I reckon it's now a simple task - beat Stoke and we are staying up!

I know there are still games to play, and very hard ones at that, but imagine the extra boost of confidence surging through the club if we come back from there with three points. The players have made a brilliant start to this mini season and, with a bit more luck and application, would have harvested nine points, not seven.

It looks like Stoke are struggling in the same way that Hull and Huddersfield are, particularly with so-called better players on their books. But then look at Blackburn last night - I looked at that squad and thought we probably wouldn't win. So much experience and guile in that side and, in the latter part of that first half it showed. It seemed only a matter of time before they scored and that would have made it so much harder for us.

But, they didn't and even bringing on yet more experience in the second half didn't help either. I can see a similar outcome at Stoke. Big name players thinking they can beat little Barnsley, bottom of the league Barnsley! But this is NOT a bottom of the league team that we have now. Confidence is now hand in hand with ability and I genuinely believe we can do it. As I said above, the effect of beating Stoke on their own ground will just galavanise the whole club even more than they are right now.

 

I think beating stoke as you say would be a huge boost.

We have started so well where teams around us are struggling with older squads that will I'm sure start to struggle further as the games keep coming.

The pressure isn't on us I don't think as 10 days ago we were dead and buried but we now have teams looking over their shoulder.

 

There’s a lot to be said for having an experienced 35-year old in midfield but it only really works if he is a Jan Molby kind of player. He showed us briefly the beautiful skill of standing in or near the centre circle and just spraying it around. Minimal effort, maximum effect.

 

The game has changed since then especially at championship level where these types of player aren't afforded the time on the ball they would back then with fitness and style of play better.

 

Our next three games are all winable.

 

I'd like nine points but would settle for five and not giving away any ground. Then it's the difficult last three games to eek out another win to hopefully be safe with 49 points. That's my worst case scenario.

 

hopefully Leeds will be safe and going up and might use some fringe players, giving us a chance of taking them.

 

also hopefully Forest & Brentford will be securely in the play off's and may rest players .

 

If we can't stay up with Wigan's points deduction and only having to get nine points we don't deserve to IMO.