Looking at the race for 2nd place objectively

Cuthbert said:
I think their next 9 are easier than their last 9. (That said, end of season nerves could make 'easier looking' games harder).
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Fair point, but we have to hope their cup run is a distraction. Beat Blackburn aet, couple of injuries, get a plum draw next round ......focus taken off Championship......you never know.

Fact is, it's theirs to lose. Nothing we can do apart from keep plugging away 👍
 
Laughing said:
They probably are marginally easier. The basic point I was making is that if both teams show the same results for the next nine as the last nine, we pass them. Based on that basic statistic, clearly it is entirely possible that we can pass them.

As I have been saying for weeks, we will go up in 2nd place. I have not been impressed with utd at all.
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Agree with all of that apart from the bit about us going up 2nd. 100% agree that Sheff Utd are unimpressive. I think the fact that we twice failed to get to one point, and both times they followed it with an ugly win means they'll finish 2nd though (because they now have the two game cushion and an easier run in).

I don't think they are the second best team in the league. Probably not even third best, but they managed to sneak enough wins early on to give them that cushion.
 
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I think we'll know everything we need to by bedtime Easter Monday. If we aren't level on points with them by then I'll be preparing for the playoffs
 
We have to male up 6 points in 9 games, it's not impossible, just very unlikley.

To be fair we've done well to close the gap so much already and I think we'll probably close it a bit more yet still.

Just not enough to sneak 2nd place.
 
A month ago the gap was 10 points and we'd played a game more.

So I'm not overly upset when the gap is 6 points with the same number played.

It was always going to be a tough ask.

All the team can do is try and win on Saturday, that would put us 3 points behind going in to the international break.

Our next game would then be against a team in the relegation zone whilst they play the team currently in 7th.
 
I think that win for them last night will be massive, picked the team their fans wanted and won a tough game, expect them to go back to form now after a nervous blip.

If you'd said to me in November would you take scraping into the playoffs if snap your hand offs. People quickly forget this season was effectively a write off when Carrick took over.

I still think we have nothing to fear if we make the playoffs.
 
Boro
Stoke (h) DRAW
Preston (h) WIN
Huddersfield (a) WIN

87 Point finish

Sheffield
Sunderland (a) WIN
Norwich (a) LOSE
Wigan (h) WIN

87 Point finish

Luton
Bristol (h) WIN
Sunderland (a) LOSE
Watford (h) WIN

83 Point finish

Watford
QPR (a) - DRAW
Birmingham (h) - WIN
Wigan (h) - WIN

65 Point finish

We’ll see..
 
I agree we have no fear in the play offs the only thing that scares me is Wembley itself.

It’s a deep psychological scar that runs through our history.

Carrick a Wembley veteran winner can hopefully can end this
 
Nottyboy said:
Probably need to win 8 of the last 9 to do it. Might get away with 7 and a couple of draws.
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I am expecting us to win 7 from the last 9!

On our day we are better than every team in the division, only Burnley can match us. We, of course, have to be at our best in every game until the end of the season.
 
Cuthbert said:
Agree with all of that apart from the bit about us going up 2nd. 100% agree that Sheff Utd are unimpressive. I think the fact that we twice failed to get to one point, and both times they followed it with an ugly win means they'll finish 2nd though (because they now have the two game cushion and an easier run in).

I don't think they are the second best team in the league. Probably not even third best, but they managed to sneak enough wins early on to give them that cushion.
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They're an awful footballing team, we probably have more ability on our bench than in their first 11. Only Ndiaye and Berge I'd class as footballers :)

That said, they are effective. They've bullied teams all season and outmuscled. Land of the giants at the back makes it difficult to get at them in a direct fashion. Like so many in the division they rely on organisation, physical strength and aggression. Light years behind us and Burnley in terms of technique.
 
Jedi boro said:
I agree we have no fear in the play offs the only thing that scares me is Wembley itself.

It’s a deep psychological scar that runs through our history.

Carrick a Wembley veteran winner can hopefully can end this
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Maybe we should have some fear.. anyone can beat anyone. If we finish 3rd and get beat in the playoffs.. can we still go up if Sheffield get 12 points deducted?

Or do Sheffield get to pay off their debt with future premier league earnings?
 
Laughing said:
I am expecting us to win 7 from the last 9!

On our day we are better than every team in the division, only Burnley can match us. We, of course, have to be at our best in every game until the end of the season.
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I think that's it. Football is often about momentum. If Stoke was a blip and we carry on our form for the next 9 games then I think we can catch them. If Stoke was a sign of us losing momentum (tired, losing confidence, nerves) then our form will dip and we've got no chance. Saturday will tell us a lot.
 
Boro have done well to reduce what could have been a 13 point gap to 6, but it was always going to be a big ask to secure second. I suspected we needed a perfect March to have a chance of being second by the time England play. Even if we beat Preston we won't move into automatic.

Looking at the table the most important thing is we get into the play-offs. We're currently 8 points ahead of 7th so just need to keep that distance.
 
If we can take it as deep as possible, you never know. However it has become tighter in the top 6 with both Luton and Blackburn closer to us, so we need to make sure we make the top 6 first and anything more is a bonus. Have been surprised that both Luton and Blackburn have put together a series of wins and Millwall keep bouncing back too. However, if we went into the play-offs as it currently stands, no-one would be complaining about the potential opposition.
 
MVBoro said:
If we can take it as deep as possible, you never know. However it has become tighter in the top 6 with both Luton and Blackburn closer to us, so we need to make sure we make the top 6 first and anything more is a bonus. Have been surprised that both Luton and Blackburn have put together a series of wins and Millwall keep bouncing back too. However, if we went into the play-offs as it currently stands, no-one would be complaining about the potential opposition.
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The top 6 has got tighter but the gap to 7th hasn't. Realistically 4 wins out of 9 would probably secure a top 6 spot.
 
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