Choose your top six

[Cookie]

Don't write off The Clarets.
We could still meet them in the play-offs.

[Ian Royal]

I'd quite like Norwich in the play offs for watching, tiny chance I might make the away game (in that I'm guessing tickets would be in demand)... I don't think there's much chance of me going to Leeds, Swansea, Cardiff or Burnley even if a ticket was available and Nottingham would be pretty shitty too.

[URZZZZZZZZ]

I think we'll make the playoffs but if we want to stand any chance of going up we need to be higher than 6th. If we have to play Swansea/Norwich I'm not sure we could beat them over two legs, however on a one off I think its possible. Dreading playing Swansea and Rodgers should that come about though!

[Snowball]

I think we'll make the playoffs but if we want to stand any chance of going up we need to be higher than 6th. If we have to play Swansea/Norwich I'm not sure we could beat them over two legs, however on a one off I think its possible. Dreading playing Swansea and Rodgers should that come about though!

Agree with this. Cardiff have an easier run-in than these two, but I think
without Chopra, Bothroyd and Aaron Ramsey they will miss out on automatic
meaning we shouldn't have to play one of them.

Although Swansea have stuttered recently, on their day they are very good indeed.
They looked special v Forest. I think Norwich are more consistent, a better all-round team.

So we aren't leaving much room! We have to hope they are 2nd and 3rd
and we are 4th/5th so we can play Leeds/Burnley/Pompey/Hull

It's going to be horrendously difficult, never mind getting there.

Best bet is to come second.

[Ferris]

QPR
Swansea

Norwich
Cardiff
Burnley
Leeds

We'll finish 11th behind Forest, Pompey, Watford and Leicester

You want some money on that?

What? You mean you're not so certain?

No Snowy, I'm not certain that I can predict the top 11 teams in the Championship in order. I'm not even certain I can predict the top two.

[Z175]

I think we'll make the playoffs but if we want to stand any chance of going up we need to be higher than 6th. If we have to play Swansea/Norwich I'm not sure we could beat them over two legs, however on a one off I think its possible. Dreading playing Swansea and Rodgers should that come about though!

I think that for all their superior style of play Swansea were lucky to beat us twice this season so I would be confident of getting a win if we have another couple of bites of the cherry.

We're tremendously hard to beat and a good cup side. If we make it to the playoffs we will be the form team, have a bigger squad to choose from and match winners all over the shop.

[No Fixed Abode]

Reading will finish 7th or 8th.

Pompey to sneak in the play-offs.

[URZZZZZZZZ]

I think we'll make the playoffs but if we want to stand any chance of going up we need to be higher than 6th. If we have to play Swansea/Norwich I'm not sure we could beat them over two legs, however on a one off I think its possible. Dreading playing Swansea and Rodgers should that come about though!

I think that for all their superior style of play Swansea were lucky to beat us twice this season so I would be confident of getting a win if we have another couple of bites of the cherry.

We're tremendously hard to beat and a good cup side. If we make it to the playoffs we will be the form team, have a bigger squad to choose from and match winners all over the shop.

I'm not sure they were lucky to beat us. They appeared to have us at arms length throughout both of the matches despite only winning by one goal each time. Rodgers know's every nook and cranny about our club and I just feel that he would have the upper hand against us.

[Allyh84]

QPR
Norwich
Swansea
Cardiff
Leeds
READING

[fester_royal]

i think we'd need to pull out some fantastic run of form to make the top six, including beating leeds and forest!!

personally i think we'll fall short (just) again and spend the summer dreading who will be sold

[Snowball]

i think we'd need to pull out some fantastic run of form to make the top six, including beating leeds and forest!!

personally i think we'll fall short (just) again and spend the summer dreading who will be sold

IF we can beat Portsmouth and then bottom-side Preston, we'll be in the top six
and then match or better Forest-Leeds... Not quite such a tall order

[Snowball]

I think we'll make the playoffs but if we want to stand any chance of going up we need to be higher than 6th. If we have to play Swansea/Norwich I'm not sure we could beat them over two legs, however on a one off I think its possible. Dreading playing Swansea and Rodgers should that come about though!

I think that for all their superior style of play Swansea were lucky to beat us twice this season so I would be confident of getting a win if we have another couple of bites of the cherry.

We're tremendously hard to beat and a good cup side. If we make it to the playoffs we will be the form team, have a bigger squad to choose from and match winners all over the shop.

I'm not sure they were lucky to beat us. They appeared to have us at arms length throughout both of the matches despite only winning by one goal each time. Rodgers know's every nook and cranny about our club and I just feel that he would have the upper hand against us.

Church missed an open goal and a very good heading chance when we were 1-0 down.

[PEARCEY]

i think we'd need to pull out some fantastic run of form to make the top six, including beating leeds and forest!!

personally i think we'll fall short (just) again and spend the summer dreading who will be sold

Why do we need to beat Leeds and Forest? Avoiding defeat in those games would be enough if we do the business elsewhere. You also need to look at Forest's up and coming games. I expect them to fall out of play-off contention.

[Snowball]

i think we'd need to pull out some fantastic run of form to make the top six, including beating leeds and forest!!

personally i think we'll fall short (just) again and spend the summer dreading who will be sold

Why do we need to beat Leeds and Forest? Avoiding defeat in those games would be enough if we do the business elsewhere. You also need to look at Forest's up and coming games. I expect them to fall out of play-off contention.

Totally agree with this. To be frank, I thought they were
shoe-ins for second at one point, but this run they are on is awful

A few games ago it looked like we needed wins at Leeds-Forest but that's changed dramatically
and draws should suffice. In fact if we can win the other 7 we could lose at both and make the top six comfortably

[Ian Royal]

fester's said he thinks it will take fantastic form... that's obviously because he expects those teams to pick up in form. No one knows what'll happen, it's as valid an opinion as most others...

[PEARCEY]

fester's said he thinks it will take fantastic form... that's obviously because he expects those teams to pick up in form. No one knows what'll happen, it's as valid an opinion as most others...

If Forest pick up form they will take points off other play-off contenders. Ditto Leeds. I can't see why we will need to be in fantastic form to make the play-offs.

[URZZZZZZZZ]

i think we'd need to pull out some fantastic run of form to make the top six, including beating leeds and forest!!

personally i think we'll fall short (just) again and spend the summer dreading who will be sold

I thought this, but the fixtures are heavily stacked in our favour.

Leeds

Leeds v Nott'm Forest - Win/win for us
Millwall v Leeds - Tough place to go, could easily drop points
Derby v Leeds - Again tough place to go, Derby finding a bit of form
Leeds v Watford - Should win, but Watford are good away
Leeds v Reading - Tough game
Crystal Palace v Leeds - Palace have an impressive home record
Leeds v Burnley - Should win, again though tough game
QPR v Leeds - Lose

Forest

Leeds v Nott'm Forest - Win/win or us, Forest probably lose
Nott'm Forest v Reading - Tough game
Nott'm Forest v Burnley - Should win, but will help us either way
Norwich v Nott'm Forest - Lose
Nott'm Forest v Leicester - Should win, but anything can happen in a derby
Bristol City v Nott'm Forest - Bristol in good form at the mo, conceivable that they will drop points here
Nott'm Forest v Scunthorpe - Win
Crystal Palace v Nott'm Forest - Palace have an impressive home record

Reading

Reading v Portsmouth - Tough game, should be draw or win though
Reading v Preston - Win
Nott'm Forest v Reading - Tough match, draw likely
Scunthorpe v Reading - Should win
Reading v Leicester - Hopefully Leicester will be out of contention, I fancy us to beat most teams at home though
Leeds v Reading - Tough match, draw or loss
Reading v Sheff Utd - Win
Coventry v Reading - Win
Reading v Derby - Win

/Snowball esq post

[Snowball]

We'll finish 11th behind Forest, Pompey, Watford and Leicester

You want some money on that?




No Snowy, I'm not certain that I can predict the top 11 teams in the Championship in order. I'm not even certain I can predict the top two.

I was just asking about the underlined line

[Snowball]

So far in the last 15 we are DWDWWW (2.33 ppg) and we need to average 2 ppg.

If we WW, WL, LW, WD or DW we will be AHEAD of 2 ppg after 8 games. If we DD we will be still on target

1-1 H Watford
2-1 H Millwall
3-3 A Crystal Palace
5-2 H Middlesbrough
3-1 A Ipswich
1-0 A Barnsley

15-8



H Portsmouth
H Preston

If we win both of these games we will be on 20 points from 8 games
comfortably in the top six and will need just 10 points from the following 7 games





The five bolded games are eminently winnable.

A Nottm Forest
A Scunthorpe
H Leicester
A Leeds
H Sheffield Utd
A Coventry
H Derby

[fester_royal]

fester's said he thinks it will take fantastic form... that's obviously because he expects those teams to pick up in form. No one knows what'll happen, it's as valid an opinion as most others...

If Forest pick up form they will take points off other play-off contenders. Ditto Leeds. I can't see why we will need to be in fantastic form to make the play-offs.

My thinking is based majoritively on pessimism granted!

However, forest and Leeds even when doing badly can grind results out which is key in this league. It's also something we have failed to do a number of times this year. Run ins on paper are all well and good but how many times has that ever been the case?!?