Who's going to win the play-offs?

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Not as far as I know. The drinking thing has been much exaggerated IMHO, I doubt it would have got any air time at all if it wasn't for the result against Boro and subsequent post mortem.

You are actually on the CCFC payroll arent you?

[SouthDownsRoyal]

swansea vs reading final

it was just meant to be!

NO please no, I could never take losing to rodgers @ wembley

[Svlad Cjelli]

Not as far as I know. The drinking thing has been much exaggerated IMHO, I doubt it would have got any air time at all if it wasn't for the result against Boro and subsequent post mortem.

You are actually on the CCFC payroll arent you?

Ni, I think you'll find he's actually surplus to requirements at CCFC and he's actually on the payroll of MCFC but loaned to his hometown club so MCFC don't breach the Premiers League's rules on the number of internet sycophants in a single squad.

[seahawk10]

Virtually impossible but using your head rather than your heart who do you think will win the play-offs? My own hunch is Forest. They're coming good at the moment and I just regard them as a strong outfit

Fook that. I am using my heart and it says Reading.

[Maguire]

Swans for me

[RG30]

Nottingham Forest for me. Probably the most experienced manager of the 4 when it comes to Playoffs, Davies has picked his battles very specifically but seemed to save his side at the right stage of the season. They are a decent team all round and I think he'll get his tactics over the two Swansea games spot on.

[Ian Royal]

I'd say Swansea.

Cardiff, Forest and us have a bit of a bottle job history. And I think they play the better, more reliable football. Though they'll struggle in the Prem.

[westendgirl]

I don't think "overall" form is the way to judge, nor do I think
the most recent six games are meaningful (in this case)

If you look at the last 8 game table on 365, there is only one team in the top 6 who was not in the top 6 in the table and that is Boro, with QPR being the missing one so it would seem all the teams in the play-offs are on a reasonable run of form

[Snowball]

I don't think "overall" form is the way to judge, nor do I think
the most recent six games are meaningful (in this case)

If you look at the last 8 game table on 365, there is only one team in the top 6 who was not in the top 6 in the table and that is Boro,
with QPR being the missing one so it would seem all the teams in the play-offs are on a reasonable run of form

Understood. What I meant was, for example (IMO) Reading took a breath
or took their foot of the pedal. Had they beaten Sheffield United (and surely
they showed they were capable of it when they went 2-0 up) they would have finished
3rd on GD above Swansea and Cardiff, 5 points clear of Forest.

Their 15-game form was the clear best in the league, but, coming from nowhere
(12th) and making the POs, as soon as automatic was impossible, a short slump
was inevitable.

And not much of a slump! Two 0-0 away draws, the silly defeat v Sheffield and
the last-day win v Derby

[Snowball]

I don't think "overall" form is the way to judge, nor do I think
the most recent six games are meaningful (in this case)

If you look at the last 8 game table on 365, there is only one team in the top 6 who was not in the top 6 in the table and that is Boro, with QPR being the missing one so it would seem all the teams in the play-offs are on a reasonable run of form

Forest I can't make my mind up on. They looked great, then dross, now these results


H 2-2 Preston
A 0-0 Millwall
A 1-1 Middlesbrough
H 0-1 Hull
A 1-2 Sheffield Utd
H 0-0 Doncaster
A 2-3 Swansea
A 1-4 Leeds
H 3-4 Reading

H 2-0 Burnley (B down to ten men aafter 32 minutes)
A 1-2 Norwich (they got a freak goal but were basically hammered by Norwich)
H 3-2 Leicester
A 3-2 Bristol
H 5-1 Scunthorpe (bottom club, already relegated...)
A 3-0 Palace (Palace played most of the game with ten men, red card 25th minute)

They've had a long, poor run, and lost to Reading, Hull, Norwich, Leeds, and Swansea suggesting
they lose to the better sides. Burnley losing a man must have helped them win and psychologically
that was massive, then they had another favourable red, and got Scunthorpe. So PERHAPS those
5 wins in 6 and not quite as good as they look at first glance.

[dogzbollox]

Their 15-game form was the clear best in the league, but, coming from nowhere
(12th) and making the POs, as soon as automatic was impossible, a short slump
was inevitable.

And not much of a slump! Two 0-0 away draws, the silly defeat v Sheffield and
the last-day win v Derby[/quote]


This..........

[zummerset]

I voted Reading but secretly think Swansea have the edge. We will see tho - bring on Friday nite!!

[Thames Valley Bluebird]

Not as far as I know. The drinking thing has been much exaggerated IMHO, I doubt it would have got any air time at all if it wasn't for the result against Boro and subsequent post mortem.

You are actually on the CCFC payroll arent you?

Ni, I think you'll find he's actually surplus to requirements at CCFC and he's actually on the payroll of MCFC but loaned to his hometown club so MCFC don't breach the Premiers League's rules on the number of internet sycophants in a single squad.

Are you telling me that if Reading had been offered a player like Bellamy on the same terms you'd have wanted RFC to refuse them?

[Victor Meldrew]

All this talk about form-IIRC form goes out of the window when it comes to play-offs.
Remember we beat Bolton at Elm Park just a few weeks before our Wembley final.
This is much more of a lottery than the Grand National and it probably comes down to nerves and fitness as well as ability when the final is played at Wembley.
With us and Swansea drawn apart it really is all set up for Brendan Rodgers day of reckoning.
Personally I think the ball retention and better passing game of Swansea would be better suited to Wembley than our long-ball game so I hope that Forest win their tie because as a team I think they have a bit of a soft centre and Billy Davies never seems to know what his best team is whereas ours more or less selects itself although Kebe's fitness is a great concern.

[Super Royals]

We will win the play-offs - simples

[Bacon Double Cheese]

Are you telling me that if Reading had been offered a player like Bellamy on the same terms you'd have wanted RFC to refuse them?

If this is a serious question then I suspect the vast majority would not want him. He's not the right kind of person.

[loyalroyal4life]

swansea vs reading final

it was just meant to be!

NO please no, I could never take losing to rodgers @ wembley

We will beat them!

[Thames Valley Bluebird]

Are you telling me that if Reading had been offered a player like Bellamy on the same terms you'd have wanted RFC to refuse them?

If this is a serious question then I suspect the vast majority would not want him. He's not the right kind of person.

He might be a horrible little bastard on the pitch (think stephen hunt x 10) but to try and claim he's not the right kind of person is a bit rich.

http://www.craigbellamyfoundation.org/

[Svlad Cjelli]

Are you telling me that if Reading had been offered a player like Bellamy on the same terms you'd have wanted RFC to refuse them?

If this is a serious question then I suspect the vast majority would not want him. He's not the right kind of person.

He might be a horrible little bastard on the pitch (think stephen hunt x 10) but to try and claim he's not the right kind of person is a bit rich.

http://www.craigbellamyfoundation.org/

No-one's denying what he does for charity. But he's not the type of player that Reading would ever sign, whether they had to pay his wages or not - too much baggage, too much of an ego, too much potential for disrupting the dressing room.

You have to know how this club thinks to understand it - and, no disrespect, I don't think you will - but part of the whole Reading ethos is not "win at all costs" but "win the right way".

But anyway I was just being flippant with the original comment.

[Thames Valley Bluebird]

No-one's denying what he does for charity. But he's not the type of player that Reading would ever sign, whether they had to pay his wages or not - too much baggage, too much of an ego, too much potential for disrupting the dressing room.

You have to know how this club thinks to understand it - and, no disrespect, I don't think you will - but part of the whole Reading ethos is not "win at all costs" but "win the right way".

But anyway I was just being flippant with the original comment.

Ha ha ha. I didn't realise Reading were a modern day Corinthian Casuals, a model of sportsmanship and good practice.