The Promotion Thread 16/17

[Magic]

Decent results today, makes our point look a little bit better. Does make you look at it and add on the couple of points dropped though!

Worried already about Rotherham at home on Monday now. Everyone talking about how it's a matter of how many but I never like doing that. Do need three points for sure though with Derby coming up.

 

[AnkleBiter]

Pretty sure it'll be a Newcastle and Brighton top 2, and Wednesday & Derby will be in the top 6. If Leeds tie up Jansson and Hernandez in January then I'm pretty sure they'll be there too. One place free for me then... between us, Reading, Fulham and Villa, that's quite a challenge!

January is crucial for all of us. We desperately need a striker, Nahki is literally all we have as we play Kachunga on the wing, and Nahki doesn't really click with our system. We'll definitely spend on a striker, just need him to hit the ground running.

 

[Rammy]

We will only be top six if we get Martin back, or another striker in. We've been relying on Ince for goals too much lately.

Bent and Vydra are not good enough.

 

[Luke_1884]

They are, they just don't fit. At all.

We do need a striker in for sure, get CM back at all costs.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Yeah, I get the feeling Fulham are gonna dig their heels in somewhat, let's face it, they're in this picture too.

 

[AnkleBiter]

Rafa's not doing particularly great, is he? No doubt they'll still go up but they're starting to look over their shoulders now.

Looking tough for Villa now, Zola has killed Brum, and what about Barnsley...?!

Massive game for us at Hillsborough after the FA Cup break.

 

[Magic]

We play 7th and 8th next two. Big games to try build a gap. 5 points is good for the moment, though. Also a bonus to have the best GD in the play-offs at the moment.

 

[MagpieBee]

Rafa's not doing particularly great, is he? No doubt they'll still go up but they're starting to look over their shoulders now.

Looking tough for Villa now, Zola has killed Brum, and what about Barnsley...?!

Massive game for us at Hillsborough after the FA Cup break.

Don't think you can blame Rafa, they are dominating games, getting so many shots on goal, just not getting the luck.

 

[Benji]

It seems like it's more of a case of being unfortunate, but it is a bit worrying that it seems as though if Gayle doesn't score, Murphy, Perez and Mitrovic can't be relied upon.

More worrying for Newcastle is that Diame and Atsu are away for AFCON, and somehow Colback and Dummett are still starting.

 

[TomPNE94]

Mental that but for a ridiculous 94th minute robbery by Wednesday we'd be 3 points off the play offs right now.

 

[MagpieBee]

It seems like it's more of a case of being unfortunate, but it is a bit worrying that it seems as though if Gayle doesn't score, Murphy, Perez and Mitrovic can't be relied upon.

More worrying for Newcastle is that Diame and Atsu are away for AFCON, and somehow Colback and Dummett are still starting.

Yeah, there are some questions why quality players like Mbemba, Mitrovic and Lazaar haven't been starting more, but they've done a pretty good job so far so got to side with Rafa for now

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Where's the mid table and going nowhere thread?

 

[JoshBCFC]

Where's the mid table and going nowhere thread?

Bumped it for you

 

[KevinMcallister]

we are serious contenders

goodnight

 

[Magic]

A couple more quick wins to cement ourselves in the play offs then have a crack at the top two. Don't think we'll make it but I can definitely see us finishing 3rd. Bloody hell how we've turned things around.

 

[Nuttall]

I hate to say it but it looks like Leeds are the real deal this season, I thought they'd fade but they're showing no of signs of slowing and tbf, they actually look like a decent side

 

[KevinMcallister]

A couple more quick wins to cement ourselves in the play offs then have a crack at the top two. Don't think we'll make it but I can definitely see us finishing 3rd. Bloody hell how we've turned things around.

Hernandez is as good as anyone in this league and is 34 years old, absolute genius last night

coyle was superb and slotted in nicely for luke (signing of the season) ayling, who didn't put a foot wrong at cb

I was reading a derby fan forum last night, all I seen was praise for us, saying how transformed and how much more superior we were to them, one guy put "8 million for vydra and leeds have chris wood, Hernandez and veira for less" seen a lot of praise for Ronaldo Veira too, if we don't get to the PL soon, we are losing him to a top top club, the guy is 18 years old and ran the show!

 

[Magic]

Hernandez is only 31 mate. Plenty of life in him yet.

 

[KevinMcallister]

Hernandez is only 31 mate. Plenty of life in him yet.

shit i'm sure I was told he was 34 , anyway that's better news, I literally thought he had 1 year left in him

 

[Mansfield_Ram]

I think for as good as Leeds were we were equally as poor. Part of the issue was that leeds' tactics were executed to a T. - press high up, exploit Hanson at left back and allow shackall to play the ball out as well as allow De Sart no time.

My personal opinion is Leeds are a very good team and more than likely to be in the play offs. I'd be concerned about goals as they missed an awful lot against us. They also looked threatening at set pieces more than open play.

I'd be interested to see how they do against the better teams on current form.

 

[Haillay7]

It's a good job parachute payments win the league and not talent and a good manager

 

[JaseTheVillain]

It's a good job parachute payments win the league and not talent and a good manager

I know yeah, they're working fucking fantastically for us and Norwich....

 

[mossypne]

Are we allowed to join the "Playoff push" group yet?

 

[SF_]

Are we allowed to join the "Playoff push" group yet?

If we can beat Villa and win three league games in a row for the first time this season then I might start to have a bit of faith.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

5 points isn't a big gap to 7th but it is a nice buffer.

 

[villa loyal]

Long way to go yet but I think we are definitely out of it. Preston have a chance and they have more than held their own against their play off rivals. Can't see beyond the top three at the moment but you cannot predict the play offs.

 

[KevinMcallister]

I think for as good as Leeds were we were equally as poor. Part of the issue was that leeds' tactics were executed to a T. - press high up, exploit Hanson at left back and allow shackall to play the ball out as well as allow De Sart no time.

My personal opinion is Leeds are a very good team and more than likely to be in the play offs. I'd be concerned about goals as they missed an awful lot against us. They also looked threatening at set pieces more than open play.

I'd be interested to see how they do against the better teams on current form.

Long way to go yet but I think we are definitely out of it. Preston have a chance and they have more than held their own against their play off rivals. Can't see beyond the top three at the moment but you cannot predict the play offs.

preston were poor against us, very poor

however beating brighton is no easy feat, so they can push on but I think us and reading and Wednesday will be hard to budge, and Huddersfield have played so well too, I honestly can't see the top 6 moving out into 7th atm

Norwich aren't good enough, villa look too far away now, derby are their usual bottling self , Fulham are the ones to watch outside the top 6 imo

 

[LeylandWhite]

For us to even be talking about having an outside of the play offs shows how well Grayson's doing considering we supposedly have a bottom 3 budget.

Losing 5 out of our first 6 will probably cost us any chance we have, however we've taken 4 points off Brighton, beaten Norwich away, beat Huddersfield at home so we've shown we can match the top teams in the division.

Our habit of missing so many easy chances to kills games off also doesn't help when you consider that we should have beaten Sheff Wed, Wolves and Burton at home that would have made up the gap right there.

For me Leeds are the best team i've seen so far this season.

 

[Luke_1884]

derby are their usual bottling self

Eh, are you dizzy brav?

We were third bottom not so long ago. We're not serious contenders but we've been pretty decent since Macca arrived.
Bottled relegation maybe...

 

[91SPP]

Eh, are you dizzy brav?

We were third bottom not so long ago. We're not serious contenders but we've been pretty decent since Macca arrived.
Bottled relegation maybe...

Exactly.

I don't expect anything from this season. We're simply not good enough. Nothing to do with bottling it, I'm afraid. The 13/14 season, we were rampant in the final stretch of the season. The addition of Thorne gave us an extra edge that really should have seen us through. Nevertheless, it didn't pan out and we've struggled to get to them heights ever since.

I would say the 13/14 Derby side would comfortably tear our current one to pieces. It was different gravy. I want us to be able to get back to that standard before we finish in the top six again. If we did finish in the top six, like last season, we would just be there to make up the numbers. A comfortable but plucky defeat in the semi-final would be the best we could possibly hope for.