Reasons to be optimistic?
I was at Sunderland on Saturday and it obviously wasn't great and we are on a tough run but I've been trying to remain positive, we're still joint top! Interesting that, looking at tonight's table, our last 6 games were against all the sides in 3rd to 8th.
Automatic will be incredibly tough but I looked at the points required to make the L1 play-offs in the last 10 seasons... in 09/10 (when we went down with 45 points) 80 points were required for 6th but since then it's been between 69 and 74 points. Given there's two fewer games this season (due to Bury) potentially we'd only need 71/72 points...
I had a crack at predicting the results for the rest of the season to get us to 72! (Not sure when the Coventry game will be rescheduled for but have assumed Feb)
7 wins, 7 draws, 5 defeats
JANUARY
W 47 ROCHDALE
L 47 Peterborough (Tues)
W 50 BLACKPOOL (Tues)
FEBRUARY
L 50 Milton Keynes
D 51 Coventry (Tues)
D 52 BRISTOL ROVERS
W 55 FLEETWOOD (Tues)
W 58 Bolton
D 59 TRANMERE
L 59 Doncaster
MARCH
L 59 Burton
D 60 OXFORD
D 61 Shrewsbury
APRIL
D 62 ROTHERHAM
W 65 Southend (Good Fri)
W 68 WIMBLEDON (Easter Mon)
L 68 Lincoln
W 71 GILLINGHAM
MAY
D 72 Accrington
Anyone sharing the optimism or do we think we are going to slip out of the play-off places?! Gaz will reinvigorate us, I think the squad is special, Nick Freeman will play more and be excellent and we'll have some good results! We'll finally get some luck v Coventry and beat them in the Play-off Semis then a Final win v Oxford.
So that's that sorted then.
Comments
I do share your optimism. We’ve had a tough run of games while we have been missing some crucial players. With those players back and good cover (especially at right back) I’m confident of a play off place...please let it not be a play off against Oxford or Coventry though...
Sounds about right overall (although I would probably go for one or two slightly different individual match outcomes) and I definitely think a play-off place is a reasonable expectation. Not sure I share your optimism (very much tongue in cheek, I’m sure!) about the play-off results.
I see it more as a repeat of 2015 when most of us were bitterly disappointed by the defeat at Wembley but accepted, deep down, that we weren’t quite ready for League One.