Perspective

[Ian Royal]

He said himself after the first season back in the championship that we are " happy where we are for the time being" and if there is any evidence that we are busting a gut to get back then it would be good if it was put up here so we could all laud his efforts, somehow I cant see that the three players that we bought in from Swindon, Hereford and Eastleigh will hardly send fears through the rest of the league of our determination? .

That isn't the same as not wanting us to go up. And you do not need to "bust a gut" to try and go up to want to do it. We will do it the careful, patient, low risk way.

[Snowball]

It is worth remembering we have now played
QPR, Cardiff and Swansea both home and away

and QPR-Swansea account for 4/7 of our defeats, three of them 1-0,
three of them we could very easily have drawn

Relatively we have an easier run in than most of our rivals

[PEARCEY]

It is worth remembering we have now played
QPR, Cardiff and Swansea both home and away

and QPR-Swansea account for 4/7 of our defeats, three of them 1-0,
three of them we could very easily have drawn

Relatively we have an easier run in than most of our rivals

It doesn't register in the League table that some of those games could easily have been drawn.
Your last point is valid. I would like to see lots and lots of draws when teams above us play each other. Either that or Forest and QPR keep winning against those below them given that automtaic promotion is beyond us.
Do we really want another play-off though? We've had four miserable ones already.

[weybridgewanderer]

i am sure I have heard this "easier run in" stuff before

[PEARCEY]

i am sure I have heard this "easier run in" stuff before

Absolutely. Two seasons ago we were so well set-up for the second-half of that season....but the easier run-in lead to plenty of disappointing results.

[Ian Royal]

i am sure I have heard this "easier run in" stuff before

It's fair enough to expect results to dip in a period you play three of the best 4 or 5 teams in the division in quick sucession. I can't see us getting a good enough run to get in the play offs, but providing we don't let our confidence and effort disappear we should certainly pick up a few more wins.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a late lurch for the play offs that falls short with a couple of games to go.

[weybridgewanderer]

Ian, I don't disagree, I have said for many weeks now I suspect we ill finish 7thish

We are currently 11th so we should climb a little

but we had all this "easier run in" 2 years ago, cardiff had the "easier run in" last season, it is tosh!

[Ian Royal]

Well obviously there is more to it than that. Especially given there is often very little other than form and confidence to separate most of the teams in this division.

[Snowball]

We are 7 points of Leeds in 5th, a game in hand (away to Sheffield United)


If we win there we are four points behind 5th.

If we were to win at Leeds, it's one point.


I don't see these things WILL happen or have to happen, but this league can turn around in two match days.

Just look at the next coupla weeks.




Saturday, 12 February 2011

Bristol City v Leeds TOUGH
Middlesbrough v Swansea TOUGH
Norwich v Reading TOUGH
Watford v Burnley TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points
Derby v Leicester On paper, Leicester, but it's a local Derby


QPR v Nott'm Forest Come on QPR!



Tuesday, 15 February 2011

Cardiff v Burnley TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points

Sheff Utd v Reading Should be an away win. if not forget the play-offs


Saturday, 19 February 2011


Leeds v Norwich TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points
Nott'm Forest v Cardiff TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points

Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Cardiff v Leicester TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points
Leeds v Barnsley Leeds, but another local derby
Reading v Millwall TOUGH, our other rivals will want us to draw


Saturday, 26 February 2011
Swansea v Leeds TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points
Barnsley v Norwich NOT EASY
Doncaster v Watford NOT EASY
Hull v Cardiff TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points
Leicester v Coventry Home, but another derby game
Millwall v Nott'm Forest TOUGH. One or both rivals will drop points
Preston v Burnley Surely Burnley, Preston are crap, but it's a local derby

[Snowball]

Ian, I don't disagree, I have said for many weeks now I suspect we ill finish 7thish

We are currently 11th so we should climb a little

but we had all this "easier run in" 2 years ago, cardiff had the "easier run in" last season, it is tosh!

Half the time you folks are saying we can't beat sides above us.

OK that means we are gaining 80-90% of our points from the sides BELOW us.

"Therefore" our easy run in should mean a lot more points.

You can't have it both ways

[weybridgewanderer]

we can't beat the teams above us (haven't yet beaten a top 6 team)

That doesn't mean we are also beating the teams below us often enough

far too many draws

I know you don't say things WILL happen but as per your other thread, you ARE optimistic (nothing like offering a hedged point of view, you can't be wrong)

[Mr Angry]

Perspective.....ok, here's mine.

We simply aren't good enough to go up, and the reason is simple; we don't have enough quality in the striking department to score enough goals to win enough games; people can quote as many statistics to say white is black, and black is white but the simple fact that 24 points out of a possible 45 at home, and a total of 8 clean sheets all season (and only 1 since Christmas), is simply not good enough for a side to win promotion.

Last night a key indication as to the difference between the 2 sides was the 2 striker substitutions which happened at the same time; Miller for QPR, Manset for us - one on loan from Man City, the other a purchase from Hereford.

We don't have enough depth in the squad to cope if we lose a couple of key players through injury/suspension; what we give to able to afford Pascal Chimbonda, who, if he were at Reading, would be an automatic start - last night for QPR, he was on the bench.

However, we are still in with a shout of the play-offs, and if we do get there we will have momentum with us.

Furthermore, we do have the kernal of a side that may, with a bit more investment in key areas, be a challenger. However, as much as I would love us to get into the play-offs, I can see us falling short; thats not being negative, thats being realisitic given the squad we have.

[Ian Royal]

Perspective.....ok, here's mine.

We simply aren't good enough to go up, and the reason is simple; we don't have enough quality in the striking department to score enough goals to win enough games; people can quote as many statistics to say white is black, and black is white but the simple fact that 24 points out of a possible 45 at home, and a total of 8 clean sheets all season (and only 1 since Christmas), is simply not good enough for a side to win promotion.

Last night a key indication as to the difference between the 2 sides was the 2 striker substitutions which happened at the same time; Miller for QPR, Manset for us - one on loan from Man City, the other a purchase from Hereford.

We don't have enough depth in the squad to cope if we lose a couple of key players through injury/suspension; what we give to able to afford Pascal Chimbonda, who, if he were at Reading, would be an automatic start - last night for QPR, he was on the bench.

However, we are still in with a shout of the play-offs, and if we do get there we will have momentum with us.

Furthermore, we do have the kernal of a side that may, with a bit more investment in key areas, be a challenger. However, as much as I would love us to get into the play-offs, I can see us falling short; thats not being negative, thats being realisitic given the squad we have.

Personally I think thats about the worst indication you could choose seeing as Manset caused them just as many problems as Miller caused us.

[RoyalX]

Perspective.....ok, here's mine.

We simply aren't good enough to go up, and the reason is simple; we don't have enough quality in the striking department to score enough goals to win enough games; people can quote as many statistics to say white is black, and black is white but the simple fact that 24 points out of a possible 45 at home, and a total of 8 clean sheets all season (and only 1 since Christmas), is simply not good enough for a side to win promotion.

Last night a key indication as to the difference between the 2 sides was the 2 striker substitutions which happened at the same time; Miller for QPR, Manset for us - one on loan from Man City, the other a purchase from Hereford.

We don't have enough depth in the squad to cope if we lose a couple of key players through injury/suspension; what we give to able to afford Pascal Chimbonda, who, if he were at Reading, would be an automatic start - last night for QPR, he was on the bench.

However, we are still in with a shout of the play-offs, and if we do get there we will have momentum with us.

Furthermore, we do have the kernal of a side that may, with a bit more investment in key areas, be a challenger. However, as much as I would love us to get into the play-offs, I can see us falling short; thats not being negative, thats being realisitic given the squad we have.

Personally I think thats about the worst indication you could choose seeing as Manset caused them just as many problems as Miller caused us.

Especially when Miller is actually on loan from West Brom...

[Snowball]

we can't beat the teams above us (haven't yet beaten a top 6 team)

That doesn't mean we are also beating the teams below us often enough far too many draws

I know you don't say things WILL happen but as per your other thread, you ARE optimistic (nothing like offering a hedged point of view, you can't be wrong)

So, let's see. We haven't beaten a top six team. OK. That's 9 games D5 L4 8-13

So in the other 20 Games? W10 D7 L3 35-18 = 37 Points, a smidgeon short of very good indeed!


Looks OK to me. We have 14 such games to come, worth 26 points, taking us to 68 plus we have Norwich, Leeds, Forest

That ought to put us on 70 points. We need just one extra win to be on 73 and in with a good shout of the POs

[NR_Royal]

Perspective.....ok, here's mine.

Miller for QPR, Manset for us - one on loan from Man City, the other a purchase from Hereford.

LOL at Miller playing for Man City...

[Snowball]

we can't beat the teams above us (haven't yet beaten a top 6 team)

That doesn't mean we are also beating the teams below us often enough far too many draws

I know you don't say things WILL happen but as per your other thread, you ARE optimistic (nothing like offering a hedged point of view, you can't be wrong)

So, let's see. We haven't beaten a top six team. OK. That's 9 games D5 L4 8-13

So in the other 20 Games? W10 D7 L3 35-18 = 37 Points, a smidgeon short of very good indeed!


Looks OK to me. We have 14 such games to come, worth 26 points, taking us to 68 plus we have Norwich, Leeds, Forest

That ought to put us on 70 points. We need just one extra win to be on 73 and in with a good shout of the POs

Looking at this again (this is "perspective after all).

While it is true we have yet to beat a top six team, those four of our defeats were Swansea/QPR (not much shame there) and they account
for all our negative GD versus the top six. We have held our own with all the others, with Forest in second (where we gifted them a goal)
with Cardiff twice (where in one game they had the phantom goal, in the other they equalised in the 97th minute). We outplayed Leeds
and should have won, had a stonewall penalty not given, and while we got lucky with Holt's sending off, we came back strongly to 3-3
versus Norwich and really should have won that one.

As I see it, QPR are clearly a better team but we have had nothing at all to fear from the rest and shouldn't fear them now.

[Hoop Blah]

we can't beat the teams above us (haven't yet beaten a top 6 team)

That doesn't mean we are also beating the teams below us often enough far too many draws

I know you don't say things WILL happen but as per your other thread, you ARE optimistic (nothing like offering a hedged point of view, you can't be wrong)

So, let's see. We haven't beaten a top six team. OK. That's 9 games D5 L4 8-13

So in the other 20 Games? W10 D7 L3 35-18 = 37 Points, a smidgeon short of very good indeed!


Looks OK to me. We have 14 such games to come, worth 26 points, taking us to 68 plus we have Norwich, Leeds, Forest

That ought to put us on 70 points. We need just one extra win to be on 73 and in with a good shout of the POs

I dare say we're good enough to be there or there abouts for getting into the playoffs. I agree with Mr A that we don't look good enough to actually go up though, which is a whole different kettle of fish.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Were we to make the Po then BM has shown that in cup games, he can play a team that is hard to beat, and gets results, so you never know.

[Hoop Blah]

Were we to make the Po then BM has shown that in cup games, he can play a team that is hard to beat, and gets results, so you never know.

Your kind of right, once in the play offs you never know, but this side hasn't really beaten anyone in the cups as yet and I think our record against teams above us counts a hell of a lot more as an indicator of what may happen.