Who will be in the top 7

[AldosShimmy]

Updated stat breakdown

Current Table (max points achieveable)

Cambridge 55 (97)
FGR 54 (102)
Cheltenham 53(101)
----------
Tranmere 51 (99)
Morecombe 49 (94)
Newport 48 (96)
Bolton 47 (92)
----------
Exeter 46 (97)
Salford 46 (96)
Carlisle 43 (100)
Bradford 4383 (94)

PPG Table

FGR 83
Cheltenham 81
Cambridge 79
----------
Tranmere 78
Carlisle 76
Newport 74
Exeter 73
----------
Morecombe 73
Salford 71
Bolton 70
Bradford 68


PPG Table based on last 10 games form
Example Tranmere51 points from 30 games.
23 points in last 10 so 2.3 x 26 (last 10 games + 16 remaining games) + 28 (points from 1st 20 games) = 87.8 points

Tranmere 88
Bradford 82
Cheltenham 80
----------
Cambridge 79
Bolton 79
FGR 78
Exeter 72
----------
Morecombe 72
Salford 67
Carlisle 64
Newport 64

After todays games

Salford, Carlisle and Newport need to find some form to try and stay in the playoff picture. Bolton are firmly in the picture at the moment but have had a run of games vs the bottom teams and may find it more difficult to keep the pace. Bradfords surge looks unrelenting and the top 3 could even be on the cards.

 

[F!RTHY]

All about survival still.

 

[masi51]

Lost against 3 of the top 11 so far...........Dont take this too badly with what i say
The is not a good team in this league.

 

[White horse]

i think Bradford are going to finish top 7, Bolton if our recent luck continues , Tranmere and Cambridge are nailed on, Exeter maybe

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Updated stat breakdown

Current Table (max points achieveable)

Cambridge 55 (97)
FGR 54 (102)
Cheltenham 53(101)
----------
Tranmere 51 (99)
Morecombe 49 (94)
Newport 48 (96)
Bolton 47 (92)
----------
Exeter 46 (97)
Salford 46 (96)
Carlisle 43 (100)
Bradford 4383 (94)

PPG Table

FGR 83
Cheltenham 81
Cambridge 79
----------
Tranmere 78
Carlisle 76
Newport 74
Exeter 73
----------
Morecombe 73
Salford 71
Bolton 70
Bradford 68


PPG Table based on last 10 games form
Example Tranmere51 points from 30 games.
23 points in last 10 so 2.3 x 26 (last 10 games + 16 remaining games) + 28 (points from 1st 20 games) = 87.8 points

Tranmere 88
Bradford 82
Cheltenham 80
----------
Cambridge 79
Bolton 79
FGR 78
Exeter 72
----------
Morecombe 72
Salford 67
Carlisle 64
Newport 64

After todays games

Salford, Carlisle and Newport need to find some form to try and stay in the playoff picture. Bolton are firmly in the picture at the moment but have had a run of games vs the bottom teams and may find it more difficult to keep the pace. Bradfords surge looks unrelenting and the top 3 could even be on the cards.

I stuck 50 e/w on Tranmere at 16/1 early in the week. So if that bottom table became reality I'm going to make sure I have some fucking summer after what the world has had to endure. Let's hope the government keep to their timetable.

 

[masi51]

I stuck 50 e/w on Tranmere at 16/1 early in the week. So if that bottom table became reality I'm going to make sure I have some fucking summer after what the world has had to endure. Let's hope the government keep to their timetable.

I have no love for Tranmere or one arsehole who follows them, but the price offered by bookies for them and us last week was insane.
Some of the prices offered on single games also just dont add up.
No doubt Bradford would have been a insane price as well

 

[valefan16]

It’s anybodies really, looks a low points threshold will be likely for promotion this year.

It’s unusual as the top of the league side currently has already lost 9 games which is a lot (we went up third on a lowish points total with 10 overall in 2013).

Poor league/open league however you want to see it this year but it’s crazy. You’ve had situations where sides really struggling have within 4-5 weeks have ended up in the top 7!

Tranmere I would fancy, think they have the strongest squad. Cheltenham seem to be hitting form at the right time and well Bradford or Bolton are the form sides so if they can keep going...

Carlisle and Newport seem to be dropping away. Losing players they did seems to have killed Newport off and if the late winners dried up i guess it was always a possibility.

Carlisle is an odd one, started well but lack of depth with all the fixture back log probably hasn’t help. Guess being a plumber or bricklayer in the week then playing two games a week all season is catching up with their lads fitness wise...

 

[F!RTHY]

I think our luck will run out at some point. All it takes is a couple of poor results and the momentum is lost, somewhat. Carlisle are a great example of this, but under slightly different circumstances.

Relegation was a very real possibility under McCall, so to be where we are now 13 games later is nothing short of magnificent. If the season came to a close next week, I wouldn’t be at all disappointed with the campaign as a whole - after all, expectations were low in pre-season.

The top 10 is wide open.

 

[denzel ecfc]

i think Bradford are going to finish top 7, Bolton if our recent luck continues , Tranmere and Cambridge are nailed on, Exeter maybe

We aren't nailed on for anything, we are too inconsistent and dont seem able to cope with two games a week. Most of us would rather finish 8th than 4th.

 

[masi51]

We aren't nailed on for anything, we are too inconsistent and dont seem able to cope with two games a week. Most of us would rather finish 8th than 4th.

Dont think many would rather finish 8th than 4th
Think you will at least get to the play offs

 

[denzel ecfc]

Dont think many would rather finish 8th than 4th
Think you will at least get to the play offs

Look up our history. Failure in the play offs is what we do. We dont want to go through that again.

 

[masi51]

Look up our history. Failure in the play offs is what we do. We dont want to go through that again.

Really????????????

So you would rather finish 8th than have a pot at the play offs?
Dont think you would get anyone else agreeing with you

 

[Si Robin]

I think a lot of Exeter fans would agree with him to be honest.

The playoffs are great if you win them, or if you make them late on having never really been up for promotion. But when you just miss out on promotion and lose they are bloody horrific.

 

[Boz]

James Vaughan limped off towards the end of our game yesterday and there is speculation on a Rovers forum that the injury is a bad one. It would make a significant dent to our prospects, if correct. So don’t stake your life savings on a Tranmere promotion just yet....

 

[AldosShimmy]

A couple more models added

20 game form PPG
PPG/10 game form PPG/ 20 game form PPG mean total

 

[masi51]

I think a lot of Exeter fans would agree with him to be honest.

The playoffs are great if you win them, or if you make them late on having never really been up for promotion. But when you just miss out on promotion and lose they are bloody horrific.

Been there got the teeshirt, been to Fa cup Semi Finals and walked out after the 4th of 5 Goals
Would love to get to another in my lifetime.
Playoffs are a lottery but again i would want to get to them than just miss out.
I have been slated for saying teams/supporters have a unambitious mentality here
This tells me everything.

You and your clubs need to change your mind set

 

[shoddycollins]

Been there got the teeshirt, been to Fa cup Semi Finals and walked out after the 4th of 5 Goals
Would love to get to another in my lifetime.
Playoffs are a lottery but again i would want to get to them than just miss out.
I have been slated for saying teams/supporters have a unambitious mentality here
This tells me everything.

You and your clubs need to change your mind set

I think it's slightly tongue in cheek when he says he'd rather miss out on the playoffs but Exeter fans won't be looking forward to them at all .

If I were an Exeter fan and we made the playoffs I'd maybe just not look at the results until after the final has been played, wait till its all over then have a look and see what happened

 

[Huntsman94]

Top 4 all winning yesterday as they look to move away from the rest of the pack.

I think the top 3 spots will come from 3 of Cambridge, Cheltenham, Forest Green, Tranmere and Bolton.

The first of those 3 have been fairly consistent all season and deserve to be where they are. Cheltenham looked great at our place. Whilst we deserved to win away at Cambridge they’ve picked up results when I haven’t expected them to and the grit showed yesterday is just what you need to go up. We fully deserved to beat Forest Green at our place but they’ve got a good squad and some real firepower who can turn it on at any moment. Second last game of the season we visit their place which could well be a massive massive game.

We started slow but since Hill came in we’re in brilliant form and if we had started the season doing what we’re doing now, we’d be well clear at the top. Just need to hope that we can carry that on with the strong squad we have and try to avoid serious injuries. Hopefully Vaughan’s isn’t that bad!

Bolton are a weird one. I’ve mentioned previously that I haven’t been particularly impressed with them and you can’t knock their current form, but those wins have been against teams near the bottom of the league and in a few of those wins, they’ve only just scraped over the line. That said they did well in recruiting in January and they’re picking up points so will be interesting.

As for the remainder of the top 7, I’ll amend my prediction to include 2 from either Bradford, Salford, Exeter and Carlisle and to be honest, I really can’t call it!

 

[Myblueheaven04]

Been there got the teeshirt, been to Fa cup Semi Finals and walked out after the 4th of 5 Goals
Would love to get to another in my lifetime.
Playoffs are a lottery but again i would want to get to them than just miss out.
I have been slated for saying teams/supporters have a unambitious mentality here
This tells me everything.

You and your clubs need to change your mind set

Tend to agree here, key for me is that these sort of occassions are memories, as a lad growing up in the 70s, oldham were a championship side, i never knew anything other than than championship, prem league and then championship again from 1976 - 1997, fa cup semi finals and league cup final. Without winning anything other thsn the championship title we won nothing but thos days are some of the best of my life.
Since then has seen a major decline, sad but a play off or promotion push would be fantastic. You get what you get with football if yo dont support one of the very big boys who get great moments over and over, and then think they are in crisis if they dont win a cup or title for 3 years.
We are all in this league together, none of us are very good, but the more consistent of us get a bit of success. Losing in the playoffs has to be better than finishing mid table.
As for bolton, 1994, stood in the away end with about 5k oldham fans, QF FA cup, Darren Beckford winner 90th minute 1-0, was very sweet, we played man utd again in the semi finals, had to have two matches due last minute mark hughes goal, this killed us, we never won a game again that season got relegated and look at us now. Ups and downs in football, Exeter fans enjoy your moments, good and bad.

 

[masi51]

Top 4 all winning yesterday as they look to move away from the rest of the pack.

I think the top 3 spots will come from 3 of Cambridge, Cheltenham, Forest Green, Tranmere and Bolton.

The first of those 3 have been fairly consistent all season and deserve to be where they are. Cheltenham looked great at our place. Whilst we deserved to win away at Cambridge they’ve picked up results when I haven’t expected them to and the grit showed yesterday is just what you need to go up. We fully deserved to beat Forest Green at our place but they’ve got a good squad and some real firepower who can turn it on at any moment. Second last game of the season we visit their place which could well be a massive massive game.

We started slow but since Hill came in we’re in brilliant form and if we had started the season doing what we’re doing now, we’d be well clear at the top. Just need to hope that we can carry that on with the strong squad we have and try to avoid serious injuries. Hopefully Vaughan’s isn’t that bad!

Bolton are a weird one. I’ve mentioned previously that I haven’t been particularly impressed with them and you can’t knock their current form, but those wins have been against teams near the bottom of the league and in a few of those wins, they’ve only just scraped over the line. That said they did well in recruiting in January and they’re picking up points so will be interesting.

As for the remainder of the top 7, I’ll amend my prediction to include 2 from either Bradford, Salford, Exeter and Carlisle and to be honest, I really can’t call it!

Think that is a fair and balanced view or reflection of where this lge is at the moment.
As i have stated before the is no stand out team at the moment. Indeed the lge is very hard to call.
You may be right on where and how you see us, but getting wins at Mansfield [unbeat in 8 at the time.

Scunthorpe one defeat in 6 when we played.....Southend 3 wins against top 7 teams in 5
And Barrow who are just a awful team to play against as they work very hard on and off the ball
These may have been gimme games a month or two back but each team is now scrapping for there lives and points against anybody are hard won.
Teams losing players are having inpacts on teams........Exeter, Fgr, Newport have suffered
Cheltenham are nailed on to go up the rest will be a scrap until the final day.

 

[Holty10]

As masi mentioned above I think the teams we have beaten have picked up good results around the time we played them. So while they're down the bottom they weren't straight forward. I really don't see us making top 3 though. Too many teams to pass and games in hand against us too.

Think it may help to play the mid table sides in the run in. May have a look at who has the most of those with little to play for.

 

[Luke Imp]

Think the season Lincoln came up from the NL, they'd had a good run in the FA Cup and also the FA Trophy and we thought they might come unstuck with the number of games they had to play. It didn't and they won the title. However, think they were fairly lucky with avoiding injuries.

Yeah, QF of the FA Cup and SF of the FA Trophy (should have beaten York as well but for a dodgy penalty in ET).

We did fairly well injury wise but the settled side caught up with us later in the season because we were on our arse in the final 7 or 8 games, though. We had plenty who were the type of characters to play through niggles (as soon as we won the league, 3 or 4 of them went off for operations and didn't play again that season) but also had enough cover in the squad because of the money from the FA Cup run meant we ended up with a squad of 23.

 

[Carver]

Has Evatt at Bolton finally worked out how to consistently get results in L2?

By playing shit to win.

 

[Myblueheaven04]

Has Evatt at Bolton finally worked out how to consistently get results in L2?

By playing shit to win.

If they were great they wouldnt be in lg 2...... were all shit, win anyway you can to get out of this league imo

 

[masi51]

Has Evatt at Bolton finally worked out how to consistently get results in L2?

By playing shit to win.

Is the weather nice this morning by the beautiful river Eden.........caught anything?

 

[Carver]

If they were great they wouldnt be in lg 2...... were all shit, win anyway you can to get out of this league imo

We were proper pressing teams and bullying them in our aggression and it was so good to watch, but now we're just like any other bang average awful team to watch in this league who aimlessly hoof it forward.

 

[Carver]

Is the weather nice this morning by the beautiful river Eden.........caught anything?

So how exactly did such a big Championship club like Bolton end up in L2?

I never paid attention to the full story.

 

[FGR Stroud]

I checked out game played and games to play for every team [and it hurts me to say this] but Cheltenham appear to have the best run-in to season end.
They play 4 of the 5 bottom teams at home.
Cambridge have a mixed bag but have played a couple more games than their closest rivals.
Should FGR win all games till end of season they would be become champions. But they are now in middle of an injury crisis after dropping 3 points against bottom team. [That match & result still hurts - well done Southend]
Tranmere have also got a mixed bag but with a strong possibility of auto-promotion.
Bolton's recent run of good form might be over. They've played all the lower teams and now play the top teams.

 

[Holty10]

I checked out game played and games to play for every team [and it hurts me to say this] but Cheltenham appear to have the best run-in to season end.
They play 4 of the 5 bottom teams at home.
Cambridge have a mixed bag but have played a couple more games than their closest rivals.
Should FGR win all games till end of season they would be become champions. But they are now in middle of an injury crisis after dropping 3 points against bottom team. [That match & result still hurts - well done Southend]
Tranmere have also got a mixed bag but with a strong possibility of auto-promotion.
Bolton's recent run of good form might be over. They've played all the lower teams and now play the top teams.

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It is so hard to call yet, picture obviously becomes clearer towards the end of the season. But if barrow go away to the top teams and play like they did v us I'd be surprised if all of them get 3 PTS.

Sitting deep seems to have become so strong in recent years and even top teams can struggle to break them down. We've had to ride our luck to come away with these wins.

Think we've shown enough against top teams to have a chance of beating any of them really. Looking forward to the 6 pointers though as every result will make a huge difference.

 

[loz]

I checked out game played and games to play for every team [and it hurts me to say this] but Cheltenham appear to have the best run-in to season end.

But it is never that simple. You of all people should know there will be many crazy results between now and May.