afar

I agree, I have never understood the whole obsession, couldn't care less.

86.5 is the average points total for 2nd place since this guise of the championship came into being 12 years ago. One more win would take us beyond that. 79 points by Stoke in 07/08 was enough but Brighton failed to make the top two with 89 points last year. This weekend will be defining for sure.

Good luck with that. Don't disagree, will never happen, makes me wonder though why Rafa bought him.

I think someone explained the rationale was down to reducing the tax bill, which makes perfect sense. At some point though with all these installments coming in you are going to have an extremely healthy positive cash flow, 5 million here, 5 million there, when all said and done before we even sell anyone we could be 20 million up. I think it's a sound long term strategy to make money, whether it works will depend on if we can stay in the PL. It's really not a way in the short term at least to build a successful football team though.

We better f***ing not have. On a serious note, it would be better to invest big money in midfield and keep the same CBs IMO. None of them are awful. I agree with that, priorities for me are the holding midfielder to play alongside Shelvey and replace Colback, another winger to play opposite flank to Ritchie, a true number 10 and a striker more similar to Gayle than we have right now. There needs to be a decision made on the GK spot too, with Krul coming back who is our number 1 ? I have a feeling Rafa will sell Krul to fund other positions and cut losses on Sels, if he does that we'll need another keeper, unless they think Freddie is ready to step up.

Thought Dummett was awful at Sheffield. Mbemba takes most of the stick for the defensive shambles that we were but he was by no means alone in that back 4. Would like especially at home to see a bit more of Lazaar, see if we have a player or need to buy another LB in the summer.

Didn't even make the EFL team of the year, he's the best player in the division imo and been our player of the season for me, if Gayle could have stayed fit things may have been different.

He was a huge part of what we did so well early season. We've not been anywhere near as good since he first got injured. This hamstring injury has really effected him, could easily have topped 30 goals had he been able to stay fit. Not sure how his injury record was at other clubs, but next season we need the number 1 striker to perform at more consistent level for the full course of the season or at least have a back up that is more similar and reliable than Mitro has been.

We aren't suddenly going to go winless in 6. I doubt it too but at the same time it would not surprise me. What would shock me however is if we failed to accumulate enough points over the last 5 to get across the line.

I'm not confident about this one, not because it's Leeds because to be frank they were one of the most disappointing teams I seen us play when we played them, after all the hype they were completely ineffectual and it was comfortable for us. I just feel we are struggling for form big time right now (although we have been picking up the results), limping over the finishing line, I would not be surprised if we failed to win any of our remaining games, we'll still though go up but it won't be pretty, 10 points is just too big a gap with games running out for Huddersfield. 3 more points is likely going to be enough as they would need to win 4 and draw the other 2 of their last six, that's unlikely, we'll get that somehow.

If either Boro or the Mackems turn their form around and end up surviving, it'll be one of the greatest escapes in recent memory. It's really about who will join them, and probably between Hull and Swansea.

We'll limp over but we'll get over the line and I doubt very much that we'll beat Brighton to the title.

This was always our toughest game left, still disappointing though.

All over damage limitation now, need to protect our GD advantage over Brighton.

Waste that from Gouf, really better options than a shot there

Advantage well and truly to Brighton in the title race.

We were on top, and they score.

Shelvey, wow.

Free kick all day of the week.

We'll be lucky to get a point from this.

Never in a million years that's a pen.

Weird game, I think with been by far the better team but should be 3 down by now.

I honestly think they had already resigned themselves to the playoffs, check out Wagner's comments after their win in midweek. It would take a crazy series of results now for the top two not to be the two that go up automatically, think everyone accepts that now. Just a question really of who wins the title.

I won't be too concerned about this until the evidence of spend in the summer becomes apparent. If Rafa leaves that'll be a major sign that there is real reason to worry. Right now it's just accountants massaging numbers for tax purposes.

I think they added a trophy for 2nd too now, pretty sure I saw Boro players pictured with one last year.