Rival Watch

[CountryRoyal]

Agree with the above posts.

A team already relegated and 3 teams potentially fighting for their lives could pose more problems than their position suggests, but tbh we really should still have enough.

If, and it's a big if imo, that we don't, than we will have fukked up on gargantuan proportions that we wouldn't have anyone to blame but ourselves.

Lose today and fail to beat Rotherham and I might reassess.

[Muskrat]

Of course what people have failed to realise with their "we couldn't have a better run in" theory is that there is a corollary to this, which is that Forest, Burton and Wigan are still fighting to stay in this league. And as we've seen many times before, this is the time of the season that the form of teams in relegation battles quite often matches or exceeds those towards the top of the table. So I'm going for defeats to Villa, Forest and Burton and victories over Rotherham and Wigan. Now 79 points ought to deserve a play-off place tbf but we're not home and dry yet by any means.

[tidus_mi2]

3 wins I think would secure a play off spot

Agree our fixture list is as good as we could hope for. Realistically we've been putting these teams away all season - off the top of my head I don't think we have dropped points against any of the bottom 5 - and only against Brum in the Rowett days

Not that it will be easy but we *should* get enough points from those 4

Correct, that good record includes all of the current bottom 7, a record of:

Won 9
Drawn 1
Lost 0

Reading know how to beat teams at the wrong end of the table.

[Winchester Royal]

Fulham and Wednesday play each other on the final day, meaning that 9 points will definitely be enough as either team will have to drop points.

[Jackson Corner]

I can't see us beating Villa but I also can't see us getting pasted again.
A draw would be a massive result.
Yes we 'should' beat Rotherham...
With Forest losing to blackburn you better believe they will be up for a scrap at theirs in a few weeks.

If I were a gambling man I'd have Fulham sneaking it ahead of us I'm afraid.

I'm trying to keep the faith but the perennial schizophrenic nature of our performances haunts my dreams

It's not the first time Fulham have done us over at a critical point of the season either...

you gotta blame Portsmiff for that.

[Jackson Corner]

It's not the first time Fulham have done us over at a critical point of the season either...

you gotta blame Portsmiff for that.

[/quote
Would be a nice kind of payback if it were to happen.

[From Despair To Where?]

Just imagine if we beat Villa, it will make the last 2 pages look like a load of bed wetting horse shit

[Sutekh]

[bobby1413]

Just imagine if we heat Villa, it will make the last 2 pages look like a load of bed wetting horse shit

I honestly do think we have a great chance of beating them

I'm going for a Reading win

[Stranded]

So after today's result, 2 wins will guarantee a spot.

[Ian Royal]

So after today's result, 2 wins will guarantee a spot.

6 points clear with with 12 to play for, only teams in the bottom 5 to take on and the two biggest rivals for pinching 6th still to play each other?

It'd be a hell of an achievement to miss out from here.

[genome]

People being all dramatic before we've even played our game...

Gotta love Hobnob!

Never change, HNA

[Sutekh]

I'm still going for Newcastle to only get 2 points out of their remaing games, Huddersfield no more than 10 and Reading to get the full 12 points....

[Nameless]

While Stam's selection was a bit puzzling before hand not only has it delivered 3 points and wiped away the negativity post Norwich it has effectively added two 'new' players to the squad. Grabban and Mendes will have got huge boosts from being selected and to both score is a huge bonus for the next 7 games.

[bobby1413]

I'm interested to hear how Grabban performed today. The impression I got was he wasn't well thought of, so it would be good to see if he did prove people wrong today (penalty aside)

[From Despair To Where?]

To be honest, even if we'd lost today, fans of Wednesday and Fulham would still be looking at our remaining fixtures and thinking that their game on the last day is winner takes all.

[bobby1413]

The thought of the play offs is making my stomach all squirty

[Hound]

I'm interested to hear how Grabban performed today. The impression I got was he wasn't well thought of, so it would be good to see if he did prove people wrong today (penalty aside)

To be honest he was all over the highlights. Great assists, and chances created and a nice penalty. Even if he didn't touch it for the rest of the game he has had an effective performance

Would love to see him score a couple against Rotherham and really get his confidence up for the play offs should we make it

One thing to consider I suppose is that he looked like he linked up very well with Mendes and his pace and directness - obv that isn't really Yann's game.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I'm interested to hear how Grabban performed today. The impression I got was he wasn't well thought of, so it would be good to see if he did prove people wrong today (penalty aside)

(doing a bit of an "Ian" here.......)I wasn't at the game, but it sounded like Lewis has finally arrived.....two good assists ( three if Mendes had scored another beautifully laid on one )
and he finally gets on our scoresheet
Happy days

[genome]

Am I right in thinking we can longer be caught by Derby, Norwich, Preston etc?