from this time last year. Was interested to see how things were shaping up this time last year and how the teams that completed the top 6 got on in their final 18/19 matches - see below. Wigan - 2ppg from their final 19 games finishing as champions with 98 points. Blackburn - 2.16ppg from their final 19 games finishing 2nd on 96 points. Shrewsbury - 1.68ppg from their final 19 games finishing 3rd on 87 points. Rotherham - 1.94ppg from their final 18 games finishing 4th on 79 points. Scunthorpe - 1.33ppg from their final 18 games finishing 5th on 74 points. Charlton - 1.38ppg from their final 18 games finishing 6th on 71 points. At this time last season Rotherham had 44 points on the board having played 28 games (1.57ppg), they finished the season with 79 points, taking 35 points from their final 18 games (1.94pp). As a minimum if we match their ppg from their final 18 games (which is pretty much what we're averaging ourselves after 27 games) from now until the end of the season that would see us to 88/89 points. Does anyone think that would enough to finish top 2 this season? Alternatively, if we could go better and average 2.16ppg like Blackburn from our final 19 games that would see us up to 93 points at the season end. Looking back at the four years prior, the following points have been accumulated by the top two teams at season end. 2017: 1. Sheffield Utd 100 points. 2. Bolton 86 points. 2016: 1. Wigan Athetic 87 points 2. Burton Albion 85 points. 2015: 1. Bristol City 99 points 2. MK Dons 91 points 2014: 1. Wolverhampton Wanderes 103 points 2. Brentford 94 points It has taken 98 points plus to go up as champions, the one anomaly was Wigan who won the league with 87 points in 2016. The lowest points total for getting promoted from 2nd was Burton with 85 points also in 2016. Looking at our remaining fixtures, the toughest games appear to be Portsmouth (A), Sunderland (H) and Donny (A). Our last four games are Shrewsbury (H), Plymouth (A), Blackpool (H) and Bristol Rovers (A), all winnable on paper! Sunderland's last 4 games look tough as they play Donny (H), Peterborough (A), Portmouth (H) and Southend (A).
I had a look at the bookies' odds earlier - they have absolutely no idea who is going up. Us, Portsmouth, Sunderland and Luton are all odds on for promotion!
That doesn't surprise me, all the top teams still have to play each other so points will be dropped. To be honest I think it's going to very close between the top 4 even as we head into March. It's going to be that team that puts a winning run together though the back end of March and April that maybe pulls clear to win it!
