The next five games

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Looking at the run ins for Burnley, Boro and Hull I think we'll need 13 points to have a decent chance going into the final two games of the season.

I'm confident we'll get three of those points against Birmingham. Surely the players will be fired up after saturday...

 

[sparkie]

I don't rule out making up 2 points against Burnley tomorrow.

In which case we'll want Middlesbrough to beat Burnley on the night we play QPR.

Just need to get 3 points against Birmingham then we'll see what the table looks like.

 

[8ace]

On Paddy Power we're 9-1 to go up automatic and 7/5 to go up via playoffs.

We are 7/2 to go up automatically and 7/5 to be promoted (auto or play-offs) with PP.
With SkyBet we are 4/1 to WIN the playoffs, with the same firm we are 8/15 To Reach The Playoffs And Not Be Promoted.

 

[atomised]

13 points

 

[ditchy]

Yeh - not getting a talisman like Murray up front or an Upson figure to sort us out at the back will likely end up costing us. Shame if that happens, because the midfield and wing play has been excellent but you can't build half a team and have expectations that you'll get into the best league in the world.

Whats wrong with Goldson . he has been outstanding at the back since he came into the team.

 

[Rugrat]

Can't see auto's being less than 89, maybe 90. That being the case we may get away with 13, but if ever we need a 5 game winning streak then now is the time

 

[sparkie]

Can't see auto's being less than 89, maybe 90. That being the case we may get away with 13, but if ever we need a 5 game winning streak then now is the time

My projection is now 90 points required.

6 wins from 7, tough.

I hope the projected target goes down after the midweek results.

 

[Hugo Rune]

That scenario could still well happen. Burnley look to be going slightly off the boil, could be finally the start of THEIR blip that all the top 4 have suffered to some degree.

They were very average on Saturday but their set-pieces were outstanding. They only need half a dozen corners to be pretty certain of scoring & hoof balls to Gray ensure they get them. Sorry, can't see them losing again this season, their set-pieces will get them out of any trouble they find themselves in.

 

[Seagulls1984]

Burnley haven't beaten a team in the top half of the table away from home this season . They still have to go to boro, Preston and Birmingham .

 

[chaileyjem]

Burnley haven't beaten a team in the top half of the table away from home this season . They still have to go to boro, Preston and Birmingham .

Agreed. Would be remarkable if Boro and Burnley win all their remaining games and push the automatic threshold higher than 90.
Lots more twists to come again.

 

[Rugrat]

Agreed. Would be remarkable if Boro and Burnley win all their remaining games and push the automatic threshold higher than 90.
Lots more twists to come again.

They don't need to win all their remaining games to put the threshold beyond 90.

Realistically we are outsiders and the "lots more twists and turn" statement hasn't got a lot of shelf life

 

[chaileyjem]

They don't need to win all their remaining games to put the threshold beyond 90.

Realistically we are outsiders and the "lots more twists and turn" statement hasn't got a lot of shelf life

well its got a few more weeks in it yet. and yes , after Saturday, we are now obviously outsiders. Although it only takes a Boro draw or defeat for us to be right back in there. (if we win our games of course)

 

[Rugrat]

if we win our games of course

I can see the potential for a slip up by Boro but it relies on us winning .... certainly if we could come away from our next 2 games with maximum points I would say we might even be marginal favourites (momentum and all that) but that is one bloody great IF

Pity we're the first of us Burnley and Boro to visit Brum. If we beat them tomorrow that will likely be their season over making the trips for the other 2 less of a challenge maybe

 

[MattBackHome]

Sidwell has featured in 10 games this season for us.
Until today he'd come on in 5 games in the last 15 minutes and we'd won all of them. (Reading, MK Dons, Brentford, Bristol and Leeds)
The 2 games where he played a full 90 mins were the away draw at Hull and the home draw against Sheff Weds. Both creditable draws.
Even the game we lost he only played in the 2nd half (Cardiff).

In those 10 games the aggregate score when he wasn't on the pitch was Albion 16 - 3 Opponents. With Sidwell: Albion 1 - 4 Opponents.*

Far from conclusive (e.g. he was brought on to close out the game when we were already winning 4-0 etc) but I don't reckon he's been very good at all.


*I may have bollocksed up these numbers but it doesn't detract from my core point.

 

[TSB]

Three of them against teams with nothing to play for.
Two against teams that aren't very good.
Each one will make or break the season.

Target has to be fifteen points, doesn't it? That'd put us on 87.
Leaving one win (or two draws) from the last two to be promoted.

One down. Four to go.

 

[sparkie]

Forest will have Lansbury back up to speed, though probably Assombalonga won't quite be ready yet, thankfully.

Another tough match, but not beyond us.

 

[Biscuit]

Boro will beat Burnley. I simply know it.

 

[Sheebo]

Brum have plenty to play for I'm afraid...

Not anymore

 

[Ecosse Exile]

My prediction is that it will be us and Boro.

I'm not convinced that Hull are back on song just because they steamrollered Bristol City yesterday, even we managed to put 4 past them, and that's not a slight on us but it is a rarity.

Mmm, that must have hurt tonight, next game is massive for Hull, bounce back and put the pressure on us to keep winning, or are they resigned to the play offs?

I do feel that Boro have got it back together, and maybe even more so than before their internal blow up. They weren't particularly impressive I didn't think on Friday, or against Hull, but that was two very tough games that not many teams would have taken 6 points from, I expect them to look more like their old selves from now on.

Looking more like themselves against Huddersfield, good result for Boro.

Burnley? yes their gritty and horrible and know how to get a result, but they are definitely not as good as the other three teams on yesterdays performance, or any other time I have had the misfortune of seeing them this season and besides, their slump may have just begun, that's two without a win now, first time for a while.

Make that 3 without a win.

As for us, I think yesterdays result may spur us on for the rest of the season, we were the better team by quite a margin and that's not even looking through my blue and white tinted glasses, If Burnley are gritty and no how to get a result, well so are we, we have lost the same number of games, 5 all season, but as was mentioned yesterday, I would only expect Andre Gray to get in our side, not one other Burnley player. Maybe a couple good enough to provide competition from the bench, but hey, our bench is pretty bloody strong too!

Up the Albion, and heres to a massive promotion party for both sides at The Riverside.

Nothing to change my mind from tonights games

 

[TSB]

Four down. One to go.