Can we do it

[Brauny Blue]

Promotion through the play-offs.
Since we are nearly halfway into the season i would like to point out some stats.
Firstly i have to put my hand up and admit that previously i stated that this season had become a rebuilding job.That may still be the case of course.
After the Plymouth win , i feel the life and soul is creeping back into the club.
Only 2 defeats in 15, play offs not looking so far away,an improving home record ,the nerves and tension lifting ,and of course CL.
The doom and gloom of MA is now only a memory.All this prompted me to have a look at a few play off stats.

The minimum points to reach the play-offs since 94-95:

SEASON POSITION TEAM/PTS PLAYOFF WINNERS

94-95 6TH BARNSLEY 72 BOLTON (3rd)
95-96 6TH LEICESTER 71 LEICESTER(6th)
96-97 6TH C.PALACE 71 C.PALACE(6th)
97-98 6TH BIRMINGHAM 74 CHARLTON(4th)
98-99 6TH BOLTON 76 WATFORD(5th)
99-00 6TH BOLTON 76 IPSWICH(3rd)
00-01 6TH W BROM 74 BOLTON(3rd)
01-02 6TH NORWICH 75 BIRMINGHAM(5th)
02-03 6TH N.FOREST 74 WOLVES(5th)
03-04 6TH C.PALACE 73 C.PALACE(6TH)+


ALSO NOTE SINCE 1988-89.
Promotion winners from play off place the club finished.


POSITION WINNERS

3RD 4
4TH 3
5TH 5
6TH 3

Leicester have 28pts from 21 games. It looks like we need another 46pts from the last 25 games.

Maybe just maybe

 

[Kopite]

I Think we can still get promoted through the playoffs.

We are only 6 Points off of 6th so a run of 3/4 wins and we will be in the mix.

Still Hopeful of promotion

 

[webmaster]

I think we can finish in the top two.

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

I will go with Webbo. If we can string a good unbeaten run together. 17 or 18 wins could get us second place with about 85 - 87 points.

 

[Semper Eadem]

As I see it Ipswich, Sunderland, Wigan, Reading and West Ham look definates for the top 5 so the 6th spot is for everybody to play for virtually in the whole division barring bottom 6

Top 2 is out of question for me, no way are we good enough to make up 15 points on those teams at the top with the squad of players we've got, it would be a difficult task if we were level with them imo let alone 5 games behind (considering top 2 teams probably only lose 10 all season).

To be honest Im not sure If I wanna go up this year, why not just get a decent squad together and build for next year, if we go up we are just coming straight back down again. :?

 

[Brauny Blue]

Can we

Tend to agree with you semper.Mike tbt points out that we can get 86 pts and auto promotion. No way. 58pts from 25 games requires a record of 18 wins 4 draws 3 defeats. Sorry we are not that good,and it would be unfair to have that level of expectation on CL this season. However we are no worse off than Palace 12 months ago and i believe a challenge via the play-offs is not impossible. I am never the most optimistic person but our season is slowly coming together.

 

[webmaster]

As I see it Ipswich, Sunderland, Wigan, Reading and West Ham look definates for the top 5

How can you say that when we're less than half way through the season?


We've played 5 of the top 6 teams, and I don't think any of them have been better than us.

Ipswich are top, but we outplayed them for much of the game, and gave them a last minute OG equaliser.

Wigan, 0-0, they didn't look like a top two team.

Sunderland - Pressman gifted them a goal and lost 1-0, but we had 17 attempts on goal and should have at least got a draw.

QPR - Should have beaten them, we were 2-0 up, but fell apart in the second half.

West Ham, 0-0, we were the better team until Dublin was sent off, and still looked fairly comfortable when down to 10 men.


The key feature in these matches (and many others this season) is either falling apart under pressure (QPR), or silly individual mistakes costing us games. We haven't been outplayed by these teams, and if we can cut out the mistakes (which we seem to be doing) we should be able to challenge the teams at the top.

This is a poor division this season, we should be looking to do better than the playoffs.

 

[webmaster]

Re: Can we

Tend to agree with you semper.Mike tbt points out that we can get 86 pts and auto promotion. No way. 58pts from 25 games requires a record of 18 wins 4 draws 3 defeats.

But we might not need 86 points to finish second.

Two years ago 81 points would have been good enough. Last year 80 would have done.

 

[Brauny Blue]

can we

Its a tall order Webbo. I'd luv to be positive but we have not looked anything like a promotion side this season . The good thing is we can get better and under CL we will. How far that takes us this season i am not sure

 

[webmaster]

Re: can we

Its a tall order Webbo. I'd luv to be positive but we have not looked anything like a promotion side this season .

But what I've seen of the top 6, they haven't looked like promotion teams either.
We've shown in patches that we can play well enough, but we've just not been consistent enough, and have made too many costly mistakes. If we sort this out we can finish in the top two. I think it's unlikely, but far from impossible. Top six shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[xsubmariner]

I agree with webbo. You've got to go for a top 2 spot. If you just fail to reach that goal you're in the play-offs. 8)
If you take the attitude play off is best we can do, you strive for that, fail and its the coca cola league for definite next season.
Aim high lads We can do it, just got to believe..

 

[Brauny Blue]

Can we

Done wembley.
Done hillsboro (cup final)
To get promotion in Cardiff would be fantastic.
Could this be our destiny.
Don't no about you Webbo, but the biggest promotion buzz i got was through the play-offs ,not beating Brighton when we got auto promotion 2 yrs ago.
Beating Palace and Derby still makes the hairs on the old neck stand up.

 

[Scarby]

I see no reason why we cant do it, but this is i believe my heart talking not my head. The team let us all down this season and it will be tough to get back in that top 6 now!!

But lets hope so

 

[Steven]

I see no reason why we cant do it, but this is i believe my heart talking not my head. The team let us all down this season and it will be tough to get back in that top 6 now!!

But lets hope so

This is my concern. Can the side under CL perform well enough. Tough call that on the basis of the season so far. On the other hand I am positive and have a sense we might sneak in.

 

[Brauny Blue]

can we

You could be right Steven. Its quite often that sides like Sunderland /W Ham who might end up with 80-85pts bottle it because they are gutted on missing auto promotion.Leaving us the snail some 15pts behind to sneak in and take the glory.How ironic would that be .

 

[Tony Elsby]

Re: can we

You could be right Steven. Its quite often that sides like Sunderland /W Ham who might end up with 80-85pts bottle it because they are gutted on missing auto promotion.Leaving us the snail some 15pts behind to sneak in and take the glory.How ironic would that be .

To my mind we've given away too many points from winning positions to realistically expect to win a top six place which is all we can sensibly hope for.

However, we are not altogether without hope.
Assuming Levein improves the team during the transfer window there is real optimism for an improved second half.

Firstly, even if we don't get better strikers, I cannot believe that Connolly and Scowcroft won't improve their goals ratio between now and the end of the season given chance.

Secondly Levein's influence on our defensive organisation should ensure ours is among the tightest rearguards in the division (a further modest improvement on the first half).

Thirdly, there are already signs of our home form improving and I don't believe Levein will allow that to falter.

The biggest problems are threefold. Other leading teams will strengthen their squads and the question is will they allow us to claw back a considerable points deficit?

Categorically, we need more goals to challenge.

And finally, there are still signs that this team has serious self-doubts in the closing stages of matches which will probably not be finally eradicated without the introduction of new blood.

Believe me if Levein manages to take us up from this position will be an achievement to rank among any in recent years and emphasises why I wanted Adams out sooner rather than too late as appears to be the case.

However, coming from behind might see the pressure getting to our higher placed opponents when we and others play them in the second half so if Levein can also keep us focused and ruthless against lesser opposition there is just a chance.

Indeed the decisive factor could be the fans. We need totally biased, committed and unswervingly supportive fans who are prepared to cheer and encourage their team whatever.

The confidence this could inspire might just be worth two or three vital points just as the heckling of opponents can unsettle them. City's isn't the most atmospheric crowd historically but they have a big part to play in what really must be an all-for-one, one-for-all run-in.

It might be just possible. I'm even going to back em with a few quid not because it is in any way logical but as a statement of total and unwavering faith.

 

[webmaster]

Re: can we

Assuming Levein improves the team during the transfer window

Why do people keep talking about the transfer window?

The transfer window only applies to Premiership clubs buying players. So unless we're raising some money by selling a player to a Premiership club (Dublin to Chelsea?), the January window doesn't come into it.

I don't think Levein has any money for new players anyway, so he'll need to get rid of players first. I don't think we'll see much transfer activity before the summer unless someone on decent money leaves (Benjamin? Dublin?), but not many clubs can afford players like that, so it's unlikely unless we pay them to leave.

 

[Lboro fox]

Also the league is very poor this year, every team that has a good run then has a poor run to folllow, usually 2 teams do well over the course of the season i don't htink this will happen. We may find the season points scores to be quite a bit lower than expected.

 

[Joe_Fox]

Re: can we

Assuming Levein improves the team during the transfer window

Why do people keep talking about the transfer window?

The transfer window only applies to Premiership clubs buying players. So unless we're raising some money by selling a player to a Premiership club (Dublin to Chelsea?), the January window doesn't come into it.

I don't think Levein has any money for new players anyway, so he'll need to get rid of players first. I don't think we'll see much transfer activity before the summer unless someone on decent money leaves (Benjamin? Dublin?), but not many clubs can afford players like that, so it's unlikely unless we pay them to leave.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Re: can we

Its a tall order Webbo. I'd luv to be positive but we have not looked anything like a promotion side this season .

But what I've seen of the top 6, they haven't looked like promotion teams either.
We've shown in patches that we can play well enough, but we've just not been consistent enough, and have made too many costly mistakes. If we sort this out we can finish in the top two. I think it's unlikely, but far from impossible. Top six shouldn't be too difficult.

IMO : even though this is a threadbare division & the side and club are now on the up because of some organised management;
nevertheless:
the side is currently no where near good enough to justify promotion & in the unlikely event of being promoted would sink like a big brick;

CL needs time -not unreal expectations .