On the positive side

[Snowball]

23 points over a season averages out as the difference between top and 8th


2007-8 81 58 14th
2006-7 88 65 12th
2005-6 106 83 3rd
2004-5 94 71 7th
2003-4 94 71 7th
2002-3 98 75 6th
2001-2 99 76 5th


94 71 8th

[koran]

This thread is entitled 'On the positive side' so ...

We are the only team in the league who have automatic promotion in our own hands! All the others, including Cardiff, have to rely on other results! All we have to do is win our next 14 games and we are there!

That's all!

Strange but true!

At least it was...........

Yep - you're right. After Cardiff's draw tonight, Wolves also have their destiny in their own hands! How quickly things change!

[Snowball]

If we blow this we really want shooting. 11 of our 14 remaining games are against sides from 12th-24th
and our three top-ten games are all at home.

02 H Birmingham
07 H Sheffield Utd
10 H Ipswich Town

12 A Sheffield Wed
13 A Crystal Palace
14 A Coventry City
15 A Derby County
16 A Doncaster
17 A Blackpool
19 H Barnsley
20 A Plymouth
21 H Nottm Forest
22 A Norwich City
24 H Charlton

Doncaster & Derby will be tougher than the league position might indicate!

Contrast that with Birmingham who have some nasty games. They have 5 games versus the top 7 teams
and if they beat Wolves, Bristol, Preston, Sheffield, they do us a favour

01 H Wolves
02 A Reading
05 H Bristol City
06 H Preston
07 A Sheffield Utd

16 A Doncaster
18 A Watford
19 A Barnsley
20 H Plymouth
22 H Norwich City
23 H Southampton
24 A Charlton

[Scarface]

We need to start fielding out strongest team, so Bikey along with NHunt and Marcus need to play Saturday.

[westendgirl]

If we blow this we really want shooting. 11 of our 14 remaining games are against sides from 12th-24th
and our three top-ten games are all at home.

Not only that but looking at the form table on Big League Weekend I was surprised and hopeful when you see that there were only an handful of the remaining games are against teams in the top half of the from table for the last 6 games and the vast majority are against the bottom half - and those we have 'slipped up' against recently are top half (even if that is lkely to be self-fulfilling as they got point(s) against us).

[Stranded]

Please continue to argue that our recent form is much better than Wolves. Even using your 6 games it's a marginal difference.

Official Stats

13 6 2 2 2 4 4 5 4 +1 8 1.33 Reading
17 6 1 2 3 0 2 9 10 -1 5 0.83 Wolverhampton Wndrs

Half a point a game is a MONSTER difference = 23 points in a season

(I did the sum for you, because I realise you're a bit slow)

Top club last season WBA = 81 points

23 points less than that was QPR in 14th


Yeah you're right, half a point a game is a trivial difference.


Season before 23 points below top was 12th

Half a point a game is only a MONSTER difference over a prolonged period when teams are on the same points. Yes we are picking up that difference at the moment but as things stand we still have to pick up 4 pts from 2 games to be level with Wolves.

[Gordons Cumming]

I think our healthy goal difference will be crucial at the end of the season.

[Snowball]

Official Stats

13 6 2 2 2 4 4 5 4 +1 8 1.33 Reading
17 6 1 2 3 0 2 9 10 -1 5 0.83 Wolverhampton Wndrs

Half a point a game is a MONSTER difference = 23 points in a season

Half a point a game is only a MONSTER difference over a prolonged period when teams are on the same points.
Yes we are picking up that difference at the moment but as things stand we still have to pick up 4 pts from 2 games to be level with Wolves.

Actually we need FIVE points to go level on points

Stranded, we should expect to pick up "2.66" of those points from our two games in hand, (and that's on not-good-form), then we'd be "2.34" behind

Using current form and considering our two games in hand (Doncaster and Derby, not easy ones!)

12+2 games to go

If we WW we are clear of them, anyway and would finish 7 points above Wolves
If we WD we are 1 points behind and should make up the difference in 2 games and finish 5 points clear of Wolves
If we WL we are 2 points behind and should make up the difference in 4 games and finish 4 points clear of Wolves
If we DD we are 3 points behind and should make up the difference in 6 games and finish 3 points clear of Wolves
If we DL we are 4 points behind and should make up the difference in 8 games and finish 2 points clear of Wolves
If we LL we are 5 points behind and should make up the difference in ten games and finish 1 points clear of Wolves


However, I predict a huge turn round in form for us starting with a good win against Forest. Looking at Wolverhampton's run-in
I think THEY will turn their form round very soon. A lot hinges on Birmingham-Wolves and our last home game but if Wolves
avoid defeat versus Birmingham they may well now make the top two

[Snowball]

I know Wolves have had a rotten time lately but their fixture list is a little bit easier from here on in.

Like us there's Donny and Derby...

02 A Birmingham (the big one!!)
10 H Ipswich Town
11 H QPR

12 A Sheffield Wed
13 A Crystal Palace
15 A Derby County
16 H Doncaster
19 A Barnsley
21 A Nottm Forest
23 H Southampton
24 H Charlton

[brendywendy]

lots of away games though

[1960]

Points are the thing, but racking up a good GD at the beginning of the season was very useful. Only Wolves are anywhere near us and they are 9 back. Our GD is really worth a point. If we were to play our two games in hand now we would only need two draws to go above Brum because of their rubbish GD. It also means that the teams chasing us will need an extra point to get above us - i.e. a stonking GD is worth a point. This is barring catastrophic Rotherham-type slips or Cardiff caning a few teams of course.

[rhroyal]

Everybody keeps blowing it, it's wide open for us to take control. If we can beat Forest on Saturday, which we really should, then maybe the goals will start flowing and confidence will return. Our away form isn't really our weakness any more, it hasn't been since the start of the season. We've just been streaky and inconsistent in general. I'm hopeful that we beat Forest comfortably on Saturday and start on a new run which will leave us in a very strong position when the next international break comes. I'm firmly in the RTG camp.

[winchester_royal]

This is perhaps the most tedious thread ever.

[Snowball]

Everybody keeps blowing it, it's wide open for us to take control. If we can beat Forest on Saturday, which we really should, then maybe the goals will start flowing and confidence will return. Our away form isn't really our weakness any more, it hasn't been since the start of the season. We've just been streaky and inconsistent in general. I'm hopeful that we beat Forest comfortably on Saturday and start on a new run which will leave us in a very strong position when the next international break comes. I'm firmly in the RTG camp.

Agreed, and we have serious chances of 4 quick wins, Forest and Charlton home, Plymouth and Wednesday away.

Not saying we WILL win four, but at our best we would have done it easily

[Man Friday]

The problem is not ahead of us - it's behind us. At this rate, we'll all be overtaken by Bristol City and Cardiff, at least.

...well perhaps not Wolves and Birmingham who I can see pulling away now.

[Horsham Royal]

On the positive side, we're safe from relegation ... why has this not been mentioned ????

[Man Friday]

Good point!!!

"We are staying up, we are staying up"...repeat ad finitum (/nauseum).

[West Sussex Royal]

For this season maybe.

But look at Charlton last season - looked a good bet up until mid Feb went on terrible run and missed out on even the play offs and now going down to league one.