Where do you think we will finish ?

[SoccerHQ]

I don't think you'll need 90 points to make second.

Derby will draw a few in the run in (so will we) so that will knock the final points total down as we're both dropping more points than Newcastle and Brighton did last season.

Wouldn't shock me if 85 points was enough.

[nigel]

As somebody else has pointed out bruceball gets us some good runs but equally a bad run is always around the corner, like last season when we lost 7/8! This is the risk you take playing percentage rather than possession football.

I'd say 50/50 chance of playoffs. Talk of catching Wolves because they lost at the weekend and we won is just silly.

I can entertain talk of 2nd place but there is such a queue of teams on our tail I believe at least one of them will beat us to it.

It would be even sillier to give up the ghost.
It's not because they lost the weekend. Their last 4 matches have been 1 win, 2 draws and a loss, so they are dropping points.

If I'm honest, 2nd is, more than likely, the best we can hope for, but, while there is a chance we should never give up.

[olaftab]

I can entertain talk of 2nd place but there is such a queue of teams on our tail I believe at least one of them will beat us to it.

Why do you believe that?

[andyh]

As somebody else has pointed out bruceball gets us some good runs but equally a bad run is always around the corner, like last season when we lost 7/8! This is the risk you take playing percentage rather than possession football.

I'd say 50/50 chance of playoffs. Talk of catching Wolves because they lost at the weekend and we won is just silly.

I can entertain talk of 2nd place but there is such a queue of teams on our tail I believe at least one of them will beat us to it.

We ?.

You need to worry more about the relegation battle your lot  are in.

[Toronto Villa]

I can entertain talk of 2nd place but there is such a queue of teams on our tail I believe at least one of them will beat us to it.

Why do you believe that?

Because it is the controversial, miserable and antagonistic position adopted by all trolls. It’s one of the first things taught at Troll Secondary School.

[Sexual Ealing]

Quote from: Nastylee on Today at 06:26:20 PM
Absolutely no reason why the automatic places can't be in reach given the position we've got ourselves in. 54 points to play for with a target of 40 to get to the 90 point mark. Leaves a bit of wriggle room and I honestly don't think it'll take 90 this season for reasons shared elsewhere.

We've had 4 defeats in 25 so there should only really be a couple more from here on in. Can we turn those annoying draws into enough wins?

Sexual Ealing said:
When you put it like that, we can afford to lose 2 and draw 4 and still make 90 points...actually that's still a pretty big ask.

But it's pretty much what you're asking Derby and Cardiff to do as well as neither are much better off. The clubs behind have an even larger task.

As I said, I think high 80s will do. Big point hauls occur when two teams run away with it like last season. Too tight this year and teams have taken points off each other which should lead to a lower total being required.

Also a good point. Fuck it, it's going to be us.

[Des Little]

We have the momentum now, and I’d wager that all of the other top 6 teams fear us the most. Watching The Derby/Cardiff games this weekend proved to me that they have nothing we should fear in the form we are currently in - as long as we remain consistent then I can’t see anyone stopping us...especially if we get the likes of Ulloa/Tuanzebe in.

[wittonwarrior]

Villa can't do anything the easy way and I therefore don't think we will finish in the top 2 - sorry. 

So far this season  it's been like we are on crack, one moment on a high  the next head in hands.  We have yet to play the likes of Fulham, Sheffield United away, have Bloose at home and need to ride our luck in one or two other fixtures.

I still don't think we were that great yesterday, certainly not second half.

This leads onto the issue of what happens if we reach the play offs.  On paper  with the experience of Taylor, Chester, Hutton, Terry, Snodgrass, Elmo we should walk them, but you just know we won't.  A lot of pressure on us and a good percentage of which we put on ourselves.

[Nastylee]

Having a peek at our rivals boards shows the Fulham fans think automatic promotion is a viable target. If they can think that then we certainly should be confident.

[Risso]

I think we need to worry about Boro.  Pulls has got them going and even bloody Traore scored at the weekend.

[andyh]

Villa can't do anything the easy way and I therefore don't think we will finish in the top 2 - sorry. 

So far this season  it's been like we are on crack, one moment on a high  the next head in hands.  We have yet to play the likes of Fulham, Sheffield United away, have Bloose at home and need to ride our luck in one or two other fixtures.

I still don't think we were that great yesterday, certainly not second half.

This leads onto the issue of what happens if we reach the play offs.  On paper  with the experience of Taylor, Chester, Hutton, Terry, Snodgrass, Elmo we should walk them, but you just know we won't.  A lot of pressure on us and a good percentage of which we put on ourselves.

I do agree with a lot of this.
As excellent as the first 50 minutes  were yesterday, most of the second half was poor.
I said to my mate that only Villa (Bruce) could make a 3-1 game feel a bit turgid.
Johnstone had to make far too many saves in the second half for my liking.

We should have  pressed and pressed in the second half because they were poor at the back and one more goal and the floodgates would have opened and it could have done wonders for our goal difference. Attack is the best form of defence and we have enough to blow anyone away when we are on form. But when we sit back, we always look a bit vulnerable.

All that said though, I think wolves are due a massive wobble, and I really believe we could win finish top.
But, we have got  to play to out strengths and believe in ourselves.

[ChicagoLion]

3rd to 6th.

[olaftab]

3-6th play off I am afraid - our earlier draws will.come back to haunt us

We're 3 points off 2nd with 18 games to go!!  Not sure how you get to that conclusion!!

If we come third, 1 or 2 or 3 points behind second, our earlier draws will have come back to haunt us.  Simples.

Nothing will come back and haunt us it’s how we play from now on. The position we are in means that we are in a very competitive place for second and we can only mess it up from here on.

[wittonwarrior]

Hate to say this but a lot will depend  on the form and continued fitness  of Jack Grealish.  He is  the one who is unlocking defences  at present.

[itbrvilla]

Villa can't do anything the easy way and I therefore don't think we will finish in the top 2 - sorry. 

So far this season  it's been like we are on crack, one moment on a high  the next head in hands.  We have yet to play the likes of Fulham, Sheffield United away, have Bloose at home and need to ride our luck in one or two other fixtures.

I still don't think we were that great yesterday, certainly not second half.

This leads onto the issue of what happens if we reach the play offs.  On paper  with the experience of Taylor, Chester, Hutton, Terry, Snodgrass, Elmo we should walk them, but you just know we won't.  A lot of pressure on us and a good percentage of which we put on ourselves.

Hard to disagree with any of that.