Interesting article.... https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co...all-news/how-many-points-watford-need-5006923 "Watford are likely to need another 25 points to make the play-offs this season. ( well 22 after the Preston win!) Xisco Munoz's side have amassed 51 points so far from their 29 games following 14 wins, nine draws and six defeats this season. They are in fourth place in the Championship table following the thumping of Bristol City 6-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday. The result leaves them six points off the automatic promotion places and seven points off top spot. Most importantly, the Hornets are 11 points ahead of seventh-placed Cardiff City while Middlesbrough are behind the Bluebirds but only on goal difference. With the current top five sides separated by just 10 points, there is plenty of scope for movement up and down over the coming weeks and months. Based on the past 10 seasons, clubs who ended the campaign in sixth place won a total of 74.1 points on average. That average drops to 73.6 for all 46-game campaigns since that was brought in for the 1988/89 season. If Watford want at least a play-off place this year, they need the equivalent of nine more wins in their 17 remaining games."
Play-offs are almost guaranteed now but top 2 will be tough and we may well regret Millwall, QPR and Coventry results as well as many others earlier in the season. We will have to beat our competitors in the run in to stand a chance.
I think that will give us third. Pretty sure we will need 90 + for top 2 Let's see if the top 3 protagonists drop points over the next few games. That would help put the pressure on.
From article: To push for automatic promotion, Watford will need to rack up near to 90 points overall for a top-two finish. An average of 87.7 points has been needed to finish in second position over the past 10 seasons. Second-placed sides in past 20 years 2020: West Bromwich Albion - 83 2019: Sheffield United - 89 2018: Cardiff City - 90 2017: Brighton & Hove Albion - 93 2016: Middlesbrough - 89 2015: Watford - 89 2014: Burnley - 93 2013: Hull City - 79 2012: Southampton - 88 2011: Norwich City 84 2010: West Bromwich Albion - 91 2009: Birmingham City - 83 2008: Stoke City - 79 2007: Birmingham City - 86 2006: Sheffield United - 90 2005: Wigan Athletic - 87 2004: West Bromwich Albion - 86 2003: Leicester City - 92 2002: West Bromwich Albion - 89 2001: Blackburn Rovers - 91
More than 90 will be required for 2nd place this season, methinks. A big ask, we'll need to beat the teams around us that we've left to play in the run in as well as pick up points in the other games. I fear we'll be requiring the wheels to come off at two of Brentford, Norwich and Swansea and hope no-one else reels us in.
mmm.... 19/02/21 CHA Watford 19 : 45 Derby County 3 24/02/21 CHA Blackburn Rovers 19 : 45 Watford 1 27/02/21 CHA AFC Bournemouth 12 : 30 Watford 0 03/03/21 CHA Watford 19 : 45 Wycombe Wanderers 3 06/03/21 CHA Watford 15 : 00 Nottingham Forest 3 13/03/21 CHA Cardiff City 15 : 00 Watford 0 16/03/21 CHA Rotherham United 19 : 45 Watford 3 20/03/21 CHA Watford 15 : 00 Birmingham City 3 02/04/21 CHA Watford 15 : 00 Sheffield Wednesday 3 05/04/21 CHA Middlesbrough 15 : 00 Watford 1 10/04/21 CHA Watford 15 : 00 Reading 3 17/04/21 CHA Luton Town 15 : 00 Watford 3 20/04/21 CHA Norwich City 19 : 45 Watford 0 24/04/21 CHA Watford 15 : 00 Millwall 3 01/05/21 CHA Brentford 15 : 00 Watford 1 08/05/21 CHA Watford 15 : 00 Swansea City 3 33 points 84 total Not going to be easy................................... ( and that is not dropping points at home)
We are 5 points behind 2 points a game. Personally I don't think we can get up there, we are just not consistent enough but there is a possibility. If we can get to the average of 2 points a game that should give us 2nd.
If we beat Norwich and Brentford we need to get one more point than Brentford and four more point than Norwich in the remaining games.
Norwich and Brentford play each other on 3rd March I think so one or both will definitely drop points in that game,
And our biggest threat will be Swansea, five points off top with two games in hand. Arguably, they also have the easiest run-in - on paper, their toughest remaining fixtures are away to us, Bournemouth and Reading. It's simple really - we just need to keep winning...
We'll only get into the top two if other teams slip up, even if we start consistently winning. I think we just shouldn't worry about other teams and the top two. What matters is after almost two seasons of malaise (ever since just after the Wolves semi-final) we get positivity and confidence back. In my opinion, what's held us back isn't the quality of players or head coach, it's more the negative atmosphere compounded by bad results, poor performances, relegation, COVID, and repeatedly sacking the coach. If we start winning games, I think we have the quality to change that atmosphere and go on a roll. We can carry that into the playoffs or into another season in the Championship, and I think that might still be a good turning point from where we've been.