crunch time

[nose]

if nobody else has said it I will.

the resuilts yesterday worked generally in our favour.

If we win the next two games we are in the mix, however IMO even 4 points would mean season over!

This is not about how well we play it is entirely about results.

Finally and for what it is worth I am feeling very negative. our last few performances have been well below par and if we don't buck up soon we will follow derby down the table, not rise like the phoenix

[Lighthouse]

We would have to have several weeks of results going in our favour before we can talk honestly about playoffs. While the results last night were generally good. In the long run our result will not be the be all and end all of our season. Or the result after that. Win them both and we still are not in the play offs. One poor result and we go back again.

Our season has been a great improvement but not so wonderful as many seem to think. We haven't a forward all season that is fit to wear the shorts let alone the shirt and talk about good enough for the play offs. We are doing fine and it is improving but we are a long way short of the squad and  the consistency of being a really good Championship side. Let's face it a bit of pressure on our back four and a few high balls and we are very vulnerable.

Enjoy the improvement but don't be disappointed by the fact we are simply not good enough yet. Whatever the next few results happen to be.

[filham]

Jocanovic is still searching for his best attack and there has been little indication over the last few matches that we have  a good enough striker in the squad.
Perhaps tonight Cyriac or Kebano will come good and enable us to notch up a convincing win.

[Southcoastffc]

I disagree re playoffs- look at this Saturday's fixture list and see how 4 points between tonight and Cardiff won't help us close the gap on several teams.  I do agree that we need to be more consistent in picking up points (whether we play well or not - Brighton are a good example of a team who do well without playing well)

[nose]

We would have to have several weeks of results going in our favour before we can talk honestly about playoffs. While the results last night were generally good. In the long run our result will not be the be all and end all of our season. Or the result after that. Win them both and we still are not in the play offs. One poor result and we go back again.

Our season has been a great improvement but not so wonderful as many seem to think. We haven't a forward all season that is fit to wear the shorts let alone the shirt and talk about good enough for the play offs. We are doing fine and it is improving but we are a long way short of the squad and  the consistency of being a really good Championship side. Let's face it a bit of pressure on our back four and a few high balls and we are very vulnerable.

Enjoy the improvement but don't be disappointed by the fact we are simply not good enough yet. Whatever the next few results happen to be.

Actually..... it is in our hands now... win the two games in hand, tonight is the first of these, and we still have to play the teams within touching distance. the arithmetic is not unreasonable.

We are simply not good enough is something I am struggling with because we imply could have been good enough if our management had wanted to make it so. It is that bit I am finding hard to cope with, we got so close and then decided to shoot ourselves in both feet.

However, my thread remains the arithmetical fact.... today and for the moment it is for the first time in ages, back in our hands, we just need to win.

[dannyboi-ffc]

So we are 9 points behind both Leeds and Wednesday. Leeds aren't in form at the minute so for arguments sake they don't beat Wednesday on Saturday....let's give them a point for now.

If we take 4 points from 2 away games we will be 6 points behind with a game in hand and we play them at home in 2 weeks. How is 4 points season over?

If you offered it to me now I'd take 4 points to be honest. I think 4 points makes us the favourites to gate crash the playoffs if anyone does.

Oh and Wednesday also play Norwich in the next 3 games. So if we keep getting results, someone is dropping points. I think we will win tonight.

[nose]

So we are 9 points behind both Leeds and Wednesday. Leeds aren't in form at the minute so for arguments sake they don't beat Wednesday on Saturday....let's give them a point for now.

If we take 4 points from 2 away games we will be 6 points behind with a game in hand and we play them at home in 2 weeks. How is 4 points season over?

If you offered it to me now I'd take 4 points to be honest. I think 4 points makes us the favourites to gate crash the playoffs if anyone does.

Oh and Wednesday also play Norwich in the next 3 games. So if we keep getting results, someone is dropping points. I think we will win tonight.

Ok I have not entirely accounted for leeds v wednesday in terms of the maths BUT IMO less than 6 points will not do. it is vital that we seize the moment, the opportunity to get back into the race is now.

[Baszab]

It's not the attack that's the problem - it's the defence

[dannyboi-ffc]

So we are 9 points behind both Leeds and Wednesday. Leeds aren't in form at the minute so for arguments sake they don't beat Wednesday on Saturday....let's give them a point for now.

If we take 4 points from 2 away games we will be 6 points behind with a game in hand and we play them at home in 2 weeks. How is 4 points season over?

If you offered it to me now I'd take 4 points to be honest. I think 4 points makes us the favourites to gate crash the playoffs if anyone does.

Oh and Wednesday also play Norwich in the next 3 games. So if we keep getting results, someone is dropping points. I think we will win tonight.

Ok I have not entirely accounted for leeds v wednesday in terms of the maths BUT IMO less than 6 points will not do. it is vital that we seize the moment, the opportunity to get back into the race is now.

I would argue that it's more important to beat Bristol city and Leeds than it is to beat bristol city and Cardiff. 

Either way I think the crunch time is in the next 4 games. We need 10 points.

[nose]

So we are 9 points behind both Leeds and Wednesday. Leeds aren't in form at the minute so for arguments sake they don't beat Wednesday on Saturday....let's give them a point for now.

If we take 4 points from 2 away games we will be 6 points behind with a game in hand and we play them at home in 2 weeks. How is 4 points season over?

If you offered it to me now I'd take 4 points to be honest. I think 4 points makes us the favourites to gate crash the playoffs if anyone does.

Oh and Wednesday also play Norwich in the next 3 games. So if we keep getting results, someone is dropping points. I think we will win tonight.

Ok I have not entirely accounted for leeds v wednesday in terms of the maths BUT IMO less than 6 points will not do. it is vital that we seize the moment, the opportunity to get back into the race is now.

I would argue that it's more important to beat Bristol city and Leeds than it is to beat bristol city and Cardiff. 

Either way I think the crunch time is in the next 4 games. We need 10 points.

i tend not to be one for reckoning out points because each game has its own nuance (a very currrent word in the media so I am using it too!). But if we must.... then 12 points sounds so much better ;>)

[nose]

It's not the attack that's the problem - it's the defence

It is the lack of physical presence in defense and midfield and it is the lack of an owner that gives a dam.

[The Old Count]

It's really rather exciting and for the right reasons, which is a welcome change from the last few seasons.  Agree with Lighthouse though. Don't think we're quite good enough just yet. But who knows!
COYW

[Keynsham]

I think that we have had a great season in comparison to recent history but we will ultimately fall short this time around. 

We are starting to lack a bit of form and got away with it to a certain extent in the two games prior to Spurs, hopefully we bounce back tonight but the downward trend would suggest that we won't.  We have a good side, but we probably need to have a good squad to be able to cope with end of season fatigue, and yes, an actual centre forward would help us somewhat too. 

So I foresee meltdowns ahoy in the coming month on here unfortunately as we lose as many as we win and probably finish around about where we are now, even though personally I would have taken that at the start of the season.

[Holders]

Looking at the fixtures, every team in contention could argue that they have a tough run-in and ours is no worse. We have the two games in hand and the outcomes of those will, self-evidently, be vital in whether we close the gap. At the end of the day, if we deserve to be in the top six we will be (or the reverse) and quite often a team that gets into the play-offs through a late surge has the momentum to do well although getting to the play-offs guarantees nothing! Perhaps if we do, the Chairman will see that a little more is required to succeed next year; I recall SJ saying after Brentford away that that was as good as it gets with the squad at that time. Martingate didn't help.

At the start of the season I'd have taken just finishing above "the grass is greener" Villa; I'd add " I love that club" Derby to that now.

[Artful Dodger]

Not good enough?? We have beaten Newcastle, pushed Brighton twice and were unlucky not to get 2 wins, let alone 2 draws, beaten Huddersfield and Reading 5-0 and we should have stuffed Leeds when they equalised in the last minute. Oh, and had we scored another 7 penalties we would be in the play offs already! This league is tough and difficult to get out of but it is not great on quality and the one thing we have proved is we can play some decent football. Have we got the physical and mental strength to go up - that is the question as the pressure is on now to not drop points and chances have to be taken. And all that without a decent centre forward and a tough tacking midfielder! We have proved we are good enough but we need to prove it week in week out now for the last 3 months of the season...

[Holders]

A big difference in this team compared to last year and for several years before is our mental strength not to give up when we go behind and until the end of the game.

[Chesh]

If you offered it to me now I'd take 4 points to be honest.

Yep, that would be 10 points out of 12, and plenty enough momentum with 39 points left to play for.

Don't see the panic of HAVING to get 6 points from the next 2, very nice though it would be.....

[ToodlesMcToot]

A big difference in this team compared to last year and for several years before is our mental strength not to give up when we go behind and until the end of the game.

:plus one:

[filham]

Jocanovic now has to clear the player' minds of the dreadful Spurs performance and get them into positive thinking for tonight. If we find form 3 points should be achievable tonight.

[clintclintdeuce]

It's not the attack that's the problem - it's the defence

It is the lack of physical presence in defense and midfield and it is the lack of an owner that gives a dam.

it be funny if Shad was right and we go up with what we have. just sayin. i dont like him as an owner at all and am not defending him. i think it would be hilarious.