Time to look at the run in

Huge slices of humble pie being gladly eaten.
Fantastic to have that winning feeling back.

 

WUM

 

It is great to go into a two week international break after winning 5:1 as that "feel good" grin may last a very long time.

We have some very tricky matches in the final run in, but to be honest, I am looking forward to them.

I think that those teams are really not looking forward to playing us. If we approach each match as winnable, then it should be fun.

I think Ollie will continue to experiment with formations and players and I expect successes, as well as failures. But it should not be boring.

 

I have no problem with Ollie experimenting in the matches that don't afect promotion, play offs or relegation, which is Villa, Derby, Brentford & Norwich. The other four games we owe it to other clubs to name as strong a side as possible.

Mind you, that still gives us a lot of scope as we have a genuine first team squad of at least eighteen!

I doubt that the team at Derby will include anyone that has been away on international duty. Fine with me, Ollie deserves to select who he wants. Isn't it good that we can start preparing for next season befiore March is out?

 

I think it is great.

If we can add a successful pre-season to our current status, then it makes a mouth-watering new season.

I just wonder if Ollie is "experimenting" with players and a playing style, or if he genuinely believes in selecting a team tactics and a team for each individual match. I have the impression it may actually be the latter. Was anything mentioned on this in the fans forum or in an interview which I may have missed?

 

50 will be plenty this season and I can't see us losing every one of our last games to remain on this number of points in May. Rotherham are doomed, looks the same for Wigan and there are teams with poorer form than us too. I'm prepared to stick my neck out and say we won't be for the drop.

Top 10 finish with more goals for than against is a real possibility.

 

It would be very good to finish above Brentford.

 

I think we should be aiming to finish above Newcastle

 

If only we had given Hasselbaink the Spanish archer sooner in the season!!!! Ah well, 2017/18 beckons.

 

When you look at the remaining fixtures

Derby A
Villa A
Brighton H
Bristol City A
Wednesday H
Brentford A
Forest H
Norwich A

I would say that at the moment none of those sides would fancy playing us. Derby, Villa, Wednesday all in iffy form, Bristol City & Forest still in relegation trouble, Brighton had a wobble last weekend and have been shown to be vulnerable, Brentford well it's a derby so who knows what sort of side will turn up and Norwich are in a bit of turmoil, should be challenging for automatic place but looking unlikely to make play offs......

I'd fancy us to take points from all of these games with the form we're in at the moment........glass decidedly more than half full.....

 

My fancies in terms of taking points from the remaining 8 games;

Derby away 1
Villa away 1
Brighton H 0
Bristol City away 1
Wednesday H 1
Brentford A 1
Forest H 3
Norwich A 0

Total 8 despite our current form - admit I am a bit negative in terms of total points

 

That's not very 'moderate' for a 'Moderator'! . We will some some but not all.

 

A bit optimistic for me. I fancy us to scrape about the 5 more points we need to survive, just.

 

If form is anything to go by, have a look at:

http://www.twtd.co.uk/league-tables/competition:championship/form/matches:8/type:home-and-away/

In our last 8 matches we have accrued 16 points. We are home and hosed!!!

 

Not much wrong with Villa's form either according to that table, and Derby maybe due some new Manager bounce. Difficult games in our run in.

 

I see 10 points myself

 

I see 24 at the moment but that is liable to change

 

I assume you admit to pessimism Oslo?

It doesn't look like a really difficult run in to me. Four games against mid table sides that have nothing to play for, home to a Wednesday side in decline & meeting Forest when they are probably safe (they must be by your insistance that 55 points are needed!).

The chances of Blackburn, Burton, Forest, Wolves, Birmingham & Bristol City all reaching 51 is beyond my capacity to understand. Four of those have to avoid defeat in half of their remaining matches to do so! If any of them are still to meet each other it will be increasingly harder.

Especially as Ipswich may not finish with more than 48. They are the side that could end up in the mire.

A lot of their fans expect it & what could be more fitting than a club who have increased ticket prices for next season to be relegated?

 

Blackburn need 3 wins and a draw to reach 50 points, Burton, Forest and Bristol C just 3 wins to reach 50, all from 8 games, the others much less. Nothing at all exceptional in a League where apart from one or two, everyone is quite capable of beating anyone else.

But the point is we will stay up now as long as we stay 100% focused on winning each game as they come, and don't start dreaming of experimenting with the team or of next season until we are mathematically safe.

 

The fixtures left for the sides that are on 40 & 41 points. Blackburn have to play two of the others so that reduces the matches available for all of the teams to gain points.

Good luck to all of them reaching 50 points! Burton in particular have a nasty looking list.


01/04/2017 Brighton v Blackburn Rovers
04/04/2017 Reading v Blackburn Rovers
08/04/2017 Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley
15/04/2017 Nottingham Forest v Blackburn Rovers
17/04/2017 Blackburn Rovers v Bristol City
22/04/2017 Wolverhampton v Blackburn Rovers
29/04/2017 Blackburn Rovers v Aston Villa
07/05/2017 Brentford v Blackburn Rovers

01/04/2017 Brentford v Bristol City
04/04/2017 Preston North End v Bristol City
08/04/2017 Bristol City v Wolverhampton
15/04/2017 Bristol City v Queens Park Rangers
17/04/2017 Blackburn Rovers v Bristol City
22/04/2017 Bristol City v Barnsley
29/04/2017 Brighton v Bristol City
07/05/2017 Bristol City v Birmingham City

01/04/2017 Huddersfield Town v Burton Albion
05/04/2017 Newcastle United v Burton Albion
08/04/2017 Burton Albion v Aston Villa
15/04/2017 Burton Albion v Ipswich Town
17/04/2017 Birmingham City v Burton Albion
22/04/2017 Burton Albion v Leeds United
29/04/2017 Barnsley v Burton Albion
07/05/2017 Burton Albion v Reading

01/04/2017 Preston North End v Nottingham Forest
04/04/2017 Wolverhampton v Nottingham Forest
08/04/2017 Nottingham Forest v Huddersfield Town
15/04/2017 Nottingham Forest v Blackburn Rovers
17/04/2017 Cardiff City v Nottingham Forest
22/04/2017 Nottingham Forest v Reading
29/04/2017 Queens Park Rangers v Nottingham Forest
07/05/2017 Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town