Promotion Maths

[Nastylee]

Until the away from shows some return then fuck it. As I said in the post match thread, we should put a filter on the words 'play offs'.

[footyskillz]

Well Bruce hasn't given up on play off promotions but says if things don't improve be a long season

[QuintonVilla]

Close thread. We'll be lucky to finish in the top half.

Since Bruce came in we've played well for half an hour at Brighton, that's it. Every other game we've been average or terrible.

His plan for Kodjia going to the AFCON is Gabby up front. Laughable.

[olaftab]

Just forget about it, it isn't happening.  We're not even close to being good enough, and the top 6 keep getting results.  Need to build the midfield and forward line ready for next season.

This for me. I said something similar in the PMT. We are a long way off and there is no point in perfuming this pig in January with Hermès 24 Faubourg.

[wittonwarrior]

Is there an  Einstein in this forum.  We need one.

[TheTimVilla]

This thread should be relegation maths. How many points do we need to stay up? Hit that, then start planning for next season, play the kids more, lose the usual suspects and hopefully we can hit our straps in August.

[Des Little]

Is there an  Einstein in this forum.  We need one.

...one that can play centre mid and play a forward pass to feet would be even better

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

It's too early to give up completely, but it looks like the Top 6 are too far ahead of us now.  Of course one or two of them could slip up and go on a disastrous run, but we'd need that to happen, and 5 or 6 other teams not to take advantage of it more than we can.

January will cost us - losing Kodjia, and not having a backup; and not getting signings in quickly enough.

Next season.  We go again.

[ChicagoLion]

We needed to have had a couple of players lined up and ready to go at the beginning of The month.
The fact we haven't is throwing the towel in on this season just as we did last January.

[OzVilla]

I've no doubt they're trying to get signings in but other clubs in the chain hold things up.

I'm not giving up on the play offs but it's real up hill climb now and we just arn't good enough truth be told. Especially when the entirety of your midfield options are lower half Chamionship or League 1 standard at best.

[ChicagoLion]

Sure they have been trying, we just lost out on Sclupp to Palace, he did not want to drop down a league.
We are not an attractive proposition.

[IFWaters]

I can understand the spleen venting on here but I think the maths tell you where the problems are.

Since the start of December , 9 games , 5 goals.

Only 3 teams all season have scored less goals.

Lansbury, Hourihane all good potential additions but we urgently need a striker to complement Kodija. She's isn't it.

[QuintonVilla]

I just don't get the logic in selling Gestede and leaving us with Gabby as our main striker this month. Bruce seems blinkered and is deluded when it comes to Gabby, spouting nonsense that he's the best striker in this league when he's fit. Why hasn't he even looked like scoring a goal then? He's been shit for years, and even when he was supposed to be good he was pretty shit and relied on his pace. He's always had the touch of a baby elephant.

I'm not saying Gestede is any good either and I'm not sure what our style of play is even meant to be, but it seems like we rely on crosses from our full backs. We don't carve teams open or play through balls so surely Gestede is a better fit for that style?

[Des Little]

I just don't get the logic in selling Gestede and leaving us with Gabby as our main striker this month. Bruce seems blinkered and is deluded when it comes to Gabby, spouting nonsense that he's the best striker in this league when he's fit. Why hasn't he even looked like scoring a goal then? He's been shit for years, and even when he was supposed to be good he was pretty shit and relied on his pace. He's always had the touch of a baby elephant.

I'm not saying Gestede is any good either and I'm not sure what our style of play is even meant to be, but it seems like we rely on crosses from our full backs. We don't carve teams open or play through balls so surely Gestede is a better fit for that style?

My thoughts exactly. Sell our only striker with the ability to win/hold up the ball (Kodija apart), then lump it high and long. At the very least, sell to Boro in the last week of Jan. Why do we make it easy to buy our players but it's so very difficult to get them in?

[Old Kodjia]

I'm not overly critical of the Gestede sale.  £6 million was useful money for a player who was never going to start for us.  Playing Gabby for 2 or 3 games in January is not the end of the world.  However, I hope that Bruce now sees he is not even at Championship level any more.  He may well have played x amount of PL games but he was never that good.  All he ever had was pace and strength, his first touch was a disgrace for a professional footballer.  Now he's lost his main attributes, you may as well play Micha Richards up front than persist with Gabby.  Gestede was never going to be the answer though, he has the mobility of a tortoise.

In hindsight, it was a big ask to expect to turn things around so quickly after last season.  We need a period of stability.  I know that Bruce states he doesn't want massive turnaround but by the end of the summer window, I think we'll have had one.  I can't see many of this current crop lasting the distance under Bruce.  My big worry is that there has been little improvement under Bruce.  Apart from the Brighton game, we've looked anything but convincing.  How many games (including those under RDM) have we actually looked the better side?  For the money spent, its embarrassing.  We struggle to score goals and whatever line up we start with, it looks light on goalscoring options.  We are crying out for a number 9 as Kodjia isn't the answer there.  After that, we need an entire new midfield.  Every performance meges into one-Norwich, Burton, QPR, Cardiff, Wolves all seem virtually identical-No idea, no real attacking threat and plenty of hope that we get the rub of the green.  It worked twice, failed 3 times.  I'm a fan of Bruce, I wanted him here in the summer and was delighted when we finally got him on board.  What has gone on thus far is not acceptable and it has become painful to watch.  The onus is really on him now to sort things out.  If he doesn't, we could well be in for a longer stay in this division than we anticipated.