The likelihood of promotion from here

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Getting promoted would be worth somewhere between £5-10m, depending on how much our gates increase and what sponsorship we get. I think when we went down we lost £5m a year in TV money alone.
Spent wisely, there's no reason why that alone shouldn't keep us up. Add a bit of investment and we should be fine.
No guarantees of course but some of the teams in the championship aren't all that. We should be able to finish above three of them.

If we can't out perform Rotherham

 

[Darthblade]

Just go for a piss. If you're dreaming you're pissing you're likely to wake up quite quickly.

Or ...... if the players are actually playing and we play fast, exciting attacking football, keep a clean sheet, and win the game 3 - 0 after dominating most of the match .........

Then I know I'm fucking well asleep and dreaming ........

UTB & FTP

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

Strangely I think this might be our best chance.

Our record against the top teams is not a write off. We've got experience on and off the pitch.

Looks like Wigan might kick on to the autos, and we'd be in the mix with beatable teams.

But I think it'll be close, and the fans really could make a difference either way. Negativity will reduce our chances.

There is no chance we're going up. Look at the history in the OP, there is nothing that suggests we will go up from past seasons.
Even to go up through the play offs you would need consistency, goals, variety in attack and a decent defense.

We also need to win 10 games out of our last 18. We've won 11 games so far this entire season. Would take a remarkable up turn in form, with the same set of players and manager. Isn't happening I'm afraid.

The board and manager have failed miserably this season. Roll on August.

 

[Darthblade]

Amazingly ...... just had a look on the Wed**sday Star website whilst I was munching breakfast to see if there was any team news .......

Can't get my breath .....

The fool who wrote the article says we must beat Wigan to keep our automatic promotion hopes alive !!!!!!

He must be a pig to be that deluded ........ our automatic hopes diminished with poor and ineffective recruitment in the August transfer window and were then gone by November. Where does the piggy Star get these hacks from ?

UTB & FTP

 

[Sothall_Blade]

I agree LS26, the club have effectively quit on this year, so why are we still playing defensive football at home, let's go out and play the open football with passion that Nige #2 wants to play. If the has beens can't do that, they know where the door is

Are you for real!! 2 points off play offs and we give it up, can't get my breath!!.Can't say it will happen but since Brayford came back we are on course for a play off place and not far off catching the pacemakers. I accept the automatic places will probably be beyond us(but give it a go) playoffs are well within our scope, loan players will come in to improve our chances.If we do reach play offs we will have a great chance
as the experienced players we have
Would prove vital.If I gave up with a third of season to go ide be ashamed of myself,come on its all to play for

I for one haven't given up on the play-offs this season but that doesn't mean that we can't play a more entertaining, attacking brand of football than we have been doing recently.

I think Adkins changed two things about his approach from the Coventry game onwards:-

1) He put more emphasis on height, power and strength by picking mostly six footers in favour of smaller, weaker players. This has worked quite well and we have on the whole been bullied less and defended set pieces better.

2) Young players, flair players and attack-minded players were sidelined as he adopted a much more defensive outlook. The current midfield four is set up mainly to defend with little creativity or attacking threat. I think this is fine when playing the likes of Man.U away (or maybe even Wigan at home) but can be tweaked when facing lesser teams to try and turn those frustrating draws into much-needed wins.

I think trying the likes of Adams and Calvert-Lewin over Woolford and Basham would potentially give us an injection of flair, pace and goal-threat that we just don't have at the moment. With the great advantage that we might just be discovering a gem who can be a key player for years to come.

That's not giving up on promotion, it's trying to improve on the mediocre position we are in now with one eye on next season and beyond.

Edit:- I've just read Adkins latest comments in The Star and it seems he has having similar thoughts which is encouraging:-

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/foot...-hints-at-tactical-switch-for-wigan-1-7719131

 

[Pollingtonblade]

I for one haven't given up on the play-offs this season but that doesn't mean that we can't play a more entertaining, attacking brand of football than we have been doing recently.

I think Adkins changed two things about his approach from the Coventry game onwards:-

1) He put more emphasis on height, power and strength by picking mostly six footers in favour of smaller, weaker players. This has worked quite well and we have on the whole been bullied less and defended set pieces better.

2) Young players, flair players and attack-minded players were sidelined as he adopted a much more defensive outlook. The current midfield four is set up mainly to defend with little creativity or attacking threat. I think this is fine when playing the likes of Man.U away (or maybe even Wigan at home) but can be tweaked when facing lesser teams to try and turn those frustrating draws into much-needed wins.

I think trying the likes of Adams and Calvert-Lewin over Woolford and Basham would potentially give us an injection of flair, pace and goal-threat that we just don't have at the moment. With the great advantage that we might just be discovering a gem who can be a key player for years to come.

That's not giving up on promotion, it's trying to improve on the mediocre position we are in now with one eye on next season and beyond.

Edit:- I've just read Adkins latest comments in The Star and it seems he has having similar thoughts which is encouraging:-

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/foot...-hints-at-tactical-switch-for-wigan-1-7719131

Thing is saying and doing as we've seen are 2 totally different things.

 

[Mad Mick]

I am not too worried about the play-offs because I feel we will get there without any problems. I think auto is extremely unlikely. Our chances of getting promotion from the play-offs are Slim to none, and Slims just left town.
Having said that, hope springs eternal.

 

[robbiez666]

I think today will be a huge day in terms of how the rest of the season will pan out.

Win, draw or lose unluckily and I think we'll be around the play-offs
get a tanking and I think we'll end uo slipping down the league.

 

[Dkc]

Agreed,could be our most important league game so far this season.

 

[I should coco]

Agreed,could be our most important league game so far this season

Yes, since the last one.

What's really amazing is that the next one could be even more important!

Wowzer!!!!!

ISC

 

[jt64]

we're a slightly shorter price to be promoted than we were not to be promoted late in that season where one of our key players goes and stays in one of her majesty's special hotels, so it's perfectly possible

 

[robbiez666]

Yes, since the last one.

What's really amazing is that the next one could be even more important!

Wowzer!!!!!

ISC

Disagree.

With the disappointments of the transfer window I think fans are very close to getting very angry. A good result good assuage any fears but a bad one and the atmosphere could turn incredibly nasty.

The players as well. Many have contracts which run out in summer or may be thinking about looking outside of Sheffield United for their future. I bad loss could knock the stuffing out of them and instead of playing for a new contract they'll tread water until the end of the season.

 

[I should coco]

With the disappointments of the transfer window I think fans are very close to getting very angry. A good result good assuage any fears but a bad one and the atmosphere could turn incredibly nasty.

I don't think you've read some of the meltdown threads since the end of the JTW if you think some fans are only 'very close' to being angry.

Obviously I was being flippant, but my point remains that whatever the result today we will still not be up nor out of it. Progressively each coming game will decide our season.

ISC

 

[robbiez666]

I don't think you've read some of the meltdown threads since the end of the JTW if you think some fans are only 'very close' to being angry.

Obviously I was being flippant, but my point remains that whatever the result today we will still not be up nor out of it. Progressively each coming game will decide our season.

ISC

I get your point regarding game by game but I think it's a fairly crucial times following on from the JTW.

Let's be honest, if we stuffed Wigan today much of the anger over the JTW will subside. I'm talking more in terms of at the games than on internet forums. The atmosphere has already been poisonous at points this season. A bad performance and bad result could see it go over a point of no return. It could keep spiralling down, and if we get on a run of bad results and a couple of key injuries then we could be dragged down towards a relegation battle.

 

[blade67]

looking at our odds at the bookies we are 5-1 or 6-1.

This means in reality our chances are around 10-1

I'm already thinking about whether I do Bury away next season, I've never been to Gigg lane

 

[PeteBlade]

I am not too worried about the play-offs because I feel we will get there without any problems. I think auto is extremely unlikely. Our chances of getting promotion from the play-offs are Slim to none, and Slims just left town.
Having said that, hope springs eternal.

Our current main problem is being 9th.

 

[Compound_Legend]

There is more likelihood of The Beatles reforming than us getting promotion.

And two of them are dead.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

There is more likelihood of The Beatles reforming than us getting promotion.

And two of them are dead.

Yeah but the kids love a bit of drum 'n' bass

 

[UnitedBlade]

We now need more or less 2 points per game to get 6th spot. It isn't going to happen.

Start planning for the clear out and more importantly the large recruitment required.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Yesterday was the first time this season I thought that's it promotion chance over... I like to keep positive but our performances are just life draining atm.

 

[longinthe toothblade]

I've reviewed data from the previous 5 seasons to assess our chances of getting into the Play-offs from our current - 9th - position.

At a similar stage of the season this is what transpired:

2014/15......8th placed team made it into the top 6 but didn't get promoted
2013/14......7th placed team made it but didn't get promoted
2012/13......8th placed team (Yeovil) made it and won promotion
2011/12......Top 6 didn't change
2010/11......7th and 8th placed team made it and neither won promotion

Whilst statistically it looks bleak, we are a mere two points off sixth place and our league form since the Coventry game - when Adkins changed his approach - has been good (4 wins, 3 draws and one defeat). A continuation of our points return over the last 8 games would see us comfortably into the top 6.

Promotion is a long shot but Adkins has adapted and made us into a team that's hard to beat - no bad thing if we do make it to the Play-offs.

Whatever people think about the club's current governance, inquests can wait and this is surely a time to get fully behind OUR team to give them the best possible chance of promotion rather than spouting nonsense about protests.

BUT you are missing the single most important point, we are playing shit

 

[DorsetSUFC]

It ain't gonna happen - and I am not sure it fits our clubs agenda anymore??

 

[Kevincarterversion2.0]

If you can get in the top six, you have a shot, unless you are Sheffield United FC, in which case the season is over.