Tonights games

[Champagneblade]

This season's Fulham maybe.

Lose tomorrow night and we're potentially one game away from dropping out of the play offs.

By hook or by crook other teams find ways to squeeze points out of losing positions very late in games.

To be fair we still have some in reserve too. Nothing from Hogan yet, Dowell and Madine showed their worth at Villa. We have a stronger striker quartet than anyone else in the division in my opinion.

How many others have a 4th striking option that someone paid 12m for?

 

[SwissBlade]

Points dropped by WBA, Forest, Birmingham - I’ll take that.

Shame about Wednesday winning again though.

Shame about Brizzle winning as well... are they on a good run or are they priming themselves for top 2...

 

[grafikhaus]

Need to start looking over our shoulders now the Wendy are picking up points for fun!!!!

Back to back 0-0 victories for the Pigs against 20th and 22nd in the division. The promotion push is under way. Be afraid, be very afraid (of splitting your sides laughing at the deluded twats)

This is what we all feared - the teams around the play-offs all collapsing while Wednesday go on a surging run. Five points out of the last nine isn't it? They'll end up nearer relegation than promotion.

Should be a 2 match ban for Gayle for that dive.

Which is why I've no faith whatsoever in VAR. Incidents which David Blunkett could spot - the WBA penalty, Tyrone Mings' GBH on Oliveira etc. - will be casually dismissed by 'the referee saw the incident but...'

Really glad WBA didn't win. All teams are slipping up at times - except Bristol City of course, but Hull's run ended recently and theirs will too.

Norwich away, Birmingham at home, Preston away and Leeds at home next up in the league for Bristol.

 

[BigBed]

Must win.

 

[Rob86]

Watched the pigs game and my god it was terrible.

Bristol City and West Brom both with disgraceful penalties at the end. Gayle should be banned for affecting a game by cheating, but they never do anything about it.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Bristol City could be a decent bet for the top two if they continue as they as are.

What, like winning all their games you mean?
I think you might be right!!

 

[Pinchy]

Norwich away, Birmingham at home, Preston away and Leeds at home next up in the league for Bristol.

That will be a tough game...

 

[North somerset blade]

Shame about Brizzle winning as well... are they on a good run or are they priming themselves for top 2...

Play offs definitely. Seen em a few times, including our loss to them and we are a far better team. We need to win games we dominate though.

 

[JackSUFC]

Play offs definitely. Seen em a few times, including our loss to them and we are a far better team. We need to win games we dominate though.

11 wins and 4 draws in the last 15 for them isn’t it? Incredible run. Didn’t think they’d challenge at all after selling Reid and Flint in the summer.

 

[Maidenhead]

Loads more to happen yet and nothing will be won or lost in the next month.

There will be twists and turns and ups and downs for every team.

I've been saying since before Christmas that if we're still in contention in contention on St Patrick's day then it's ours to lose.

By then we will have all our "hardest" fixtures out of the way and a reasonable looking run in on paper, although they do say that nothing is won on paper and there are no easy games.

Up until that day, que sera sera

 

[pesch the mini genius]

crickey it's crazy at the top!
we win and leeds /Norwich don't and all of a sudden we are breathing down their necks ,
we lose and don't win sat we could be out the top 6 !
exciting times and i think we have grown a huge amount since last season and as others have said have great forward options not even starting

i personally think it will go right to the wire and if we can still be in for the top 2 that would be amazing ( and very possible)

Nothing in this league this season is predictable ( except the goal-fest winning streak , surge up the league from them lot which is already in full swing !)

Stoke away last game - seem to remember a lovely diving header from that fella Deano there to give us a 1-0 win on our way to promotion once , was a sunny day also !
now that would be unusual , a sunny warm day at Stoke , usually absolutely bloody freezing there !

 

[S64 Blade]

Decent set of results last night. Shame about Bristol City, but they're due a bad patch soon, can't see them sustaining it.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Which is why I've no faith whatsoever in VAR. Incidents which David Blunkett could spot - the WBA penalty, Tyrone Mings' GBH on Oliveira etc. - will be casually dismissed by 'the referee saw the incident but...'

I forgot about VAR. Are you saying that the penalty indicent was being viewed on VAR but they did nothing about it?

 

[GallonofMagnet]

Kasey Palmer was an incredibly astute signing by Bristol City. Would’ve been nice to pick him up to rival Duffy. Verdict still out on Dowell, for me. And they generate a great atmosphere when they need to, sucking the ball in.

That being said, I don’t think they’ll keep it up. They’re on the crest of a wave and on a terrific run, but they aren’t just suddenly the best side in the league. They’ll either just get in or just miss out on the play-offs, I think.

 

[DazBlade88]

I feel like it's a trait for Lee Johnson teams. They always seem to have ridiculously long winning/losing runs.

 

[Grey Blade]

Should be a 2 match ban for Gayle for that dive.

Could be a good thing for us after all!!

He has previous as well. Booked for it last time. Last night's was even more blatant I thought.

https://www.benchwarmers.ie/bench/watch-dwight-gayle-dive-season-far/156367/#.XGQDDDP7TIU

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Kasey Palmer was an incredibly astute signing by Bristol City. Would’ve been nice to pick him up to rival Duffy. Verdict still out on Dowell, for me. And they generate a great atmosphere when they need to, sucking the ball in.

That being said, I don’t think they’ll keep it up. They’re on the crest of a wave and on a terrific run, but they aren’t just suddenly the best side in the league. They’ll either just get in or just miss out on the play-offs, I think.

Not so sure on Palmer.

Blackburn fans were happy he was gone and the couple of occasions we played against him he was anonymous.

For you to big up Palmer so much and say the jury is out on Dowell (who has had a far greater impact at this level than Palmer) I find bizarre.

 

[grafikhaus]

I forgot about VAR. Are you saying that the penalty indicent was being viewed on VAR but they did nothing about it?

As far as I'm aware, VAR was not used in West Broms game last night. But if/when it's introduced for the EFL, I've no confidence. Strange that the vast majority of fans can see things like Gayle's dive, Mings' assault, Salah's persistent cheating etc. but the ref. and the VAR panel somehow can't.

 

[BushBlade]

As far as I'm aware, VAR was not used in West Broms game last night. But if/when it's introduced for the EFL, I've no confidence. Strange that the vast majority of fans can see things like Gayle's dive, Mings' assault, Salah's persistent cheating etc. but the ref. and the VAR panel somehow can't.

Probably because VAR wasn’t being used in those games, as it’s still in the trial stage and has only been used in FA Cup ties played at PL grounds.

It’s not going to be perfect when many decisions are subjective, like your own judgement on Mings’ intent.

I haven’t seen the Gayle dive but my understanding is that a player can be retrospectively charged with diving if they have gained advantage from it. So, if he dived, he should be facing a charge.

 

[grafikhaus]

Probably because VAR wasn’t being used in those games, as it’s still in the trial stage and has only been used in FA Cup ties played at PL grounds.

It’s not going to be perfect when many decisions are subjective, like your own judgement on Mings’ intent.

I haven’t seen the Gayle dive but my understanding is that a player can be retrospectively charged with diving if they have gained advantage from it. So, if he dived, he should be facing a charge.

But VAR was used in last year's WC and every corner was a wrestle-fest.

It seems Gayle 'might now face a 2-game ban'. Good for us but scant consolation for Forest who have lost 2 points.

 

[BushBlade]

But VAR was used in last year's WC and every corner was a wrestle-fest.

It seems Gayle 'might now face a 2-game ban'. Good for us but scant consolation for Forest who have lost 2 points.

I thought VAR was a reasonable effort at the WC considering it hadn’t been used at a major tournament before. It will be even more effective when the refs (whose delusions of competence are only outweighed by their arrogance) put their egos to one side and actually try to make it work.

It can’t go on like it is now, almost every game is affected by incorrect decisions.

 

[Davalon]

If we'd hung on to win 3-2 at Villa no-one on here would have worried about Billy's second goal, which should have been disallowed. Not to mention a clear penalty by Bash somehow missed by the ref.

Just saying.

 

[Davalon]

crickey it's crazy at the top!
we win and leeds /Norwich don't and all of a sudden we are breathing down their necks ,
we lose and don't win sat we could be out the top 6 !
exciting times and i think we have grown a huge amount since last season and as others have said have great forward options not even starting

i personally think it will go right to the wire and if we can still be in for the top 2 that would be amazing ( and very possible)

Nothing in this league this season is predictable ( except the goal-fest winning streak , surge up the league from them lot which is already in full swing !)

Stoke away last game - seem to remember a lovely diving header from that fella Deano there to give us a 1-0 win on our way to promotion once , was a sunny day also !
now that would be unusual , a sunny warm day at Stoke , usually absolutely bloody freezing there !

In fairness it's an interesting league for the neutral.

The only thing keeping my negative vibes in check that have reared up recently, is that things can change quickly in this league and all teams seem to hit a sticky patch.

Still a little concerned though that others show more good habits later in games.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

If we'd hung on to win 3-2 at Villa no-one on here would have worried about Billy's second goal, which should have been disallowed. Not to mention a clear penalty by Bash somehow missed by the ref.

Just saying.

Not sure what you mean by "worried", but on another thread about the incident quite a few of us were arguing that his goal should not have stood - and most agreed that Basham got away with a certain penalty. I don't think it's fair to imply that all of us are completely one-sided and don't face up to the fact that bad decisions are given for us.

 

[Davalon]

Not sure what you mean by "worried", but on another thread about the incident quite a few of us were arguing that his goal should not have stood - and most agreed that Basham got away with a certain penalty. I don't think it's fair to imply that all of us are completely one-sided and don't face up to the fact that bad decisions are given for us.

Not suggesting that.

However I've seen plenty of rancour at last night's decisions, and in some cases along the lines of just our luck attitude.

We aren't hard done to all the time like a few always make out.

 

[Sheffsteel]

It seems Gayle 'might now face a 2-game ban'. Good for us but scant consolation for Forest who have lost 2 points.

Just done a google search and I can’t see anywhere that Gayle will receive a 2 game ban.
The only report is that Sky pundit Don Goodman believes he should receive a ban for conning the referee
But I dont think any decision has been made by anyone yet, it’s not the PL so probably nothing will be done.

 

[Topplayersleave]

I think the Bristol penalty was a worse decision than the West Brom one

 

[grafikhaus]

Just done a google search and I can’t see anywhere that Gayle will receive a 2 game ban.
The only report is that Sky pundit Don Goodman believes he should receive a ban for conning the referee
But I dont think any decision has been made by anyone yet, it’s not the PL so probably nothing will be done.

'Referee Lee Mason fell for a dive by Dwight Gayle that is likely to see the West Bromwich Albion forward punished retrospectively, as Jay Rodriguez scored from the spot.

Gayle seemed to anticipate contact from Alexander Milosevic, but there was none. He hurdled to the floor regardless and Mason awarded the penalty. A two-game ban for ‘successful deception of a match official’ is possible.' Link

 

[GallonofMagnet]

Not so sure on Palmer.

Blackburn fans were happy he was gone and the couple of occasions we played against him he was anonymous.

For you to big up Palmer so much and say the jury is out on Dowell (who has had a far greater impact at this level than Palmer) I find bizarre.

Fair comments.

Apart from Palmer wasn’t anonymous at the Lane - he was causing us all sorts of trouble first half with the kind of play that, for me, suits our style perfectly.

Regarding Dowell - I was basing it on his performances here thus far. In particular his work rate, which is nothing like what the management seem to demand.

It’s early days though for both Palmer and Dowell and I’m 100% certain Wilder knows much more than me. So I’m sure it’ll work out for the best, long term.

 

[1889]

But VAR was used in last year's WC and every corner was a wrestle-fest.

It seems Gayle 'might now face a 2-game ban'. Good for us but scant consolation for Forest who have lost 2 points.

If it were a ten game ban it might actually have an impact towards stopping it