[Albion] NOW is time to get excited about the play-offs this time.

[Guinness Boy]

In pure footballing terms - not at all, no. You're clearly a decent side. You wouldn't have been in the top 6 if you weren't. I was at both league games this season, and witnessed it for myself.

My concern is the expected loss of Stephens will hit us hard and his partner in our engine room, Beram Kayal, is all but knackered and two games in 4 days is going to be tough for him.

Beyond that, I am concerned that despite their best efforts not to be, the flatness felt by some of us will be the same for our team. If their heads are down at all, Wednesday should be good enough to capitalise on that.

To be serious for a moment that's probably where I am. I was more bullish on Sunday morning but I strongly suspect I was still pissed. Since then my thoughts have turned, not to how we can turn Wednesday over, but to how we'll miss Stephens and Dunk, how some of our players looked distraught on Saturday and how badly we struggled against Derby at home.

 

[Machiavelli]

I'm preparing for another season in the championship and watch the vultures desend in the summer and cheery pick our best players. Our players are really going to find it hard to pick themselves up for the play-offs.

The vultures will have to get their cheque books out. As will Bloom if he wants Kayal and Stephens to extend their contracts, which run out next summer.

 

[DavidRyder]

Two years ago we made 6th with about the last kick of the season - and that didn't work in our favour.

The mental build up will probably differ between the 2 sides, but when the whistle blows, i'd expect the Boro game to be forgotten, and the team to be up for it.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Just for the case of stirring the pot... are you guys really that scared of playing us if you finished 15 points ahead of us?

Again, where have we said we are 'scared' of you? You are coming up with some stunners here.

 

[Machiavelli]

That's what we are banking on, this difference in 'mentality' in terms of you looking down and disappointed and ourselves being pretty pleased with just making it in time. I'd say that footballers are different though and without creating a love in with your team (I wouldn't want to do that) we can see that they're a tough bunch to have only lost 5 games all season... it shows quite a grit.

You're spot on about our grit. The other thing to factor in is that your players have had a week's extra rest, and time to focus on how to play against us.

 

[Boy Blue]

The vultures will have to get their cheque books out. As will Bloom if he wants Kayal and Stephens to extend their contracts, which run out next summer.

Can't understand why they haven't been offered new deals or have they?, Can see another Ashley Barnes situation arrising where we get peanuts.

 

[CarlosTheOwl]

Again, where have we said we are 'scared' of you? You are coming up with some stunners here.

If you've seen any of my posts the last couple of days you know'd I'm not here for a wind up and none of my posts have been aimed towards you directly. I used 'scared' after I told you I was stirring the pot anyway! It's nice to have a bit of banter without it descending into stereotypical chaos.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Think the big difference this time around is that the play-offs feel like a consolation prize, rather than the main event. Shows how far we've progressed.

You get a trophy for winning the playoffs, what will Boro's trophy cabinet show for this season - bugger all. That said, I can't be arsed with the play offs this season and expect empty seats Monday evening (sorry)

 

[Sussex Nomad]

If you've seen any of my posts the last couple of days you know'd I'm not here for a wind up and none of my posts have been aimed towards you directly. I used 'scared' after I told you I was stirring the pot anyway! It's nice to have a bit of banter without it descending into stereotypical chaos.

I'm not the chaotic type. My worries, as pointed out by others, doesn't lie with Sheffield Wednesday, but our own players, the suspensions, how much they too are affected by Saturday, and my own feeling of play off dread yet again. I bought my ticket for next Monday directly they went on sale and I will be giving my all as a fan as ever. But the excitement isn't even 10% of the feeling I had for the previous two play offs. I guess because we are already one down from the auto game and Championship play offs so far have proved a bitter pill for us.

 

[Triggaaar]

I admit it - I just can't get excited about the play-offs this time.

Does anyone else feel like this?

It's not that we've been there twice recently, it's not that I don't think we have a fighting chance, it's just that I STILL feel numb after Saturday. I just can't get excited by these fixtures. Anyone else feeling like this, or is it just me?

It's not that I can't get excited by it, it's that I don't want to. I feel we've been robbed this season, and not just on Saturday, and I'm not confident we won't be robbed again. In fact, there's a good chance we'll be robbed again even before our next game.

I'm getting sick of the injustice of this league. If we don't go up, then next year we've got to stay within FFP again and compete with the likes of Norwich and Newcastle who will have larger parachute payments than ever before, along with some other clubs like QPR who will just laugh at FFP rules and spend a fortune, knowing the the FL are pathetic and won't stop them.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

You get a trophy for winning the playoffs, what will Boro's trophy cabinet show for this season - bugger all. That said, I can't be arsed with the play offs this season and expect empty seats Monday evening (sorry)

Runners up get a trophy these days.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Runners up get a trophy these days.

Stand corrected.

 

[CarlosTheOwl]

It's not that I can't get excited by it, it's that I don't want to. I feel we've been robbed this season, and not just on Saturday, and I'm not confident we won't be robbed again. In fact, there's a good chance we'll be robbed again even before our next game.

I'm getting sick of the injustice of this league. If we don't go up, then next year we've got to stay within FFP again and compete with the likes of Norwich and Newcastle who will have larger parachute payments than ever before, along with some other clubs like QPR who will just laugh at FFP rules and spend a fortune, knowing the the FL are pathetic and won't stop them.

I agree with that, Bournemouth and Leicester also broke FFP rules but I'm sure they don't care now. Middlesbrough will surely be the same.

 

[Bozza]

If you've seen any of my posts the last couple of days you know'd I'm not here for a wind up and none of my posts have been aimed towards you directly. I used 'scared' after I told you I was stirring the pot anyway! It's nice to have a bit of banter without it descending into stereotypical chaos.

Anyway, it's great that Wednesday fans finally have something to get properly excited about again. Without looking - it feels like it's been a long while.

You must also be pleased that a lot of lapsed fans seem to be coming out again for you. A full Hillsborough must be something you are all looking forward to.

 

[Simster]

I agree with that, Bournemouth and Leicester also broke FFP rules but I'm sure they don't care now. Middlesbrough will surely be the same.

I should imagine the excitement on your board(s) are in stark contrast to the indifference here. We were properly bang up for the two recent play-off serious we've had, to the extent that some of us were counting the number of seats left on the site as so on. But seriously, we could be 3-0 up after Friday and if there is a significant rump of fans feeling like me, I wouldn't be surprised if we barely reached 28,000 for the second leg. It's a really strange feeling. In some ways, I think I actually prefer the emotional detachment.

 

[Simster]

Anyway, it's great that Wednesday fans finally have something to get properly excited about again. Without looking - it feels like it's been a long while.

You must also be pleased that a lot of lapsed fans seem to be coming out again for you. A full Hillsborough must be something you are all looking forward to.

There is this too. It'll be nice for Wednesday's long suffering fans not to have to listen to "your ground's too big for you" yet again, with away fans pointing at rows and rows of empty seats.

 

[Peter Grummit]

We were all buzzing 2 years ago after the Ulloa winner at Forest.

And we got smashed by a much better Derby side who finished comfortably ahead of us.

I too am still down after Saturday, but we need to think logically and look forward in the knowledge that we remain on a superb unbeaten run, having outplayed 'Boro for 30 minutes with only 10 men.

Above all, we should have faith in CH to lift the players and find a tactical solution to scoring against Wednesday.

KTF.

PG

 

[Notters]

I should imagine the excitement on your board(s) are in stark contrast to the indifference here. We were properly bang up for the two recent play-off serious we've had, to the extent that some of us were counting the number of seats left on the site as so on. But seriously, we could be 3-0 up after Friday and if there is a significant rump of fans feeling like me, I wouldn't be surprised if we barely reached 28,000 for the second leg. It's a really strange feeling. In some ways, I think I actually prefer the emotional detachment.

I think the second leg will sell out. But even if we hammer Wednesday (unlikely) I will not be confident of beating Derby/Hull and that's why I feel down. The stress and tension and Middlesbrough was unbearable and not many fans/players have to deal with that two or three times in two weeks.

 

[CarlosTheOwl]

Anyway, it's great that Wednesday fans finally have something to get properly excited about again. Without looking - it feels like it's been a long while.

You must also be pleased that a lot of lapsed fans seem to be coming out again for you. A full Hillsborough must be something you are all looking forward to.

Very very true it's been 16 years of mainly crap... although we've been on an upward trend since 2011. We've had some appalling seasons in recent memory and obviously this is our best finish in those 16 years since leaving the promised land. Which shows how poor it's been.

We've not lost a game when we've had a capacity crowd at Hillsborough in the last 16 games of over 30K crowds (at least) stretching back a quite few years so, which gives us confidence.

Still, despite this we've not managed to beat anyone in the top 6 in 10 games, 7 draws and 3 losses.

 

[CarlosTheOwl]

There is this too. It'll be nice for Wednesday's long suffering fans not to have to listen to "your ground's too big for you" yet again, with away fans pointing at rows and rows of empty seats.

We can't usually hear them they're that far away anyway.