The playoffs aren't a lottery

[JoelH5]

Let's actually take some accountability and stop saying the playoffs are a lottery.

If Real Madrid took our place in the play offs, they win them. If you're good enough it's not a lottery.

Now it's finally in our hands. Lets make it bloody count!!

[FulhamStu]

Well said

[JoelH5]

Rubbish, totally disagree sorry

If Real Madrid got their goalkeeper sent off and a penalty given against them in a flash of poor refereeing, followed by a decent team getting everyone behind the ball, diving, hacking and time-wasting for a hour, I could easily See them losing

Of course you disagree. It was way too positive for you mate

[hovewhite]

There's an old saying, you make your own luck!!

[e4b]

Rubbish, totally disagree sorry

If Real Madrid got their goalkeeper sent off and a penalty given against them in a flash of poor refereeing, followed by a decent championship team (which is probably about the same calibration as a decent la liga team like betis) getting everyone behind the ball, diving, hacking and time-wasting for a hour, I could easily See them losing

So the playoffs are just like any other game in the championship.

[JoelH5]

Rubbish, totally disagree sorry

If Real Madrid got their goalkeeper sent off and a penalty given against them in a flash of poor refereeing, followed by a decent team getting everyone behind the ball, diving, hacking and time-wasting for a hour, I could easily See them losing

Of course you disagree. It was way too positive for you mate

Way too reasoned you mean mate... you'd best just Carry on with throwaway comments you can't back up

Why do I need to back anything up?

[e4b]

Hopefully if we get to the final we will have a prem standard ref . Could make a big difference.

[Lighthouse]

Over a season we can't say anything is a lottery. But now the season has turned into a knock out game home and away and one final. One game is always a lottery as a million different things can happen for or against. The weather, players, fitness, injury taking the dog for a walk. The play offs remain a complete lottery. You can try and get the odds into your favour. But like todays game. However good the team is. If they just don't turn up then form doesn't matter. A lottery it remains.

[Twig]

Personally I agree that the playoffs are not a lottery.  For a start it is not an isolated 90 minutes as Statto suggests, the semi is home and away over 180 mins, plenty of time for the better side to get on top. Logically, 9 times out of ten the better team will win a play off match.  Yes, you can get a fluke where a player gets sent off, another gets injured etc. But to suggest that Real Madrid wouldn't get through the Championship play offs 99% of the time is frankly daft.

[Sgt Fulham]

I'm going to assume we're going to lose the playoffs. Just like Huddersfield last season and our overconfidence against Reading, maybe the unpredictable will happen and we will go up. Really worried about our mental state though. If we get to the final it's either Boro or Villa and I see both of them being a lot more composed.

I can't even gather my thoughts properly. Anyone else just been mentally blank since full time?
It's crazy how much a game can affect my mood.

[HV71]

I don't have the stats to hand but I think just over a third of the teams that have finished in third place in the Championship have been promoted via the playoffs. Given that finishing third over an entire season (in what is a very tough league)  is a real achievement and must surely suggest that you are the better side - then it must be the play offs are something of a lottery when only a third go up that way.

[Neil D]

I don't have the stats to hand but I think just over a third of the teams that have finished in third place in the Championship have been promoted via the playoffs. Given that finishing third over an entire season (in what is a very tough league)  is a real achievement and must surely suggest that you are the better side - then it must be the play offs are something of a lottery when only a third go up that way.

Interesting point.  I think finishing third - rather than fourth - and having to contest the play-offs is psychologically damaging.  By finishing third you feel as though you have been cheated because you've earned that third promotion spot already. Fourth is the ideal position because you have another bite at the cherry which you haven't earned and play the second leg at home.  What percentage of 4th placed teams go up, I wonder?

[JoelH5]

I don't have the stats to hand but I think just over a third of the teams that have finished in third place in the Championship have been promoted via the playoffs. Given that finishing third over an entire season (in what is a very tough league)  is a real achievement and must surely suggest that you are the better side - then it must be the play offs are something of a lottery when only a third go up that way.

Interesting point.  I think finishing third - rather than fourth - and having to contest the play-offs is psychologically damaging.  By finishing third you feel as though you have been cheated because you've earned that third promotion spot already. Fourth is the ideal position because you have another bite at the cherry which you haven't earned and play the second leg at home.  What percentage of 4th placed teams go up, I wonder?

On the other hand, we've pretty much had 20 must win games to get this close so that's probably good practice