The League One Promotion Thread 15/16

[THE TERRACEMAN]

The derby on the 27th between Albion and Walsall looks like being a total sell out of 6,912. Saddlers have sold all there tickets and Albion only have 500 left with just over 2 weeks to go until the match. I think I am right in saying that since the capacity increased this will be the first sell out.
We have had sell outs previously but in our non-league days when the capacity was slightly lower.
Those figures may be small fry to some clubs but to me it shows that the clubs support is growing. It is common to see youngsters in Albion merchandise around the town which was unheard of a few years back.

 

[blademan89]

21 points behind burton albion jesus fucking christ. Burtons to lose now theyve opened up a tidy gap. Hope they do it

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

It will be some achievement if we make it to the championship !

 

[blademan89]

It will be some achievement if we make it to the championship !

Too right especially winning the league

 

[Saddlerrad]

All being said and done, it looks like Burton's and Wigan's to lose for automatics. The only hope we have is that one of them implode and we beat both of them coming up in the next 3 weeks.

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

All being said and done, it looks like Burton's and Wigan's to lose for automatics. The only hope we have is that one of them implode and we beat both of them coming up in the next 3 weeks.

I am wondering why you think that Saddlerad, there is a lot of football to be played yet. What's the situation with Tom Bradshaw's injury by the way. Even though we are a league higher I think the experience of being in a title race last season in league two will serve the Albion well, 11 of the 14 players we used tonight were involved in that.
If we can win games playing as we did tonight we have every chance.

 

[blademan89]

Tbf saddler probably thinks walsall will miss the playoffs

 

[Saddlerrad]

I am wondering why you think that Saddlerad, there is a lot of football to be played yet. What's the situation with Tom Bradshaw's injury by the way. Even though we are a league higher I think the experience of being in a title race last season in league two will serve the Albion well, 11 of the 14 players we used tonight were involved in that.
If we can win games playing as we did tonight we have every chance.

Momentum and form are big at this time of year, ours is heading downwards, whilst Wigan are destined for the top 2 and you just seem to continually grind out results. Bradshaw has a fitness test for tomorrow, hoping he will pass it and play, either that or we need a back up on loan. Seems it was only an impact injury to his ankle, not any occurance of last seasons hamstring injury.

Tbf saddler probably thinks walsall will miss the playoffs

Even I'm not that pessimistic...YET. Carry on losing 3 games out of 6 (0-3, 0-3 and 0-4) though and questions will be asked. So far SOD is showing himself to be a little tactically inept when it comes to picking our XI. If that carries on, we are going to carry on flying down the league table. That being said..if we can take 7 from the next 9...or even pull off the miracolous, then that opinion will change.

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

I don't think our bubble will burst so to speak, we are resolute and determined. The next 3 or 4 games though will certainly test us, if we can come out of that run with 6 or 7 points I think we will be right in the mix at the end of the season.
Saddlers looked very good when we played them earlier in the season, Gillingham are definitely a threat with their attacking prowess and Wigan have hit a good patch of form at just the right time. At present I can't see past these 4 teams for the automatic promotion places.

 

[joethegill]

I really do doubt we'll get autos now, my only hope is we don't coast into the play-offs out of form and get beaten by a team on a run...

 

[Saddlerrad]

Poor finishing and SOD being more like O'Dour/O'Dismal/'O'tacticallydeluded is costing us. Leaving our better players on the bench, fiddling with formations and how the team sets up defensively. Atrocious management today.

 

[Camborne Gills]

I really do doubt we'll get autos now, my only hope is we don't coast into the play-offs out of form and get beaten by a team on a run...

Well today, we aren't going to, and we didn't (so far at least)

 

[JJ1532]

103 - Champions 2014
102
101 - Champions 2012
100
99 - Champions 2015
98
97 - Predicted Champions 2016
96
95 - Champions 2011
94 - Promotion 2014
93 - Promotion 2012
92 - Promotion 2011
91 - Promotion 2016
90
89
88
87 - Predicted Promotion 2016
86
85
84 - Champions 2013
83 - Promotion 2013
82
81
80
79
78
77 - Predicted Play-Offs 2016
76
75
74 - Play-Offs 2013, 2014
73 - Play-Offs 2012
72
71 - Play-Offs 2011
70
69 - Play-Offs 2016

63 - Burton(30)
58 - Gillingham(31)
-----------------------------------------
57 - Walsall(30)
56 - Wigan(31)
52 - Coventry(31)
50 - Millwall(30)
--------------------------------------------
47 - Southend(30)
45 - Sheff Utd(30)
45 - Port Vale(32)
44 - Peterborough(30)

Forthcoming Fixtures:

1st Burton(30) - 63 points. Southend(A), Walsall(A), Sheff U(H), Crewe(A), Bradford(A)
2nd Gillingham(31) - 58 points. Oldham(A), Chesterfield(H), Fleetwood(A), Scunthorpe(A), Crewe(H)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd Walsall(30) - 57 points. Wigan(H), Burton(A), Scunthorpe(H), Barnsley(H), Chesterfield(A)
4th Wigan(31) - 56 points. Walsall(A), Bury(H), Millwall(A), Peterborough(H), Colchester(A)
5th Coventry(31) - 52 points. Fleetwood(H), Barnsley(A), Rochdale(H), Shrewsbury(A), Blackpool(A)
6th Millwall(30) - 50 points. Scunthorpe(H), Peterborough(H), Doncaster(A), Wigan(H), Blackpool(A)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th Southend(30) - 47 points. Bradford(A), Burton(H), Port Vale(A), Crewe(H), Chesterfield(H)
8th Sheff Utd(30) - 45 points. Bury(A), Port Vale(H), Rochdale(A), Burton(H), Fleetwood(A)
9th Port Vale(32) - 45 points. Sheff U(A), Southend(H), Oldham(A), Colchester(H), Peterborough(H)
10th Peterborough(30) - 44 points. Millwall(A), Oldham(H), Swindon(H), Bury(A), Wigan(A)

Burton have strengthened their grip on top spot with back to back home wins against Bradford and Chesterfield. They now have a tough run that will really test their promotion mettle, with 4 away games in their next 5 and 4 promotion chasers. Gillingham keep leaning on their incredible home record after 4 points from their 2 straight home games. Their next few fixtures are easier than Burton's, so maybe a chance to bridge the gap and keep Wigan and Walsall at bay.

Walsall drop points at Crewe and have 2 crunch fixtures coming up. With fan grumblings about how SO'D is using their team, they do look a little shaky at the moment. Wigan also dropped points against a team at the bottom, drawing at home with Oldham. Big game for against Walsall next Saturday. Coventry got a much needed slide halting win, beating Bury at home 6-0. With a favourable run of fixtures, this win could spur them back into life. Millwall keep hold of their top 6 spot with another away win. 3 home games from their next 4 now, need their home form to pick up.

Southend are not far back but suffered a bad defeat to Scunthorpe and lost ground on the top 6. In keeping with the theme, they have 3 promotion rivals next up, 2 of them away. Tricky run. Sheff U are also not going away, everytime they lose and drop back, they come back the following week to win and catch up again. Do they have that extra gear to get into the top 6 though? Port Vale are right in the mix, btu could only draw with Fleetwood. 3 away games in their next 4, need to improve their iffy road record, plus they have played 2 more than all their rivals. Could slip back as others play their games in hand. Peterborough suffered a shock thrasing at home to Bradford. Not surprised they lost mind, their league record has been poor for a while now, a good showing against West Brom can't mask that. Not scoring many, not winning. Bubble looks to have burst for Westley. Can he get them back in a promotion hunt?

 

[valefan16]

We've already played Rochdale A!

 

[Jockney]

Momentum and form are big at this time of year, ours is heading downwards, whilst Wigan are destined for the top 2 and you just seem to continually grind out results. Bradshaw has a fitness test for tomorrow, hoping he will pass it and play, either that or we need a back up on loan. Seems it was only an impact injury to his ankle, not any occurance of last seasons hamstring injury.

Don't think Wigan are 'destined' for the top 2 at all. If today's result proved anything it's that they're still there to be got at.

 

[JJH]

I still think Wigan will go up automatically. They recruited very well in January adding to what was already a very capable squad of L1 players - they should bloody well do it, especially with the amount of money they've spent in comparison with some of the likes they're competing with.

From a personal, selfish point of view I'd like Walsall to come up - easy away trip for next season, only an hour and a half up the road. Burton would be a new ground to tick off - as would Wigan.

Gillingham staying put would be alright for us as well, prize Dack away easier in the summer with the right amount of money. Think they look a decent shout for POs though.

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

Burton's title to lose, Walsall to go up with them.

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

Good set of results yesterday for us. It still amazes me we are top of the table without us hitting any dizzy heights performance wise.
I reckon around 8 wins and a few draws from the remaining 16 games and we will be up. That is well within our capabilities.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Still way way to early to call the top 6 never mind the top 2
Still can see Cov pushing for top two now they seem to have got over their wobble. If Walsall had not changed manager they would have won it imo

 

[Bartonyellow]

Good set of results yesterday for us. It still amazes me we are top of the table without us hitting any dizzy heights performance wise.
I reckon around 8 wins and a few draws from the remaining 16 games and we will be up. That is well within our capabilities.

It is within our capabilities yes.

 

[GFC4EVA]

It's Burton's title to lose now, hoping we can make top 2 but think it might be the play offs for us, but with walsall and coventry still to play at home top 2 is still achievable

 

[3Loggerheads]

All teams in the top 6 with 6 games to go will have a chance of the automatics, it will be who holds their nerve!

 

[PUSBCCFC]

We could finish 2nd or 7th, I can't predict it. On our day we are fantastic, but we can also be awful.

I Mowbray has found his best team, which is Cole and Maddison playing together.

 

[blademan89]

We could finish 2nd or 7th, I can't predict it. On our day we are fantastic, but we can also be awful.

I Mowbray has found his best team, which is Cole and Maddison playing together.

Haha last week was all doom and gloom its amazing what a win does.

 

[SkyBlueElephant]

Haha last week was all doom and gloom its amazing what a win does.

Like the majority of our fans, one week we are finishing 10th and the next we are going up again

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

I wouldn't say we're over our wobble. Yesterday was more us being clinical that us being properly good. Don't forget we battered Crewe before we went 5 without a win. Massively benefitted from other teams being absolutely shit.

 

[Shrimpurh]

Lose tomorrow and I won't be posting about us in this thread again..

 

[joethegill]

The next 5 fixtures for the top lot all look worryingly positive on our behalf. If Walsall could draw their next two that'd be great for us. We have such an opportunity now to start to nail down a top 2 position, but the away form against relegation candidates so far has been pretty appalling - defeats at Colchester, Blackpool and Barnsley (when they were bottom 4), draws at Shrewsbury and Doncaster, and only a couple of wins at Crewe (90th minute 1-0) and Chesterfield. With the next two aways being against sides in the bottom 5, that record simply has to improve!

 

[Geosaddler]

Tbf saddler probably thinks walsall will miss the playoffs

Whilst saddlerrad may the most pessimistic human on earth I am inclined to agree with a lot of what he is saying at the moment.

O'Driscoll came in and said that he is not going to change anything but just build on the success we were already having. 10 games down the line he has full scale changed the formation/tactics and the starting 11.....all unnecessarily!! I understand the whole not getting carried away but he just does nothing other than talk down our chances and say 'we are punching above our weight' in interviews. I don't hear any of this negativity coming from the Burton camp. Listening to him in interviews makes we want to scream. Show some passion for fucks sake!! He always sounds 50% bored and 50% fed up. Not exactly what I would call inspiring to the squad or the fans. Oh and to leave a premiership scouted young quality player (Rico Henry) on the bench until the 87th minute on Saturday just defies belief. It only took the lad one minute for a length of the field run to get on the back post for a half chance volley. Imagine if he gave him half an hour!

In his first few games he was getting the results but you could see week after week the performance levels dropping. After another pathetic result at Crewe saturday it feels like the players and fans just have that slight 'sinking' feeling at the moment. It needs sorting quickly and no better opportunity than this Saturday against Wigan.

In my opinion Burton are a shoe in for top spot. They have got where they are through defensive stability and it makes them a really consistent steady team. No frills 1 goal wins but very effective. Wigan will take 2nd spot and then its a scrap sorting out the order of the play off spots for the teams already in it.

 

[PUSBCCFC]

Haha last week was all doom and gloom its amazing what a win does.

Don't get that. I have just said we could finish as low as 7th lol.