Top 6 - who’s going to keep the pace?

Everything I've looked at statistically, particularly our form and the form of others, and only taking into consideration our 'Val results' has us 5th at the end of the season, assuming there's no drop-off from us, and no mad run from others.

One by one.

 

I think the top 5 will be fine, that 6th spot is up for grabs. Bournemouth's baffling appointment of Jonathan Woodgate makes it even more open.

I think Cardiff have the momentum under big Mick. I just suppose it all depends what happens when the honeymoon period is over.

As a massive dark horse as well, keep an eye on QPR. They're a different proposition now with the January signings of Charlie Austin and Stefan Johansen. They're going under the radar a bit, but they've gone from being relegation fodder, to solid mid-table in the space of 4 games. Plenty of time for them to sneak that last spot.

 

I wouldn't be so sure about Reading, their form recently isn't that great. If any of the top 6 will drop out, it's them I think. They've lost 4 of the last 5 and the only win in that time was at Bristol City.....

 

Reading are beginning to look like the horses I tend to back, out in front for ages and start flagging once the final furlong is in sight.

 

Been looking at the history of the current top 6 teams and there isn’t one of them that could say the premier league is where they belong.

Norwich and Swansea have both spent more years in the second tier than at any other level.

In terms of the other 4 - Watford, Brentford, Reading and Bournemouth - all league one clubs.

You look at how much the owners of the latter 4 have pumped in to get them going, yet here they are, only a handful of points ahead of us and 3 of the whole 6 will still be here next season.

Would be interesting to know know how much a point is worth in monetary terms.

 

It's a little bit Wednesday this post

I'm just jesting of course.

 

To be fair we aren't even in the final straight yet and their jockey is getting a ban for overuse of the whip. I said this last week, if it wasn't for their great start, they'd be mid table at best.

We were the better team at their place with 9 men.

 

It’s Wednesday in reverse if anything. These clubs have become bigger than us in terms of spend and ambition.

I’m merely pointing out the length they’ve gone to in terms of financial stimulation, but also that it’s unsustainable.

Take away the money and they will all drop like a stone to their natural level, a la wigwam.

 

Reports like that amuse me, it does not give us any advantage at all , every club can use there substitutes in any way they choose , its a level playing field , where we might have an advantage over some clubs is that we have a smarter head coach / manager than some

 

I think we will finish about the 11th or 12 th spot ,which will be fantastic considering the disastrous start we had to the season

 

Bam.

 

Seriously, how do you come to that conclusion? We have games in hand over nearly every team and the easiest run in bar Norwich.

Over the last 24 Games, our form has us 5th.

This isn't a fluke.

 

Gonna make you my man

 

I think this Terry , what we are doing is fantastic & long may it continue ,but its not long ago just into the new year when we had a dodgy run & I fully expect that this could well happen again before the end of the season , simply because we have just won 3 on the spin & have another 16 games to play means that we would basically have little slip up room for 19 games & I think with our inexperienced squad & the intensity that we play with it becomes a mighty big ask , whilst I do not think there will be many points between 6th & 11th I think its a pretty tall order to maintain that form for so long , I sincerely hope I am wrong & we make it but it is just my opinion thats all .

 

I don’t see it as a dodgy run mate. It’s a run we all talked about and not many held out hopes for the games against the top sides.

We actually gave a decent account of ourselves in those games, but struggled for goals, and within that run were cup wins and a cracking performance v Chelsea.

Now I’m not saying we won’t have a lean spell between now and the end of the season, but we actually strengthened in January, so big Val has the tools and the plans at his disposal to keep us rolling along.

 

I agree with everything you say & hope we make it but I do think at some stage we will have a lean spell , teams with points in the bag can to some degree absorb it, for example Brentford who have lost their last 3 on the trot but are still sat pretty comfortable regarding play offs , however we are playing catch up & whilst the odd bad result might be o.k but if we hit a Brentford type lean spell then we have a mountain to climb