PROMOTIONOMETER

[Ronaldo]

I've been a little surprised at how strong Boro and Brom have been, thought at least one of them would struggle. This has made me adjust my theory that it's only ourselves that'll stop us going straight back up. I would still be completely shocked if we didn't make at least the playoffs, but got to say that we are going to be in a huge fight with Boro and Brom for those two spots and after last night I think we are probably 3rd favourites in that battle.

 

Why?  All three teams have five wins, West Brom have one more draw then us but have had an easier run.  Its clearly almost impossible to split us at the moment and that's while we've consistently had 4 first teamers missing.

 

Boro and Brom attack a lot better than we do. We could easily have come away with draws in the games against Cardiff, Leciester and to a lesser extent Sheff Wed.

[Jayson]

We attacked better than them before 4-5-1

[Ronaldo]

We attacked better than them before 4-5-1

 

perhaps, but the only real evidence of that is the Reading game

[Decky]

3 points clear of the play off places and 6 points clear of 7th place, good stuff

[TRon]

West Brom are showing the benefits of signing a decent forward on loan, we are going to have to do likewise to stay in there.

[Shak]

It'll be a close run thing like.

 

The squad, while thin, is easily good enough to get promoted.

 

All depends on whether Hughton has the balls/intelligence to put out the best team each week.

 

If he does, we'll go up no bother.

[cp40]

for me, its going to be hard away from home, ala Blackpool, we are like thier world cup final. At home hopefully they will be intimidated by the big crowds, we need to keep wining at home to get back up

[Yorkie]

In one respect a draw would have been the better result (between WBA and Boro), cos we'd gone top. But if you look at it from another perspective... if us and one other can pull away from the third one - then it works out even better really, doesn't it. All the better if it's the Smoggies, too. If they'd drawn - it'd still have been very tight nit... but after West Brom trouncing em, it gives a bit of healthy breathing space between the top two and the play-offs.

[Stifler]

In one respect a draw would have been the better result (between WBA and Boro), cos we'd gone top. But if you look at it from another perspective... if us and one other can pull away from the third one - then it works out even better really, doesn't it. All the better if it's the Smoggies, too. If they'd drawn - it'd still have been very tight nit... but after West Brom trouncing em, it gives a bit of healthy breathing space between the top two and the play-offs.

 

I see what you are saying, at work today I was talking to a mackem, and he said in his opinion, it's best to finish 2nd, because if you are champions you are paraded and hailed through out the summer, so eveyone knows about you coming up, and if you win the play off's it's the same. Where as if you finish 2nd, you can just get on with it because no one really takes as much notice. I must admit he has a point, but I think WBA will slip up soon, hopefully to Crystal Palace next week.

 

But I also must say that today I have been proved right, I said Boro haven't really had a test yet, and that I don't think they would stand up to one, and they had one today, and failed big time, play off's at best for them in my opinion.

 

[TRon]

In one respect a draw would have been the better result (between WBA and Boro), cos we'd gone top. But if you look at it from another perspective... if us and one other can pull away from the third one - then it works out even better really, doesn't it. All the better if it's the Smoggies, too. If they'd drawn - it'd still have been very tight nit... but after West Brom trouncing em, it gives a bit of healthy breathing space between the top two and the play-offs.

 

I see what you are saying, at work today I was talking to a mackem, and he said in his opinion, it's best to finish 2nd, because if you are champions you are paraded and hailed through out the summer, so eveyone knows about you coming up, and if you win the play off's it's the same. Where as if you finish 2nd, you can just get on with it because no one really takes as much notice. I must admit he has a point, but I think WBA will slip up soon, hopefully to Crystal Palace next week.

 

But I also must say that today I have been proved right, I said Boro haven't really had a test yet, and that I don't think they would stand up to one, and they had one today, and failed big time, play off's at best for them in my opinion.

 

 

I hope you're right. While it's clear that we are going to do well in this division injuries permitting, we need one of those two to drop off so we are getting automatic promotion. Play offs would be a disaster for us with all the extra pressure it usually puts on the fancied sides.

[cp40]

As long as Ashley dosent push the panic button, its nailed on.

[Optimistic Nut]

As long as Ashley dosent push the panic button, its nailed on.

 

Yep, still worried come January you'll get a Spanish club or two who need players eligible for Europe for the latter stages who'll come looking at Jonas, Coloccini & Enrique.

[Yorkie]

We're a different side with Jonas in it... but he's been missing for four league games and we've won three of them. Like i say, he's fairly important as he gives us balance and a heck of a lot of play goes through him - but i dare say the guy's expendable. Coloccini wouldn't be a major loss either cos i still think he's a liability.

 

I'm talking from a purely footballing, on-the-field perspective btw. Any wholesale departures would leave the squad pretty stranded, and it would have to be a major strain through some serious fatigue to finish the season promoted.

[chicago_shearer]

Too soon to tell, but on our day we are clearly one of the two best teams in the league.  Still a long, long way to go however.

 

We are going to need to prove that we are resilient enough to keep getting results in these midweek games, without a lot of rest and with the usual injury list growing.  We will have a lot more tricky Blackpool games to contend with.  There will be teams just as poor as Ipswich, but they won't all leak 3 goals in 7 minutes.

 

Getting dumped out of the Carling cup was a good thing, and I personally hope we do the same in the FA Cup.  Promotion is too important to risk on stupid replays or silly games against Yeading, only to get hammered by Arsenal or Man U later on. 

[cp40]

Gimp rekons a couple more bodies in should do it.

 

 

a ploy that almost worked for Fred West.

[midds]

If we win these 2 home games then that'll put us top with a bit of a cushion going into a little 2 week break.

 

28 points from 11 games would be a lush start and really give us something to build on.

[cp40]

If we win these 2 home games then that'll put us top with a bit of a cushion going into a little 2 week break.

 

28 points from 11 games would be a lush start and really give us something to build on.

 

 

yep, hopefully we wont fuck it all up , like we usually do.

[Decky]

If we win these 2 home games then that'll put us top with a bit of a cushion going into a little 2 week break.

 

28 points from 11 games would be a lush start and really give us something to build on.

 

You can bet the gap we currently have will be larger after 2 more wins aswell.

[midds]

If we win these 2 home games then that'll put us top with a bit of a cushion going into a little 2 week break.

 

28 points from 11 games would be a lush start and really give us something to build on.

 

You can bet the gap we currently have will be larger after 2 more wins aswell.

 

Fingers crossed. Helps that Preston play West Brom next weekend too.

[TooonDoom]

 

 

interesting read.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/fink_tank/article6878635.ece

 

[Liam Liam Liam O]

 

 

interesting read.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/fink_tank/article6878635.ece

 

 

It's a load of rubbish really.

[Optimistic Nut]

What the fuck?

 

I prefer to understand and believe the grid that says we have 24 points, 3 more than anybody else, so the best team in the league.

[wyn davies]

 

 

interesting read.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/fink_tank/article6878635.ece

 

 

It's a load of rubbish really.

 

 

 

Newcastle fans should not get too excited because there is a 40 per cent chance that they won’t gain automatic promotion. On the other hand, there is about a 90 per cent chance that they will finish at least in the play-off places.

 

 

 

your right it's a load of rubbish,"40 per cent chance that they won’t gain automatic promotion" tells me there is also a 60% chance they will,as for 90% of play off place as there's  some right old sh*te outside the top six you don't need a computer programme to tell us that.

[TRon]

Unless we sort out a midfield that can compete with the younger, quicker players that many of the teams in this division have we are going to find it difficult to fluke many more wins. There are no outstanding teams but plenty of competitive ones who will fancy running at our wheezing, lazy pub players. It's going to be a long hard season.

[Yorkie]

What puts us off playing 4-4-2 is that we don't have two wingers. Guthrie's got plenty of energy and would be a better bet than Nolan in the centre of midfield (Nolan's a withdrawn striker and nothing else), but we're not allowed to play him in the centre cos we haven't got a right-winger at the moment.

 

Bare in mind today we were missing Taylor and Coloccini. Simpson has to be at right-back and Taylor has to be at right-wing; we've then got balance. I'd put Guthrie alongside Smith and i'd hoped Carroll and Harewood would do the business upfront together. But maybe we'd be better playing Nolan off one of them, preferably Carroll imo (though i didn't see the game today).