Play offs what if.....

[Richard]

It does usually but annoyingly it's first up this time to give potential World Cup players more time before the tournament begins.

[cdbearsfan]

I'd rather it was first up. If we make it, we can drown our sorrows or celebrate properly that way, without having to worry about work the next day. Plus it decreases the chances of the Aussie/Icelandic/Egyptian manager trying to declare our players unavailable so they can go off with their national teams in advance of the World Cup.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

It does usually but annoyingly it's first up this time to give potential World Cup players more time before the

[cdbearsfan]

Last season it was on a Bank Holiday Monday, as it usually is in non-World Cup/Euro seasons.

[ironmaidenmania]

Need us to be the A game as I'm seeing Foreigner on the Tuesday. Glad they moved the final to Saturday because if they are in it I'll get to see it, but if he had been the Bank holiday Monday I would have missed it.

[ChicagoLion]

The Championship should get the flagship Bank Holiday Monday slot surely?

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[Toronto Villa]

I watched highlights of Kodjia last night just to cheer myself up. What a difference maker he is and he could be the key factor if in May we are having to do this via the playoffs which seems very likely now.

[andyaston]

I have this horrible vision of being sat at Wembley watching Traore run the length of the pitch at break neck speed to score ‘the most valuable goal’

Think I’ll keep hoping for a Cardiff implosion :-)

That has been a worry to me as well, he is the most horrible player in a Villa shirt he just never wanted to pass to any of his team mates.

[ChicagoLion]

I feel sick just thinking about the play offs.
It’s going to be gut wrenching.

[LukeJames]

I have this horrible vision of being sat at Wembley watching Traore run the length of the pitch at break neck speed to score ‘the most valuable goal’

Think I’ll keep hoping for a Cardiff implosion :-)

That has been a worry to me as well, he is the most horrible player in a Villa shirt he just never wanted to pass to any of his team mates.

He would run the length of the pitch, round the keeper and slice it into the stands. The daft haired bastard.

[rougegorge]

The play offs are definitely a lottery.
In fact how often does the third placed team go up?
It is just like the league cup semi's and final - Anyone remember Bradford?
I think the third place team are often subconsciously gutted they never made the top two.
If we go through the play offs we are better having a blip now and maybe winning the last 5 games so we are in form rather than accumulating points through inconsistency and scraping third/fourth place.

Over the years of the play-offs finishing 3rd is statistically the best place to be to get promoted

Positions of clubs promoted via play-offs:

Pos   Ch.   L1   L2   Total   %age 3rd    10   9   13   32   36.78% 4th    6   7   5   18   20.69% 5th    8   5   4   17   19.54% 6th    5   8   7   20   22.99%                 League 2 is 4th to 7th

[SoccerHQ]

Yes it's always played on Saturdays when there's a tournament in the summer. Think Champions league final is cut off for domestic season.

If we played on the Monday we'd have to negotiate with national teams to get AEM, Jedinak and Bjarni playing as by the rules of Fifa they'd be within their rights not to release them from training camps.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Defeatist talk about the play offs at this stage.
I refuse to say a single word on this thread while automatic promotion is still possible. 

[Malandro]

I don't care where Cardiff play Fulham in the play-off final, or when, as long as it doesn't clash with our automatic promotion parade.

[AV82EC]

Well if it’s the play offs and we get to the final I’ll be on a train between Venice and Rome. Hhmmmm.....