The Promotion Thread 16/17

[Rammy]

No, you're going down James. You said so and who are we to disagree?

We will be again, when we lose on Saturday.

 

[KevinMcallister]

I like this season, some tough games coming up now

we ideally need to be beating villa at home if we plan on being a contender, brighton away is tough, would take a point all day long
Brentford at home we need to win

 

[Magic]

Home games are crucial. Only a month until the transfer window at least, where things will be won or lost for us.

Villa (H)
Brighton (A)
Reading (H)
Brentford (H)
Preston (A)
Villa (A)

Not the easiest end to the year but if we can work our way through them and be in a solid position come January - with a more favourable looking run of fixtures, you never know.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

Preston (h)
Reading (a)
Barnsley (h)
Rotherham (h)
Newcastle (a)
Preston (a)

Some tough but winnable fixtures in there a solid home form and a win/draw away would be good for us.

Yesterday we seemed to have our mojo and Fessi back so expect us to be in the mix now.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Two good performances and results for us away from home to finish off November and we're firmly back in the play off picture. Just got to take it one game at a time, Preston at Hillsborough next week should be 3 points but I said that before Ipswich.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Leeds (a)
Wigan (h)
Norwich (a)
QPR (h)
Burton (h)
Leeds (h)

Well this could be a tough month, Leeds looking good as I predicted before the season started, and we play them twice, Wigan have been crap, so hopefully we'll get a win there (would be nice revenge for the last time we met at Villa Park. Bastards went down and still slapped us 3-0), Norwich will be just in time for their new manager (it's inevitable at this point surely?), QPR I hope we do over if nothing else because of that smarmy cvnt Holloway, Burton you'd think would be a routine win and then Leeds again who we should be beating at home.

I'd be happy with winning all of our home games (very doable) and draws in the aways, one loss between the aways wouldn't be the end of the world considering the quality of opposition.

Thing is, we still haven't completely hit our stride and we're grinding results out, we saw a flash of us hitting our stride Vs Brighton and how we didn't win that, I don't know. There is more to come from this side, and once this month is done, we can reinforce the midfield in January too which has been our Achilles heel.

 

[LeylandWhite]

Two good performances and results for us away from home to finish off November and we're firmly back in the play off picture. Just got to take it one game at a time, Preston at Hillsborough next week should be 3 points but I said that before Ipswich.

Norwich and Brighton fans were probably saying the same aswell. I feel more confident about 3 points next week than I did at home to Burton yesterday because that tends to be the way we do things.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Norwich and Brighton fans were probably saying the same aswell. I feel more confident about 3 points next week than I did at home to Burton yesterday because that tends to be the way we do things.

Yeah on paper we should be winning it but as we all know, that's not how football works. No doubt you'll make it hard for us and it wouldn't surprise me to see you go home with a point, but if we're 100% we'll beat you. I hope!

 

[SF_]

Wouldn't shock me if we won at Hillsborough, Rotherham and Newcastle aside, I don't think there is much difference between any of the sides in this league regardless of money spent.

 

[Magic]

Don't get carried away, don't get carried away, don't get carried away.

28 points from 13 games makes this a bit more than a decent run of form. I think I just won't let myself believe we're a promotion contender because of where we've been for years, but there's something happening now. It's still a long shot to go up because there are a lot of teams to compete with, and I expect only 1 automatic spot to play for. Play-offs are a lottery but considering we were right down the bottom after six or seven games, we're doing astonishingly well. I just hope if we do slip out of form - which seems likely at some point - fans don't get on the team's back too much. We're far exceeding expectations here.

 

[KevinMcallister]

We are in with a real shout for the first time in forever make no mistake this leeds team is finally a contender

We didn't play well today but we won!!!!!

 

[Walkley_Owl]

Big week ahead for the top six and chasing pack as the ones inside the key spots play each other.

 

[blademan89]

Big week ahead for the top six and chasing pack as the ones inside the key spots play each other.

A win for you and you will end the day in 3rd as I doubt bham will win at Newcastle. Not bad to say how over the top some clowns were going after you lost to Ipswich.

 

[Magic]

Still think we've got as good a shout of top 6 as anyone else. Our losses aren't hugely demoralising and we've shown ourselves capable of bouncing back from them. Need some better luck with injuries - having your three starting central midfielders out for a prolonged period isn't ideal and their experience can be invaluable.

Big game against Reading now.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Still think we've got as good a shout of top 6 as anyone else. Our losses aren't hugely demoralising and we've shown ourselves capable of bouncing back from them. Need some better luck with injuries - having your three starting central midfielders out for a prolonged period isn't ideal and their experience can be invaluable.

Big game against Reading now.

You were unfortunate last night with the sending off, pretty much killed the game off after 20 minutes and up until that point you weren't really in any danger.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Back within 3 points. Lovely.

 

[The Southbank]

First home game in a while for me yesterday. Big plus for us (....thought I would never say this) that Yann Kermogant is back. He offers more than Dominic Samuel, who despite being industrious, doesn't have the quality to potentially fire us to promotion. That's not discounting that we still need a striker, but Kermogant is the best of an average bunch. Great header to assist the winning goal, takes two Wednesday defenders completely out the game. Roy Beerens oozes class, you could watch his feet all game and that would be worth the ticket alone.

Sheffield Wednesday were a handy outfit, can see them doing well again this season.

 

[Costello]

Still no idea who to feel most concerned about, or if I should be feeling concerned at all. A few clubs I suspect will strengthen a lot in Jan whereas we'll be bringing in one player, tops.

Defensive solidity and consistency seem to be the reasons behind our tediously good form this year (in the context of what we expect from the Championship), but do you need that big addition in Jan to provide an additional spark and keep everyone else on their toes? Boro's signing of Rhodes seemed to almost cause more problems than it solved initially last year although obviously they got there in the end.

 

[Ciderhead]

I don't think it's always just as simple as signing more players = getting better. Sometimes you get an expensive new signing who'll come in expecting to start and it can upset the balance a bit, especially when you've got a side that's done so well over the last 18 months. And there's so much strength in depth in that Brighton squad.

The top 2 just look a cut above this season, I'd be surprised if anyone else comes close. Playoffs is where the interest will be at for the neutral

 

[Madejski]

I am still shocked that we appear to be challenging at all. It just doesn't feel right yet. And not just challenging, but 'best of the rest' as Newcastle and Brighton will take the Automatic spots.

We're not tearing teams apart, but we are playing efficient football doing just enough to get the results we need. If teams come at us with quality we fall to pieces (Wolves, Newcastle, Brentford, Fulham) but when we can keep control, we have generally won. It's our home form that gets it all done, W7 D3 L1, with the loss unlucky with a final minute penalty conceded.

I still feel we have one of the weakest strikeforces in the league, though Kermorgant has really impressed with his hold-up play even if goalscoring has still been difficult. Rakels back in January provides another option but we will need one proven striker before we can even think about the remote chance of finishing in the top 6. Not sure we can afford it financially.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Disappointing result for us yesterday, getting fed up of saying it but failing to take chances has again cost us that game, the sooner we get Rhodes in January the better. As usual a massive overreaction from the mongs on Owlstalk, failing to take into account we were playing a team 3rd in the league with our best player suspended, and numerous injury problems. Still in the mix though with 2 favourable home game to come.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

I didn't go so can't really comment, apparently we allowed Reading a lot of possession in their own half but we're the better side going forward however our continued failure to convert chances was our undoing and Reading took theirs albeit with the first coming via a deflection. We move on.

 

[Madejski]

It was a 0-0 game that somehow managed to have 3 goals scored in it.

 

[The Southbank]

It was a 0-0 game that somehow managed to have 3 goals scored in it.

I thought we were the better team in general, just that Sheffield Wednesday had a bit more up front. We look solid defensively and compact in midfield, just lack an edge up top sometimes - which is an odd comment considering we are third in the league.

 

[Kilburn Ram]

I think I might move my chair from the relegation thread to here.

Mind you, still ten points off the top two, but play offs should be possible now.

 

[Veggie Legs]

Still no idea who to feel most concerned about, or if I should be feeling concerned at all. A few clubs I suspect will strengthen a lot in Jan whereas we'll be bringing in one player, tops.

Derby look the most likely in my opinion , maybe Villa and Norwich if they get their shit together. The likes of Reading, Leeds and Wednesday look like solid play off contenders but I can't see any if them really competing for the automatic spots.

 

[Luke_1884]

I think we started our season 11 games too late to bother to top two, we're due a wobble which will see us slip out of the play offs. Confident we have enough to keep our form up to finish top 6.

 

[Rammy]

Can't wait for us to make the playoffs, and cock it up again.

 

[Magic]

Garry Monk is King.

 

[Benji]

Brighton go top, for 24 hours at least. You would think Newcastle will beat Wigan fairly comfortably.