December is vital.

[Woodwardfan]

League Table:

Bristol City Played 19 /39 points
Swindon 19 /38
MKD 18 /37
Preston 19/ 37
SU 19/ 31

We have yet to play Bristol and MKD away and the other two at home.

I have not included any teams from below, not out of disrespect, but simply because we have to overtake 3 out of the above 4 to avoid the Play-Offs. If any team overtakes us then we are out of it, indeed we may be out of it already.

Make no mistake this is a tall order. It is always possible to catch up one or two teams but three is unlikely.

We have 4 easier fixtures coming up:

Fleetwood away
Walsall home
Port Vale away
Scunthorpe home

In my view we have to take at least 10 points. We need to do some catch up sooner rather than later, because our following 4 fixtures are hard:

Preston home
MKD away
Rochdale away
Swindon home

If we get less than 10 points from 12 over the these next 4 games we will not be in good shape by the time we play Preston.

Poor performances in our last 3 home games could turn out to be our downfall. From being" well placed if not inspiring" we are now " just about in touch and not inspiring". Let's make the next 4 games our "lift-off" and go into those 4 January games in good heart.

There are moments in time in our history when a result or two one way or the other make the difference. For Clough, tomorrow is a seriously big day. A poor result or two in the next 4 games could be damaging.

We are not in good shape at present, but put 10 more points on the board by the time we play Preston and the belief may be returning, in the squad and on the terraces.

 

[Nick Jansky]

We are looking strong, but need to convert that into a solid run & points sooner rather than later.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

League Table:

Bristol City Played 19 /39 points
Swindon 19 /38
MKD 18 /37
Preston 19/ 37
SU 19/ 31

We have yet to play Bristol and MKD away and the other two at home.

I have not included any teams from below, not out of disrespect, but simply because we have to overtake 3 out of the above 4 to avoid the Play-Offs. If any team overtakes us then we are out of it, indeed we may be out of it already.

Make no mistake this is a tall order. It is always possible to catch up one or two teams but three is unlikely.

We have 4 easier fixtures coming up:

Fleetwood away
Walsall home
Port Vale away
Scunthorpe home

In my view we have to take at least 10 points. We need to do some catch up sooner rather than later, because our following 4 fixtures are hard:

Preston home
MKD away
Rochdale away
Swindon home

If we get less than 10 points from 12 over the these next 4 games we will not be in good shape by the time we play Preston.

Poor performances in our last 3 home games could turn out to be our downfall. From being" well placed if not inspiring" we are now " just about in touch and not inspiring". Let's make the next 4 games our "lift-off" and go into those 4 January games in good heart.

There are moments in time in our history when a result or two one way or the other make the difference. For Clough, tomorrow is a seriously big day. A poor result or two in the next 4 games could be damaging.

We are not in good shape at present, but put 10 more points on the board by the time we play Preston and the belief may be returning, in the squad and on the terraces.

Agree Woodwardfan . The problem when we speculate and analyse , it all becomes if buts and maybes , with disappointment , when targets are not achieved . We have just not hit the targets from the previous run of matches . My way of thinking is to use the cliché , only think of one game at a time . The results over the festive period will gauge if we are good enough for automatic promotion or in the playoff lottery mix. Same gauge exercise after easter , but again , one game at a time.

UTB.

 

[wizadry]

If we want any chance at all of getting into the top two,then we have to get twelve points out of the next four games,unless of course the teams above us drop quite a lot of points,which could happen,but being realistic we could do with twelve points 'tbh'.Lets start with three valuable ones tomorrow please.

 

[Harry's Game]

We have 4 easier fixtures coming up.

Fleetwood is not an easy fixture in any way shape or form.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Fleetwood is not an easy fixture in any way shape or form.

I said easier, not easy.

 

[gavtheblade]

Six points from our next 4games.
I have foreseen it.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Fleetwood is not an easy fixture in any way shape or form.

Fleetwood is an easy fixture "if" we approach it in the right way.

We could start Mcnulty AND Higdon (COG will be injured) up front and then let Fleetwood chase shadows.

UTB

 

[Woodwardfan]

Hab

Fleetwood is an easy fixture "if" we approach it in the right way.

We could start Mcnulty AND Higdon (COG will be injured) up front and then let Fleetwood chase shadows.

UTB

Not a hope I'm afraid.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Fleetwood is not an easy fixture in any way shape or form.

That's a shocking statement to have to take on board.

 

[blade.i.am]

That's a shocking statement to have to take on board.

Just another indication as to how far we have fallen I'm afraid

 

[Harry's Game]

That's a shocking statement to have to take on board.

I fully agree.

It's true though.

 

[Lane Ender]

Bottom line is if you don't beat teams like Fleetwood you don't deserve to be promoted

 

[ThatJa]

Someone said it before, January will make or break our season.

 

[groveblade]

Every month is "vital" - every game is "vital". It's very boring - but the only way to succeed is by taking one game at a time. Look at our last 3 home games - lots were thinking we'd get a good points haul there but we ended up with just 2 points - you just never know which are going to turn out to be the "easy" games...

IF we could average 2 points a game for the rest of the season we'd end up on about 83-84 points - which is sometimes good enough for automatic promotion - we currently average just under 1.5 (I think) so will need a real upturn in form..

It's definitely possible - one game at a time though - starting with a win today! UTB

 

[OllyBlade]

Save yourselves the effort. We will make the playoffs comfortably, automatic promotion is too much for us. Go make yourselves a cup of tea, resign yourselves to that fact and the upcoming misery of the playoffs, and all will be (kind of) well.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Save yourselves the effort. We will make the playoffs comfortably, automatic promotion is too much for us. Go make yourselves a cup of tea, resign yourselves to that fact and the upcoming misery of the playoffs, and all will be (kind of) well.

Nice one OllyBlade . Automatic promotion for me . Nice weekend in Blackpool and a first visit to Fleetwood for me .

Unfortunately they will be misery on the way , but not in the playoffs . Let us all hope we have a good run over the christmas period , starting today , as we do require to keep up the pace and in the race , with the pack of teams pulling away from us.

Lose today and the forum will go to meltdown. Pressure sorts out the men from the boys , both for the team and supporters .

Mr Clough is the one person who is calm and calculated , that is why i am glad he is at the helm and our manager .Let us hope this transmits over to the players , who should realise that it is a privilege to play for such a great club , and more importantly a bloody great set of supporters.

UTB

 

[Kenilworth]

If we lose today, without scoring or troubling their keeper, I think we will struggle to make the play offs. This is just the sort of game that promotion candidates win and also-rans fail to convert. If you take it in context of the last run of home games then it's absolutely vital to get at least 9 points from the next 12 just to stay in contention for the play offs. That's just hanging on to the coat tails of the leaders - not hauling them in and overtaking them.

Just hope we focus on this game today and not get seduced by the thought of next weeks LCQF game and get distracted. If we do we will come a cropper.

 

[Darthblade]

Nice one OllyBlade . Automatic promotion for me . Nice weekend in Blackpool and a first visit to Fleetwood for me .

Unfortunately they will be misery on the way , but not in the playoffs . Let us all hope we have a good run over the christmas period , starting today , as we do require to keep up the pace and in the race , with the pack of teams pulling away from us.

Lose today and the forum will go to meltdown. Pressure sorts out the men from the boys , both for the team and supporters .

Mr Clough is the one person who is calm and calculated , that is why i am glad he is at the helm and our manager .Let us hope this transmits over to the players , who should realise that it is a privilege to play for such a great club , and more importantly a bloody great set of supporters.

UTB

Automatic promotion eh !! You must know about 5 new players coming in on 1st January ...... any chance of telling us who they are ?
UTB & FTP

 

[JasonEllis]

Put it this way:

Points wise we are as close to 20th place as we are to 1st.

Automatic promotion is in my opinion a pipe dream.