Push For The Title!

[mozo]

Okay, S****horpe seem Champions elect right now. They appear to have an unassailable lead.

But if we win our two games in hand, and match their results in the next few weeks, we'd be 5 points behind them.

Both teams have to play Forest at home, and both have to play Yeovil at home. If we get the better of those two fixtures, we'd be up there with Scunny, with momentum on our side.

I wouldn't bet on anyone catching Scunny, but since we're the most likely candidate of the bunch, I'm hoping that Gary Johnson tells the lads that we're going for the title and nothing else.

[bringbacktherobin]

Were going nowhere this year, call it pessimistic if you like but city always bottle it.

Bottled it against Forest, Yeovil, Cheltenham (Three Times), Bournemouth and Rovers (Twice)

I can see us maybe drawing with forest, more than likely going to lose to Yeovil because there going to be up for it and were going to bottle it.

Were going nowhere as usual this season. Games in hand are good but you have to win, how many times have we been here before saying if we win out games in hands were going to be up there.

And all this rubbish about o we drew twice with middlesbrough, drew and beat coventry that doesn't mean a thing, we still cant get out this division. What use is beating teams in the cup when we cant even beat teams in the division and beat out lower leagued local rivals.

[RedTop]

Okay, S****horpe seem Champions elect right now. They appear to have an unassailable lead.

But if we win our two games in hand, and match their results in the next few weeks, we'd be 5 points behind them.

Both teams have to play Forest at home, and both have to play Yeovil at home. If we get the better of those two fixtures, we'd be up there with Scunny, with momentum on our side.

I wouldn't bet on anyone catching Scunny, but since we're the most likely candidate of the bunch, I'm hoping that Gary Johnson tells the lads that we're going for the title and nothing else.

There's no reason to think we (or another team) can't catch S****horpe. As you say, they are ahead, but Forest were miles ahead earlier on and people had written them off as too far ahead. Now they are back in the mix. I seem to remember that when we went up with Watford, they were at one point 13 points behind and they were out of sight. If we'd won on the last day of the season, we could have gone up as champions.

Likewise, we could still have a nightmare and fall out of the play-offs, though I don't think we will. Nothing however is certain until it's mathematically certain - particularly towards the end of the season when weird results really start piling in. I don't think S****horpe are champions elect. As they feel the winning post getting closer, it often becomes harder for teams to reach it.

I couldn't care less if we go up first or second, frankly, but BOTH positions are still up for grabs and I hope we grab one of them.

[ChubStixx]

I will be very suprised to see anyone catch Scunny, after a rocky start they've been up there or there abouts every since; not to mention there excellent form of late.

They've also scored the most goals in the league and conceeded the least.

A certain Billy Sharp has certainly played his part too, weighing in with 40% of their league goals to date.

[mozo]

Were going nowhere this year, call it pessimistic if you like but city always bottle it.

Bottled it against Forest, Yeovil, Cheltenham (Three Times), Bournemouth and Rovers (Twice)

We didn't bottle it against S****horpe (h), Blackpool (a), Oldham (a) Coventry (a)...

You're getting confused dear friend. By just listing games that we didn't win, you haven't proved that we're 'bottlers'.

You've proved that we're not invincible/infallible...which we knew anyway.

Have a look at the league table and you'll see that we're having a crackin season thus far.

[mozo]

I will be very suprised to see anyone catch Scunny, after a rocky start they've been up there or there abouts every since; not to mention there excellent form of late.

They've also scored the most goals in the league and conceeded the least.

A certain Billy Sharp has certainly played his part too, weighing in with 40% of their league goals to date.

I'd be extremely surprised myself, but you have to aim for the top for as long as it's technically possible.

How would you feel if Sharp got injured tomorrow, out for the season?

[ChubStixx]

We didn't bottle it against S****horpe (h), Blackpool (a), Oldham (a) Coventry (a)...

You're getting confused dear friend. By just listing games that we didn't win, you haven't proved that we're 'bottlers'.

You've proved that we're not invincible/infallible...which we knew anyway.

Have a look at the league table and you'll see that we're having a crackin season thus far.

Spot on..... automatic promotion is very much in our hands.

Afterall, the league table is a representation of how we've faired over the season. We've no reason to doubt ourselves but plenty of reason to believe.

[RedTop]

Spot on..... automatic promotion is very much in our hands.

Afterall, the league table is a representation of how we've faired over the season. We've no reason to doubt ourselves but plenty of reason to believe.

Just out of interest, where are the moaners who were complaining at our lowest point last season that we weer crap and the manager should be sacked because the league table didn't lie? Presumably they are on here somewhere lauding the manager and team because...well...the league table doesn't lie.

[bringbacktherobin]

S****horpe was the 1st game of the season, s****horpe went through a rocky patch at the first part of the season.

And i really don't see what having to beat coventry has to do with anything. Wow we can beat a team from a higher division, maybe we should be focusing on beating teams in our division and from the one below.

But hey if we don't go up this season because of the games we didn't turn up and we lost, we can always say we beat S****horpe (h), Blackpool (a), Oldham (a) Coventry (a).

[RedTop]

Wow we can beat a team from a higher division, maybe we should be focusing on beating teams in our division and from the one below.

But hey if we don't go up this season because of the games we didn't turn up and we lost, we can always say we beat S****horpe (h), Blackpool (a), Oldham (a) Coventry (a).

Wow we can lose to a team from a lower division. You are right, we should be focusing on beating teams in our division. And guess what? We are.

[Bristol Boy]

Looking at the respective teams and the run in, S****horpe are out in front because of one thing-Consistency.

A consistency that we currently lack from one week to the next, never mind over 6/7 games.

So far this season we've won at home then lost/drew away or vica versa and just when you think we've had it, we win and just when you think we'll romp it, we screw up against the most unlikely opposition.

Same old City.Our little blip around Xmas is costing us dear and is a great example of what I mean.

Undefeated runs are OK but frankly, meaningless, as a team could go undefeated all season and get relegated.

It's wins that count and I would think we'll need another 25/28 points to reach auto promotion and the next four games with three at home at a winnable away at Chesterfield where we're due a win, will have a huge bearing.

We have the players and, barring injuries and GJ morphing in Ranieri, we've got a decent chance.

If GJ needs any personal motivation he should look no further than Kenny Jackett-JPT WIN-PALY OFF FINALIST-GONE.

[bh_red]

S****horpe was the 1st game of the season, s****horpe went through a rocky patch at the first part of the season.

And i really don't see what having to beat coventry has to do with anything. Wow we can beat a team from a higher division, maybe we should be focusing on beating teams in our division and from the one below.

But hey if we don't go up this season because of the games we didn't turn up and we lost, we can always say we beat S****horpe (h), Blackpool (a), Oldham (a) Coventry (a).

jesus christ lose a cup game and all the dummies come back out the woodwork

fact is our league form this season has been very good and if we continue the way we have done so far this season, automatic promotion is within reach, you do remember we have lost 2 of our last 16 league games! if we continue in that vein! We will be there come May!

[mozo]

Looking at the respective teams and the run in, S****horpe are out in front because of one thing-Consistency.

A consistency that we currently lack from one week to the next, never mind over 6/7 games.

So far this season we've won at home then lost/drew away or vica versa and just when you think we've had it, we win and just when you think we'll romp it, we screw up against the most unlikely opposition.

Same old City.Our little blip around Xmas is costing us dear and is a great example of what I mean.

Undefeated runs are OK but frankly, meaningless, as a team could go undefeated all season and get relegated.

It's wins that count and I would think we'll need another 25/28 points to reach auto promotion and the next four games with three at home at a winnable away at Chesterfield where we're due a win, will have a huge bearing.

We have the players and, barring injuries and GJ morphing in Ranieri, we've got a decent chance.

If GJ needs any personal motivation he should look no further than Kenny Jackett-JPT WIN-PALY OFF FINALIST-GONE.

Sadly BB, football isn't as simple as 'be consistent boys, and we're up'.

People tend to simplify things on here. For a football club to have a season (thus far) as S****horpe have, a myriad of benevolent influences must come together. Even 'luck' is disproportionately allocated among clubs over the course of a season.

City have threatened to become consistent winners a few times this season. I personally largely attibute their failure to do so to their lack of a consistent line-up, which has in the main been out of the manager's hands.

Johnson has been forced to tinker a la Raniera.

Mathematically, City have the best chance of second place, with Forest close behind us. It takes either us or them to have a very successful run-in points-wise (performance means nothing) to claim that spot.

We have seen glimpses of the potential of this squad and I guess we're all confident that they're of the quality necessary to be promoted automatically. If we all agree on that, I'm sure we also agree that Gary Johnson needs a settled side for the run-in. In the last few weeks this has not been an option.

Confidence shouldn't be a problem after the Boro games, and motivation should be natural given our current position.

I believe that with a settled side we'll either go up in 2nd or be narrowly pipped by Forest. Gary Johnson can turn this club around, but he can't promise success.