Looking at our remaining fixtures and none are easy. Northampton scored 4 away today, Cambridve unbeaten in four under Harris, Burton making a right fist of it. Then add in Wrexham and Wycombe away.
It would be nice to manage the squad so everyone is fit and raring to go for the play offs but we need to ensure we actually get in them first. And go into them with some momentum behind us.
Things will look a little clearer once everyone has played their game in hand this Tuesday
Think Stockport will get 3rd now and us and Wycombe will be 4th/5th.
Which might be a benefit for us. I'd rather face Stockport at Wembley than in a 2 legged semi
Agreed.
I am a little nervous now though. Our away form had been patchy and unconvincing even since our turnaround. Lots of scraped wins and unconvincing performances.
We kept going even with a few injuries, now they seem to be catching up with us and we just don't have the depth left in key positions. Still confident we will get in the playoffs but not confident we will be in form going into them.
I don't think we have enough about us to go up this year imo. I had a quiet confidence in the Bowyer season that I don't have this time around. Just a gut feeling, I hope I'm wrong. It's been a largely enjoyable season though, and it's been a step up on the last, whatever happens.
Such a strange league, I still think we can catch Wrexham and I still think we can drop out of the playoffs altogether. There are still plenty of twists and turns!
More then ever now though, we will need to beat both Wycombe and Wrexham to have any chance!
Yeah, get Wycombe in the playoffs, and then Stockport on the expenses of Wembley
Wycombe will fold in the semis whoever they play.
Yep. Very difficult to raise yourself again when you've been fighting for second all season. Think they'll go into the play offs with a feeling of failure.
Yeah, get Wycombe in the playoffs, and then Stockport on the expenses of Wembley
Wycombe will fold in the semis whoever they play.
Yep. Very difficult to raise yourself again when you've been fighting for second all season. Think they'll go into the play offs with a feeling of failure.
100% I'd stretch that to the taffs although it is unlikely they'll not go up automatically.
Great day for Wrexham. They’re up, surely. I agree with the consensus on here. If it’s us and Wycombe in 4th/5th I’d be very confident and I don’t think they would be. If Stockport finish 3rd I think they’ll potentially have a tougher game against Reading or Bolton.
8 points plus a huge goal difference with 6 matches to play looks a very healthy gap.
Reading’s fixture list doesn’t look the most challenging, but reckon we probably need 3 points at the very most from our remaining matches to guarantee top 6. Imagine we will have it mathematically tied up after the Northampton match.
Such a strange league, I still think we can catch Wrexham and I still think we can drop out of the playoffs altogether. There are still plenty of twists and turns!
More then ever now though, we will need to beat both Wycombe and Wrexham to have any chance!
I don't think we have enough about us to go up this year imo. I had a quiet confidence in the Bowyer season that I don't have this time around. Just a gut feeling, I hope I'm wrong. It's been a largely enjoyable season though, and it's been a step up on the last, whatever happens.
I love that football is so much about opinions. I'm more confident of this side going up in the play offs than I was with the Bowyer side at the time (especially the final, as was certain Sunderland would get there long-waited revenge for 98).
Think Stockport will get 3rd now and us and Wycombe will be 4th/5th.
Which might be a benefit for us. I'd rather face Stockport at Wembley than in a 2 legged semi
Agreed.
I am a little nervous now though. Our away form had been patchy and unconvincing even since our turnaround. Lots of scraped wins and unconvincing performances.
We kept going even with a few injuries, now they seem to be catching up with us and we just don't have the depth left in key positions. Still confident we will get in the playoffs but not confident we will be in form going into them.
I'm not sure where this panic is coming from? We've lost 3 of our last 24 league games and 1 of those was away at Birmingham who beat everyone. In the form table over the last 10, 15, 20, 25 games we're second in all to Birmingham.
Despite not winning yesterday, we did well to battle back from 2 down and probably should've won it, and we were missing 2-3 of our best players. Lincoln are not a bad side either, they only lost narrowly 1-0 away at Wycombe and Birmingham in the last month.
The next 2 games are winnable and if we win both then the play offs will be pretty much guaranteed.
Think Stockport will get 3rd now and us and Wycombe will be 4th/5th.
Which might be a benefit for us. I'd rather face Stockport at Wembley than in a 2 legged semi
Agreed.
I am a little nervous now though. Our away form had been patchy and unconvincing even since our turnaround. Lots of scraped wins and unconvincing performances.
We kept going even with a few injuries, now they seem to be catching up with us and we just don't have the depth left in key positions. Still confident we will get in the playoffs but not confident we will be in form going into them.
I'm not sure where this panic is coming from? We've lost 3 of our last 24 league games and 1 of those was away at Birmingham who beat everyone. In the form table over the last 10, 15, 20, 25 games we're second in all to Birmingham.
Despite not winning yesterday, we did well to battle back from 2 down and probably should've won it, and we were missing 2-3 of our best players. Lincoln are not a bad side either, they only lost narrowly 1-0 away at Wycombe and Birmingham in the last month.
The next 2 games are winnable and if we win both then the play offs will be pretty much guaranteed.
After Tuesday we could be 5 ahead with 5 games remaining. As it stands we need 10 points for anything to be guaranteed.
Think Stockport will get 3rd now and us and Wycombe will be 4th/5th.
Which might be a benefit for us. I'd rather face Stockport at Wembley than in a 2 legged semi
Agreed.
I am a little nervous now though. Our away form had been patchy and unconvincing even since our turnaround. Lots of scraped wins and unconvincing performances.
We kept going even with a few injuries, now they seem to be catching up with us and we just don't have the depth left in key positions. Still confident we will get in the playoffs but not confident we will be in form going into them.
I'm not sure where this panic is coming from? We've lost 3 of our last 24 league games and 1 of those was away at Birmingham who beat everyone. In the form table over the last 10, 15, 20, 25 games we're second in all to Birmingham.
Despite not winning yesterday, we did well to battle back from 2 down and probably should've won it, and we were missing 2-3 of our best players. Lincoln are not a bad side either, they only lost narrowly 1-0 away at Wycombe and Birmingham in the last month.
The next 2 games are winnable and if we win both then the play offs will be pretty much guaranteed.
After Tuesday we could be 5 ahead with 5 games remaining. As it stands we need 10 points for anything to be guaranteed.
I said 'pretty much' guaranteed, not mathematically.
If we win the next 2 that takes us to 79 points and we have a much better goal difference than Bolton and Reading. Bolton would need 4 wins and 2 draws to overtake us, Reading would need 5 wins. And this isn't even taking into account the points we might get from our last 3 games.
Plus 4 of Reading's last 6 games are away, and their away record is terrible (4 wins all season).
Nobody seems interested in the fact stockports captain is out injured for the season - i think this is crucial because to me, a stockport away fixture in the semis is where we could quite easily lose the play offs. Their pitch and style doesn't suit us and i know they won yesterday but if their main string puller is missing, that will tell in the play offs
Think Stockport will get 3rd now and us and Wycombe will be 4th/5th.
Which might be a benefit for us. I'd rather face Stockport at Wembley than in a 2 legged semi
Agreed.
I am a little nervous now though. Our away form had been patchy and unconvincing even since our turnaround. Lots of scraped wins and unconvincing performances.
We kept going even with a few injuries, now they seem to be catching up with us and we just don't have the depth left in key positions. Still confident we will get in the playoffs but not confident we will be in form going into them.
I'm not sure where this panic is coming from? We've lost 3 of our last 24 league games and 1 of those was away at Birmingham who beat everyone. In the form table over the last 10, 15, 20, 25 games we're second in all to Birmingham.
Despite not winning yesterday, we did well to battle back from 2 down and probably should've won it, and we were missing 2-3 of our best players. Lincoln are not a bad side either, they only lost narrowly 1-0 away at Wycombe and Birmingham in the last month.
The next 2 games are winnable and if we win both then the play offs will be pretty much guaranteed.
After Tuesday we could be 5 ahead with 5 games remaining. As it stands we need 10 points for anything to be guaranteed.
I said 'pretty much' guaranteed, not mathematically.
If we win the next 2 that takes us to 79 points and we have a much better goal difference than Bolton and Reading. Bolton would need 4 wins and 2 draws to overtake us, Reading would need 5 wins. And this isn't even taking into account the points we might get from our last 3 games.
Plus 4 of Reading's last 6 games are away, and their away record is terrible (4 wins all season).
Fair enough, although winning 3 of the 5 is pretty much guaranteed but still not.
Nobody seems interested in the fact stockports captain is out injured for the season - i think this is crucial because to me, a stockport away fixture in the semis is where we could quite easily lose the play offs. Their pitch and style doesn't suit us and i know they won yesterday but if their main string puller is missing, that will tell in the play offs
Lewis Bate is that? - Makes sense how you knew about it beforehand, as you've got a bit of an inside track on him havent you?
Nobody seems interested in the fact stockports captain is out injured for the season - i think this is crucial because to me, a stockport away fixture in the semis is where we could quite easily lose the play offs. Their pitch and style doesn't suit us and i know they won yesterday but if their main string puller is missing, that will tell in the play offs
I'm not falling into that trap with Stockport again. Most people (myself included) thought they would fall away once Louie Barry was recalled from his loan and yet here they are.
As you say they won comfortably away without Bate yesterday, and whilst it's obviously a blow to lose him, i think Challinor is a very good manager and he'll find a way for them to cope without him.
Comments
It would be nice to manage the squad so everyone is fit and raring to go for the play offs but we need to ensure we actually get in them first. And go into them with some momentum behind us.
Things will look a little clearer once everyone has played their game in hand this Tuesday
I am a little nervous now though. Our away form had been patchy and unconvincing even since our turnaround. Lots of scraped wins and unconvincing performances.
We kept going even with a few injuries, now they seem to be catching up with us and we just don't have the depth left in key positions. Still confident we will get in the playoffs but not confident we will be in form going into them.
I'd stretch that to the taffs although it is unlikely they'll not go up automatically.
But all this chat of home Vs away second leg, which teams we'd rather avoid etc seems pointless.
We can beat any team in this division home or away on our day. We just have to keep momentum from here to the end of the season.
Points needed to guarantee we finish above the teams below:
Blackpool - 3
Orient - 6
Huddersfield - 10
Reading - 11
Bolton - 12
Reading’s fixture list doesn’t look the most challenging, but reckon we probably need 3 points at the very most from our remaining matches to guarantee top 6. Imagine we will have it mathematically tied up after the Northampton match.
Top two 2.5%
Out altogether 2.5%
Birmingham 100%
Wycombe 18.5%
Stockport 3%
Charlton 2.5%
Wrexham 24%
Wycombe 81.5%
Stockport 95%
Charlton 95%
Bolton 42.5%
Reading 38.5%
Huddersfield 20.5%
Orient 2.5%
Blackpool 0.5%
Wycombe away
Midweek games this week will be interesting could do with Bolton and Wycombe dropping points.
Despite not winning yesterday, we did well to battle back from 2 down and probably should've won it, and we were missing 2-3 of our best players. Lincoln are not a bad side either, they only lost narrowly 1-0 away at Wycombe and Birmingham in the last month.
The next 2 games are winnable and if we win both then the play offs will be pretty much guaranteed.
If we win the next 2 that takes us to 79 points and we have a much better goal difference than Bolton and Reading. Bolton would need 4 wins and 2 draws to overtake us, Reading would need 5 wins. And this isn't even taking into account the points we might get from our last 3 games.
Plus 4 of Reading's last 6 games are away, and their away record is terrible (4 wins all season).
As you say they won comfortably away without Bate yesterday, and whilst it's obviously a blow to lose him, i think Challinor is a very good manager and he'll find a way for them to cope without him.