El-Abd played in the first two - can't remember exactly when Charles re-signed - and Charles missed the Accrington game, which was when Fred came back from his initial injury. So you've got Southend, Fleetwood away, Rochdale away, Posh at home, Bolton away and yesterday.
I think 80 or 81 points just might get the second automatic promotion slot. Could we do that? Would need seven wins from our final 11 games to get to 80 points. Exciting...isn’t it?
Just realised those projected totals probably aren't all possible as so many teams still have to play each other ?♂️ Here's a much more scientific one (I think it's based on things like PPG and fixture difficulty), albeit not updated for a few weeks:
In our L2 promotion season, our success was built on both on our away form, and beating the lower half of the table - I believe the only bottom 12 team we lost to was Morecambe, who did the double over us.
This season, the loss to MK Dons is the only defeat to someone currently in the bottom half, and this time our home form has been superb. If we can just navigate these tough next four games and maintain contact, anything can happen!
That prediction massively underestimates Coventry in my opinion
I've got Coventry winning the league with Rotherham in 2nd.
The play offs are then taken up by Sunderland, Portsmouth and Peterborough and I had it that we would join them if we could win at Accrington on the last day of the season. Otherwise the 4th play off spot would go to Oxford.
I'm sure the final standings will look nothing like that, although I do strongly fancy Coventry to go up automatically.
Coventry have a series of difficult games but you could be right @eric_plant though I still fancy us to hang on. A mark for the cliche card, but with games against Coventry, Rotherham and Oxford it is, to some extent, 'on our own hands'. If Gareth can conjure wins out of any or all of them, he would be truly lauded!
I think we'll win one or two we don't expect to but also lose one or two of the same. I'm going to boldly predict a point - a whole point - against Cov.
I would be pleased with a backs to the wall anti-football time-wasting point at St Andrews @chairboyscentral or even better a last minute of injury time penalty against the run of play converted by our top scorer. (Upsetting as this desperate scenario would possibly be for @prufrock_91 )
I still feel Sunderland and Pompey are capable of wilting, particularly away from home. Much like Ipswich have done, these big clubs have a weight of expectation and demands from large fanbases, and I'm not sure they have the players or managers to cope with the pressure.
I agree on Pompey, their fixture schedule is crazy. I just cannot see them catching us with all the games they still have to play.
Top six for me will be:
Coventry
Sunderland
Rotherham
Wycombe
Peterborough
Fleetwood
Oxford and Pompey just missing out. Ipswich being out of it by mid April...
Most people are now ruling out Ipswich who have Norwood out injured and Jackson suspended, so they may struggle for goals for a while.
Imagine managing expectations there as they assumed they would walk this league, just like Sunderland planned to last season.
I'd love us to sneak automatics...wouldn't that be incredible!
I also think Bayo could cause carnage in the Championship, if we played balls into his feet from 10-15 yards away, rather than lumping it up to him. We always play our best football when we have pacy wingers around him, with the number 10 running beyond him, playing a give and go...
Mackems very angry about Fleetwood time-wasting after scoring. Very angry. So angry they forgot to mention Wycombe in any of their lists of time-wasting bar stewards. I would love it it if they and their scintillating Parkinson football stayed down for another season!
Taking as read that we want Peterborough to have a shock loss on Friday and we hope to get three points at Doncaster, what result would we prefer on Sunday? Coventry to win knocking Sunderland back? Sunderland to win and close in on top places? Or a draw keeping us all in the the race?
Draw followed by Cov win imo. Definitely not a Sunderland win. Would rather we keep the chasing pack at bay, as I very much doubt we'll make the top two.
Must admit if we're not going to win it , I would prefer Coventry to take the title, us to sneak into second (wailing and gnashing of teeth) and then four 'big clubs' struggling through the play-offs...
Wasn't it when @wwfcofficial tweeted that "the former Premier League giants have finally managed to beat Wycombe at the fourth attempt" that the Mackem twitterati started getting all arsy?
I think that's when they were at their most arsey. The few I've met have been perfectly friendly - one even saw my Wycombe shirt, shook my hand, chatted briefly, bought me a pint of Guinness then disappeared - but there was the contingent of seat ripper-outers and many of those online seem regularly rattled.
Comments
Did Fred only manage 4 or 5 games at the start of the season then? As I don't remember Charles missing any weekend league games?
El-Abd played in the first two - can't remember exactly when Charles re-signed - and Charles missed the Accrington game, which was when Fred came back from his initial injury. So you've got Southend, Fleetwood away, Rochdale away, Posh at home, Bolton away and yesterday.
I can't see Accrington offering us free burgers and coffees this time
I think 80 or 81 points just might get the second automatic promotion slot. Could we do that? Would need seven wins from our final 11 games to get to 80 points. Exciting...isn’t it?
Just realised those projected totals probably aren't all possible as so many teams still have to play each other ?♂️ Here's a much more scientific one (I think it's based on things like PPG and fixture difficulty), albeit not updated for a few weeks:
In our L2 promotion season, our success was built on both on our away form, and beating the lower half of the table - I believe the only bottom 12 team we lost to was Morecambe, who did the double over us.
This season, the loss to MK Dons is the only defeat to someone currently in the bottom half, and this time our home form has been superb. If we can just navigate these tough next four games and maintain contact, anything can happen!
That prediction massively underestimates Coventry in my opinion
I've got Coventry winning the league with Rotherham in 2nd.
The play offs are then taken up by Sunderland, Portsmouth and Peterborough and I had it that we would join them if we could win at Accrington on the last day of the season. Otherwise the 4th play off spot would go to Oxford.
I'm sure the final standings will look nothing like that, although I do strongly fancy Coventry to go up automatically.
Coventry have a series of difficult games but you could be right @eric_plant though I still fancy us to hang on. A mark for the cliche card, but with games against Coventry, Rotherham and Oxford it is, to some extent, 'on our own hands'. If Gareth can conjure wins out of any or all of them, he would be truly lauded!
Fleetwood look more likely to be up there than Oxford to me.
I had them level on points
I think we'll win one or two we don't expect to but also lose one or two of the same. I'm going to boldly predict a point - a whole point - against Cov.
I would be pleased with a backs to the wall anti-football time-wasting point at St Andrews @chairboyscentral or even better a last minute of injury time penalty against the run of play converted by our top scorer. (Upsetting as this desperate scenario would possibly be for @prufrock_91
)
Id take Coventry to win the league. Least losses, games in hand and a quality outfit.
Don't see Rotherham as top two material.
A very analytical look at the promotion race for those interested: https://statsbomb.com/2020/02/unpacking-the-league-one-promotion-race/
I still feel Sunderland and Pompey are capable of wilting, particularly away from home. Much like Ipswich have done, these big clubs have a weight of expectation and demands from large fanbases, and I'm not sure they have the players or managers to cope with the pressure.
I too fancy Cov to win the league.
I agree on Pompey, their fixture schedule is crazy. I just cannot see them catching us with all the games they still have to play.
Top six for me will be:
Coventry
Sunderland
Rotherham
Wycombe
Peterborough
Fleetwood
Oxford and Pompey just missing out. Ipswich being out of it by mid April...
Agree @Commoner but looking at the teams (and their fans) around us wouldn't it be sweet to just sneak into the automatics...
Most people are now ruling out Ipswich who have Norwood out injured and Jackson suspended, so they may struggle for goals for a while.
Imagine managing expectations there as they assumed they would walk this league, just like Sunderland planned to last season.
Lambert angling for a pay off after signing a five year contract?
I'd love us to sneak automatics...wouldn't that be incredible!
I also think Bayo could cause carnage in the Championship, if we played balls into his feet from 10-15 yards away, rather than lumping it up to him. We always play our best football when we have pacy wingers around him, with the number 10 running beyond him, playing a give and go...
Small Town dreams! COYB...
accy are one down but all over Oxford like a pint of spilt milk
Mackems very angry about Fleetwood time-wasting after scoring. Very angry. So angry they forgot to mention Wycombe in any of their lists of time-wasting bar stewards. I would love it it if they and their scintillating Parkinson football stayed down for another season!
Taking as read that we want Peterborough to have a shock loss on Friday and we hope to get three points at Doncaster, what result would we prefer on Sunday? Coventry to win knocking Sunderland back? Sunderland to win and close in on top places? Or a draw keeping us all in the the race?
Draw followed by Cov win imo. Definitely not a Sunderland win. Would rather we keep the chasing pack at bay, as I very much doubt we'll make the top two.
Must admit if we're not going to win it
, I would prefer Coventry to take the title, us to sneak into second (wailing and gnashing of teeth) and then four 'big clubs' struggling through the play-offs... 
IF we do go up automatically, I think we should have an open top bus parade through the streets of Sunderland.
They would not want to watch that...
I can't get on board with the Sunderland digs
Some of the friendliest most welcoming people you could ever wish to meet.
Wasn't it when @wwfcofficial tweeted that "the former Premier League giants have finally managed to beat Wycombe at the fourth attempt" that the Mackem twitterati started getting all arsy?
I think that's when they were at their most arsey. The few I've met have been perfectly friendly - one even saw my Wycombe shirt, shook my hand, chatted briefly, bought me a pint of Guinness then disappeared - but there was the contingent of seat ripper-outers and many of those online seem regularly rattled.