How many Play Off spots are left?

[Humpty]

It wasn't a missed opportunity at all. We made the play offs but faced a side better than us in the knock out, despite us being better over the season.

We were nowhere near good enough for automatic promotion and still aren't but anything can happen if we reach the knock out stage.

Away Corc. Of course it was a missed opportunity. We underperformed in the play offs during a year where the league was very weak. We had the league's top scorer and one of the league top assist makers. Plus Premier League quality loan signings. It was a huge missed opportunity.

 

[B_G]

Stranger things have happened than Ipswich dropping out of the play-offs. Yes they've been very strong but lots of teams capitulated from this point.
One thing that I noticed yesterday is that most of Ipswich's wins have been by one goal. They aren't taking teams apart, they are winning tight games. It wouldn't take much for things to start going the other way for them.

I think the only 2 I would say are "certainties" for a top 6 spot are Leeds and Leicester. I think Southampton and Ipswich are likely to be top 6 but could possibly drop away.

 

[MickaelDebevePhenomenal]

I'm not overly convinced Southampton are nailed on for top 6. Squad is obviously stacked, but Russel Martin is very Reliant on a Plan A, think come the business end of the season and the must won games, playing twice a week etc etc, they could be a surprise one to fall away.

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

Away Corc. Of course it was a missed opportunity. We underperformed in the play offs during a year where the league was very weak. We had the league's top scorer and one of the league top assist makers. Plus Premier League quality loan signings. It was a huge missed opportunity.

People say the league is weak every year, depending on how Boro are doing. If we’re doing well it’s a weak league and we should be doing well, if we’re struggling then it’s a crisis because it’s a really weak league this year and we should be doing much better.

This season is no better or different to any other IMO. The three teams that come down will always be favourites because of the financial advantages they enjoy over the rest, but other than that it’s wide open.

Also, I don’t think last season was a missed opportunity. We were in the bottom 3 or 4 in October. It was a minor miracle we got anywhere near the playoffs when you consider the state of things when Wilder was sacked. We looked miles off it. To reach the top six was brilliant.

We’ll be right up there this season as well. I’m very confident about the team with this man in charge, and very very happy with what they’re doing as a collective - there’s a clear plan, a style, a recruitment model. We play some absolutely brilliant football. We’re looking up rather than down now. It’s coming together IMO.

 

[Marvanelli]

Also, I don’t think last season was a missed opportunity. We were in the bottom 3 or 4 in October. It was a minor miracle we got anywhere near the playoffs when you consider the state of things when Wilder was sacked. We looked miles off it. To reach the top six was brilliant.

You're right it was a miracle to get in the play offs, and cement our place there, in April, never mind May....but it was still a missed opportunity.

The teams that came down last season weren't anywhere near as equipped and powerful as Leicester/Leeds/Southampton were/are this season.

Also, this season in the PL is probably the weakest, the bottom 6 teams have been in a long long time. The competition at the bottom is so bad.

Luton, Sheff Utd, Burnley all look poor...so no doubt we would have as well if we went up instead of Luton, but with Everton's points deduction and then the likes of Bournemouth and Forest not looking great, the chances of staying up would've been higher than any other season.

If we went up, who knows how we'd have coped in the PL, but I do think we'd have stood a much stronger chance than Sheff Utd at staying up and Burnley looking at the state of them.

 

[Nano]

Nothing is guaranteed. Ipswich are 15 points ahead of us but we could easily catch them. Far more likely it is because they implode than because they keep pace but we win enough games to overtake them and the 7 teams between us. I remember losing to Blackburn away 2 years ago and thinking we had no chance at the autos because that put us 10 points behind in January. We did finish above them but we were both outside the playoffs.

This season is no better or different to any other IMO.

I disagree with this. Leicester, Leeds and Saints were established PL teams with PL quality players throughout their squads. Most other seasons the relegated teams are teams that have only been in the PL for a season or two and are largely made up of championship players. Those 3 this year are far stronger than us and we were the best of the rest last season. It will be very tough to get anywhere near them. The teams in the auto hunt do tend to be a step above the teams in the playoff hunt so even making the playoffs as a chaser it is unlikely you get promotion. The majority of playoff winners finish 3rd or 4th.

Last year was definitely a missed opportunity. It didn't feel like it because of the way the season started but we were an automatic promotion quality team last year, failed to go up and then lost a lot of our best players. We will get other opportunities but not many where we are the best and we should win like last season.

 

[MichaelDebeve]

Genuinely think all 4 play off spots are up for grabs.

Leeds only have a 7 point cushion in third.

Then you could go down to 18th or 19th with Millwall/ Swansea who are on 20 points (10 points off the play off spots) who could put a string of results together.

Its not unrealistic for any team to lose 3 or 4 on the bounce, or alternatively win 4 or 5 on the bounce.

 

[Rofesleg]

I'm not sure how anyone can say that having to beat Coventry at home then Luton at Wembley for promotion is anything other than a massive missed opportunity.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

Away Corc. Of course it was a missed opportunity. We underperformed in the play offs during a year where the league was very weak. We had the league's top scorer and one of the league top assist makers. Plus Premier League quality loan signings. It was a huge missed opportunity.

The problem was the lack of quality when it mattered, and who is to say that we aren't capable of beating the sides with ex Premier League players in their squads, we've done it twice already this season.

If we get into the play offs we've got a chance of promotion.

 

[MickaelDebevePhenomenal]

I'm not sure how anyone can say that having to beat Coventry at home then Luton at Wembley for promotion is anything other than a massive missed opportunity.

Bang on.

I'd imagine it rare the play offs would contain 4 teams with none parachute payments, one fresh from league one, and two other sides who have experienced league one and two football very recently.

 

[Maccarone]

Agree with most that two places are available maybe three

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

Nothing is guaranteed. Ipswich are 15 points ahead of us but we could easily catch them. Far more likely it is because they implode than because they keep pace but we win enough games to overtake them and the 7 teams between us. I remember losing to Blackburn away 2 years ago and thinking we had no chance at the autos because that put us 10 points behind in January. We did finish above them but we were both outside the playoffs.


I disagree with this. Leicester, Leeds and Saints were established PL teams with PL quality players throughout their squads. Most other seasons the relegated teams are teams that have only been in the PL for a season or two and are largely made up of championship players. Those 3 this year are far stronger than us and we were the best of the rest last season. It will be very tough to get anywhere near them. The teams in the auto hunt do tend to be a step above the teams in the playoff hunt so even making the playoffs as a chaser it is unlikely you get promotion. The majority of playoff winners finish 3rd or 4th.

Last year was definitely a missed opportunity. It didn't feel like it because of the way the season started but we were an automatic promotion quality team last year, failed to go up and then lost a lot of our best players. We will get other opportunities but not many where we are the best and we should win like last season.

I take your point about Leicester’s squad but Leeds had only been up three years and finished in 17th and 19th in two of them. All of their Premier League players have gone, as have almost all of Southampton’s. They were treading water for years and sold their best players in favour of playing kids. They went from 11th to 15th to 15th again and then 20th.

These clubs are in the second division for a reason. The Leeds and Southampton squads are packed with second-tier players. Go through them and pick out the Premier League players. You could probably count them on one hand.

And Boro have already beaten Leicester and Southampton this season. The gap in quality between them and the rest is overstated IMO. Leicester are something of an outlier but the rest are much of a muchness. Leeds, Boro, Ipswich, Blackburn, Southampton, etc. You’re talking cigarette papers between these teams.

 

[Boro4life]

It's topsy turvy this league that's the job of it any side can easily go on a losing run and any side can go on a winning run we've already done both. Look at Preston 7 games in they have 19 points while we only had 2 now on game 18 we kinda equal

 

[Humpty]

People say the league is weak every year, depending on how Boro are doing. If we’re doing well it’s a weak league and we should be doing well, if we’re struggling then it’s a crisis because it’s a really weak league this year and we should be doing much better.

This season is no better or different to any other IMO. The three teams that come down will always be favourites because of the financial advantages they enjoy over the rest, but other than that it’s wide open.

Also, I don’t think last season was a missed opportunity. We were in the bottom 3 or 4 in October. It was a minor miracle we got anywhere near the playoffs when you consider the state of things when Wilder was sacked. We looked miles off it. To reach the top six was brilliant.

We’ll be right up there this season as well. I’m very confident about the team with this man in charge, and very very happy with what they’re doing as a collective - there’s a clear plan, a style, a recruitment model. We play some absolutely brilliant football. We’re looking up rather than down now. It’s coming together IMO.

Sweeping generalisation in your first sentence there Viv. I don't think anyone would class the league as weak this year regardless of how well we're doing. The three teams coming down will always be favourites before a ball is kicked, that much is true, pragmatically things change as the season progresses.

Retrospectively looking back we earned the right to be in the play offs over the course of the season. The fact we struggled early on in the season is largely irrelevant. The bottom line is that we didn't reproduce our best form in the play offs when we really needed to do so. That is a missed opportunity. No one can say for certain what would've happened had we done so but the bookies had us as favorite's and i think deep down we all know we had the highest ceiling of the teams left in the play offs.

 

[Humpty]

The problem was the lack of quality when it mattered, and who is to say that we aren't capable of beating the sides with ex Premier League players in their squads, we've done it twice already this season.

If we get into the play offs we've got a chance of promotion.

I disagree. We bottled it when it mattered most. It's hard to accept (maybe a little easier now than back then) but that's how i see it.

 

[Nano]

I take your point about Leicester’s squad but Leeds had only been up three years and finished in 17th and 19th in two of them. All of their Premier League players have gone, as have almost all of Southampton’s. They were treading water for years and sold their best players in favour of playing kids. They went from 11th to 15th to 15th again and then 20th.

These clubs are in the second division for a reason. The Leeds and Southampton squads are packed with second-tier players. Go through them and pick out the Premier League players. You could probably count them on one hand.

And Boro have already beaten Leicester and Southampton this season. The gap in quality between them and the rest is overstated IMO. Leicester are something of an outlier but the rest are much of a muchness. Leeds, Boro, Ipswich, Blackburn, Southampton, etc. You’re talking cigarette papers between these teams.

Southampton had some poor seasons which is why they got relegated but they had been there for 11 years. At over £100m per season of revenue that's more than £1bn to put towards that squad. They have a lot of young players but they are good, expensive players that are beyond our reach. Leeds had only been there 3 years but that's still £300m they've had to spend on their squad. One of our main summer purchases was a loan of one of their squad players. Their resources are just miles away from us. We couldn't afford to give Akpom what he wanted. They will have players on their bench on more money than that.

I'm not sure how accurate this site is but it claims wage bills of £60m for Leicester, £40m for Leeds and Saints and we're a third of that at £13m. These teams are giants financially compared to us. They might have some second tier players but they are top end second tier players. We can't afford £10m+ on players like Joel Piroe, Harry Winks or Ross Stewart. We spent that in total across about 10 players.

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

Southampton had some poor seasons which is why they got relegated but they had been there for 11 years. At over £100m per season of revenue that's more than £1bn to put towards that squad. They have a lot of young players but they are good, expensive players that are beyond our reach. Leeds had only been there 3 years but that's still £300m they've had to spend on their squad. One of our main summer purchases was a loan of one of their squad players. Their resources are just miles away from us. We couldn't afford to give Akpom what he wanted. They will have players on their bench on more money than that.

I'm not sure how accurate this site is but it claims wage bills of £60m for Leicester, £40m for Leeds and Saints and we're a third of that at £13m. These teams are giants financially compared to us. They might have some second tier players but they are top end second tier players. We can't afford £10m+ on players like Joel Piroe, Harry Winks or Ross Stewart. We spent that in total across about 10 players.

But it’s about how you spend it. We’ve seen it ourselves. Clubs waste it. Leeds and Southampton may be spending big money but they’ve shown in the very recent past that they’re not very adept at spending it wisely. That’s why they’re in the second division.

Swansea, Stoke, West Brom, Hull, Watford, Norwich - they’ve all had long spells in the Premier League, or drifted up and down in the case of Norwich - and banked hundreds of millions of pounds. Are they really any better than Boro? I don’t think they are, across a full season. I think there’ll be a couple of points between several of those sides next May.

Luton, Brentford, Leeds, Sheffield United, Wolves, Cardiff, Brighton, Forest, Huddersfield, Boro, Bournemouth, Watford, QPR… they’ve all won promotion without parachute payments in the past 8 or 9 seasons. That’s about 1.5 teams per season since 2015.

Within that, you have us, Sunderland, Ipswich, Norwich, Derby x 3, Sheffield Wednesday x 2, Reading, Leeds, Brentford, Swansea, Barnsley, Luton Town and Coventry who’ve all finished in the playoffs in the same period.

Within that, there are teams like Fulham, Watford, Bournemouth, Norwich etc who just bounce between the two divisions at great expense. Burnley and Sheffield United are about to join that list.

The money does give you an advantage but it must be spent wisely. Being clever, smart and savvy is better than being rich. The Boro have a very good chance of doing it this season. 3rd in the form table over the last 10, lots of players to come back from injury, scoring goals. We’re right in the mix.

 

[Expat Smoggie]

Personally I think it’s all about staying in touch with 5-6th spots and making a push for something higher if and when our squad injury situation improves.

We’ve done ok so far beating the top sides but we’re 10th and while we’re still looking upwards we all know we need to be better on our travels.

 

[Nano]

The Boro have a very good chance of doing it this season.

No, they don't. There is less than 5% chance we go up via the autos. There is about a 40% chance we make the playoffs and if we do there is about 25% chance we win them. At best we've got about a 15% chance of promotion which means it is 85% likely we'll still be in the championship next season.

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

No, they don't. There is less than 5% chance we go up via the autos. There is about a 40% chance we make the playoffs and if we do there is about 25% chance we win them. At best we've got about a 15% chance of promotion which means it is 85% likely we'll still be in the championship next season.

Okay then they don’t. Case closed. Let’s wind up the season and just let Leicester, Leeds and Southampton go straight back up.

I think maybe we just see the game differently. I see a massive list of clubs who’ve achieved great things on a fraction of the budget of some who’ve drifted down to the division below in some cases. There is absolutely no reason the Boro can’t be one of those overachievers. We’ve done it once under Karanka and will do it again.