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Will We Win the Playoffs?

With the question of “will we make the playoffs?” definitively answered, I thought it’d be worth starting a new thread to discuss runners, riders, and results in the post season. 

League form can go out of the window in the famously unpredictable EFL promotion playoffs, but if you’re looking for something to provide a bit of a confidence boost - here is a mini league table based on the 2024/25 regular season matches between the four playoff teams. It looks even better when you consider some of these matches happened before the Northampton epiphany. 


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Comments

  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,030
    Think we've got as good a chance as anyone. I like your stats above. I think we're also fortunate with the draw. Wycombe have definitely got the jitters and won't fancy against a team that so comprehensively demolished them in recent weeks. If we get to Wembley, I think the fans could give us an edge.  We'll pack our allocation out. I think Orient might too, but I'm not sure Stockport could. Not sure Wycombe could either, but if they do it won't be against us.
  • DennisBooth
    DennisBooth Posts: 146
    I don’t think we will win the Playoffs. I think Leyton Orient will do it. 
  • letthegoodtimesroll
    letthegoodtimesroll Posts: 10,622
    We have a core starting eleven that has shown they are more than capable and which when substitutions are made during the game those other players have slotted in well. It’s when we’ve had to make those changes to the starting eleven that it’s not worked quite as well and a couple of such times such as Peterborough and Wrexham it’s not gone well at all. If Jones, Berry and Small return and start for all three games and there are no other absences to that core starting eleven then I’d be confident we will win promotion, more so because the rest of the squad have been getting game time of late.
  • Elthamaddick
    Elthamaddick Posts: 15,818
    edited May 4
    If we can go into all games with our first choice fit starting XI then we must be favourites.

    couldn’t of hand picked ourselves a more favourable semi final.

    at Wembley I’d fancy us. No way do either Stockport or Orient sell 35k tickets 

    Godden will be the difference….
  • stoneroses19
    stoneroses19 Posts: 7,223
    Big loss for Wycombe before our play off games. Terrible injury for player and hope he recovers well, but adds to our chances of getting to Wembley. 


  • stoneroses19
    stoneroses19 Posts: 7,223
    With the question of “will we make the playoffs?” definitively answered, I thought it’d be worth starting a new thread to discuss runners, riders, and results in the post season. 

    League form can go out of the window in the famously unpredictable EFL promotion playoffs, but if you’re looking for something to provide a bit of a confidence boost - here is a mini league table based on the 2024/25 regular season matches between the four playoff teams. It looks even better when you consider some of these matches happened before the Northampton epiphany. 


    The GD of Stockport and Wycombe was throwing me, considering how good defensively Stockport are and how we just beat Wycombe 4-0. 

    Completely forgot Wycombe actually won 5-0 at Stockport earlier in the season. 
  • We have a great opportunity, and after what we’ve seen over the last 5 months I dont have any doubt we wont 'turn up'. If someone beats us they'll have fully earned it.
  • JaShea99
    JaShea99 Posts: 5,460
    Bookies have Stockport as slim favourites.
  • SouthWest_Addicks
    SouthWest_Addicks Posts: 6,307
    JaShea99 said:
    Bookies have Stockport as slim favourites.
    Personally I would have us as slight favourites as I think Wycombe are the weakest out of the 4.

    I really fancy us to get through, and would be disappointed if we didn’t. 

    IMO I would prefer to us to play Orient in the final as they would sell more tickets than Stockport. Always dilutes the final when you see 20k empty seats at Wembley. 

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  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 63,782
    You can make a case for all four teams. Surely even Wycombe can bounce back from three defeats in a row?

    The reassuring thing is that none of the other teams will have thought “yeah we fancy playing Charlton”. We are definitely a team to avoid.
  • The Red Robin
    The Red Robin Posts: 26,127
    I think it’ll be us v Orient at Wembley. Then who knows. They look great at the moment, good counter attacking team with plenty of speed. 
  • twiggyaddick
    twiggyaddick Posts: 1,565
    The only thing that worries me is us being too over confident. That because we beat Wycombe 4-0 a couple of weeks ago, we're just going to roll up and do it again. From what i've read online you'll also struggle to find a Wycombe fan who thinks the semi will be anything other than an easy win for us.

    Having supported Charlton for 40 years this naturally signals danger to me! These things often have a way of coming back to bite you, as Bolton found out last season. They smashed Oxford 5-0 in the league in March, thought they were as good as promoted when they got them at Wembley...........then lost the play off final 2-0.
    Don't think NJ will allow any complacency, he's going to be driving that home in training this week
  • Briston_Addick
    Briston_Addick Posts: 11,736
    edited May 4
    Stockport are the only one of those sides we hint beaten this season: a come-from-behind 1-1 draw at The Valley in October and then a wind-affected goalless encounter on their deck in a lunchtime kick off in early March (another one of those 'can't win four in a row' matches).

    We know that Wycombe are broken: they'd been in the top three since October, including spells of leading the division, but a late-season collapse including ending the regular season with three defeats has seen them drop to fifth and not even getting the second leg at home. Their record against the top seven (which I'd put on an earlier thread and included Reading because, at the time, they were still in contention) was woeful and I think they're just making up the numbers.

    Orient are in a similar position to us in that they've come from way back in the pack since mid-December to claim a play-off spot (after our Crawley shambles they were a few points and places behind us so they've done really well to finish sixth). They'll be very confident with their own form and also know that they are more than capable of giving us a good game for 90 minutes ... it's just after 90 minutes they had a big problem against us! 🤣 (You could argue that they've had plentiful revenge for the first defeat by scoring two stoppage time goals to beat us in our BDSM Pizza Trophy match in December then we got our own back in March.)

    Stockport have been in the top six most of the season. There was a little wobble for a few weeks in October and November where they dropped back to mid-table (a spell that included a staggering 5-0 defeat at home to Wycombe, of all sides!) but they recovered and have been the "steady Eddie" of the play-off four.

    Stockport and Orient have a win each in their head-to-head clashes this season, both going to the away side. The O's won 4-1 at Edgeley Park in September and the Hatters gained revenge, 1-0, at Brisbane Road in February.

    Can we beat Stockport or Orient at Wembley? Of course we can. I'd like to think we'd have a considerably bigger crowd behind us than either of those two which would give the game more of a "home" feel for us ... and we don't lose at home now!

    TC and Small (assuming they're both fit, of course) would relish the wide open spaces, the Sniffer Dog Hitman can't stop scoring and if the POTY is back we've got a sound defence that rarely gets breached.

    Prediction:

    Charlton beat Wycombe over two legs (comfortably).
    Orient beat Stockport on penalties after two drawn matches.

    Followed by ...

    Charlton 2 (Godden, TC) Orient 0

    A record-breaking number of clean sheets in the season, new Wembley heroes and finally out of this sh1tty division.







    Now watch us get humped by Wycombe ...
  • sam3110
    sam3110 Posts: 21,279
    One of the 4 have to win it, why not us? 

    If you expand that league table further to include the 2 promoted teams, I suspect the form is even greater in our favour compared to the other playoff sides
  • Briston_Addick
    Briston_Addick Posts: 11,736
    edited May 4
    sam3110 said:
    One of the 4 have to win it, why not us? 

    If you expand that league table further to include the 2 promoted teams, I suspect the form is even greater in our favour compared to the other playoff sides
    We were good.

    Actually, we were bloody marvellous 🙂



    Our only defeats were to Birmingham and Wrexham.

    EDIT: And Blues only defeat was to us!
  • Woodwork
    Woodwork Posts: 423
    edited May 4
    I just have this feeling Leyton Orient are going to be the real fairytale story of L1 (as opposed to Wrexham). They look the best football side & are coming into it with their tails up. 

    Stepping out at Wembley in front of 40,000 Charlton fans as favourites may add a bit of pressure to the players. Whereas Orient (or Stockport) may relish the underdog role. 
    That’s the trouble with this level when you reach a Wembley final. You may have the big support, but you still have third tier footballers. I went with other half & her family to the Millwall v Scunthorpe United, 2009 L1 Play-off. They had 49,661 fans there. Scunny had 10,000. And I think the occasion did get to them, as Scunny came out second half playing like they had nothing to lose, whereas Millwall looked very nervy (even managing to miss from just inches out).  Still it was a lovely sunny day out 😂

    I just think Charlton have always enjoyed the role of underdog far more. And that’s the danger for me.
  • bromleyjohn
    bromleyjohn Posts: 5,986
    Stockport are the standout favourites which suits us down to the ground
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  • MuttleyCAFC
    MuttleyCAFC Posts: 47,732
    I think it will be us and Stockport in the final. That is probably as tight as it gets if it happens.
  • Woodwork
    Woodwork Posts: 423
    Stockport are the standout favourites which suits us down to the ground
    Not sure that would feel true on day. Finished 2 points ahead, but having come up from L2. Lost their most influential player in January. Not long ago they were non-league. Stepping out at Wembley in front of 40,000 Charlton fans & what, 15-25,000 Stockport fans? Ex Premier League club, Charlton. A club no one can dispute is playing below their level, despite the last 15 years. I think Stockport would be able to easily see themselves as underdogs, and the media will portray it that way too. Rising from the ashes to take on fallen PL side for a shot at the Championship. 
  • jimmymelrose
    jimmymelrose Posts: 9,753
    The only thing that worries me is us being too over confident. That because we beat Wycombe 4-0 a couple of weeks ago, we're just going to roll up and do it again. From what i've read online you'll also struggle to find a Wycombe fan who thinks the semi will be anything other than an easy win for us.

    Having supported Charlton for 40 years this naturally signals danger to me! These things often have a way of coming back to bite you, as Bolton found out last season. They smashed Oxford 5-0 in the league in March, thought they were as good as promoted when they got them at Wembley...........then lost the play off final 2-0.
    Don't think NJ will allow any complacency, he's going to be driving that home in training this week
    It’s not just a question of complacency.  I don’t think Bolton were complacent, rather that Oxford played well on the day.

    The Wycombe players and manager will have learnt a lot from our last match. They will be watching that video back and will address everything we did to stop us doing it again. They might also look back at what they were doing better earlier in the season and show us more of that ’version of themselves ’ next time.

    I’d take a 0-0 draw away if offered it now.
  • IanJRO
    IanJRO Posts: 691
    I think this favourite vs underdog mentality is more us fans thinking. The work NJ has done on this groups mentality is phenomenal and they will filled with the belief (rightly) that they can beat anyone in the playoffs. 

    Shut out any media or fan narrative and just focus on winning each game as we are more than capable of doing it, the rest is just noise.
  • se9addick
    se9addick Posts: 32,046
    Woodwork said:
    Stockport are the standout favourites which suits us down to the ground
    Not sure that would feel true on day. Finished 2 points ahead, but having come up from L2. Lost their most influential player in January. Not long ago they were non-league. Stepping out at Wembley in front of 40,000 Charlton fans & what, 15-25,000 Stockport fans? Ex Premier League club, Charlton. A club no one can dispute is playing below their level, despite the last 15 years. I think Stockport would be able to easily see themselves as underdogs, and the media will portray it that way too. Rising from the ashes to take on fallen PL side for a shot at the Championship. 
    Not sure the media will be coming up for narratives for a match between Charlton & Stockport!

    It will be interesting though if we get to Wembley. You’d assume that it will be a borderline home match for us given the massive disparity in the number of fans from each side. 
  • CAFCsayer
    CAFCsayer Posts: 10,228
    Charlton vs Stockport on pens at Wembley i reckon
  • stoneroses19
    stoneroses19 Posts: 7,223
    The only thing that worries me is us being too over confident. That because we beat Wycombe 4-0 a couple of weeks ago, we're just going to roll up and do it again. From what i've read online you'll also struggle to find a Wycombe fan who thinks the semi will be anything other than an easy win for us.

    Having supported Charlton for 40 years this naturally signals danger to me! These things often have a way of coming back to bite you, as Bolton found out last season. They smashed Oxford 5-0 in the league in March, thought they were as good as promoted when they got them at Wembley...........then lost the play off final 2-0.
    Some/many fans may be over confident, I doubt it's the same for players, not with Nathan here. 

    As he said in his brilliant speech yesterday, we haven't achieved anything yet.
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,432
    Stockport are the team that worries me the most, and think if I had to pick a side to achieve it, other than us... It would be them
  • Woodwork
    Woodwork Posts: 423
    edited May 4
    IanJRO said:
    I think this favourite vs underdog mentality is more us fans thinking. The work NJ has done on this groups mentality is phenomenal and they will filled with the belief (rightly) that they can beat anyone in the playoffs. 

    Shut out any media or fan narrative and just focus on winning each game as we are more than capable of doing it, the rest is just noise.
    True. But my point is that they are human. And they are lower league footballers. Stepping out at Wembley & seeing a sea of red & white willing you on will have an impact, at least on some of them. Charlton are playing below their level as a club.

    The pressure is on Jones & the players to change that. So he will be earning his money getting them to approach Wembley as just another game. And I am sure some of the players will step up to that challenge. I was just saying that personally, I think it does play a part in these big games at this level (how often do you see players for big clubs like Leeds and Wednesday struggle to live up to expectations when they have been in L1). 

    Besides, we are getting ahead of ourselves. A wounded Wycombe are the first test. No doubt they have a lot to prove to their fans and themselves. 

    Gonna be exciting & tense whatever happens! 
  • Woodwork
    Woodwork Posts: 423
    se9addick said:
    Woodwork said:
    Stockport are the standout favourites which suits us down to the ground
    Not sure that would feel true on day. Finished 2 points ahead, but having come up from L2. Lost their most influential player in January. Not long ago they were non-league. Stepping out at Wembley in front of 40,000 Charlton fans & what, 15-25,000 Stockport fans? Ex Premier League club, Charlton. A club no one can dispute is playing below their level, despite the last 15 years. I think Stockport would be able to easily see themselves as underdogs, and the media will portray it that way too. Rising from the ashes to take on fallen PL side for a shot at the Championship. 
    Not sure the media will be coming up for narratives for a match between Charlton & Stockport!

    It will be interesting though if we get to Wembley. You’d assume that it will be a borderline home match for us given the massive disparity in the number of fans from each side. 
    Not the national sporting press, I doubt that they could care less about League One. I meant the Sky Sports view will be plucky Stockport/Orient v ex PL Charlton. This was in reply to someone saying Stockport will be clear favourites. I just can’t see that in any sense. They just came up & lost their best player in January. And were non league not long ago. Given how it has all panned out, surely people will have Charlton as favourites, as have an out of form Wycombe in Semis!