Can we make the Playoffs?

[CD_93]

Sadly, no.

[Ossydave]

Yep.

BUT it's so massively dependent on injuries and we ain't getting much luck in that department.

[K-Hod]

We are capable, I suspect we will bottle it, but obviously, I hope we don’t!

Edited February 1, 2020 by K-Hod

[Bohinen 22]

No way consistent enough to make up six points on teams above. With our best players fit and a squad boosted by some quality in the last month maybe. But as those not possibilities it'll be a no. The fact we haven't been in the top six since donut kean would also suggest not. 

[tomphil]

Mathematically of course and they should be aiming for it.

Realistically no too many weak points and of course injuries and yet another wasted window.

We can get 9th or 10th though which would be an improvement table wise if nothing else.  Said a while back we might as well chalk this down to a transition season and try as many decent youngsters as possible.

[Atko's Engine]

It's a yes from me, but it'll be tough. The race for promotion - including automatic promotion given the form Leeds & W Brom are in - is pretty wide open. (I'm not saying we're in the race for 1st or 2nd by the way, just that those places are not as cut & dried as they seemed a few weeks back!)

We've nothing to fear from any of those around or above us. No one is consistent and that gives us more than a sniff of a chance. Leeds lost at home to Wigan today (again), Fulham nearly threw away a 3 goal lead to 20th placed Huddersfield, Forest lost at Brum like we did, Millwall & Sheff Wed cancelled each other out yet we've won all 3 of our games against both of those this season with a combined score of 9-1!!

Our next 2 games are critical. Win both of those (as we're absolutely capable of) and who knows. No one will relish coming to Ewood, that's for sure.

Do I wish it were better? Of course. Mistakes have been made in recruitment & tactics this season. We should have 4-6 more points on the board. But I do sense this squad feels it has something to prove and that a siege mentality could grow on the back of our bad luck with injuries to key players, coupled with our failure to strengthen this window leading to accusations that the management don't care, which should hurt given the well-publicised team spirit & support for TM amongst the squad. 

They can prove the doubters wrong. Let's hope that they do. It won't be easy & will take a fair amount of luck, but it's absolutely possible & realistic imo.

Edited February 2, 2020 by Atko's Engine

[scotchrover]

No, and nor was I expecting us to this year. Before the season started, I’d have happily taken a top half finish this year, and I stand by that. 

[Parsonblue]

I've always thought mid-table and still do.  It's possible that we can make the top six but ultimately, a top ten finish would be a step in the right direction for me.

[Amo]

Just now, Parsonblue said:

It's possible that we can make the top six but ultimately, a top ten finish would be a step in the right direction for me.

Don't see the difference between finishing 15th or finishing 10th. You're assuming the club will follow a linear progression but that is far from guaranteed. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Amo said:

Don't see the difference between finishing 15th or finishing 10th. You're assuming the club will follow a linear progression but that is far from guaranteed. 

If we just bump around mid table again what message will that send to our better, more saleable, players like Nyambe, Lenihan and Travis this summer ? If you heard Mowbray's interview tonight it sounded like he was putting Travis in the shop window as the next money spinner now that Dack is out of the window for the next 9 to 12 months.

[Wegerleswiggle]

11 hours ago, Stuart said:

Love Uncle Buck!

Prefer Uncle Jack!

[chaddyrovers]

Why not? 

Of course we can

[bluebruce]

With no Dack injury and some defensive reinforcements in January, I think we would have had a really good chance.

Sadly I now think it is an extremely small chance. If Holtby is out for a fair spell, I'd give us no chance at all.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Why not? 

Of course we can

6 points behind, not been in the top 6 all season (closest has been 8th I think?) midfield decimated with injuries and the only club to fail to recruit anybody in January.

I think you know why it's very unlikely now, but your relentless positivity won't let you see/admit it.

[roversfan99]

49 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

6 points behind, not been in the top 6 all season (closest has been 8th I think?) midfield decimated with injuries and the only club to fail to recruit anybody in January.

I think you know why it's very unlikely now, but your relentless positivity won't let you see/admit it.

To the question of why not, I think that an extensive injury list to important players, a lack of necessary recruitment to cover both injured and pre-existing weak areas, never being in the play offs all season and a significant points gap with an additional 3 teams between us and the play offs is a pretty conclusive set of reasons!

I did also see a stat the other day that showed that in terms of current League positions, our remaining fixture list is the toughest in the League.

[bluebruce]

26 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

To the question of why not, I think that an extensive injury list to important players, a lack of necessary recruitment to cover both injured and pre-existing weak areas, never being in the play offs all season and a significant points gap with an additional 3 teams between us and the play offs is a pretty conclusive set of reasons!

I did also see a stat the other day that showed that in terms of current League positions, our remaining fixture list is the toughest in the League.

Truthfully that last part may even play into our favour. It seems like the utter dross in this league give us a harder game than the good sides.

I firmly believe that ties into the stats I've researched and posted previously about us getting better points hauls from the games where we have less possession. You'd expect the better teams to keep the ball better against us and hem us in a bit, and we have shown we are more effective at counter-attacking, as well as being vulnerable to counter attacks in the games where we control possession.

I'd have to run the stats again to see if this is still true, I think I did them in about November. But a quick look at the last few games shows it is still more or less holding up. Sheff W is a bit different as they were awful, we were absolutely electric, and they had ten men. But for instance we slaughtered Forest for possession (67%) but lost, shipping three goals. QPR had more possession than us (58%). It's not a cast iron rule or anything, but it does seem to be a general trend.

Edited February 2, 2020 by bluebruce

[jim mk2]

5 hours ago, Parsonblue said:

I've always thought mid-table and still do.  It's possible that we can make the top six but ultimately, a top ten finish would be a step in the right direction for me.

Really Parson?

Now 8 or 9 years since we were relegated and I've not  seen a step in the right direction since then,

Let's call a mid-table finish what it is - treading water and leaving us farther from the Premier League than ever. 

Edited February 2, 2020 by jim mk2

[DeeCee]

Would be nice/scary to know what Venkys expectations are for the future.

[jw_]

"Can they make the play offs"  Frustratingly (and I desperately hope I'm wrong) No.

With different owners and a different manager using different tactics (including proper use of the transfer market) they would probably have been in the top six by now.

We all know that Venky's are the real problem and they do not deserve to be called owners. TM has failed imo and I said in a post last year that we would continue with more or less the  same old problems and wind up in more or less the same place.

 I admit I do not think TM is capable of getting us to the play offs but with all the strange decisions he makes I do sometimes wonder if he is working under restraints that we know nothing about, if he is not then surely he's not the man for the job.

[chaddyrovers]

6 hours ago, bluebruce said:

6 points behind, not been in the top 6 all season (closest has been 8th I think?) midfield decimated with injuries and the only club to fail to recruit anybody in January.

I think you know why it's very unlikely now, but your relentless positivity won't let you see/admit it.

Sorry No I dont. At all. You might want to have that attitude but I dont. 

Dont like my attitude then dont reply or quote my posts. No one is forcing you to quote then!

[philipl]

Players are definitely good enough.

Without the Manager dropping stupid points we's be in the top 2.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

4 hours ago, DeeCee said:

Would be nice/scary to know what Venkys expectations are for the future.

We're still waiting,nigh on ten long years....

[Parsonblue]

5 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Really Parson?

Now 8 or 9 years since we were relegated and I've not  seen a step in the right direction since then,

Let's call a mid-table finish what it is - treading water and leaving us farther from the Premier League than ever. 

I suspect that you, like me, are old enough to remember Preston dropping out of the top flight in 1960.  They've not been back since - so 60 years of "treading water" as you put it.  However, the North End fans I know have still enjoyed their football.  Still enjoyed the ups and downs (and there have been plenty of the latter).  No club has the guaranteed right to top flight football.  Whatever has happened in the past is in the past - good and bad.  Today we are a club that is trying to get to grips with FFP and put a team on the pitch that can achieve what we all want.  Sadly, there is no magic wand that is going to restore the club to where it was a decade ago.

 

[Herbie6590]

Last season 74 points got Derby in the play-offs so that means we would probably need somewhere between 30-35 points from our remaining 16 games, so to keep the arithmetic simple, 2 points per game on average.

Could we win say 9, draw 5 & lose 2 ? Put like that, it doesn’t sound totally implausible. But let’s overlay reality now, we have lost our best player, possibly his replacement, have not been in the top 6 since Kean was here (I think...) and all of a sudden it’s more of a pipe-dream.

if we finish top ten, a five place improvement would I believe be a decent season.

 

[tomphil]

10 hours ago, Wegerleswiggle said:

Prefer Uncle Jack!

'So Jack we've consolidated last season and after investing 12 million of your hard earned i think we can finish a place or so above that this season. What do you think ?'