The 2014/15 Promotion Push Run-In Thread

[Tony Towner]

This is when you start looking at what points we dropped and where we could be, ie Millwall away, Reading away and Rotheram away.

I'd say Bournemouth and Millwall are the two "what if" games, but as Frank says I'm sure all teams have them.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Reading we had won too.

 

[Tony Towner]

We did play better football, especially at home. We were horrific to watch in 2009/10.

I agree, but we also relied on a freaky set of results against the top sides to stay up. Ultimately, we finished lower in the table, so for me went backwards which the following season went on to confirm

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We scored a much higher point total. Who we scored them against was irrelevant. And to try and use the next season as back up is frankly bollocks.

 

[Tony Towner]

We finished lower in the league, points really is an irrelevance as it doesn't take the league strength into account. I disagree about the next season, it demonstrated that despite increasing our points total we weren't progressing and the table position was a more appropriate barometer

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

More than going backwards I'd say we failed to progress. Same old story, plenty of signings, hardly any of them making an impact. Mick bought over 20 players while we were in the Premier League and Doyle (for a year), Fletcher and Hahnemann were arguably the only successes. If you stand still then you get overtaken, testament to how our buying failed being how many of our Championship team were still first team regulars three years after promotion. Ancient history now of course.

 

[Penk Wolf]

I'm not sure I agree. Points are only relevant to the season in question, comparing to other seasons is pointless as it doesn't take the relative strength of the rest of the league in any given season into account. Someone may well finish 7th with 80 odd points, they won't be unlucky, they will finish where they deserve to, in the same way as Peterborough going down on 53 points wasn't unlucky.

Reminds me of when people claimed we did better in our second Prem season because we got more points than the first even though we finished lower in the table.

But other than two games you can't have an effect on other teams result, so regardless of where you finish if you've got more points than last then it's an improvement.

 

[lemonjelly]

4, 5 & 6 points.

We can drag Boro towards us by winning our next 2 games. In reality, we are fighting Derby, Ipswich & Brentford and the top 4 shouldn't be troubled by us in the final few weeks of the season

Agree with this. Boro realistically could miss out. Their form is wayward, they have a hell of a lot of loan players, & if we beat them they'd really be sucked into the mix.
I feel that Boro could actually miss out on the playoffs. If we beat them their following game v Norwich could be pivotal.

 

[Trips]

Agree with this. Boro realistically could miss out. Their form is wayward, they have a hell of a lot of loan players, & if we beat them they'd really be sucked into the mix.
I feel that Boro could actually miss out on the playoffs. If we beat them their following game v Norwich could be pivotal.

Middlesbrough won't miss out. They'll beat Rotherham and Brighton at home on the run-in, and with their GD advantage neither Brentford or Ipswich will pull them in. The top 4 are in, between the next 4 for 2 spots. Think it will stay as it is with Brentford and Ipswich missing out.

 

[pr0sl0]

I think it'll be Derby and Ipswich missing out for me. They're looking the wobbliest out of everyone in the top eight.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

The return of Martin and Thorne could be a deciding factor for Derby, if those two settle back in quickly then they should have enough to end their poor spell and keep themselves in the hunt.

I've not been impressed with anything I've seen from Ipswich this season, bit of a purple patch from Murphy earlier in the season and the usual high spirts/good form run that you'd expect from a McCarthy side at some point but they don't look to have the quality of the others in contention so I expect them to slip away now.

 

[Trips]

Derby game on Saturday is massive. If they beat Brentford I think they are there, lose and they possibly could be out of top 6 come Saturday evening and they really will start worrying.

 

[lemonjelly]

If Boro don't win saturday, they've 2 stonkers of games straight after that I doubt they'll win. Even if they do make it, I think they'll be the weakest team in the playoffs.

 

[Kford-wolf]

Can't see Derby dropping out especially with Martin back, I think Ipswich and Brentford will miss out, really wouldn't fancy playing Derby in the play off final either, wolves Norwich final I fancy ��

 

[jd1981]

Looking at Tuesday night I can easily see Derby, Ipswich and brentford picking up 3 points so we'll need something at Boro. Next Saturday is shaping up to be a huge showdown regardless of midweek results.
Just to cheer everyone up I don't think we have won at Boro in well over 30 years.

 

[Edgmond Wolf]

Dust ourselves down and go again

 

[Dinowolf]

As I said on another thread, I don't think we'll get anything at 'Boro (hope I'm wrong but doubt it) so we will need to win our last three games giving us 80 pts. Then we will have to cross our fingers and hope it will be enough.

 

[sycophantia]

At the risk pf being booed off the forum, I would bring Edwards back for this one which unfortunately means leaving Afobe or more probably Dicko on the bench (unless Dicko plays out wide). It seems to me that when we play the better teams or teams that put our midfield two under pressure as yesterday, we are too easy to play through. Completely understand why we've been playing a more attacking system lately but now we are within touching distance off the play-offs maybe more sensible to go 4-2-3-1 again especially away.

 

[YoungWolf]

I could see Edwards and maybe even van la Parra coming into the team

 

[The Bear]

Dropping either of the front two would be a major mistake IMO.