Top 6/Promotion Thread

[K-Win]

Derby's unexpected defeat at a supposedly "on-the-beach" Cobblers has blown things wide open again. Nothing between them, Bolton, Peterborough and Barnsley now.

A massive, potentially pivotal Easter weekend awaits. Peterborough and Barnsley have the easiest Good Friday games, playing Carlisle and Cambridge at home respectively. Derby are at home too, but against a dangerous Blackpool team chasing the playoffs. Pompey and Bolton have tricky visits to Wycombe and Stevenage respectively.

On Easter Monday, Bolton are at home to an unpredictable Reading. Peterborough travel to Leyton Orient who are still in the playoff mix, while you have to fancy Barnsley to win on Burton's beach. Pompey and Derby face off on the telly Tuesday night to cap it all off.

I'd say this is a real chance for Barnsley to get their noses in front for the second auto spot.

 

[gijsbert_bos]

I've been saying for a little while on Vitals that it looks like a 2-way fight between us and Oxford for the last playoff spot, maybe with Blackpool having a chance as well. Stevenage are in awful form and Orient have a lot of injuries and are a bit inconsistent. If we can keep our form up, we will make it, and I don't think any of the other sides up there would fancy playing us on current form. This was absolutely unthinkable at the start of the year.

 

[masi51]

I've been saying for a little while on Vitals that it looks like a 2-way fight between us and Oxford for the last playoff spot, maybe with Blackpool having a chance as well. Stevenage are in awful form and Orient have a lot of injuries and are a bit inconsistent. If we can keep our form up, we will make it, and I don't think any of the other sides up there would fancy playing us on current form. This was absolutely unthinkable at the start of the year.

I would take you in the play off semi finals all day long

 

[gijsbert_bos]

I would take you in the play off semi finals all day long

Yeah, but you've always been an idiot

 

[Dan Phillips]

I would take you in the play off semi finals all day long

They'd do you over two legs.

 

[masi51]

They'd do you over two legs

They'd do you over two legs.

We have done the double over them in the last two years and have not conceded a goal we would have at least six players back from injury including Baxter and Charles who are as good as anyone in there respective position in this league.

As i say will take Lincoln over two legs all day long

 

[Dan Phillips]

We have done the double over them in the last two years and have not conceded a goal we would have at least six players back from injury including Baxter and Charles who are as good as anyone in there respective position in this league.

As i say will take Lincoln over two legs all day long

You've never played them in this form though. They look lethal every time they break forward. You're dodgy as owt at the back and can't keep an 11 fit for more than a few games.

You're going to bottle promotion. Unbelievable really as I tipped you for the title earlier in the season.

 

[masi51]

You've never played them in this form though. They look lethal every time they break forward. You're dodgy as owt at the back and can't keep an 11 fit for more than a few games.

You're going to bottle promotion. Unbelievable really as I tipped you for the title earlier in the season.

Dont think we have bottled it if we dont go up. I think a reliance of playing the same way every week has certainly hampered us. Horrific injuries have found us out in the big games. In all honesty how many Lincoln players would get in our best starting eleven....One at a push Joe Taylor.

No Lincoln wont cause us problems if we meet them in the play-offs

 

[gijsbert_bos]

Dont think we have bottled it if we dont go up. I think a reliance of playing the same way every week has certainly hampered us. Horrific injuries have found us out in the big games. In all honesty how many Lincoln players would get in our best starting eleven....One at a push Joe Taylor.

No Lincoln wont cause us problems if we meet them in the play-offs

You're the only person I've ever muted on here, and now I remember why

 

[masi51]

You're the only person I've ever muted on here, and now I remember why

how the fuck do you mute some one on a forum!
Fucking hillbilly

 

[K-Win]

There are far worse posters than Masi IMO - I generally enjoy his posts. I also like it when someone backs their team like this. It's bold but risks ridicule if it doesn't pan out.

Lincoln have been on an amazing run but it will be interesting to see if they can maintain it for the last 7 or 8 games. Sometimes it just takes a couple of injuries for the wheels to come off. And if they do reach the playoffs, who knows what form they'll be in then?

 

[masi51]

There are far worse posters than Masi IMO - I generally enjoy his posts. I also like it when someone backs their team like this. It's bold but risks ridicule if it doesn't pan out.

Lincoln have been on an amazing run but it will be interesting to see if they can maintain it for the last 7 or 8 games. Sometimes it just takes a couple of injuries for the wheels to come off. And if they do reach the playoffs, who knows what form they'll be in then?

Well done but you cannot preach to the uneducated....Us like Portsmouth have a 11 that did not start last game that would turn Lincoln over. That is not talking rubbish but a fact.
Fair play to Lincoln they are on a good run but do me a favour they are mediocre at best

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Lincoln were lethal going forward but despite losing 5-0 we created more chances that a better side would have tucked away

 

[Luke Imp]

We might get away with four points over the Easter weekend but I think we'll need six. I still believe we've got too small a margin for error with having Portsmouth, Orient and Oxford to play, plus Wigan who'd be sniffing the PO's if it wasn't for point deductions. We're effectively going to have to replicate our recent form for another 8 games, which is going to be a challenge.

It's stupid to comment on us now if you played against us twice in the first half of the season. At that point we had no strikers, injuries galore and were treading water with an already small squad limping our way to January by which point we had 11 out injured - literally half our senior squad. Even now we're without 4 first teamers who are out for the season so it's a minor miracle that we've managed to get ourselves to where we are.

I had us down as 9th at the end of July but I'm pretty sure we'd have been comfortably tucked in the PO's at this point if it wasn't for particularly horrendous luck with injuries in the final third in the first half of the season - you can't legislate for losing your strikers for months within 10 days of the summer transfer window closing.

We're a little more open than we should be at times but that's what happens when you play number 10's and strikers in midfield. The most obvious example of that was home to Bristol Rovers who created a couple of good chances from open play in the first half (but we tweaked something at HT and with the same players they didn't trouble us in the second).

 

[masi51]

We might get away with four points over the Easter weekend but I think we'll need six. I still believe we've got too small a margin for error with having Portsmouth, Orient and Oxford to play, plus Wigan who'd be sniffing the PO's if it wasn't for point deductions. We're effectively going to have to replicate our recent form for another 8 games, which is going to be a challenge.

It's stupid to comment on us now if you played against us twice in the first half of the season. At that point we had no strikers, injuries galore and were treading water with an already small squad limping our way to January by which point we had 11 out injured - literally half our senior squad. Even now we're without 4 first teamers who are out for the season so it's a minor miracle that we've managed to get ourselves to where we are.

I had us down as 9th at the end of July but I'm pretty sure we'd have been comfortably tucked in the PO's at this point if it wasn't for particularly horrendous luck with injuries in the final third in the first half of the season - you can't legislate for losing your strikers for months within 10 days of the summer transfer window closing.

We're a little more open than we should be at times but that's what happens when you play number 10's and strikers in midfield. The most obvious example of that was home to Bristol Rovers who created a couple of good chances from open play in the first half (but we tweaked something at HT and with the same players they didn't trouble us in the second).

We played you first game of the season with your strongest team out.........3-0 men v boys

 

[gijsbert_bos]

We played you first game of the season with your strongest team out.........3-0 men v boys

Quite possible you'll play us the last game of the season as well, at Wembley. 3-0 Imps. No contest.

 

[masi51]

Quite possible you'll play us the last game of the season as well, at Wembley. 3-0 Imps. No contest.

Nah you wont make the play-offs.....Mediocre Football team

 

[Luke Imp]

We played you first game of the season with your strongest team out.........3-0 men v boys

Wasn't our strongest side but certainly stronger than the Boxing Day game.

 

[Davidimp]

We have goalscorers now.
The poor young lone striker who was proper schooled by Bolton on boxing day has come on now he has a partner with him.
We're a very different team now, 9 wins in 11, 8 wins in the first 29.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Still going to have to play a lot better than yesterday to get the point(s) at Carlisle. Fair play to Orient, came up to do a job and made it very hard for us. After some sublime performances recently, it’s still about getting the job done when you don’t play well. I do fear our CM issues will be the deciding factor in a season where injuries really have hampered us (along with having to watch Kennedy ball).

 

[K-Win]

Bolton, Boro and Barnsley all bounced back from Good Friday disappointment to keep themselves in the hunt for the autos. All eyes will be on Fratton tonight and I'm guessing none of the three teams want a Derby win?

Lincoln are still the form team for the final playoff place but Oxford had their best result for a while to keep pace. Stevenage and Blackpool still have a chance but it's probably too big a gap for Leyton Orient now.

 

[White horse]

Portsmouth win all the way tonight. We are not going to catch Pompey even if you lose tonight and if Derby win we are not gonna catch them either. Our best hope is second and that is an outside bet, Wouldn't be surprised if this finishes in a draw. You would think Derby at home to Carlisle and us at Peterborough away on the last day means we have to be ahead going in to those fixtures. But you never know..

 

[Luke Imp]

Evans is doing his best to sound bullish in front of the camera but they're 3 wins in 13 I think and hardly scoring. They've not got too bad a run-in but with their GD they're two results adrift.

Oxford's Posh, Stevenage, Lincoln week will sort it all out I think.

 

[folletto]

Evans is doing his best to sound bullish in front of the camera but they're 3 wins in 13 I think and hardly scoring. They've not got too bad a run-in but with their GD they're two results adrift.

Oxford's Posh, Stevenage, Lincoln week will sort it all out I think.

Contrary to what Evans made out in his post match interview, they were rubbish yesterday. A very poor but even game with neither side looking like scoring.

They defended relatively well but that may have partly been down to our lack of creativity. They created nothing of note themselves apart from a few speculative headers that barely tested the keeper after bringing a big lad off the bench. They looked like a side struggling for goals

 

[Super_horns]

According to the EFL highlights there were Barnsley fans calling for their manager to be sacked .

Seems a bit harsh ?
Having a solid season in the playoffs at least I thought.

 

[Laker]

That Lincoln run is ridiculous isn’t it and the next two look more than winnable too (Reading and Wigan). Wouldn’t fancy anyone playing them in the play offs at the moment, I guess only risk is they have peaked too soon.

 

[Luke Imp]

Yeah, that's a concern. We've had a great run for effectively a third of the season but the last thing we need is a slight drop off having put this run to get to where we are.

The main concern for me is actually midfield because it's a bit patched up, which you can probably get away with to a point but come the potential crunch games against the top sides in the division...

 

[GeneralLee]

I will be staggered if we make the play offs. If we do, it'll be a huge achievement.

Lincoln deserve it and are showing all the signs of making it. I don't think it'll be anyone else, we're all too unpredictable and lack consistency. We simply don't have the fight, tactical awareness or the mentality for it.

We are fine-ish against Fleetwood, Port Vale etc, where it doesn't matter if we can't defend or aren't very clinical. Against Peterborough in a few weeks, we'll probably capitulate.

The game yesterday was a fine example; we probably should have scored 8 (and that's no exaggeration), however just as worrying we probably should have conceded two or three.

Our squad needs overhauling in the summer.

 

[Super_horns]

Four good goals at Pompey .

Decent game in the rain .

 

[masi51]

That Lincoln run is ridiculous isn’t it and the next two look more than winnable too (Reading and Wigan). Wouldn’t fancy anyone playing them in the play offs at the moment, I guess only risk is they have peaked too soon.

That Lincoln run is ridiculous isn’t it and the next two look more than winnable too (Reading and Wigan). Wouldn’t fancy anyone playing them in the play offs at the moment, I guess only risk is they have peaked too soon.

Looks like it could be Lincoln v Bolton and Posh v Barnsley.................Us and Barnsley Final
Collins and Charles will destroy Lincoln over two legs