That elusive play-off spot

[Neil982]

Wrong thread this is purely for those that dream of a play-off spot - One Team One Dream

Terribly sorry! Wait there while I put my optimism hat on It'd be nice to perhaps reach the play-offs but like many I don't feel it's quite right yet for a Premiership return

[Bert]

16 Norwich 29 -7 35

17 Leicester 29 1 34

18 Blackpool 29 -1 34

19 QPR 29 -9 33

20 Coventry 28 -15 32

21 Sheff Wed 28 -5 31

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

22 Preston 29 -8 30

23 S****horpe 29 -17 27

24 Colchester 28 -8 26

The further into the season we get the less impact this illusive unbeaten run will have, you only have to see where Norwich's later 10 game run has got them. The later it is the more wins you will need in that run to have a significant impact.

Our home form may have improved dramatically but our away form has seen a significant decline over the same period, Ollie's first game, in November being the last time we manage an away win.

It could be interpreted that Ollie's appoach to the game leaves us more vunerable in away games. I just can't see us having a long winning sequence of games sufficient to make the impact needed.

we've only 8 games left at home, we'd have to win them all to stand any chance. And we all know that isnt going to happen.

Five of them, are the teams around us, and we can win every single one of them, we still have Bristol City, who we made look very ordinary, Hull, who are no better than ourselves, and Plymouth who in recent weeks have slowly slipped from 4th to 11th. Personally i think we could win every home game, but more realistically i think we'll win 5 of them at least.

[lildave3]

I don't think so, I don't even think we'll finish in the top half tbh.

[Monk]

Five of them, are the teams around us, and we can win every single one of them, we still have Bristol City, who we made look very ordinary, Hull, who are no better than ourselves, and Plymouth who in recent weeks have slowly slipped from 4th to 11th. Personally i think we could win every home game, but more realistically i think we'll win 5 of them at least.

If we go unbeatun until the end of the season, and won all our home games we'd have to win 2 and draw 7 of our away games to get to the 71 point mark. I know we've seen improvement and I know this league isn't that great, but I don't really think that kind of points tally is achievable.

[Fez of Mahrez]

As Olly has said, if you are going to be incredibly positive then it's all about a run. If you can somehow win six on the bounce, you're in contention. It's not about how many points you need at the end, it's about taking each game at a time because the table could look very different in three weeks let alone six.

[The People's Hero]

As Olly has said, if you are going to be incredibly positive then it's all about a run. If you can somehow win six on the bounce, you're in contention. It's not about how many points you need at the end, it's about taking each game at a time because the table could look very different in three weeks let alone six.

Yes, absolutely.

What I'm looking for is for the team to start playing together well. I'd love to see Oakley and Clemence strike up a formidable partnership in the middle. I'm sure once they develop an understanding, we can be a real force to be reckoned with.

Play-offs in my opinion is realistically out of reach. I'd hope for top half. As long as we stay defensively sound and start to threaten a bit more in terms of goalscoring ourselves though.. seeing an improvement, I don't think we can complain too much.

[Manwell Pablo]

Is this thread really actually about us getting a play off spot.

[dandannieldanok]

I'd love to be proved wrong but I think we'll finish closer pointswise to the relegation zone than the play-offs.

[Lillehamring]

personally, what would be really satisfying for me would be to know that we are safe with 5 or 6 games to go, so the players can stop looking over their shoulders and focus on a positive relaxed end of the season and thus a good off-season...

as far as the play-offs, wouldn't mind it for the excitement but, like many here, think it would be a false footballing economy...

that said, what if were to go up, there's nothing to say we won't have a squad that can just tread water, there are after all a lot of very mediocre teams in the prem, but chances are certainly against this...

who knows, at least i don't feel like a fraud talking about promotion these days!

[Staf]

I am sorry but i dont think we can get in the play offs this season if we finish in the top half i will be delighted but i dont think we will get in the play offs i think we have the quality but we are too far off the play offs

[Koke]

This division is tighter than my girlfriend's vagina.

[Simi]

I find this talk ridiculous.

I really think play-offs are well out of reach. Yes we've not lost in three, but I honestly don't think we have the squad to maintain that consistency for a sustained period.

'Anyone can beat anyone', true. But we've left ourselves way to much to do in a short period of time. We've still got to go away to the likes of West Brom, Stoke, Watford and Cardiff. Very tough trips although Watford have slipped up lately.

As I said at the start of the season, top half would be a very good season for us. Especially after the start we've had.

[The Reverend]

Top 'alf will do me. Play off's are reachable (just),but i dont think we will get there. Though you never know.

[Koke]

Thing is though, every team in this division, bar Scunny and Colchester maybe, are thinking exactly the same thing.

You might be able to predict the top two, but after that its anyone's game from Stoke and Bristol City all the way down to us.

Personally, I think we'll go on a decent run and finish mid table ish ala Sheffield Wednesday last season.

[The People's Hero]

This division is tighter than my girlfriend's vagina.

I bet it's not as tight as her arse though.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

WE DON'T WANT PROMOTION THIS SEASON

The squad as it is, is no-where near premier league class and I don't think Milan has enough money to take it there yet. Sure, we want to be looking there or there abouts, so anything from 10th upwards, which is certainly achiveable I think is a massive plus.

But remember - we still only have 2 decent (but could prove to be crap) recognised wingers and other postions are a bit bare in terms of quality back up. So a decent run could easily be scuppered by the odd injury or two.

If we get a trip to Wembley via the playoffs, yes I'd be delighted, and if we ended up going up I'd be singing about it all summer, but then we'd most likely do a Derby - which could do more harm than good.

[Koke]

I bet it's not as tight as her arse though.

It needs thorough experimenting.

I'll get back to you with that one.

[maddog]

Anyone honestly think it's still possible?

We were 12 points off it after the QPR match, 3 games and 7 points later we are 10 points off it.

So basically we've made up 2 points in 3 games.

IMO It's still possible but I believe the transfer window came a fortnight too late for us to have any realistic chance of making it.

Hopefully if we can take 10-12 points in Feb the extra confidence in the side will spur them on for the 3 very difficult away ties in March and then who knows

I certainly now believe its possible.

The Palace game was a must win as i said before to keep the small hope alive.

If we had lost to Palace we would have been 16 points off the playoffs with 17 games to go totally out of it.

We would also have been just 1 point above the drop zone if we had lost.

It's a cliche, but that was a real 6 pointer, and the fact we are only 10 points behind gives me great hope.

Also with 2 winnable games against Blackpool and Plymouth at home coming up, we could catch up a few more points.

Looking at the current 6th place mark, 67-74 points is what we will need to get it.

The table is a lot tighter though this year, and i rekon 6th place won't be the 75 points it has been recently, more like 70.

1.52 is the average points needed per game for 70 points for the season. Palace currently have 1.517 a game, so very close.

This basically means that every 3 wins you get, you catch up around 4.5 points.

Obviously thats just averages, we may win 3 and not catch up any, or win 3 and catch up 6 or 7 points.

Anyway the win against Palace makes it possible, if we can win our next 2 it will be even better and we will be able to afford to draw at Watford, ideally would like a win.

I have to keep believeing it's possible or it just won't ever happen.

I will try to transfer my beliefs to the players during the Plymouth game

Id say at the moment, as an estimate we have a 5-15% chance of reaching that 6th place.

With a few more wins our chances will increase, and as long as we are only 1-2 points behind the playoffs with 1 game left we have a good chance.

So all we need to do is catch up 8 points in 16 games easy huh

So if Palace stick to their current average, if we get 2 points a game for the next 16 we will catch up those points and be 2 points behind with 1 game left.

Obviously we may be 7 points behind with 1 left if the top teams keep winning, or inside the playoffs with 1 game left if results go our way.

My opinion, it is very possible after the win against Palace.

Will my opinion change if we don't beat Blackpool? Possibly.

I also think anyone who says we don't want to be promoted this season is a joker, to put it politely