The League One Promotion Thread 15/16

[Hooped Wizard]

Fleetwood and Port Vale next.

I'm really loving the Rovers surge. bama::giphy:

 

[Football Purist]

Room for a latecomer?

 

[Bartonyellow]

Room for a latecomer?

Always room..you just need to stop giving away 2 goal leads !

 

[blademan89]

Well it certainly doesnt seem like walsall , burton and gillingham are going to be falling away anytime soon fair play to them. We are definitely not good enough to mount a great run together to get ourselves in the mix so 6th place is about as good as it gets for us.

 

[Football Purist]

Always room..you just need to stop giving away 2 goal leads !

Er,yeh...there is that.

 

[Posh Hammer]

Big gap now between us and the top 5.

Feel like they are all strong enough to stay there, just a race for 6 between us and the rest.

I do feel though that all the teams in the top 5 are beatable over 2 games (or a one off at Wembley)

 

[GFC4EVA]

Should be a cracking game between us and posh next week.

Top scorers vs 2nd top scorers, so 0-0 it is

 

[valefan16]

Fleetwood and Port Vale next.

I'm really loving the Rovers surge. bama::giphy:

You'll have to turn up better than you have the last three times against us! We've managed 3 goals in a game only about 6 times since the start of last season... three of them against Rovers!

 

[JJ1532]

103 - Champions 2014
102
101 - Champions 2012
100
99 - Champions 2015
98
97 - Predicted Champions 2016
96
95 - Champions 2011
94 - Promotion 2014
93 - Promotion 2012
92 - Promotion 2011 Predicted Promotion 2016
91 - Promotion 2016
90
89
88
87
86
85
84 - Champions 2013
83 - Promotion 2013
82
81
80
79
78
77
76
75
74 - Play-Offs 2013, 2014, Predicted Play-Offs 2016
73 - Play-Offs 2012
72
71 - Play-Offs 2011
70
69 - Play-Offs 2016

54 - Burton(25)
52 - Walsall(26)
-----------------------------------------
51 - Gillingham(27)
48 - Coventry(27)
48 - Wigan(27)
41 - Peterborough(26)
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38 - Southend(26)
40 - Sheff Utd(26), Millwall(26)
34 - Bradford(24)

Forthcoming Fixtures:

1st Burton(25) - 54 points. Shrewsbury(H), Peterborough(A), Rochdale(A), Bradford(H), Southend(A)
2nd Walsall(26) - 52 points. Blackpool(H), Fleetwood(A), Doncaster(A), Millwall(H), Crewe(A)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd Gillingham(27) - 51 points. Peterborough(H), Blackpool(A), Swindon(H), Barnsley(H), Oldham(A)
4th Coventry(27) - 48 points. Southend(A), Scunthorpe(H), Port Vale(A), Bury(H), Shrewsbury(A)
5th Wigan(27) - 48 points. Crewe(A), Port Vale(H), Sheff U(A), Oldham(H), Walsall(A)
6th Peterborough(26) - 41 points. Gillingham(A), Burton(H), Chesterfield(A), Oldham(H), Bradford(H)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8th Sheff Utd(26) - 40 points. Swindon(H), Blackpool(A), Bury(A), Wigan(H), Doncaster(A)
10th Millwall(26) - 40 points. Chesterfield(A), Crewe(H), Walsall(A), Rochdale(A), Scunthorpe(H)
7th Southend(26) - 38 points. Coventry(H), Shrewsbury(A), Colchester(H), Scunthorpe(A), Bradford(A)
9th Bradford(24) - 37 points. Port Vale(A), Barnsley(H), Fleetwood(H), Burton(A), Peterborough(A)

Working from the top down, got to give props to Burton. Through Rowett and JFH, they have put together a sound squad that isn't reliant on one star player or on loanees that might go back at any stage. They have played to their strengths all season and made up for their lack of goals with a rock solid defence. Clough has come in and carried on where his 2 predecessors have left off. They picked up a 2-0 win at the Ricoh yesterday, a superb result and it puts them 3 clear of 3rd with a couple of games in hand. Plenty of tricky fixtures for them to overcome, but they don't look like dropping anytime soon. Walsall recovered from a little stumble to pick up 4 points from back to back away games against Coventry and Bury. They now face 3 relegation candidates in the next few weeks. If they can keep their current squad together they, like Burton, might not drop in the future. Big if though, lots of vultures circling around Bradshaw, Sawyers and Henry.

Gillingham have had a little wobble, which is unlike them. 2-0 up at Wigan and Donny, yet only managed 1 point. Thankfully the damage has been limited, but they can't afford to show signs of mental weakness by dropping points 2 games in a row. Tough game at home to Posh coming up as well. Coventry also stumble, only managing 1 point and 1 goal from back to back home games. Not all that surprising, bar their result against our shambles, they have been dropping points a lot in recent weeks, only 2 wins from their last 9. Thats not promotion form. Are they coming undone? Wigan have closed the gap on the top 4, going unbeaten in their last 6 and grabbing 7 points from 3 straight home games. They look good bets to make a run for the top 2, given the depth in their squad. Posh have also stumbled a bit in recent weeks. Only 2 wins from their last 6 and only 6 goals scored in that time(including 3 where they didn't score at all). Has the new manager syndrome worn off? Or is this just a lull ahead of another strong run of form from them? They'll need to pick it up, what with the chasing pack right behind them.

2 big boys in Sheff U and Millwall have slowly crept back up the table. United have lost just 2 of their last 10 and seem to be slowing grinding out results. Can they make a play off charge, or will they blow up like they usually do? Millwall just seem to win or lose, nothing inbetween. They have 3 wins from their last 4 and with Chesterfield and Crewe to come, they could be sitting pretty in a couple of weeks time. Southend arrested their slide with a decent 0-0 against Posh. Need to return to winning ways though and have the fixtures to do it in the next few weeks. Bradford are also quietly pottering along, lurking at the bottom of the chasing pack and passing a little under the radar. Do they have what it takes to mount a promotion push, or is their squad lacking in too many areas to maintain a unbeaten run?

 

[Hooped Wizard]

You'll have to turn up better than you have the last three times against us! We've managed 3 goals in a game only about 6 times since the start of last season... three of them against Rovers!

We are a different beast now.

 

[wiganmudhuts28]

burton deserve promotion they gone to tricky places and won coventry,wigan ect fair play to them i cant see them not finishing in the top 2 now

 

[joethegill]

We've dicked up the last 2 fixtures by dropping points from 2 goals up which is irritating, but it must be remembered that they were two tough away games against form sides. Posh on saturday is a big test - they haven't been great of late like ourselves, but they score a lot like we do. If we can win that, we have some friendlier looking fixtures in the next month or so and all will look rosy again.

 

[Posh Hammer]

We've dicked up the last 2 fixtures by dropping points from 2 goals up which is irritating, but it must be remembered that they were two tough away games against form sides. Posh on saturday is a big test - they haven't been great of late like ourselves, but they score a lot like we do. If we can win that, we have some friendlier looking fixtures in the next month or so and all will look rosy again.

I had you at 25/1 to win the league at the start of the season and also put you in a treble with Derby and Northampton which pays almost 20 grand so after we beat you, please go on and have an unbeaten season.

 

[joethegill]

I had you at 25/1 to win the league at the start of the season and also put you in a treble with Derby and Northampton which pays almost 20 grand so after we beat you, please go on and have an unbeaten season.

Deal.

 

[Etienne Vermeer]

We're third in the away table, and...16th in the home one. Fix the home form, we'll make the playoffs.

 

[SkyBlueElephant]

Washington off to QPR, strange one he is. Gets a move off the back of a 2 months good spell over a 2 year career at Peterborough

I reckon you've absolutely mugged off QPR here with this transfer, not worth over 1 million I feel and reported fee is £3 million.

 

[DH84]

Sell Charlie Austin for £3m. Buy Conor Washington for £2.5m.

 

[bantamigo]

We will miss out unless we a) sign a goalscorer (definitely nope) or b) hope Hanson starts scoring as he is undroppable (also nope). Not sure why we brought Devante Cole in as he is sat on the bench every week despite being joint top scorer.

Defence is up there with the best of them but we are lowest scorers in the division, we draw too many games due to negativity and lose against anyone who scores more than one goal against us.

 

[Saddlerrad]

We won't be in this thread by the end of January.

Just a matter of time until Tom is off, wouldn't be even remotely surprised to see Henry go with him either.

 

[joethegill]

We won't be in this thread by the end of January.

Just a matter of time until Tom is off, wouldn't be even remotely surprised to see Henry go with him either.

You have to stay here just to annoy the bigger teams with us

 

[Saddlerrad]

You have to stay here just to annoy the bigger teams with us

I'd actually say..that's one thing that favours Burton. They don't have a single player bigger teams have been linked with for multi-millions of pounds and so they are might fly under the radar more than Gillingham and Walsall. For example, Egan and Dack have every chance of being poached this month..much like Bradshaw, Henry and Sawyers do here. If we lose those 3, or Bradshaw on his own - forget the top 6 for us. Would you fancy your chances of maintaining a push without Dack?

I hope you are right though..it would be fun!

 

[Bartonyellow]

We may lose el khayati to qpr which was always on the cards when jfh went.
He can drift in and out of games though so we would have to deal with it I guess.
Would be a blow to us - I must admit.
And it means we can't sing that song anymore " Nasser el khayati you name is too long "

 

[joethegill]

I'd actually say..that's one thing that favours Burton. They don't have a single player bigger teams have been linked with for multi-millions of pounds and so they are might fly under the radar more than Gillingham and Walsall. For example, Egan and Dack have every chance of being poached this month..much like Bradshaw, Henry and Sawyers do here. If we lose those 3, or Bradshaw on his own - forget the top 6 for us. Would you fancy your chances of maintaining a push without Dack?

I hope you are right though..it would be fun!

Depends really, Edinburgh's recruitment has been pretty much bang on so far, particularly with loanees, so I'd trust him to use whatever money we'd get for Dack for decent replacements. Having said that, you take someone like that out of any team at this level and they'd be half the team.

 

[blademan89]

We won't be in this thread by the end of January.

Just a matter of time until Tom is off, wouldn't be even remotely surprised to see Henry go with him either.

Youre just as negative about football as you are cricket i see. You will still be there even if you lose him iv no doubt you were saying exactly the same when you lost your manager and what a huge difference thats made. You are a very good side youre 1st half display against us was the best iv seen apart from gillingham and to be able to play as well as that and dominate as much as you did that isnt the sign of a team heading downwards.

 

[Bartonyellow]

We won't be in this thread by the end of January.

Just a matter of time until Tom is off, wouldn't be even remotely surprised to see Henry go with him either.

That's hugely disrespectful to the rest of your squad that have been excellent all season. If he goes you will cope.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Depends really, Edinburgh's recruitment has been pretty much bang on so far, particularly with loanees, so I'd trust him to use whatever money we'd get for Dack for decent replacements. Having said that, you take someone like that out of any team at this level and they'd be half the team.

Absolutely, but if you take away key players like that, not only can it be a loss in the sense you will no longer have his quality, but fans get frustrated and it surely has a negative effect on the players who remain? If I played professionally and a couple of our star players left during a certain time of the season.. I wouldn't like it.

Youre just as negative about football as you are cricket i see. You will still be there even if you lose him iv no doubt you were saying exactly the same when you lost your manager and what a huge difference thats made. You are a very good side youre 1st half display against us was the best iv seen apart from gillingham and to be able to play as well as that and dominate as much as you did that isnt the sign of a team heading downwards.

My negativity has good foundations, when it comes to both Sports! We are a good side, however it's become plain to see that if you lose 1 or 2 of your best players then things quickly fall apart. Our football and 'play' in general are no different or worse to the last couple of years - it's just we have someone to put the ball in the net on a consistent basis. Even though other players are chipping in currently, I wouldn't back them to do that as the main striker/role on a consistent basis.

I'd be worried that a few heads would drop if we lost 1 or more of them.

That's hugely disrespectful to the rest of your squad that have been excellent all season. If he goes you will cope.

Of course, but any squad that loses players will be of a lesser quality. I know the makeup of our team and how we have been for the last few years. SOD would have to 'come good' in the market to replace Bradshaw to a degree where we may or may not scrape over the line.

My negativity is a fantastic jinx for everything anyway - others can profit from it!

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

Burtons strength is the team and squad as a whole, each player is important as part of the complete unit.
Whichever 11 are on the park play as a team with the same aims and goals. no one is a star.

 

[blade1889]

You have to stay here just to annoy the bigger teams with us

Nowt annoying about other teams doing well. Just annoying that we're relatively average in comparison.



As for us, called it ages ago but us V Burton PO final is on the cards. The kind of script thana can only be written in Blades history.

 

[Hurrikeen]

There's always a team that starts well, albeit surprisingly, and then drops off.

I see no reason why that wont happen this season either.

 

[PUSBCCFC]

'The Coventry City Bottle' has well and truly began.