87 points needed....play offs it is!

[mattbianco1]

Pigs went up with 11 wins and 3 draws from their last 14 games. Prior to that they'd lost 4 on the bounce

 

[Glos Red]

Copied from otib.co.uk

103 - Title winners 2012, 2014
102 -
101 -
100 -
99 -
98 -
97 -
96 - Title winners 2009 *average amount required for title win*
95 - Title winners 2011, 2010
94 - 2nd place 2014
93 - 2nd place 2012
92 - 2nd place 2011
91 -
90 - 3rd Place 2012 *average amount required for promotion*
89 - 2nd place 2009
88 -
87 - 3rd Place 2011, 2009
86 - 2nd place 2010, 3rd Place 2014
85 - 3rd Place 2010
84 - Title winners 2013
83 - 2nd place 2013
82 -
81 -
80 - 6th place 2010
79 - 3rd Place 2013
78 -
77 -
76 - 6th place 2009
75 - * average required for play offs*
74 - 6th place 2013, 2014
73 - 6th place 2012
72 -
71 - 6th place 2011
70 -
69 -
68 -
67 -
66 -
65 -
64 - Bristol City (30)
63 -
62 -
61 -
60 -
59 - MK Dons (31)
58 -
57 - Swindon (30)
56 -
55 -
54 -
53 - Preston (29)
52 -
51 -
50 - Safety 2012, Safety 2010, Safety 2009, Safety 2008 *average required for safety*
49 - Safety 2013
48 - Safety 2011, 2014 Sheffield United (29)
47 -
46 -
45 - Doncaster (30)
44 -
43 - Oldham (30)
42 - Chesterfield (31)
41 - Gillingham (31), Fleetwood (31), Peterborough (31), Bradford (29)
40 - Scunthorpe (29), Walsall (30)
39 - Port Vale (31)

38- Crewe (31), Notts County (30), Rochdale (28),

37-

36-

35 - Barnsley (30)

34-

33-

32- Coventry (30)

31- Colchester (31)

30- Crawley (30)

29- Leyton Orient (29)

28- Yeovil (31)

 

[Taramasalata]

Don't worry about the others. Win our matches, the only philosophy that works

 

[Woodwardfan]

If we had cover for Done, i.e. the further striker Clough is looking for, anything would be possible. At the moment we are vulnerable if Done gets injured or suspended.

This important fact applies if we end up in the Play-Offs. We need cover in the striking department for Wembley. Don't let's go there again without a striker!

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Copied from otib.co.uk

103 - Title winners 2012, 2014
102 -
101 -
100 -
99 -
98 -
97 -
96 - Title winners 2009 *average amount required for title win*
95 - Title winners 2011, 2010
94 - 2nd place 2014
93 - 2nd place 2012
92 - 2nd place 2011
91 -
90 - 3rd Place 2012 *average amount required for promotion*
89 - 2nd place 2009
88 -
87 - 3rd Place 2011, 2009
86 - 2nd place 2010, 3rd Place 2014
85 - 3rd Place 2010
84 - Title winners 2013
83 - 2nd place 2013
82 -
81 -
80 - 6th place 2010
79 - 3rd Place 2013
78 -
77 -
76 - 6th place 2009
75 - * average required for play offs*
74 - 6th place 2013, 2014
73 - 6th place 2012
72 -
71 - 6th place 2011
70 -
69 -
68 -
67 -
66 -
65 -
64 - Bristol City (30)
63 -
62 -
61 -
60 -
59 - MK Dons (31)
58 -
57 - Swindon (30)
56 -
55 -
54 -
53 - Preston (29)
52 -
51 -
50 - Safety 2012, Safety 2010, Safety 2009, Safety 2008 *average required for safety*
49 - Safety 2013
48 - Safety 2011, 2014 Sheffield United (29)
47 -
46 -
45 - Doncaster (30)
44 -
43 - Oldham (30)
42 - Chesterfield (31)
41 - Gillingham (31), Fleetwood (31), Peterborough (31), Bradford (29)
40 - Scunthorpe (29), Walsall (30)
39 - Port Vale (31)

38- Crewe (31), Notts County (30), Rochdale (28),

37-

36-

35 - Barnsley (30)

34-

33-

32- Coventry (30)

31- Colchester (31)

30- Crawley (30)

29- Leyton Orient (29)

28- Yeovil (31)

An interesting table but the average amount of points required for promotion is NOT 90 points.
What they've probably done to get 90 is take the average points of teams finishing in second place.
In actual fact you only need the average points of teams finising in third place (about 87) + 1.

 

[E..]

There's been a lot of talk of automatic promotion due to our mini run, but everyone really needs to be more realistic.

For us to get automatic promotion we'll probably have to get a minimum of 87 points. Looking at MK Dons and Swindon's form to date, and past seasons 2nd place points totals , it looks like this season will be around the 87 point mark, plus they have far superior goal difference.

This means we will have to win 13 out of our remaining 17 games. Not impossible, but that would need us having a run of results that we've hardly ever had in our history!

Let's just enjoy the ride, hope we avoid Preston in the play off's (Grayson and their 'worse than ours play off record' makes me nervous) and dream of a beard infused Done and Brayford inspired Wembley win!

If we get to the play off final then it would be played on Sunday 24th May with a 5:30pm KO

 

[wizadry]

Do you guys remember when we were shit? Like, 2 weeks ago. Dark days...

It's amazing what happens when you sign a goalscorer, amazing i tell thee

 

[Paulus]

We shouldn't live on false hope but... Who will we lose to?

This table charts the fixtures in February 2015

HOME (should get maximum 27pts, realistic target 21/23pts)
Coventry
Peterborough
Fleetwood
Port Vale
Scunthorpe
Crewe
Doncaster
Bradford
Chesterfield

AWAY (draws at Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Barnsley and Oldham. Win at the rest = 16pt)
Rochdale
Crawley
Scunthorpe
Walsall
Barnsley
Oldham
Yeovil
Orient

Get 37pts from the above and we'll make 2nd place. That is 6 draws 11 wins.

OR

Win all the home games and we only need 3 away wins for 95pts

This being football we could lose to any of them....

 

[longinthe toothblade]

MK Dons and Swindon do not have the squad to play the amount of games between now and the end of the season without dropping more points than they did in the first half. Only my opinion obviously but they can't rotate as we can and I think they'll hit a wall.

I don't and in any case, what about Bristol? For me we are looking at 5th. I think Bristol and Swindon will be the autos and it's MK Dons and Preston for 3rd and 4th. I reckon that Preston are favourites for the 4th spot so it could be another 'kin' trip to Deepdale. Pity, because I'd prefer MK Dons [despite them turning us over twice this season].

Still, there's a few games to go yet and there's every chance that one [or even two] of those above could falter - let's just hope we don't and make it easy for them and have any more 'Gillinghams' ourselves.

 

[blade too long]

Our last three results are 4-1, 3-1, 2-1, demonstrating an obvious decline

3 pts 3pts 3pts consistancy personified

 

[blade too long]

we need bristol to romp home get 104 points take out the 6 combatants , and we only need to take 2nd spot , so its swindon , who look far less rampant now , lost last 2 mk dons 4 points in last 4 and preston who are as inconsistant as anyone .

we have to climb 3 places in 3 months in reality make up 7 points if we win our game in hand
do able of course it is , but its in our hands , can we win 14 of 17 , yes I believe we can , no team above us to play and finally clicking in front of goal the force is with us , we are peaking at just the right time , coming up on the rails

 

[Kenilworth]

I don't and in any case, what about Bristol? For me we are looking at 5th. I think Bristol and Swindon will be the autos and it's MK Dons and Preston for 3rd and 4th. I reckon that Preston are favourites for the 4th spot so it could be another 'kin' trip to Deepdale. Pity, because I'd prefer MK Dons [despite them turning us over twice this season].

Still, there's a few games to go yet and there's every chance that one [or even two] of those above could falter - let's just hope we don't and make it easy for them and have any more 'Gillinghams' ourselves.

Hmmnn - I actually see Swindon falling back during the run in (squad size and games catching up with them) and MKD losing some ground as they struggle to find the same goal scoring prowess as they had a the beginning of the season when Afobe was with them. Suspect MKD will blow hot and cold for the remainder.

The main threat as I see it is from Preston. Same number of games but with 5 points more than us and a GD of 8 better than us at the moment. With Garner back in the fold, their obvious physicality and being out of the FA Cup, they too can just concentrate on the league now. I see them as the main opposition to us potentially grabbing second slot. The only spanner in their works may be from the number of top 9 sides they still need to face - but they can grind out results and whilst Garner was injured they struggled to score goals, he is back to begin the task again. If we overhaul Preston at the end of this race then I think we will be in second place.

 

[yuley82]

We've been crap in the league so far, but surely we are now due a good run of form and no better time to have one than the back end of the season when we are still in touching distance of auto.

 

[longinthe toothblade]

Hmmnn - I actually see Swindon falling back during the run in (squad size and games catching up with them) and MKD losing some ground as they struggle to find the same goal scoring prowess as they had a the beginning of the season when Afobe was with them. Suspect MKD will blow hot and cold for the remainder.

The main threat as I see it is from Preston. Same number of games but with 5 points more than us and a GD of 8 better than us at the moment. With Garner back in the fold, their obvious physicality and being out of the FA Cup, they too can just concentrate on the league now. I see them as the main opposition to us potentially grabbing second slot. The only spanner in their works may be from the number of top 9 sides they still need to face - but they can grind out results and whilst Garner was injured they struggled to score goals, he is back to begin the task again. If we overhaul Preston at the end of this race then I think we will be in second place.

We'll have to see. Obviously hope you are right and I'm wrong but I really don't see us in the auto spots. Bristol and Swindon have been very consistent and they are two good sides. For me they would have to really 'muck up'. If they did, MK Dons and Preston would be ones to challenge them as it stands at present. For us to be in the mix we would [1] have to maintain the current form [i.e. the last 3 x games] and [2] we would have to witness a catostrophic run of form for Bristol and Swindon and a really poor run of form for MK Dons and Preston. We haven't seen any evidence of that from any of them so far.

Still we can do our best and hope

 

[Wards]

Still got a chance IMO. Win this week and the pressure is right on them.

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

We won 10 in a row this time last season but yeah people needs to curb their enthusiasm

 

[stringjunior]

We have The Beard. 4 in 5 since his return.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

We shouldn't live on false hope but... Who will we lose to?

This table charts the fixtures in February 2015

HOME (should get maximum 27pts, realistic target 21/23pts)
Coventry
Peterborough
Fleetwood
Port Vale
Scunthorpe
Crewe
Doncaster
Bradford
Chesterfield

AWAY (draws at Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Barnsley and Oldham. Win at the rest = 16pt)
Rochdale
Crawley
Scunthorpe
Walsall
Barnsley
Oldham
Yeovil
Orient

Get 37pts from the above and we'll make 2nd place. That is 6 draws 11 wins.

OR

Win all the home games and we only need 3 away wins for 95pts

Problem is , nerves start setting in just reading the posts , and analysing each game to come . Lets hope its not same for the players as we start reaching the end of the season . Also nerves will definitely set in to all the teams above us , as they start looking over there shoulders.

UTB

 

[BerksBlade]

If we had cover for Done, i.e. the further striker Clough is looking for, anything would be possible. At the moment we are vulnerable if Done gets injured or suspended.

This important fact applies if we end up in the Play-Offs. We need cover in the striking department for Wembley. Don't let's go there again without a striker!

Exactly. Fed up with us limping into the playoffs out of form and with no fit strikers. If we can't make the top two then it's all about keeping momentum.

 

[YES Blade]

Still got a chance IMO. Win this week and the pressure is right on them.

Really don't understand how us winning will put on more pressure? Aren't Swindon and Preston already putting a lot of pressure on Mk and Bristol City?

We really need get into the automatic mix before anyone starts to worry about us!

 

[super_pig]

We'll have to see. Obviously hope you are right and I'm wrong but I really don't see us in the auto spots. Bristol and Swindon have been very consistent and they are two good sides. For me they would have to really 'muck up'. If they did, MK Dons and Preston would be ones to challenge them as it stands at present. For us to be in the mix we would [1] have to maintain the current form [i.e. the last 3 x games] and [2] we would have to witness a catostrophic run of form for Bristol and Swindon and a really poor run of form for MK Dons and Preston. We haven't seen any evidence of that from any of them so far.

Still we can do our best and hope

you're not taking into account that they all have to play each other. so someone will drop points if not both. we don't have to play any of them.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

you're not taking into account that they all have to play each other. so someone will drop points if not both. we don't have to play any of them.

No, people are not taking into account the other teams - they all have some tough games.

We now seem to have a tough backbone to the team for away games and as long as we can overcome teams that sit deep at BDTBL then we should make a move.

If we finish above Preston, then we can finish in 2nd place - personally think they are our main worry - just a tough, strong team and as we have seen in the past that is ideal to get out of this division.

We too now have toughness and with Done/Murph now on fire we just need to take one game at a time.

UTB

 

[Darthblade]

MK Dons and Swindon do not have the squad to play the amount of games between now and the end of the season without dropping more points than they did in the first half. Only my opinion obviously but they can't rotate as we can and I think they'll hit a wall.

We can rotate, you are correct. However, in rotating that means we will have to use players like Scougal, Wallace (K), Alcock, Higdon etc and they have proven over the season so far, that they cannot compete at this level, in this Division. Also, we only have one decent striker so we cannot rotate him !!
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

So MK Dons have tough games vs. Preston, Doncaster, Oldham, Doncaster and Swindon

Swindon - Doncaster, MK Dons, Bristol C & Preston

Preston (who I don't believe have a chance of the top 2 anyway) - Oldham, Donny, MK, Bristol City & Swindon.

Makes our run-in look nice doesn't it

If we had taken advantage in Oct / Nov / Dec, strengthened the squad when we should have and were currently about 15 points better off it would look very promising.
Regrettably, we tried for the "cheap" option of promotion ..... failed miserably .... and are now likely to be frustrated on a "biblical" scale when we miss out on promotion.
Hopefully; we will learn from this when NC creates his "wish list" in the summer .......
UTB & FTP

 

[S5Blade]

If we had taken advantage in Oct / Nov / Dec, strengthened the squad when we should have and were currently about 15 points better off it would look very promising.
Regrettably, we tried for the "cheap" option of promotion ..... failed miserably .... and are now likely to be frustrated on a "biblical" scale when we miss out on promotion.
Hopefully; we will learn from this when NC creates his "wish list" in the summer .......
UTB & FTP

Speechless

 

[mattbianco1]

If we had taken advantage in Oct / Nov / Dec, strengthened the squad when we should have and were currently about 15 points better off it would look very promising.
Regrettably, we tried for the "cheap" option of promotion ..... failed miserably .... and are now likely to be frustrated on a "biblical" scale when we miss out on promotion.
Hopefully; we will learn from this when NC creates his "wish list" in the summer .......
UTB & FTP

Who/when would you have signed differently?

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

We can rotate, you are correct. However, in rotating that means we will have to use players like Scougal, Wallace (K), Alcock, Higdon etc and they have proven over the season so far, that they cannot compete at this level, in this Division. Also, we only have one decent striker so we cannot rotate him !!
UTB & FTP

Really, you think Scougal, Wallace and Alcock have proven they can't play at this level?
hmmm, I think I may need to find Tommy Lee Jones again. This board gets more fickle and knee jerk by the day.

 

[OllyBlade]

and are now likely to be frustrated on a "biblical" scale when we miss out on promotion.

I'm confused where the Bible comes in. Or do you just mean that the failure will be large and unpleasant? Like what I just did in th... wait no I won't finish that.

 

[JJBlade]

The problem with starting the season late every year is that every defeat from now on will be a total calamity. Especially if it's one of those defeat where we never look like winning.
Coventry beating us on Saturday is very possible but because of the slackness early on in the season it will be met with absolute mayhem on our message boards.

 

[itsinyerblood]

If we had taken advantage in Oct / Nov / Dec, strengthened the squad when we should have and were currently about 15 points better off it would look very promising.
Regrettably, we tried for the "cheap" option of promotion ..... failed miserably .... and are now likely to be frustrated on a "biblical" scale when we miss out on promotion.
Hopefully; we will learn from this when NC creates his "wish list" in the summer .......
UTB & FTP

It's nice to see the inner workings of fantasy fandom.

Frustrated on a "biblical" scale? Mmmmm, let me see, as much as I love my team, there are many, many more things that I'd find frustrating, but I guess it all depends on the significance you attach to football.

Can you give me a detailed breakdown of how you arrive at this idea of "cheap"? In relative terms Done was "cheap", but how does this reflect on the fact that he's delivered in a manner way beyond his recent valuation. If you mean spend big, by this division's standards that is, then since when does this promise to deliver what I assume you're inferring? Chelsea spent big on Fernando Torres, now that was a stupid roll of the dice, wasn't it?

Overall, in the time that Clough's been in charge, we're in a far healthier position than we have been. I can see positives, you seem unable to, doesn't that just prove it's all about opinions?