We are now 9th and most of the teams above us still have games in hand over us. A lot of work to do just to make the play-offs and making the top two now looks like a real longshot.
Forget the teams above us, Ipswich and Blackpool can still catch, and pass us if they win their games in hand.
True .... but I'm past worrying about the teams around us and if they win their games in hand. Often they don't, not all of them anyway. And frequently they have to play each other, like last night Donny v Accrington: they couldn't both win and sometimes neither does.
The table shows us 9th in the middle of February. Unless everything gets guillotined and PPG is actioned, the only position that counts is after 46 games.
We do look like we are positioned where we belong this season. As sad as that is, the league rarely lies.
Six massive games coming up where we can put ourselves in a position to challenge for a play-off position before our run in against all the top sides in the division, or we can bottle it and slide into mid-table mediocrity. Which will it be?
What is so frustrating is we could have afforded to be an average top team and still be in amongst this with everything else that has gone on. Every week, 3 or 4+ teams in the top 8 are dropping points. And the teams that look primed now - Peterborough, Hull and Sunderland in particular, have all had at least a run of 2 winless games within the last 5 weeks so their hot streaks aren't a constant even in recent times. Everyone was gettable and some still are - but us often needlessly dropping points left right and centre to mediocre teams since November has made the task almost impossible. Even turning two of our 7 defeats in 2021 would have put us right in it.
I think the sheer volume of games means that even the best teams will slip up more than usual - you're not going to get teams getting 100 points in L1 this season
L2 is even more open, Cheltenham are currently top with 56 points from 31 games, that's 1.8 ppg
I know we've played more games than most other sides but we've been shite for 3 months and are 4 points off the play offs. If we'd bought/loaned a centre back in early Jan i've no doubt we'd be in the play offs.
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And frequently they have to play each other, like last night Donny v Accrington: they couldn't both win and sometimes neither does.
The table shows us 9th in the middle of February. Unless everything gets guillotined and PPG is actioned, the only position that counts is after 46 games.
Doncaster v Hull
Ipswich v Oxford
Hull win, Lincoln lose, Sunderland win, Oxford and Posh draw, Ipswich winning at Accrington
Which will it be?
L2 is even more open, Cheltenham are currently top with 56 points from 31 games, that's 1.8 ppg
Wigan beating Brazil
These days at Charlton you get a ceremonial plate for reaching 60 games!
Think including the games in hand we're probably 6 points off the play-offs currently.
Just have to hope Portsmouth tank the rest of their season along with Ipswich and Accrington Stanley to have a chance.