Promotion Maths

[Stinkin_Thinkin]

keep the home form going and turn the away form around and we can do it.
I want to go to wembley again.

[Ads]

We'd have to sort the away form and hope that the new faces gel quickly into a functioning unit.

Its possible and with away games against poorer sides like Forest, Burton, Wigan, Rotherham et al to come in the second half of the season you might fancy an upturn.

That said, Brentford are a poor side and we struggled badly. Wolves and Cardiff are even worse and we lost to them as well, albeit without some of our better players.

On paper;

Kodjia,
Hogan
Admoah
Lansbury
Hourihane
Chester

They're all very good players at this level, but it may well take a pre-season now.

I'd like us not to give up on it and go and win the next three and see how many points off 6th we are then. If its still double figures, despite beating Forest, Ipswich and Barnsley, then its just too much. If we're 7 or so off then game on.

[Ads]

Wigan win tonight, Villa and Newcastle tomorrow. Two home games on the spin.... dare to dream again.

[eamonn]

Reading and Leeds have done really well to make ground on the top two who most assumed were home and hosed. And Huddersfield are now replicating their early-season form, beating Brighton last night meaning the gap now emerging is between fifth and sixth rather than second and third.

That last play-offs place is going to be an almighty scramble unless one team can go on a long winning-streak. For us it would require a minor miracle. Top ten realistic if we settle down and some of the players start playing close to their potential.

[castlefields_villan]

I still think finishing 6th is do-able - but the run has to start in the next couple of games, preferably tomorrow at Nottingham Forest.
l

[SoccerHQ]

Wigan win tonight, Villa and Newcastle tomorrow. Two home games on the spin.... dare to dream again.

Realistically now it's only one play off spot left to fight for. I've assumed for a while Reading and Huddersfield would drop off but it's not happening...they lose a game and then win their next 4 and hardly ever seem to draw games.

Big problem is even if Sheff Weds drop some more points the run Derby are on (and squad they have) suggests they'll be the ones to finish in the top 6 comfortably.

It's beyond us now. We did well to get back into contention but have blown it since xmas.

That's not to say this season is over though...a good end to this season and we would at least have some momentum to take into next year where we simply have to get promotion.

It would be nice if the team could use the last few months to work out how to actually win away games aswell.

[Ads]

We need snookers really, as we're dependant on others. Still, might as well have a pop.

[KevinGage]

Short of an edict from the Football League that all opponents must face Aston Villa with no more than 9 players on the pitch at any one time, it's not going to happen.

Rehabilitating Gabby seems to have been Bruce's priority this year, and relying on that waste of skin in Jan has ultimately done for us. McCormack's piss-taking and the mardiness of some of our other lot is probably intertwined with that.

[Comrade Blitz]

Going up in 2018 while NUFC are coming back down could make it more palatable

[Ads]

Who else was he supposed to rely upon?

RHM was badly advised and has only just pulled his head in
Ayew wanted put and was at ACON
Kodjia was at ACON
McCormack was taking the piss
Kozak doesn't resemble a footballer anymore

If Bruce hadn't brought Gabby back in then we'd have been left without a sausage up top.

[SoccerHQ]

i personally think he should've kept rudy until kodjia came back or at least until the preston game.

i'm sure boro could've waited a few weeks as it's not like they've started him since he went up. i doubt he'd have kicked off like payet either.

gestede was never a starter but we saw in his final appearence he could make an impact in games when he came on...he would've been a good option for second halves at cardiff and wolves.

[KevinGage]

The price for Gestede was attractive, and I was no real fan of him as a player.   

But there was an argument to keep him until at least the end of Jan.  He showed as recently as the Leeds game at home that he could change a game.

Gestede, McCormack and Kodjia have all scored shedloads in this division in recent seasons, so as much as it was a blow to be missing one of them for the guts of a month, it shouldn't have put the kybosh on our chances completely.

Another option would have been to have a short-term loan tied up in December for the start of Jan. It's not as if AFCON was unexpected.  I'm sure there would have been at least one fit and hungry young player from the top 8-10 sides in the PL who would realish the game time and the chance to make a name for himself.  As opposed to relying on a part time footballer who has more yellow cards than goals since 2010.

[ChicagoLion]

We'd have to sort the away form and hope that the new faces gel quickly into a functioning unit.

Its possible and with away games against poorer sides like Forest, Burton, Wigan, Rotherham et al to come in the second half of the season you might fancy an upturn.

That said, Brentford are a poor side and we struggled badly. Wolves and Cardiff are even worse and we lost to them as well, albeit without some of our better players.

On paper;

Kodjia,
Hogan
Admoah
Lansbury
Hourihane
Chester

They're all very good players at this level, but it may well take a pre-season now.

I'd like us not to give up on it and go and win the next three and see how many points off 6th we are then. If its still double figures, despite beating Forest, Ipswich and Barnsley, then its just too much. If we're 7 or so off then game on.

Adomah is not a good player at the level, top 6 we want to be.

[saunders_heroes]

Agree with that. Adomah isn't up to it all. Flatters to deceive, tries to do too much, doesn't get enough crosses in and loses possession way too often.

[PeterWithesShin]

He played 43 times for the side that finished 2nd last season so it suggests he's good enough for this division. I think he'd struggle in the top flight though.