Playoffs: Who we could face...pros and cons....

[mikey0406]

So we are in the playoffs and effectively could play anyone including QPR depending on their hearing so lets do a pros and cons to face each team....so here goes

Cardiff: out of all the teams probably have the most pressure to go up this season after coming so close in recent seasons. they have quite a shakey defence and their keeper isnt the best around but their firepower upfront are capable of stepping into the premier league straight away

Swansea: the Brendan Rodgers hoodoo..lost both home and away to them this season and would hate any away game in the playoffs in Wales. Seem one of the more organised teams in the playoffs and one of the buys of the season in Scott Sinclair but their strikers are not the most prolific this season

Norwich: Holt and Jackson seem to work the best of late as a striking partnership and Holts presence would cause any defender at this level problems. I think Norwich have the weakessed midfield from all of the playoff contenders and wouldnt mind facing these guys at any stage

Nottingham Forest: seem to be getting the best from Boyd and seem to have hit a winning mentality at the right time...look to have pipped Leeds to the last postition obut have great pressure over their heads like Cardiff due to the money they have spent at this level think they will crack when it comes to it

QPR: who knows where they will end up after the debarcle which is their hearing...clearly the best footballing side at this level WITH TARABBAT in the team. I dont think they are anything like the team they are without him as so much goes through him, links the midfield with whoever plays upfront and takes every set piece goin. will be interesting ifhe gets himself suspended or injured


What does everyone else think??????????

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I think I am pleased to have another playoff thread.

Cheers bruv.

[Snowball]

No doubt this will mean they get promoted but I think Swansea are the weakest of our possible rivals.

Their form this year has not been great and they are worse away from home.

They edged us at our place (but we are a much better side now, and they are slightly less good than back then)

They had plenty of chances at their place but they were almost all from distance, and we really should have drawn, could've won, Church missing a sitter.

We can beat Swansea if Elwood plays

[mikey0406]

think swansea have some real key players who could really damage us....sinclair, dyer, williams, pratley......

after the result tonight cardiff looked woeful and looks as if Bellamy will be reported for comments made to the lineswomen caught on tv....silly prick lol

[paultheroyal]

We will be playing Cardiff

[PEARCEY]

We will be playing Cardiff

I'm lost with all of this. It seemed certain to be Swansea. Now it could be Cardiff, Swansea or maybe even QPR.

[Sarah Star]

We will be playing Cardiff

I'm lost with all of this. It seemed certain to be Swansea. Now it could be Cardiff, Swansea or maybe even QPR.

Could be 2 out of those 3

[Victor Meldrew]

No doubt this will mean they get promoted but I think Swansea are the weakest of our possible rivals.

Their form this year has not been great and they are worse away from home.

They edged us at our place (but we are a much better side now, and they are slightly less good than back then)

They had plenty of chances at their place but they were almost all from distance, and we really should have drawn, could've won, Church missing a sitter.

We can beat Swansea if Elwood plays

I disagree-I think Swansea are the best of the remaining 4 teams and the Rodgers story is one that you can see making the headlines.
Ideally we don't play them now and just hope that one of the others will knock them out.
The other 2 are very beatable but both do have match winners although they lack the team play of both us and Swansea.

[mikey0406]

I disagree-I think Swansea are the best of the remaining 4 teams and the Rodgers story is one that you can see making the headlines.
Ideally we don't play them now and just hope that one of the others will knock them out.
The other 2 are very beatable but both do have match winners although they lack the team play of both us and Swansea.

+1 can you imagine the rodgers backlash if they win the headlines write themselves

[Snowball]

.
.
.

What is there to fear?

Table since January 1st 2011, 21-24 games form guide.

01 22 12 8 02 42-24 +18 44 2.00 Norwich City PROMOTED
02 22 11 8 03 28-16 +12 41 1.86 Queens Park Rangers PROMOTED, CHAMPIONS (subject to any point-penalties)
03 22 11 7 04 40-25 +15 40 1.82 Reading

04 22 11 6 05 37-27 +10 39 1.77 Cardiff City <<<<<
05 21 11 4 06 36-19 +17 37 1.76 Swansea City <<<<<
06 21 10 5 06 39-27 +12 35 1.67 Leicester City
07 24 11 6 07 37-31 +06 39 1.63 Nottingham Forest <<<<
08 22 10 5 07 34-24 +10 35 1.59 Millwall
09 22 09 8 05 29-22 +07 35 1.59 Hull City
10 22 09 8 05 41-35 +06 35 1.59 Middlesbrough
11 23 10 5 08 35-34 +01 35 1.52 Ipswich Town
12 23 10 5 08 30-31 -01 35 1.52 Burnley
13 21 07 8 06 35-29 +06 29 1.38 Leeds United <<<<
14 22 09 3 10 33-30 +03 30 1.36 Bristol City
15 23 07 7 09 34-34 +00 28 1.22 Watford

We drew twice with Leeds.
We drew twice with Cardiff.
We drew with Forest and won at their place, only their second defeat in 40 home games.
We only lost 0-1 the two defeats against Swansea (No L-Wood, and we are surely better with him in)

[Hoop Blah]

My biggest fear is the way we've been playing. Look at the last half a dozen or so games and I think results have flattered us a fair bit.

I can't remember the Preston game, but apart from beating Forest at their place (and the second half at Scunthorpe) I'd say we haven't played well since going out of the Cup at City.

Pompey and Leicester were odd games where the away teams dominated us at times but we got a couple of breaks and proved to be the more clinical in front on goal.

I don't know if it's the pressure of being in contention, the effect of getting knocked out by City or just the more difficult run of fixtures but we've not been as impressive of late.

Cardiff would probably be the team to play at the moment because they look to be in self destruct mode now.

[andrew1957]

I would definitely prefer Cardiff in the semi final.

The pressure on them will be intense and we could be quite relaxed in comparison. I also think it will also be an advantage to play at home first. Cardiff have just imploded in their last home game of the league season against Boro - so being at home in the second leg will be of little comfort for them.

[Snowball]

My biggest fear is the way we've been playing. Look at the last half a dozen or so games and I think results have flattered us a fair bit.

I can't remember the Preston game, but apart from beating Forest at their place (and the second half at Scunthorpe) I'd say we haven't played well since going out of the Cup at City.
Pompey and Leicester were odd games where the away teams dominated us at times but we got a couple of breaks and proved to be the more clinical in front on goal.
I don't know if it's the pressure of being in contention, the effect of getting knocked out by City or just the more difficult run of fixtures but we've not been as impressive of late.
Cardiff would probably be the team to play at the moment because they look to be in self destruct mode now.

I really don't get the pessimism. Swansea haven't been good away from home all season and have lost 4 of their last 6 away.

Look where Forest Swansea, Leeds are in the away form table

Away Form Tables (Last Six Games)

01 6 4 2 0 4 2 10 04 +06 14 2.33 READING
02 6 4 2 0 3 0 07 03 +04 14 2.33 Hull City

03 6 4 1 1 3 1 11 05 +06 13 2.17 Cardiff City
04 6 3 2 1 2 1 13 09 +04 11 1.83 Middlesbrough (that defeat was by Reading)
05 6 3 2 1 1 1 12 09 +03 11 1.83 Norwich City
06 6 3 1 2 3 1 07 08 -01 10 1.67 Queens Park Rangers
07 6 3 1 2 3 2 06 07 -01 10 1.67 Ipswich Town

08 6 3 0 3 2 1 08 06 +02 9 1.50 Millwall
09 6 2 1 3 2 1 11 11 +00 7 1.17 Bristol City
10 6 2 1 3 2 2 05 08 -03 7 1.17 Portsmouth
11 6 1 3 2 1 0 10 09 +01 6 1.00 Coventry City
12 6 2 0 4 1 4 05 11 -06 6 1.00 Burnley
13 6 1 2 3 1 1 10 11 -01 5 0.83 Leicester City
14 6 1 2 3 1 1 09 11 -02 5 0.83 Watford
15 6 1 2 3 1 1 07 10 -03 5 0.83 Preston North End
16 6 1 2 3 1 2 08 12 -04 5 0.83 Doncaster Rovers
17 6 1 2 3 2 1 07 11 -04 5 0.83 Derby County
18 6 0 4 2 1 2 06 08 -02 4 0.67 Barnsley
19 6 1 1 4 2 2 05 07 -02 4 0.67 Swansea City <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
20 6 1 1 4 0 0 09 14 -05 4 0.67 Nottingham Forest <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
21 6 1 1 4 0 2 05 17 -12 4 0.67 Scunthorpe United
22 6 0 3 3 1 2 04 07 -03 3 0.50 Crystal Palace
23 6 1 0 5 0 3 05 12 -07 3 0.50 Leeds United <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
24 6 1 0 5 0 3 06 15 -9 3 0.50 Sheffield United

[mikey0406]

I think just over history that the form table goes out of the window in the playoffs

[Snowball]

Blackpool last year, in form, came late, won the POs

[Hoop Blah]

My pessimism, or realism in my eyes, is based on the way we've been playing of late (as I say in my post).

The others might not be playing that well either although I've not watched them (apart from Cardiff yesterday, hence why I'd pick them right now) but we're not the in form team we were a 6 or 7 games ago and I'm always more interested in how we're playing than the opposition.

[Snowball]

My pessimism, or realism in my eyes, is based on the way we've been playing of late (as I say in my post).

The others might not be playing that well either although I've not watched them (apart from Cardiff yesterday, hence why I'd pick them right now) but we're not the in form team we were a 6 or 7 games ago and I'm always more interested in how we're playing than the opposition.

OK. Current Form. Home and Away we are equal to Swansea, a tad behind Forest,
a little more behind Cardiff, better than QPR and a full point a game better than Leeds


Home & Away

01 6 4 1 1 3 1 11 06 +5 13 2.17 Cardiff City
02 6 4 1 1 1 1 13 09 +4 13 2.17 Norwich City
03 6 4 0 2 1 0 17 11 +6 12 2.00 Nottingham Forest
04 6 3 2 1 3 1 11 04 +7 11 1.83 Swansea City
05 6 3 2 1 1 0 14 10 +4 11 1.83 Middlesbrough
06 6 3 2 1 3 2 11 07 +4 11 1.83 Reading

12 6 2 3 1 3 1 7 07 0 9 1.50 Queens Park Rangers
18 6 1 2 3 2 2 6 08 -2 5 0.83 Leeds United

[Hoop Blah]

Try reading my earlier post Snowball. I'm not talking about results, I'm talking about the way we're actually playing!

Incidently, the fact we're the in the (joint) worst form by virtue of the last 6 results really doesn't give much rise to optimism either.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I'd take anyone but Swansea. It will be Swansea though unfortunately.

[Snowball]

CURRENT FORM. Last Six games

We are the best side in the league on last six
better than promoted Norwich, better than QPR,
better than Swansea, a lot better than Leeds
and MILES better than Forest


HOME FORM

01 6 5 0 1 1 0 16 8 +08 15 2.50 Reading
02 6 4 2 0 1 0 16 6 +10 14 2.33 Norwich City
03 6 4 2 0 2 0 15 5 +10 14 2.33 Swansea City
04 6 4 2 0 4 1 09 2 +07 14 2.33 Queens Park Rangers
05 6 3 3 0 3 2 12 5 +07 12 2.00 Leeds United (and we drew 0-0 there!)

06 Bristol
07 Middlesbrough
08 Millwall
09 Crystal Palace


10 6 3 1 2 2 2 13 8 +05 10 1.67 Nottingham Forest (we scored 4 of their 8 goals conceded)


11 Watford
12 Sheffield United
13 Ipswich Town
14 Preston
15 Leicester
16 6 2 2 2 1 2 11 10 +1 8 1.33 Cardiff City

17 Burnley

18 6 2 2 2 2 2 6 7 -1 8 1.33 Coventry City