Sorry guys but the draw last Tuesday will turn out to be the turning point of the season, points are acceptable away from home but not when all your rivals have won.
We keep lurking with intent but every time we have the opportunity to cast our big dark shadow over the top 4 we have a set back, I think it's happened 4/5 times now.
I still fancy us to have a late run of consistency but I feel it will be too little too late and the games will run out for us.
Not us in the top 2 I doubt, playoffs is just a lottery and cant really be predicted.
Any of the top 5 could win this league with a bit of consistancy, noone seems to be capable of it though, even more frustrating for us as we probably have the best squad on paper (especially compared to the likes of Stoke and Bristol City) but we just cant seem to put 2 results together.
If history is anything in this division it's really decided who goes up until the last couple of weeks, Sunderland were on 53 points at this time last season, and won the league by miles.
until we can't make an automatic position we keep going, then we worry about the play offs.
Cool mate,i just wondered who you fancied for automatic promotion.I know you don't want to "predict" this league but you must have an idea of who you think will go up.
No one can foresee injuries or suspension to key players, or how some freeze under pressure.
Just because teams are going well now, is not a guarantee they'll be consistant right until the end.
The season finishes in May, not the end of February.
If people just ask the question in fun, then whatever their guess is, that's just fun also.
And that's fine. ;o)
Unquestionably this is a weak league and we are lucky to have survived nine defeats and still be in the playoffs with a decent chance of automatic promotion. Look at the number of teams who have occupied the two automatic promotion places this season - I'd reckon a good six/seven teams, including us at some point. Take Coventry - they led the league for a few matches early doors and are now just above the relegation places, and sacked their manager this week while Palace have done the opposite. West Brom were looking certs, but have lost five away games on the bounce.
If we can put a stream of games together where we continually pick up points then with the other teams around us taking it turns to screw up then I don't see why come May that one of those two places will belong to us.
[cite]Posted By: Frank Butcher[/cite]Not us in the top 2 I doubt, playoffs is just a lottery and cant really be predicted.
lottery: An activity or event regarded as having an outcome depending on fate.
I thought the outcome of the play-offs was determined by playing better football than the opposition and WINNING. If the club has a mindset of the play-offs being a lottery rather than a competion that is out there to be won then quite frankly we don't deserve to go up.
Why don't we just start next season now and not bother to turn up for the rest of the season?. All this, "we can't make the automatics stuff" really f*cks me off I'm afraid. We still have a possible 39 points, the lead in this division has been chopping and changing.
A few games ago, Watford fans were calling for Boothroyd to be sacked. We'll run out of games, when we run out of games. The club is not going to replace Pards with Gary Johnson, Sam Allardyce, or Uncle Tom Cobbly. The time to take stock is at the end of the season if we haven't gained promotion; not now when we still have big chances.
All this negativity will only get a gloom mentality in the crowd when we need to keep believing and getting behind the team.
no bing i think we should make sure we make the play off's mate because we are closer to dropping out than we are to top 2.Any fancy a friendly bet we dont make top 2 ?
[cite]Posted By: northstandsteve[/cite]no bing i think we should make sure we make the play off's mate because we are closer to dropping out than we are to top 2.Any fancy a friendly bet we dont make top 2 ?
That's not my point Steve. My point is that we have everything to play for; it's all about expectation at this stage of the season. Look at Ipswich, they are below us in the table but ask their fans if they are looking forward to the rest of the season with considerable expectation that they might still get an automatic spot and I'm sure they'll be happier than many on here and at the ground yesterday seem to be.
Pards apparently, according to Reams, has failed to improve any of our players compared to Gary Johnson. Yet no acknowledgement is made for the fact that Johnson has built on a promotion last season whereas Pards inherited a heap of crap, was forced to sell his best player and needed to rebuild completely.
I just think we should have post mortems after patient has died, not when he's still got plenty to live for.
[cite]Posted By: northstandsteve[/cite]no bing i think we should make sure we make the play off's mate because we are closer to dropping out than we are to top 2.Any fancy a friendly bet we dont make top 2 ?
ditto.
after the results midweek and yesterday i'll be looking at the teams 5-6 points behind us (with a game in hand), because 1 or 2 of them are gonna get momentum and knock 1 or 2 teams out of the current play-off places. we need to win back to back games to keep them far enough away, something we haven't done since the begining of december.
and away from home something we haven't done since 4 dec (Cardiff),the difference between us and ipswich is their goal all along has been play off's as they have never been close enough for top two,where as we have fallen away from top 2 since mid december
[cite]Posted By: northstandsteve[/cite]and away from home something we haven't done since 4 dec (Cardiff),the difference between us and ipswich is their goal all along has been play off's as they have never been close enough for top two,where as we have fallen away from top 2 since mid december
Our goal, according to Pards at the start of the season, was to get into the Play Offs. He made that quite clear. He was also surprised at how well we were doing, position wise before Xmas. He pointed out that his teams tend to have better second halfs of the season - that still remains to be seen.
The only team I don't think we could beat in the play offs would be West Brom i think we could beat anybody else in the league so I hope West Brom go up automatically hopefully as well as us. If not we have a good chance in the play offs.
[cite]Posted By: Frank Butcher[/cite]Not us in the top 2 I doubt, playoffs is just a lottery and cant really be predicted.
lottery: An activity or event regarded as having an outcome depending on fate.
I thought the outcome of the play-offs was determined by playing better football than the opposition and WINNING. If the club has a mindset of the play-offs being a lottery rather than a competion that is out there to be won then quite frankly we don't deserve to go up.
You really are an idiot. How long have you been watching football for? You said before that it was years, but I am begining to have my doubts. Since when was the outcome of any football match - let alone a play off game - determined purely by playing the better football? Have you never seen a team get absolutely murdered but sneak a 1-0 win? But hey, don't let me stop you having yet another cheap shot at the club.
Can I ask you, if you're really so down on everything about the club - the board, the manager, the players, the fans - then why do you bother? Why don't you go and do something that you DO enjoy - like having an all day wank-a-thon!
[cite]Posted By: browny[/cite]I fancy Watford and Stoke for automatic promotion with us going up via the play-offs.
Who do you think will be the top 2 and who will win the play-offs?
Experience in the play offs is a big factor, if West brom are not in the automatics then I think they will get the play off spot, if they are top two and we are play offs then I think we have a good chance.
Comments
Watford
Sorry guys but the draw last Tuesday will turn out to be the turning point of the season, points are acceptable away from home but not when all your rivals have won.
We keep lurking with intent but every time we have the opportunity to cast our big dark shadow over the top 4 we have a set back, I think it's happened 4/5 times now.
I still fancy us to have a late run of consistency but I feel it will be too little too late and the games will run out for us.
Any of the top 5 could win this league with a bit of consistancy, noone seems to be capable of it though, even more frustrating for us as we probably have the best squad on paper (especially compared to the likes of Stoke and Bristol City) but we just cant seem to put 2 results together.
It was a simple question browny nothing wrong with it at all as long as the answers don't offend
2. Stoke
3. West Brom
4. Bristol City
5. Ipswich
6. Charlton
We have a chance in the play offs because we look interested against decent sides.
until we can't make an automatic position we keep going, then we worry about the play offs.
Point 1, Sunderland were impressive and their cause was helped by other teams faultering aswell, they did not do it all alone.
Point 2, What people do not realise is that Stoke City are already doing what Sunderland did and they have started it alot earlier too.
No one can foresee injuries or suspension to key players, or how some freeze under pressure.
Just because teams are going well now, is not a guarantee they'll be consistant right until the end.
The season finishes in May, not the end of February.
If people just ask the question in fun, then whatever their guess is, that's just fun also.
And that's fine. ;o)
If we can put a stream of games together where we continually pick up points then with the other teams around us taking it turns to screw up then I don't see why come May that one of those two places will belong to us.
I thought the outcome of the play-offs was determined by playing better football than the opposition and WINNING. If the club has a mindset of the play-offs being a lottery rather than a competion that is out there to be won then quite frankly we don't deserve to go up.
A few games ago, Watford fans were calling for Boothroyd to be sacked. We'll run out of games, when we run out of games. The club is not going to replace Pards with Gary Johnson, Sam Allardyce, or Uncle Tom Cobbly. The time to take stock is at the end of the season if we haven't gained promotion; not now when we still have big chances.
All this negativity will only get a gloom mentality in the crowd when we need to keep believing and getting behind the team.
That's not my point Steve. My point is that we have everything to play for; it's all about expectation at this stage of the season. Look at Ipswich, they are below us in the table but ask their fans if they are looking forward to the rest of the season with considerable expectation that they might still get an automatic spot and I'm sure they'll be happier than many on here and at the ground yesterday seem to be.
Pards apparently, according to Reams, has failed to improve any of our players compared to Gary Johnson. Yet no acknowledgement is made for the fact that Johnson has built on a promotion last season whereas Pards inherited a heap of crap, was forced to sell his best player and needed to rebuild completely.
I just think we should have post mortems after patient has died, not when he's still got plenty to live for.
ditto.
after the results midweek and yesterday i'll be looking at the teams 5-6 points behind us (with a game in hand), because 1 or 2 of them are gonna get momentum and knock 1 or 2 teams out of the current play-off places. we need to win back to back games to keep them far enough away, something we haven't done since the begining of december.
Our goal, according to Pards at the start of the season, was to get into the Play Offs. He made that quite clear. He was also surprised at how well we were doing, position wise before Xmas. He pointed out that his teams tend to have better second halfs of the season - that still remains to be seen.
Fate being if the ref is any good, decisions go your way, what side of the bed he got out of that morning etc.etc.etc
You really are an idiot. How long have you been watching football for? You said before that it was years, but I am begining to have my doubts. Since when was the outcome of any football match - let alone a play off game - determined purely by playing the better football? Have you never seen a team get absolutely murdered but sneak a 1-0 win? But hey, don't let me stop you having yet another cheap shot at the club.
Can I ask you, if you're really so down on everything about the club - the board, the manager, the players, the fans - then why do you bother? Why don't you go and do something that you DO enjoy - like having an all day wank-a-thon!
Experience in the play offs is a big factor, if West brom are not in the automatics then I think they will get the play off spot, if they are top two and we are play offs then I think we have a good chance.