Will we make the top 6?

[Marshy]

Do I predict we will be in the top 6? No.

Do I think we CAN? Absolutely.

3 home games in a row is MASSIVE and our run in looks LOVELY. Out of the last 8 games we play Boro, Charlton, Blackpool, Yeovil at home. We'd all agree you'd have them as "Hope to win".

Our away games include Barnsley and Huddersfield. Again, away games you'd target as ones we would hope to pick up points.

It's far from over. Last season people were righting us off WAY to early and we put a run together. No reason it can't happen again.

I CRINGE when I hear "must win" or "thats the playoffs out of reach now" in EARLY FEB.

A positive attitude goes a long long way

 

[Rugrat]

It sounds like you do disagree on the 75 then. Either it's enough and it doesn't matter what the other teams do, or it isn't.

I think 75 might be enough but I don't see us getting there

 

[kevo]

Last season we were:
P28 W10 D12 L6 PTS 42

This season:
P28 W10 D10 L8 PTS 40

We've played one more away game at this point this season than last season.

Still a lot of football to be played this season.

Interesting, but we were undefeated in our last ten league games last season while several of the teams above us imploded. Can't see either happening this time.

Oh, and we had a much better team then. And a manager who had a plan which worked (most of the time).

 

[Bold Seagull]

Interesting, but we were undefeated in our last ten league games last season while several of the teams above us imploded. Can't see either happening this time.

Oh, and we had a much better team then. And a manager who had a plan which worked (most of the time).

I actually take your post as evidence of how well Oscar has done. Gus had 3 years at the club to get to the position the same time last season. He didn't have as many injuries to key players, and as you said, probably had a better squad.

Oscar has come into a summer of turmoil, had Ulloa, Bridcutt, Orlandi, Buckley out for most of the season and now Crofts, had Bridcutt sold last week, and despite it being just 7 months since he came to England, he is just 2 points worse off than where Gus had us.

I'd actually say that's pretty impressive for someone who you're saying has a worse team than the manager before.

I've still got a lot of optimism for the rest of this season!

 

[Simster]

Okay, I admit the answer is probably no, but what annoys me is that everyone seems to have snapped because of us taking only one point from away games at Derby, Burnley and Watford, whereas this really isn't the cause of our problems at all. It is hard to expect an awful lot more than one point from those fixtures, with four points probably being the absolute maximum we were ever likely to achieve, and maybe two points being a par score.

The reason we are falling behind is quite simple. Just take a look at all the home games we've failed to win, despite either a) playing well or b) the opposition being shit. Barnsley at home is a banker three points for any side near the top, yet we carelessly threw them away. Even with just that one result changed, how much better would our situation be looking right now? A lot, I would suggest. And that's before we even start with games like Millwall at home (who were woeful and we played really well but still didn't win), Huddersfield at home (they did nothing yet went home with a point quite comfortably), Sheffield Wednesday at home (who were absolutely abject), Yeovil away (the worst team I have ever seen at this level bar none), Bournemouth at home (they offered nothing yet we didn't even bother trying to score in the second half) and Derby at home (who at the time were mediocre at best and played like the bottom half team they had been in the last few seasons).

It winds me up that so many people barely bat an eyelid when we throw away stupid points in the first half of the season just because the games don't seem to matter at that time. And I can accept every team will have a couple of home games that don't go to plan. But five wins out of 13? That is shocking and unforgivable, and exactly why we won't be in the play-offs. It's nothing to do with losing at places like Derby and Watford.

Correct as usual, I would say.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I don't disagree on 75 but to get there will need all the factors of last season to be repeated

We go on a fantastic streak which will need to be at least as good as if not better than last year
At least 2 (possibly 3 or 4) of the teams above us collapse to the proportions of Leicester and Boro last year
None of those around us (don to Boro) put together a better run than us

I just don't see it .... not to say I'm not hopeful

P18 W9 D7 L2 - 35 pts

We've got 10 home games left, 8 away. Clearly our home games against Reading, Wigan and Ipswich are going to be pivotal if we start picking up points in other games. I'm still seeing it for now and am reasonably hopeful!

 

[Rugrat]

P18 W9 D7 L2 - 35 pts

We've got 10 home games left, 8 away. Clearly our home games against Reading, Wigan and Ipswich are going to be pivotal if we start picking up points in other games. I'm still seeing it for now and am reasonably hopeful!

I'm with you on the hope, no doubt of that!

 

[Flex Your Head]

I'm sure that I wrote exactly the same last season: we draw way too many and we don't score enough goals.

There's still plenty to play for, but realistically I feel we'll be lucky to be in the Top 8, let alone the Top 6.

 

[colonies man]

It's quite simple really we are not scoring enough goals to get enough points to make the top six.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Simple question:

Assuming no loan activity, do you think we will finish in the top 6 this season?

maybe a question for the board of directors
regards
DR

 

[Bold Seagull]

Come on then great predictors and soothsayers of NSC, 2 games on from this poll, and is the Pope getting ready for a treat from the Queen? Is top 6 really so impossible? Just 16% said we'd make to the top 6, now just 1 point out.

2 very solid home performances as we slowly start to look more threatening and attacking with each game. The confidence is growing. The belief is starting to show.

 

[martin tyler]

I voted yes in the poll and still think we will make the top 6. It is starting to look like 1 place up for grabs now with the top 5 a fair bit further up the table. So either us or Reading and i am going to bank on us.

 

[Return of the Rev]

it's quite simple really we are not scoring enough goals to get enough points to make the top six.

scored enough last night

 

[Goldstone1976]

Come on then great predictors and soothsayers of NSC, 2 games on from this poll, and is the Pope getting ready for a treat from the Queen? Is top 6 really so impossible? Just 16% said we'd make to the top 6, now just 1 point out.

2 very solid home performances as we slowly start to look more threatening and attacking with each game. The confidence is growing. The belief is starting to show.

A very fair post. I was one of those who voted "no". I'd vote "yes" now. 5th or above still looks very challenging (8 points), but 6th has to be possible from here. Wigan and Reading are massive games.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Come on then great predictors and soothsayers of NSC, 2 games on from this poll, and is the Pope getting ready for a treat from the Queen? Is top 6 really so impossible? Just 16% said we'd make to the top 6, now just 1 point out.

2 very solid home performances as we slowly start to look more threatening and attacking with each game. The confidence is growing. The belief is starting to show.

I hope you are right. But it looks possible that towels are already on the sunbeds for three of the play-off places. So that leaves Reading, us, Ipswich, Wigan, Blackburn, Leeds, Boro, and Watford chasing the one remaining place. We are as good as any of those - but it is not going to be easy. Particularly as we are having problems scoring. It would be a Bold Seagull to bet on us.

 

[Rugrat]

Have us just missing ... I thought Burnley would cave in at some point but not so sure now

 

[nwgull]

Possible, but I wouldn't bet on us. 1st-5th are sewn up, and there are 5-6 decent teams - including us - going for 6th.

 

[Bold Seagull]

A very fair post. I was one of those who voted "no". I'd vote "yes" now. 5th or above still looks very challenging (8 points), but 6th has to be possible from here. Wigan and Reading are massive games.

Indeed they are, so some pivotal games to come, and this season could end 10th as easily as it could end 4th. This time last year we were 2 pts off 6th, 7 pts off 5th, 8 pts off 4th. I still think everyone below Leicester could crack. We are only at the start of Feb. and you can suddenly buckle. Last season Leicester only got 15 pts from their last 16 games, Palace 20 pts, M'Boro 12! Teams that look solid as a rock like Forest, Derby and Burnley can hit a period where confidence and the pressure just drains them.

Home games against Reading, Wigan, Ipswich means our destiny is very much in our own hands.

 

[Machiavelli]

I voted yes in the poll and still think we will make the top 6. It is starting to look like 1 place up for grabs now with the top 5 a fair bit further up the table. So either us or Reading and i am going to bank on us.

Think it's more likely to be Wigan, who really seem to be gathering some momentum under Rosler. I didn't vote for the simple reason that I think it's so close. The best news is of the clubs chasing sixth, we've either played them twice or away (apart from Blackburn), leaving a home fixture. And, all of a sudden, our home form has got much better.

 

[Bold Seagull]

B0llocks to all this top 5 places are sewn up - I don't buy that at all.

Forest entertain Leicester while we host Wigan, while Reading are away to QPR. Get a win there we could be sat in 6th just 5 pts below Forest. Loads still to play for. Burnley play 6 of the top 8 in their last 8 home games. Some many things to go wrong for teams yet. Loose wheel nuts working their way off. Pressure starts to build now on those above us.