Playoffs pessimism

[Napper]

The main difference between last year is that we are now very hard to beat. I don't see us losing many games during the run in. Winning as many home games as possible is the key.

I think Gus will settle with 3-5 points from the 3 away games and then go for it at home.

This

Bloody hell we have lost 7 , yes only 7 out of 35 games. Hardest to beat in the division !

We'll be in there and kicking to the wire

 

[goldstone]

Comparisons:
This season: P35 W14 D14 L7 GF50 GA35 GD15 PTS56 Posn 6th
Last season: P35 W15 D10 L10 GF42 GA36 GD6 PTS55 Posn 7th

So we're doing a tad better ... not as "better" as we should be doing in my opinion considering the players we have brought in.

And moving on last season:
After 37 games we were 5th; after 38 games 4th; after 39 games 4th; after 40 games 6th; after 41 games 7th; after 42 games 7th; after 43 games 8th; after 44 games 9th; after 45 games 9th; after 46 games 10th.
I had forgotten just how dramatic our fall had been at the end of the season. 6 games to go and we were in a playoff position and we end up 10th.

 

[Icy Gull]

We have fallen away very badly in the latter stages of the last two seasons having started brilliantly. Lightning doesn't strike three times does it

 

[RupertsFlan]

Speak to people who follow other clubs in this league and you may get a slightly less irrational, mypoic voew of the situation.

We have lost 7 out of 35 games. We are on a good run and have won 4 from 6 (I think - or is it 5 from 7?)

We have beaten Hull at home, Cardiff away, Burnely at home and yes, |Tuesday night was dire - but against a side that have dispatched Forest and WAtford recently with some ease.

We have a striker having just buried a hatrick, Bridge to come back and Vicente to play some role in the latter stages. The squad is strong and is in good shape.

I work with a Forest fan and a Hull fan and they both see us as the real danger team coming into the latter stages. Last years experience will stand us in good stead at the moment as we move into this last charge. I would be far more concerned if we were shipping goals, drawing games we should be winning - its in fact quite the reverse in recent weeks - Bristol in particular should have caused us damage and they did not. Getting out of there in tact with a point was more than we deserved - but we are now becoming a formidable unit even when our free-flowing football deserts us.

I suspect most of the jitters are from us - what is close enough to touch makes the final stages so nerve-racking.

I really fancy us and if we fail at the last then another season of championship football will be fine by me. It has been a long long time since we had this level of football to enjoy and although I am hopeful we take the chance with both hands, I think our own past is what makes some so nervous.

He has assembled a great team - some may not like the style, the approach and cannot forgive the odd poor performance.

Hold your nerve, steady's the word and lets look forward to playing sides that results will directly impact our own destiny.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Nothing attracts posts quicker than:

1. Grammatical errors
2. Smelling Pistakes
3. Fish based puns
4. Palace threads

What do you BASS that on?

Seriously though, I think we have shown we can do well against even Prem teams at home but struggle away..... then we go and find Cardiff on an off day

All these sides around us to play would be interesting if we were home but with 4 of the 5 as away games it's going to be tough. That said form in the Championship is rather odd with barely a team in the top 8 winning on multiple match days lately. 8 points from those 15 would be enough probably as the others would be talking about beating 8 points from 4 games in which they've (all but one club) failed to beat us in one of those 4 matches.

 

[Rugrat]

We are on a good run and have won 4 from 6 (I think - or is it 5 from 7?)

4 from 9 or 3 from 4 ...... depends on which way you lean!

 

[Nathan]

And moving on last season:
After 37 games we were 5th; after 38 games 4th; after 39 games 4th; after 40 games 6th; after 41 games 7th; after 42 games 7th; after 43 games 8th; after 44 games 9th; after 45 games 9th; after 46 games 10th.
I had forgotten just how dramatic our fall had been at the end of the season. 6 games to go and we were in a playoff position and we end up 10th.

I had forgotten how we just dropped as well. 4th with 8 games to go... Did other teams have games in hand on us?

 

[goldstone]

I had forgotten how we just dropped as well. 4th with 8 games to go... Did other teams have games in hand on us?

When we were 4th, Middlesborough (6th), Brum (7th) and Hull (9th) all had a game in hand on us and all finished ahead of us. FootStats - Complete UK Football Statistics Analysis - Welcome is a good place to look.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Win our home games. Thats it. There's enough away points out there for us to get 75+, which should be play-offs

 

[pork pie]

I was really upbeat about automatic promotion before the Bristol match.

Now it looks like Poyet has sunk back to his bore draw tactics. That, added to the loss of Hoskins, and now CMS (not so much for goals, but his chasing about to stop other teams building from the back when we are on top) has made me concerned.

I think our promotion push will be greatly influenced by who we are able to get on loan to replace Hoskins and CMS. Someone who is prolific in front of goal will make the playoffs a certainty!

 

[goldstone]

I think our promotion push will be greatly influenced by who we are able to get on loan to replace Hoskins and CMS. Someone who is prolific in front of goal will make the playoffs a certainty!

Why would a team with a striker who is prolific in front of goal want to loan him out?

 

[RupertsFlan]

I was really upbeat about automatic promotion before the Bristol match.

Now it looks like Poyet has sunk back to his bore draw tactics. That, added to the loss of Hoskins, and now CMS (not so much for goals, but his chasing about to stop other teams building from the back when we are on top) has made me concerned.

I think our promotion push will be greatly influenced by who we are able to get on loan to replace Hoskins and CMS. Someone who is prolific in front of goal will make the playoffs a certainty!

I genuninely think you should give other teams some credit sometimes for playing well. Look at the top sides (form-wise) who have been to Ashton Gate recently and got nothing.

I dont believe this was about Poyet settling for a bore draw - \Bristol played really well and for me, although it was a long way to go for a dull point and poor performance it was something from what could easily have been nothing.

 

[Rugrat]

i imagine theres quite a few teams who feel they should have more points than they have

not Leicester!

 

[pork pie]

I genuninely think you should give other teams some credit sometimes for playing well. Look at the top sides (form-wise) who have been to Ashton Gate recently and got nothing.

I dont believe this was about Poyet settling for a bore draw - \Bristol played really well and for me, although it was a long way to go for a dull point and poor performance it was something from what could easily have been nothing.

So what excuse is there for "resting" your on-form striker? Yes, City are scrapping for points at the moment, but if we think we are serious contenders, we should at least be able to make a game of it rather than "parking the bus". There is no excuse for failing to threaten their goal in 90 mins.

 

[nwgull]

I genuninely think you should give other teams some credit sometimes for playing well. Look at the top sides (form-wise) who have been to Ashton Gate recently and got nothing.

I dont believe this was about Poyet settling for a bore draw - \Bristol played really well and for me, although it was a long way to go for a dull point and poor performance it was something from what could easily have been nothing.

I thought Bristol were fairly poor to be honest. Our sloppy passing made it easy for them to win the ball, and most of their attacks resulted in nothing more than a long range shot or a cross that was cleared.

 

[pork pie]

Why would a team with a striker who is prolific in front of goal want to loan him out?

Obviously a tough ask, but we have had them before, and a Premiership striker should be able to score more at Championship level. You only need to look at Bridge and Upson to see the gulf in class between Premiership and Championship quality players. Time for Poyet to use his contacts.

 

[RupertsFlan]

So what excuse is there for "resting" your on-form striker? Yes, City are scrapping for points at the moment, but if we think we are serious contenders, we should at least be able to make a game of it rather than "parking the bus". There is no excuse for failing to threaten their goal in 90 mins.

I went and did not think we parked the bus - we were just poor - and they played well. Hence my point in an earlier post about people being staggered and outraged when a poor performance appears. They will happen - the one bright spot on Tuesday was a poor performance away from home to a side desperate for points and on a good roll still resulted in a point.

We were poor, we struggled to get going and did not threaten (although Orlandi had one glorious opportunity from a Buckley cross in the second half that he fulffed)

That does not mean POyet has suddenly had a change of mind or ethos and decided to park the bus.

Just my opinion,.

 

[RupertsFlan]

I thought Bristol were fairly poor to be honest. Our sloppy passing made it easy for them to win the ball, and most of their attacks resulted in nothing more than a long range shot or a cross that was cleared.

Indeed - but we got out of there with a point. we were poor - I have not suggested otherwise. However we still had enough steel and resolve at the back to ensure we got something. Kuzsack did not have to made a real save, one from a header in the first half - but did command his box well and nullified the idea City had that we could defend long balls into the box.

Bridcutt seemed a little out of sorts, Buckley seems to think he cant beat anyone and Ulloa struggled to do anything without giving a foul away.

However - we move on and who knows - a win at Bolton and some on here will be stating that automatic promotion is possible. We will be there or thereabouts and I dont forsee a collapse akin to last season in the last ten games.

However, I do think there are players wtih niggles, less than fully fit (Buckley I suspect may be one) and a couple of key injuries will clearly have a potentially devastating effect.

We can but wait and see.

 

[fozzie's headband]

Speak to people who follow other clubs in this league and you may get a slightly less irrational, mypoic voew of the situation.

We have lost 7 out of 35 games. We are on a good run and have won 4 from 6 (I think - or is it 5 from 7?)

We have beaten Hull at home, Cardiff away, Burnely at home and yes, |Tuesday night was dire - but against a side that have dispatched Forest and WAtford recently with some ease.

We have a striker having just buried a hatrick, Bridge to come back and Vicente to play some role in the latter stages. The squad is strong and is in good shape.

I work with a Forest fan and a Hull fan and they both see us as the real danger team coming into the latter stages. Last years experience will stand us in good stead at the moment as we move into this last charge. I would be far more concerned if we were shipping goals, drawing games we should be winning - its in fact quite the reverse in recent weeks - Bristol in particular should have caused us damage and they did not. Getting out of there in tact with a point was more than we deserved - but we are now becoming a formidable unit even when our free-flowing football deserts us.

I suspect most of the jitters are from us - what is close enough to touch makes the final stages so nerve-racking.

I really fancy us and if we fail at the last then another season of championship football will be fine by me. It has been a long long time since we had this level of football to enjoy and although I am hopeful we take the chance with both hands, I think our own past is what makes some so nervous.

He has assembled a great team - some may not like the style, the approach and cannot forgive the odd poor performance.

Hold your nerve, steady's the word and lets look forward to playing sides that results will directly impact our own destiny.

What a sensible post! Can't believe the negativity from so many on this thread.

 

[goldstone]

I believe we have an even chance of making the playoffs even without bringing a striker in. We have Barnes to play in the slot behind Ulloa. We have Vicente to come back (he's ALWAYS "coming back" - what's the problem this time? Yet another injury?); we have Toby or Barker to fill a place on the bench (not ideal, but who knows what they might be able to do?); we have JFC to show his true colours.
Not going to be easy, but nothing in this division is!!