Promotion this year

[Pyeman]

We've performed way beyond my expectations so far. Not sure if we'll keep it up all season, but with Vokes and Gray looking good together we're in with a chance.

 

[markwwfc1992]

We've performed way beyond my expectations so far. Not sure if we'll keep it up all season, but with Vokes and Gray looking good together we're in with a chance.

Think you'll be my 2nd team, with half your starting XI being ex Wolves...

 

[Ciderhead]

This'll be like last season, with 5 at the top all going blow by blow and all ending around 85-90 pts.

Should be fun!

 

[Rammy]

Only for you guys looking in. It's horrible!

 

[Ciderhead]

Only for you guys looking in. It's horrible!

Ha I bet, it felt horrible for us most of last season and we pissed the league!

 

[epic73]

Middlesbrough and Hull automatically. Burnley via the playoffs.

Seems legit.

 

[Rammy]

Good weekend for us and Middlesbrough, with Hull and obviously Brighton losing. Burnley won for the first time since early November to keep any hopes alive that they can get back amongst us.

Still very close between the top 4 though.

 

[MagpieBee]

Our form of the last 10-12 games has been good, yet to really show it against the big teams like we did on occasion last year. Still hopeful of a big push at some point, having some of the injured guys back is making a real difference

 

[Rammy]

Our form of the last 10-12 games has been good, yet to really show it against the big teams like we did on occasion last year. Still hopeful of a big push at some point, having some of the injured guys back is making a real difference

Your form is ridiculous. Will be interesting what happens on Boxing Day. You in superb form, and Brighton on the back of their first defeat needing a good reaction.

 

[Madejski]

Bottom of the form table with 6 points from 10 games but somehow if we win tomorrow we're still only 4 points off the playoffs. Wednesday was the first time we'd played well in two months so here's hoping. Also got a manager who is famed for second half of the season runs. His record in second half of seasons is ridiculous (41 wins from 69 games in his previous stint as Reading boss).

Thankfully it's another year where no one seems to want 6th place so it's keeping a lot of clubs close.

 

[M Dogg]

We will finish 6th

 

[KevinMcallister]

lol

 

[markwwfc1992]

Forest were awful against us, from that showing they aren't good enough for the top 6.

 

[M Dogg]

14 points from the last 7 games, same as what we took in the first 15. Difference is we are now defending properly and taking our chances. Reward for playing simple football and sticking to our guns. I think we are on for a decent run now.

 

[M Dogg]

Let's bear in mind outside of the top 5 everyone is as good as each other between 6th and 16th

 

[Madejski]

Top 5 aren't any better than the rest of us either. Just slightly more consistent.

I imagine like last season our record against the top teams will be better than those around us.

 

[MagpieBee]

You've got Assombalonga to come back too, which worries me. Then again we are on just as good a run (almost, not quite) and should be thereabouts come May

 

[Luke_1884]

Top 5 aren't any better than the rest of us either. Just slightly more consistent.

I'd say consistency is what makes teams better than others, or at least is a big part of it.

 

[JJH]

I'd say consistency is what makes teams better than others, or at least is a big part of it.

Yeah, I'd agree with that.

What made us such a success last year was the fact that even when we weren't on our game, we still found ways of grinding out results and continued to set the pace, and eventually the other teams caved in.

Derby did this against us in the week from what I heard, it didn't sound totally one sided, but you kept things tight, and the chances fell to the right people at the right time and you took them, and it ended up a battering.

If you look at so many of the successful Jose Mourinho sides of the past decade, it's rare that his team blow the opposition out of the water, even last season they were getting criticised for the brand of football they played, but it's those scrappy 1 & 2-0's on an off day that make teams successful generally.

 

[Madejski]

I agree, but individual quality when it matters is equally as important. Hence the beauty of the playoffs. The three most consistently good sides aren't guaranteed to be the three promoted.

Top 5 may be more consistent than the rest of us, but on Wembley in May for one of those sides it won't matter and they'll have to be ready for that occasion.

IMO on our day we're as good as, if not better than the top 5 - and we've in part shown that this season. So in a one off game I might fancy our chances. But as proven over the course of (half) a season we're not consistent enough and can be as shit equally as often and as effectively as we are fantastic.

 

[M Dogg]

I'd say consistency is what makes teams better than others, or at least is a big part of it.

Of course, it is why you spend big bucks, to have the players to win you points across the squad. Ince has had a quiet season and now single handedly won you 6 points in a week.

Aside from that it is whoever can get a run going. We are starting to look very good at home and have got generally a lot of the lower half teams to come to the CG. Our last 7/8 matches also look very winnable at the moment.

I'm just enjoying us finally get some wins and looking up rather than down.

 

[Luke_1884]

I agree, but individual quality when it matters is equally as important. Hence the beauty of the playoffs. The three most consistently good sides aren't guaranteed to be the three promoted.

No but normally two are guaranteed it, if you're finding yourself in the top two it's because you're better than the rest and have been more consistent. Whether that's a Bournemouth type consistency from being top since September or a late surge like Watford.

I see what you're trying to get at though, the play offs is a lottery and it's not even who turns up on the day, it could be down to some very fortunate luck. It's a harsh system we fell foul of a couple of seasons ago. We've also experienced the other side too, mind.

When we went up in 06/07 West Brom had a quality squad but on the day we just showed that consistency we'd shown all year. Hard to beat, solid at the back and nick the game with the odd goal.

 

[KevinMcallister]

we are finishing 6th and beating Hull in the final

 

[Magic]

I hope the Wembley turf has recovered for Evans take two.

 

[KevinMcallister]

the form table for all us promotion hopefuls

 

[Tom_ITFC]

Our 2 loses against the top 2 in that table and the actual table

 

[Rammy]

I like how ALL the playoff hopefuls are definitely finishing in 6th.

 

[Madejski]

Yea, should be aiming higher. Judging by previous seasons at least one of the top 5 will drop out of the playoffs by the end. We're not even half way through the season yet and the gap is still easily recoverable for anyone in the top 12-14.

 

[QPR_Matt]

the form table for all us promotion hopefuls

QP Rangers?! Sounds awful.

I think we are aiming for the play offs. That is why we changed managers as this is no longer a rebuilding season. Signs are okay under JFH. Looked good against Burnley and Brighton. Looks rubbish against Bristol but still didnt lose, which is what our performance probably deserved.

We will come joint 6 with 7 other clubs.

 

[Nuttall]

That last play-off place really is anyone's, i think the top 5 look good although we'll have to see how Brighton respond to their first defeat for some reason i still fancy them to falter as the season draws to a close. Derby have got their usual capitulation to come although their squad for me is the best in the league. Any number of teams can take that 6th spot from Ipswich in 6th down to Forest in 15th i'd say, all it takes is a good run of form in the second half of the season, there'll be alot in there fancying it.

As for us we can look brilliant one day and poor on another, January will be big for us if we can a couple of signings to help us sustain a challenge that i don't believe many of our fans truly believed we'd be making this quickly, we won't be too far off.