer us to do what we should have done all along this season = consolidate in midtable. Then kick on hardcore next season. I can't help feel promotion would be a bad thing this season. I get frustrated because you just know that plenty of those saying we are in with a chance of the play offs, will end up complaining if we finish 16/17th. When actually that's a pretty good result.

Personally given the 1st half of the season I'd be delighted with 17th.

I'm not saying we should throw games if we start getting close. WNG is definitely the way.

Broadly agree, but promotion (not that I think it's remotely possible) might inspire Madejski to spend some money on the team, knowing that the income would shoot up. A promotion push next season would depend on building on the present team. But Madeski might make cuts again in the summer, because of the end of the parachute payments.

[Ian Royal]

No way he'd spend enough with our current team.

Yes, we might get Bertrand and Griffin. But we'd still need the centreback that we need anyway as well as those two. Plus another one, and at least one midfielder, plus at least one winger and a couple of strikers minimum. Oh and probably a keeper.


I reckon we'd need to sign at the very least 7 first teamers. Who are good enough to keep us up.

[westongeezer]

I will never understand how anyone can say the CCC football is dull in comparison to Prem football, i would say that by miles its more open, and less predictable, the atmosphere is way better and not a staduim half packed with prawn sandwich eating corporate i got my ticket free crews, id be as happy here if not more than fighting for survival in the prem, i go with Lets get safe and see how next season goes.

[brendywendy]

No way he'd spend enough with our current team.

Yes, we might get Bertrand and Griffin. But we'd still need the centreback that we need anyway as well as those two. Plus another one, and at least one midfielder, plus at least one winger and a couple of strikers minimum. Oh and probably a keeper.


I reckon we'd need to sign at the very least 7 first teamers. Who are good enough to keep us up.

i think we basically just need to get the three loanees at the back to stay, and thats almost it.
with sig, and tabb able to play on teh wings, and with HRK/henry making strides towards teh 1st team i dont think the wings are massively necessary.
id be quite happy with rasiak, long, church, Nhunt as our strikers next season
and no keepers required.

unless we sell.

[Basingstoke Royal]

I can't understand why some people don't want the
playoffs if we can make it.

Next season the league will be better than it is this year, and we are likely to see another bunch of players sold. Mills, sig will be the subject of bids, and will jm really turn them down?

Performances against prem teams in the cup have been good, and anything can happen once we are there. Didn't most expect us to go down when we went up last time?

If we went up it could mean the club is finally sold.

[SpaceCruiser]

I can't understand why some people don't want the playoffs if we can make it.

I don't think the squad is currently good enough for the Premiership. If we went up, we would have to spend vast amounts of money if we want to survive in the Premiership. Build it up this summer and do a massive attack on promotion. And we might be in better shape next summer to be able to think "Yes, we have a good squad so won't need to spend too much" or something like that.