The Much Awaited Return of Promotion Maths

[cdbearsfan]

It's exciting, innit?

[Baldy]

In my humble opinion, Wolves will probably go up as Champions and with continued application it is well within our grasp that Villa go up in second.

However, if it has to be through the play offs, I would much prefer to avoid Fulham at Wembley which would be a 50/50 match. I would strongly fancy our chances against Cardiff, Derby, Middlesboro, Bristol City etc in the play offs.

If we do not get automatic promotion, be better if Fulham go up with Wolves and then the door is really open for us through the play offs.

Overtake Cardiff in the league and one way or the other, I reckon we will get promotion. Happy Days.

[McGraths Dry Cleaning]

Plenty of twists and turns to come. If football always ran to form bookies wouldn't exist and no one would watch it. I think when we have a full strength team (especially Grealish) then the post Xmas Villa looks like it can beat anyone on the day. I feel more confident now that we can win via the playoffs if that's what it takes.

[Toronto Villa]

Fulham fans given what they’ve seen of their team of late will be every bit as confident as us of bridging the gap to second. Of course they will be hoping we fuck up our game in hand. But in terms of pure form them and Cardiff have every reason to be confident of winning a lot of the their remaining games. This won’t be easy.

And if I was a Wolves fan, I’d be bricking it. They might have privately thought we’d beat them. They never saw it being a battering. Their confidence will be a little fragile today.

[LeeB]

Fulham fans given what they’ve seen of their team of late will be every bit as confident as us of bridging the gap to second. Of course they will be hoping we fuck up our game in hand. But in terms of pure form them and Cardiff have every reason to be confident of winning a lot of the their remaining games. This won’t be easy.

And if I was a Wolves fan, I’d be bricking it. They might have privately thought we’d beat them. They never saw it being a battering. Their confidence will be a little fragile today.

It's not just one team after them either, they've got three of the most in form sides in Europe hunting them down.

[Lastfootstamper]

Fulham fans given what they’ve seen of their team of late will be every bit as confident as us of bridging the gap to second. Of course they will be hoping we fuck up our game in hand. But in terms of pure form them and Cardiff have every reason to be confident of winning a lot of the their remaining games. This won’t be easy.

And if I was a Wolves fan, I’d be bricking it. They might have privately thought we’d beat them. They never saw it being a battering. Their confidence will be a little fragile today.

It's not just one team after them either, they've got three of the most in form sides in Europe hunting them down.

Fuck yeah.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I have us two points clear of Cardiff by Saturday night, 4 points clear after the Reading game, 4 points clear after Norwich as Fulham overtake Cardiff, six points clear of Fulham after Ipswich away and promoted.
We'll draw at Norwich and lose 2-1 with massive hangovers at Millwall.

Wolves 106
Villa       94
Fulham  91
Cardiff   86
Boro      81
Derby    78

Oh and the Rags get relegated on goal difference with 39 points, equal with Barnsley.

[olaftab]

Well all this is good however as exciting as the performance against Wolves was we still only got 3 points. We need to forget that match and concentrate on Rangers tomorrow. Both players and fans.

[Toronto Villa]

Well all this is good however as exciting as the performance against Wolves was we still only got 3 points. We need to forget that match and concentrate on Rangers tomorrow. Both players and fans.

Agreed. We need to do this again against all of the sides that we should expect to beat. Expectations have been raised because of Saturday and rightfully so, but it’s no good following that up with a poor display where we throw away points. Fortunately I believe there is a high level of professionalism running through the squad now, and with a quarter of the season left to go everyone will be focused on the mission. Saturday will have raised their self belief and I hope we see it again tomorrow.

[Ads]

If we win on Tuesday, then 4 points to Fulham is a two game turn around for them. This for me gives them no room for error, as any points they drop in their remaining 9 is another game gone and a further game to turn around. They will drop points, when you least expect it too.

I look at our remaining 10 and then the performance we put in on the weekend, the quality that oozes throughout the side and the volume of goals in it, the leaders all over the pitch, a proper goal scorer up top and I just feel very bullish.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Expectations have been raised because of Saturday and rightfully so, but it’s no good following that up with a poor display where we throw away points. Fortunately I believe there is a high level of professionalism running through the squad now, and with a quarter of the season left to go everyone will be focused on the mission. Saturday will have raised their self belief and I hope we see it again tomorrow.

My expectations have been fixed all season, I expected us to be automatically promoted given the investment we've made. It's taken far too long but hopefully we'll now continue to deliver with our superior squad and finish the season in style.

Agree about the professionalism. Bruce deserves credit not for bringing in experience but experienced players with the right mentality, none more so than Snodgrass who for me has been the catalyst of our team this season. For too long we allowed the players to rely on the game changers rather than step up and be the game changer themselves. Think back when Albert was on a hot streak. Now we have everybody chipping in with goals. It's some achievement considering we don't have at least one 20+ goalscorer in attack.

[paul_e]

That's about where I am with Fulham as well, they are in great form but as the pressure to win every game comes on they could easily choke.

Cardiff are the problem for me, we need them to fuck up in the next 2-3 games so we're within 3 when they come to us.  If we can beat them to get into the top 2 I think the fans will drag the team over the line and then our fate is in our own hands.

[mr underhill]

Interestingly, this time last year the Jawdies and Brighton were first and second on 77 points each. Huddersfield were third on 71 and Leeds fourth on 66. We were a distant 12th on 48 with Cardiff on the same points at 13th.. I can't believe btw that Burnley are currently seventh in the PL having scored just 27 goals - just four more than WBA.

[Ads]

I think we will win our next 3, so its a big 3 games for Wolves too. If they take anything less than 5 points then I think they'll really start to feel the squeeze. They could be 2nd and only 3 points in front of us.

Saturday was big as we played under the immense pressure of Cardiff and Fulham having won, and what a reaction it was. But it was also the first time in months the Wolves have had any realistic pressure on them and they choked.

[paul_e]

Yep, we need to do the reverse to Cardiff at the weekend and see if they've got the balls to get 3 points under pressure away at Derby.  If they drop points at Brentford tomorrow (which is a tough game) and we beat QPR then that pressure will be huge.  The advantage Wolves have is they've got, on paper, 2 fairly routine home games coming up.  Boro is the interesting one for them at the end of the month.