play-offs?

[Franchise FC]

We're not going to get into the playoffs. Even a run of seven wins in eight has only taken us 6 points clear of the relegation places. Everybody is picking up points at the moment and we are coming into a tougher run of fixtures. I'm just longing for the day when we have a league match that is totally meaningless.

We can start thinking in terms of playoffs in August.

All true, and statistically there's absolutely no doubt that on current form we will win the Champions League in 2012. However, I'm sure we won't be able to maintain our current form over the forthcoming more difficult run of fixtures, so in my opinion it's a question of gradually increasing that cushion from the bottom. I hope I'm wrong, but I just can't see us threatening the playoff places.

As always, it's the statement of fact that is actually an opinion that is so irritating.

[CMRoyal]

We're not going to get into the playoffs. Even a run of seven wins in eight has only taken us 6 points clear of the relegation places. Everybody is picking up points at the moment and we are coming into a tougher run of fixtures. I'm just longing for the day when we have a league match that is totally meaningless.

We can start thinking in terms of playoffs in August.

All true, and statistically there's absolutely no doubt that on current form we will win the Champions League in 2012. However, I'm sure we won't be able to maintain our current form over the forthcoming more difficult run of fixtures, so in my opinion it's a question of gradually increasing that cushion from the bottom. I hope I'm wrong, but I just can't see us threatening the playoff places.

As always, it's the statement of fact that is actually an opinion that is so irritating.

It was an assertion, not a statement of fact. Never heard of rhetoric? Blimey, I only do it about once every hundred posts.

[No Fixed Abode]

take each game as it comes.

[Bacon Double Cheese]

Win each game as it comes.

[Berthwaite]

Start thinking about play-offs if we win the next two.

After 6 more points we can afford to look up rather than down.

[Snowball]

QPR are still thinking play-offs, yet we are equal points with a game in hand...

[Stranded]

All we're thinking about is the next game - anything else is just distraction.

[Ian Royal]

QPR are still thinking play-offs, yet we are equal points with a game in hand...

QPR aren't coming out of a relegation struggle. Although they might be heading into one.

Get to 54 asap, then take another look at the table and see if play offs are possible IMO.

[Snowball]

With just FOUR games left to play last season Cardiff were nailed on certs for the play-offs.

And Preston had no chance.


1 Wolves 42 13 5 3 42 21 11 3 7 32 28 +25 80
2 Birmingham 42 14 4 3 28 14 7 9 5 21 19 +16 76
3 Sheffield Utd 42 11 5 5 34 22 10 7 4 29 16 +25 75
4 Cardiff City 41 13 5 3 37 19 5 11 4 23 21 +20 70 <<<<<<<<<<<<
5 Reading 41 12 4 5 39 15 7 8 5 26 21 +29 69
6 Burnley 42 12 5 4 37 23 7 7 7 27 32 +9 69
7 Swansea City 42 10 9 2 39 21 4 11 6 20 26 +12 62
8 Preston 42 14 3 4 31 19 3 8 10 23 33 +2 62

In just FOUR games they made up an eight point gap AND [b]18 goals GD[/b]


1 Wolves 46 15 5 3 44 21 12 4 7 36 31 +28 90 (2.5 points per game last 4 games)
2 Birmingham 46 14 5 4 30 17 9 9 5 24 20 +17 83 (1.75 points per game last 4 games)
3 Sheffield Utd 46 12 6 5 35 22 10 8 5 29 17 +25 80 (1.25 points per game last four games)
4 Reading 46 12 5 6 40 17 9 9 5 32 23 +32 77 (1.6 points per game last 5 games)
5 Burnley 46 14 5 4 42 23 7 8 8 30 37 +12 76 (1.75 points per game last 4 games)
6 Preston 46 16 3 4 39 20 5 8 10 27 34 +12 74 (12 points from last four games)
7 Cardiff City 46 14 5 4 40 23 5 12 6 25 30 +12 74 (just 4 points from last 5 games)
8 Swansea City 46 11 9 3 40 22 5 11 7 23 28 +13 68

[leww_rfc]

One of those games was a 6-0 win against Cardiff

[CMRoyal]

Two interesting fixtures tomorrow:-

Coventry v Cardiff
Sheff U v Blackpool

I guess if those games end in a draw and we win, then I might allow myself a few brief seconds of belief that we might be in the running.

[RFCUK]

Interesting data plagarised from another forum..

Since 2004/05 season, this is how the no. 6 team have ended the season before going into the POs.
2004/05: West Ham - 73 points
2005/06: Crystal Palace - 75 pts
2006/07: Southampton - 75 pts
2007/08: Watford - 70 pts
2008/09: Preston - 74 pts

The average of them is 73.4 so if the trend continued then we'd need another 29 points to get this average.. Meaning 2.41 points per game for the remaining games..

Now this year is obviously going to be different given how tight it is across the board, but it does give you something to think about..

[Stranded]

With just FOUR games left to play last season Cardiff were nailed on certs for the play-offs.

And Preston had no chance.


1 Wolves 42 13 5 3 42 21 11 3 7 32 28 +25 80
2 Birmingham 42 14 4 3 28 14 7 9 5 21 19 +16 76
3 Sheffield Utd 42 11 5 5 34 22 10 7 4 29 16 +25 75
4 Cardiff City 41 13 5 3 37 19 5 11 4 23 21 +20 70 <<<<<<<<<<<<
5 Reading 41 12 4 5 39 15 7 8 5 26 21 +29 69
6 Burnley 42 12 5 4 37 23 7 7 7 27 32 +9 69
7 Swansea City 42 10 9 2 39 21 4 11 6 20 26 +12 62
8 Preston 42 14 3 4 31 19 3 8 10 23 33 +2 62

In just FOUR games they made up an eight point gap AND [b]18 goals GD[/b]


1 Wolves 46 15 5 3 44 21 12 4 7 36 31 +28 90 (2.5 points per game last 4 games)
2 Birmingham 46 14 5 4 30 17 9 9 5 24 20 +17 83 (1.75 points per game last 4 games)
3 Sheffield Utd 46 12 6 5 35 22 10 8 5 29 17 +25 80 (1.25 points per game last four games)
4 Reading 46 12 5 6 40 17 9 9 5 32 23 +32 77 (1.6 points per game last 5 games)
5 Burnley 46 14 5 4 42 23 7 8 8 30 37 +12 76 (1.75 points per game last 4 games)
6 Preston 46 16 3 4 39 20 5 8 10 27 34 +12 74 (12 points from last four games)
7 Cardiff City 46 14 5 4 40 23 5 12 6 25 30 +12 74 (just 4 points from last 5 games)
8 Swansea City 46 11 9 3 40 22 5 11 7 23 28 +13 68

Whilst interesting I think a swing like that over 4 games is more likely that a more sustained run - esp when one game was against Cardiff.

[seahawk10]

11 points off......just a thought.....

Why not? With our rich vein of form, I am sure that we can make it!

This. Emphatically! Accept, remove the sarcastic emoticon and replace it with

[Snowball]

One of those games was a 6-0 win against Cardiff

Yup, and Reading have to play Cardiff. A 1-0 win there would do very nicely, thank-you

Yup, and we are eight points behind them BUT WITH A GAME IN HAND.

Win that game in hand (say Scunthorpe) and win in Cardiff and we'd be two points behind with ten other games to play.

Of COURSE we have a very good chance, but that DOES mean we need to win the GiH and win at Cardiff.

If those were the next two games and we managed it, we'd be favourites for 6th spot.

[Snowball]

2009-2010 Cardiff, currently 6th having played 35 games, with 52 Points...

2008-2009 Preston, no games in hand, made up 8 points and a goal difference of 18, in FOUR games.

2007-2008 After 34 games Plymouth were on 52 points in 5th having played one game less than Cardiff this season (ie doing better)
2007-2008 ditto Charlton.

Hull, meanwhile, were 2 points behind them, Palace were six points behind them

Hull gained 13 points on the play-off 5th and 6th (in 13 games, one game in hand)
Palace gained 13 points on the play-off 5th and 6th (in 12 games, NO game in hand)


01 Stoke City 35 11 4 3 31 22 6 7 4 28 23 +14 62
02 Bristol City 34 10 5 2 25 16 7 5 5 17 24 +2 61
03 Watford 34 7 5 5 23 21 10 4 3 31 19 +14 60
04 WBA 33 10 5 2 40 17 6 2 8 27 25 +25 55
05 Plymouth 34 7 7 3 26 15 7 3 7 19 18 +12 52 (a point a game finish)
06 Charlton 34 8 4 5 28 20 6 6 5 21 21 +8 52 (a point a game finish)

07 Ipswich Town 34 12 4 1 37 11 2 5 10 14 31 +9 51
08 Hull City 33 8 6 3 28 17 5 5 6 13 20 +4 50 (25 points from 13 games, less than 2 per game)
09 Burnley 34 5 7 5 21 20 8 4 5 26 24 +3 50
10 Wolves 33 8 3 5 19 17 4 8 5 13 17 -2 47
11 Crystal Palace 34 5 7 5 20 22 6 6 5 18 13 +3 46 (25 Points from 12 games, 2.08 points per game)


01 West Brom 46 12 8 3 51 27 11 4 8 37 28 +33 81
02 Stoke City 46 12 7 4 36 27 9 9 5 33 28 +14 79
03 Hull City 46 13 7 3 43 19 8 5 10 22 28 +18 75
04 Bristol City 46 13 7 3 33 20 7 7 9 21 33 +1 74
05 Crystal Palace 46 9 9 5 31 23 9 8 6 27 19 +16 71
06 Watford 46 8 7 8 26 29 10 9 4 36 27 +6 70
10 Plymouth 46 9 9 5 37 22 8 4 11 23 28 +10 64
11 Charlton 46 9 7 7 38 29 8 6 9 25 29 +5 64

[Platypuss]

This is a less than stellar division

generous.

This division is atrocious. Could you imagine what would happen to Leicester, Coventry or Blackpool next season if they got promoted

People said the same about Stoke.

[Snowball]

Currently we are eight points behind Cardiff, with a game in hand on them

We've already seen a team make up those 8 points in 4 games

In 2006-7 TWO teams made up 13 & 14 points respectively, in just 12/13 games

In 2006-2007, after 34/35 games it looked like this, Cardiff likely top-six finishers
SEVEN points better off after 35 games than this season

1 33 +10 63 Derby County
2 34 +23 62 WBA
3 32 +20 61 Birmingham
4 35 +14 59 Cardiff City <<<<<<
5 34 +12 59 Preston
6 34 +15 57 Sunderland

7 34 +16 56 Southampton
8 34 +02 56 Wolves


But Cardiff imploded and finished 13th

Wolves gained FIFTEEN points on 4th placed Cardiff (one game in hand)
Southampton gained 14 points on 4th placed Cardiff (one game in hand)

1 46 +29 88 (31 from 12 games) Sunderland
2 46 +25 86 (25 from 14 games) Birmingham
3 46 +16 84 (21 from 13 games) Derby County
4 46 +26 76 (14 from 12 games) WBA
5 46 +03 76 (20 from 12 games) Wolves
6 46 +24 75 (19 from 12 games) Southampton

7 46 +11 74 (15 from 12 games) Preston
8 46 +21 73 ....................... Stoke City
9 46 +04 71 ....................... Sheffield Wed
10 46 +14 69 ....................... Colchester
11 46 +01 67 ....................... Plymouth
12 46 +08 65 ....................... Crystal Palace
13 46 +04 64 (05 from 12 games) Cardiff City <<<<<<<

[Snowball]

Yes, and if we got promoted, Shane Long would score 25

I only ever predicted

10 goals in a full playing premiership season
OR
20 goals in a full playing championship season
OR
30 goals in a full playing Div 1 season


He's on 9 now with 13 games to go, so has
a very decent chance of 15 goals this season
from a max of 27 starts

[fester_royal]

aaarrrggghhhh!!! no more play off talk please!! its bad enough picking up every rag or switching on local radio.. surely the fans should know the score better!!