afar

I dunno, a lot can change during pre-season. Leeds always have the potential to self distruct and on the basis of their two performances against us this year, they've probably over-achieved. They will do well to hold onto Wood after the season he's had and they've been very reliant on his goals. Monk too has rebuilt his rep and may get a better offer at a club without mad owners (or slightly less mad). You would expect Villa to bounce back stronger next year and Steve Bruce is the master of getting out of the division, or at least he was whether he still has that skill I don't know, certainly should have done better since taking over this year. They can't afford another mid season managerial switch. Norwich do not have that great a squad to be honest, they've done nothing this season to suggest they will do much better next, if they get in a decent forwarding thinking manager that could change but jury out on them. Who knows where Huddersfield are going, they have had an amazing season based on what was expected of them from the start, they played the loan market really well. Will they get that lucky again this off season, will Wagner still be around ? The other playoff teams Fulham, Sheff Wed and Reading, all have good managers and need to hang onto them if they want to contend again next year. The teams that are going down with them, could well be the types not to surface again at the top level for a while. Boro are an absolute mess, amazing that they even pipped Brighton last year based on their season this. Swansea, should they be the 3rd team, for all their recent relative success have been a team historically fighting in the lower reaches, they are certainly not a Newcastle or Villa, whom you would expect to spend a bunch in the summer to get back up. Hull , if it is them, have been up and down too many times now, like Swansea they are not a team you would back to put a ton of money into to getting back up. We may have been a little unlucky this year in the quality of the championship, with a fair few teams that are well managed with some payers with a fair amount of skill. Next year may not be as tough for the Mackems, if they get the 70 million they expect to for their player sales, lol, and invest it well they could rebuild and be a force next year. Huge summer for them, starts with the manager's job, does Moyes have anything left ? Do they have the finances to back him ? It'll be a fun watch from the lofty perch they kept reminding us about through this season.

I pay $200 a month for my cable bill, I have all the sports channels, but outside the NFL games (which I pay another $50 a month for Sunday Ticket so I can watch all Miami's games) I have not watched any of the channels for the last 9 months or so. That'll change now.

Yeah I have been a 10 all along too, can't believe some people didn't have faith, idiots

Think they'll win the next game unfortunately, and it's all over. Anyway, are you calm yet? Hell yeah.

If we had not of conceded that late one against Leeds, I would have fancied us to pip Brighton, we still might do it, not beyond the realms that they draw their last two and we win them both.

Too many nerves, there really shouldn't be

I hope we don't go into next season with the same group. We need to make a decision on Krul, if he's not Rafa's cup of tea we need to sell and get a new number 1, OK with Darlow as a number 2 with Freddie being groomed as the eventual successor. I would like us to move on from Elliot and Sels just hasn't worked out.

Really?? They couldn't score in a crack den Boro are terrible though, surely Defoe will score a goal for them, that'll be enough to beat Boro.

Be shocked if they don't beat Boro like, that may get them all exicited but even if they won 5 out of 6 that probably won't be enough.

This is Jack's stage, I'm telling ya, could you imagine if he was the hero of our promotion

Good luck to him, sounds like he's playing at a high level again.

Wasn't confident at all about this one until the results today now I would be shocked if we got beat and pretty surprised if we are not celebrating promotion on Monday night. The pressure got lifted 10 fold today and I'm sure the players will not only be up for it but a lot more relaxed.

Not certain of that tbh, he's been pretty awful this calendar year, how many goals has he scored ? If he's not scoring what does he offer ? Who's going to offer him the salary he's on a Sunderland ? Sometimes with older players, the decline is not steady, just kind of happens, like with our so called 29 year old Sissoko replacement. He lerves the clerb according to mackems I know. They think he's god though, but clearly showing signs of dropping off, it's amazing he has gone on this long. The assumption though is that someone will offer him a contract some place else, when the dust settles, I don't think too many outside of West Ham will be that keen on offering a 35 year old 80K a week when he's hardly scored in the 2nd half of the season. Sunderland honestly will be better without him, even though that sounds ridiculous. They need to change the way they play and stop relying so heavily on one person to get the goals, right now if he's not scoring it's like playing with 10 men, convinced that despite his goal record, he is part of the problem there.

Not certain of that tbh, he's been pretty awful this calendar year, how many goals has he scored ? If he's not scoring what does he offer ? Who's going to offer him the salary he's on a Sunderland ? Sometimes with older players, the decline is not steady, just kind of happens, like with our so called 29 year old Sissoko replacement.

4 wins out of 6 which would be absolutely incredible form for the team at the bottom of the table, will only get them level on points with Hull's current total. 5 out of 6 is bear minimum they need, in reality though they'll probably have to win all 6 and hope other results go there way. Not impossible yet, but almost.

2 draws is enough

I don't think the top 6 places will change now, Fulham may edge further up but I doubt Leeds will pull back the 3 point and way worse GD on Fulham, Huddersfield and Sheff Wed's 5 point gap is probably too much to make up with two games left too.

I actually don't disagree with that. Huddersfield are going into the playoffs in pretty bad form, I'll be shocked if they won them. Fulham right now would be my bet.

Just got back from my son's "soccer" (god, I hate that word). That's the perfect day, thanks so much Forest and Fulham, Hull and swansea winning too putting the Mackems even closer to the drop and Brighton losing last night, fantastic. Hopefully seal promotion on Monday now, tbh we may already have enough.

They seem to have gotten a fair share of penalties this season, mind you we got one awarded to us at their place, so can't complain too much. Respect to Huddersfield, this is as tough a game as anyone can have in the division right now and they are going about it the right way under the pressure of the dituation. Shame our players haven't shown the same balls recently.

I will never be done with the club, if you can turn off an emotion just like that then I would question how much passion you actually had in the first place however should we not go up and Rafa leaves then I would do my best to stay away from anything connected with the club unfortunately that would include this place. I am fed up with this club having a negative impact on my mental state, I don't think I could take another failure that failing to go up would very much be.

That is way to young for anyone to die, feel awful for his family he left behind. RIP.

You forget that Sunderland and their massive loyal envy of all Europe fan base will be one of the teams replacing us, hopefully

14 points from 12 games is I guess gonna torpedo your chances, still the 5-0 versus Huddersfield was in that run. Just hope they have one more big performance in them on Saturday, the pressure will be lifted massively on us if both Huddersfield and Reading fail to win.

Rafa should highlight this before the game, if nothing else it might put him under a little pressure to ensure he is fair, or favour us slightly because he wants to look cleaner than clean. It's the sort of thing Ferguson would do, the odious git.