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Eight game mini-League of eight teams.
- Thread starter Graham Clark
- Start date
Only the one 6 pointer on Good Friday with Birmingham QPR. Torn between hoping for a draw and keeping as many teams in the mix as possible and a Birmingham win to keep the gap to 2 points regardless
BG, my instincts suggest we will stay up .... just, with a nerve shredding game v Hull City to endure with constant anxious glances to our smart phones for latest scores It is not just a matter of how we do over the next eight games but how the other teams do. Our present anxieties, home performances aside, were largely caused by QPR and Sheffield Wednesday's six point gain on us in two games. As a result, I expect each game day will result in unexpected results that will create constant recalculation on the chances of our survival. There is invariably a free fall team, as we were under Adams. Blackburn's run-in looks eye wateringly tough. They may be that team.
I missed the last two home games but viewed them live at a distance. However, the end game toxicity v North End came across loud and clear. We cannot experience a repeat of that, despite the inevitable frustrations and occasional despair, if we have any pretentions of staying up. The team need the crowd to be onside as the twelve man. I sense that teams, since the West Brom lock down, have found an effective way of stopping us playing on the front foot at home. As a result I expect we may gain more points away from home where we have a greater degree of potency despite the recent wastefulness in front of goal.
Despite the above, there remains a constant niggle that all is not right behind the scenes despite Morgan's admirable attempt to lift the gloom. Ian Foster's press conference was a bit world weary and without doubt the pressure is showing. I doubt it will have inspired the fan base. In truth, I would have preferred a unified front with Joe and Neil alongside Ian Foster at the press conference to inspire confidence and conviction that the team need the fans on their side and together we can secure our Championship survival.
Given what happened in December, the decisions since and our resources compared to the other Championship sides (apart from Rotherham) survival should be seen as one of the best achievements of the club in recent times. Sometimes it is not just about the glory as a fan it is about digging in and beating the odds. I enjoy our underdog status - we should continue to make it a virtue. We have four home games to give our all, starting on Monday. On the day after the decision on Brickfields has cemented our future, giving the team our full support, despite all the legitimate concerns, to secure our survival and take a step closer to a sustainable future is not too much to ask. That is where I am.
A fairly well informed article about the 8 teams battling relegation:
www.football365.com
I'd say it overrates Blackburn and Eustace given that they haven't won in ages and have a tough run in but otherwise seems fairly spot on
Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town relegated? Eight Championship strugglers ranked on survival chances
Eight Championship clubs are at risk of joining Rotherham United in League One. We have ranked each team based on the likelihood of them getting relegated...
www.football365.com
I'd say it overrates Blackburn and Eustace given that they haven't won in ages and have a tough run in but otherwise seems fairly spot on
Norwich - L
Bristol - D
Rotherham - W
QPR - D
Leicester - L
Stoke - D
Millwall - D
Hull - D
Something like that would probably do it. A random win against Norwich or Leicester would definitely do it. Easier said than done of course.
Bristol - D
Rotherham - W
QPR - D
Leicester - L
Stoke - D
Millwall - D
Hull - D
Something like that would probably do it. A random win against Norwich or Leicester would definitely do it. Easier said than done of course.
It certainly doesn't mention Blackburn having to play all of the top four sides and potentially having to win at Leicester on the last day to stay up!A fairly well informed article about the 8 teams battling relegation:
Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town relegated? Eight Championship strugglers ranked on survival chances
Eight Championship clubs are at risk of joining Rotherham United in League One. We have ranked each team based on the likelihood of them getting relegated...
I'd say it overrates Blackburn and Eustace given that they haven't won in ages and have a tough run in but otherwise seems fairly spot on
They were 9th the night of our game at QPR, with 31 points after 21 games.
- Oct 31, 2010
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I’ve got a feeling that Rotherham might start to pick up a few results now, not as part of some sort of survival miracle, but now that survival is pretty much out of the question they’ll start seeing the games as free hits.
My gut feeling is we'll go down. Especially if we need something from Hull! In terms of a 'free fall' team that seems to be us!
I do think staying up would be a bigger achievement than last season. I remember talking in the pub after Burton about how would be able to compete. Not knowing we would sign Morgan and Azaz.
That's a good shout ..... I'd tweak it slightly for a Bristol W (that's a HUGE game for us home against a mid-table team with nothing to play for) but can see a Rotherham D and as much as it pains to say a Stoke L.
I can see it coming down to the last two ..... but here the football Gods could give us a break. Millwall may be safe by then and Hull out of the play-off contention (their three before us away to Watford & Coventry and home to Ipswich).
By my reckoning there are still 10 games to be played between teams in this mini league, so as (I believe) Alan Ball once said, I don't make predictions.....and I never will.
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I've agreed with your comments a few times recently Cobi and this one is no different
I think its going to be a nerve shredder right to the line but I think we'll finish 4th bottom. What encourages me is that SO many of the mini league (this is a good thread by the way, I cant be bothered to debate the ins and outs of Foster any more) is how many of the 8 mini league teams are due to play each other, so the old "they cant both win" thing comes in. I've discounted Swansea.
Millwall
Rotherham (a)
Huddersfield (a)
Argyle (h)
Blackburn
Weds (h)
Argyle
Rotherham (a)
QPR (h)
Stoke (a)
Millwall (a)
Stoke
Huddersfieldd (h)
Argyle (h)
Weds (a)
QPR
Birmingham (h)
Argyle (a)
Weds (h)
Birmingham
QPR (a)
Rotherham (a)
Huddersfield (a)
Huddersfield
Stoke (A)
Millwall (h)
Birmingham (h)
Weds
QPR (a)
Stoke (h)
Blackburn (a)
I went slightly mad trying to count up how many games were left in the 8 team mini league because I forgot not to include Rotherham or Swansea!
