Four horse race

[El Presidente]

Any team at anytime can implode...........

Agreed, see Derby 2014/15 for evidence.

 

[The Oldman]

Ipswich are in good form after their dodgy period and they could be the ones who take away our unbeaten run.

 

[Nathan]

Ipswich are in good form after their dodgy period and they could be the ones who take away our unbeaten run.

Agreed. They have the best away record in the league at the moment.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

I think people are naive to think it's a 4 or 5 horse race when we're only 50% of the way through the season! 6 points/7 points is not a large gap, we could play a title rival one week and just lose and then slip up on the Tuesday night and if one of those teams won twice that gap has gone!

Plus there is always one team that goes on an excellent run from mid table

I'm still confident but it's too early for this chat.

I think that team could well be Blackburn this season, they seem to have picked up since Lambert arrived and in Jordan Rhodes have one of the best forwards in the league.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

We are not even half way through he season. Lose the next two and we will be looking to bounce back to feel secure in the play off places.
However win the next two and we will still be wondering if we have what it takes to go up automatically. One game at a time for me, don't get too excited, just grateful we are not having a 'mare like last year.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Reminds me of when I used to play golf, the next shot could be brilliant or awful, you just never know, not great for the nerves.

 

[Simster]

Lets not forget the traditional coming from nowhere in February/March team, Ipswich I'm thinking are already making a move.

Ipswich or QPR for me. I'd never write off a McCarthy team as he seems to be such a good motivator. And QPR really were excellent on Tuesday, they look like a team playing for their new manager.

I don't think it'll be Blackburn, personally. And I predict Cardiff and Birmingham will both end up mid table.

 

[warmleyseagull]

Posters mentioning possible challenges from teams outside top four are mistaken. History shows that the top two end of season have to be there or thereabouts by now. A run to PO is always possible but the top two will come from the current top; that is nailed on.

It is like a marathon from here. We had five runners until a couple of weeks ago. Burnley are first to go (they are unlikely to make up even 6-8 points on four teams above them). Albion have the worst current form of the other four based on last 10 games, but we are hanging on. Cannot stress how important the next four games are. Stay in the pack until FAC week off, and allow time for injured players to begin to return and new blood in transfer market and all bets are on. The other three will not maintain their current form to end of season (or if they do, they will certainly go up deservedly), so chance then to make another spurt.

 

[5mins-from-amex]

Posters mentioning possible challenges from teams outside top four are mistaken. History shows that the top two end of season have to be there or thereabouts by now. A run to PO is always possible but the top two will come from the current top; that is nailed on.

It is like a marathon from here. We had five runners until a couple of weeks ago. Burnley are first to go (they are unlikely to make up even 6-8 points on four teams above them). Albion have the worst current form of the other four based on last 10 games, but we are hanging on. Cannot stress how important the next four games are. Stay in the pack until FAC week off, and allow time for injured players to begin to return and new blood in transfer market and all bets are on. The other three will not maintain their current form to end of season (or if they do, they will certainly go up deservedly), so chance then to make another spurt.

Wise words.

 

[Titanic]

... The other three will not maintain their current form to end of season (or if they do, they will certainly go up deservedly), so chance then to make another spurt.

I felt a spurt coming on when the 2nd goal went in on Tuesday night... turned out to be a little premature

 

[deslynhamsmoustache1]

Posters mentioning possible challenges from teams outside top four are mistaken. History shows that the top two end of season have to be there or thereabouts by now. A run to PO is always possible but the top two will come from the current top; that is nailed on.

It is like a marathon from here. We had five runners until a couple of weeks ago. Burnley are first to go (they are unlikely to make up even 6-8 points on four teams above them). Albion have the worst current form of the other four based on last 10 games, but we are hanging on. Cannot stress how important the next four games are. Stay in the pack until FAC week off, and allow time for injured players to begin to return and new blood in transfer market and all bets are on. The other three will not maintain their current form to end of season (or if they do, they will certainly go up deservedly), so chance then to make another spurt.

Reading 2011/2012. Won the league with 89 points, they were 8th after 27 games.Like wise who would of bet against Derby last February not to go up? they imploded. I agree with your stats by the way regarding the top two,history supports that to a point. It's like a war of attrition now. As from January, staying injury free as much as we can with what we've got left and one or two astute purchases will see us alright. Only possibly Mick Mccarthy has more experience than Houghton in this situation.Traditionally the Easter period sorts out the "real deals" from the young pretenders. Win 7/8 on the bounce at that time and this league gets turned upside down. Ipswich have won 5, drawn 1 out of their last 6 games, but like you say it's who performs at the right time- aka Poyets play off season, if that had lasted another 3 or 4 games we, or possibly Bolton would have been promoted automaticly ( they were about 16 at Christmas that year).

 

[Lord Bracknell]

We need to ensure that the gap between 2nd and 3rd remains wide enough to give comfort to the two teams at the top. It's obviously important that we are one of those teams and it would make sense for Middlesbrough to be the other.

Why? Because we play Middlesbrough on the last day of the season and we might comfortably arrange a cozy draw that would stitch up both Derby and Hull.

Best we start working on this relationship on Saturday, and go out for a very dull 0-0.



Or, in my enthusiasm for promotion, am I missing the point about football?

 

[dibsy]

It will be close, no doubt, this is the Championship the most competitive league in the world. I will say however, that currently we are seeing the most exciting football we have ever seen at the Amex

Absolutely, most exciting football and most exciting season. My son was sitting on the sofa next to me watching the QPR game and he kept getting up and pacing about, he even said at one point 'I wish I hadn't started supporting Brighton and going to games as it makes me so nervous I actually feel sick'. Ha - that's the fun of it I guess. This Saturday is an enormous game, if we can just get a win ...... I'm getting nervous about it already - after you with the sick bag son.

 

[deslynhamsmoustache1]

We need to ensure that the gap between 2nd and 3rd remains wide enough to give comfort to the two teams at the top. It's obviously important that we are one of those teams and it would make sense for Middlesbrough to be the other.

Why? Because we play Middlesbrough on the last day of the season and we might comfortably arrange a cozy draw that would stitch up both Derby and Hull.

Best we start working on this relationship on Saturday, and go out for a very dull 0-0.



Or, in my enthusiasm for promotion, am I missing the point about football?

6-1 The Albion then.Hornets nest big stick spring to mind

 

[Icy Gull]

win at home point away gets the job done.

Not convinced that will be good enough this season and let's be honest we are not going to be able to do that all season anyway.

How we react after the first defeat, how many more long term injuries we get and how many players we get in in January will be very telling

 

[seagullwedgee]

Could be four teams all on 74 points by 5pm Saturday

Really?!

 

[seagullwedgee]

We need to ensure that the gap between 2nd and 3rd remains wide enough to give comfort to the two teams at the top. It's obviously important that we are one of those teams and it would make sense for Middlesbrough to be the other.

Why? Because we play Middlesbrough on the last day of the season and we might comfortably arrange a cozy draw that would stitch up both Derby and Hull.

Best we start working on this relationship on Saturday, and go out for a very dull 0-0.



Or, in my enthusiasm for promotion, am I missing the point about football?

You and I are both old enough to remember BHAFC v Blackpool, and Southampton v Spurs.........

 

[5ways]

We need to ensure that the gap between 2nd and 3rd remains wide enough to give comfort to the two teams at the top. It's obviously important that we are one of those teams and it would make sense for Middlesbrough to be the other.

Why? Because we play Middlesbrough on the last day of the season and we might comfortably arrange a cozy draw that would stitch up both Derby and Hull.

Best we start working on this relationship on Saturday, and go out for a very dull 0-0.



Or, in my enthusiasm for promotion, am I missing the point about football?

No you've entirely captured the point of football

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Ipswich v Derby on Saturday, which is handy...

 

[Ludensian Gull]

Posters mentioning possible challenges from teams outside top four are mistaken. History shows that the top two end of season have to be there or thereabouts by now. A run to PO is always possible but the top two will come from the current top; that is nailed on.

It is like a marathon from here. We had five runners until a couple of weeks ago. Burnley are first to go (they are unlikely to make up even 6-8 points on four teams above them). Albion have the worst current form of the other four based on last 10 games, but we are hanging on. Cannot stress how important the next four games are. Stay in the pack until FAC week off, and allow time for injured players to begin to return and new blood in transfer market and all bets are on. The other three will not maintain their current form to end of season (or if they do, they will certainly go up deservedly), so chance then to make another spurt.

I don't think for one minute Blackburn will make top 2, but fancy they will make a charge for the play offs.