With Sunderland's two games in hand and already level with us on points, it looks very strongly to me as though the playoffs will comprise BFC, Portsmouth, Charlton and Donny. Our six games against those opponents have yielded only one win, four draws and one defeat. I always feel the third-placed team in these situations wrestles with the "disappointed" factor - see Walsall 2016, for example - but I have no statistical evidence to support that being a decisive factor. We could of course possibly finish as low as fifth! I can only see Skynobet as having gone up on the Playoff winners, and they offer: Barnsley 5/2 Portsmouth 11/4 Charlton 7/2 Doncaster 4/1 Interestingly, that's an under-round book, so £100 could be invested on all four and you would return £102.61 for any of the four to win if you are certain they will be the finalists. I wouldn't recommend that though!
I largely think it's a pretty level playing field when teams get to the playoffs. A bit of luck often helps and momentum as well. We have 5 games to try and get that momentum back & find some revitalised tactics. one or two experiments, like playing Thiam at number 10 haven't really come off. There is time though & DS will be working hard with the boys on the training ground to turn around recent disappointments.
Difficult one to call, but of the two of them, I'd fancy Portsmouth ahead of Sunderland for the automatic spot - they have a Wembley wind in their sails and we all know how that works. I'm still hoping we'll get second spot, mind. ..... ****, I've started talking like a Marra
They aren't certain to be the finalists though. Theoretically Peterborough and Sunderland could still be in the play offs. On Betfair exchange you would risk 45 to lay sunderland at 100 being promoted or 100 on Portsmouth returns 254 , which looks good value as I think.it includes play off win
I once read an article on the chances of getting promoted from each position and I think it’s a bit of a myth that 3rd place tend to fail. If I remember correctly the 3rd place team gets promoted more times than any other position but it’s by no way guaranteed. I think the play offs will be extremely tight this year to be honest if it’s 4 of us, Sunderland, Pompey, Donny and Charlton. There’s not a lot between the teams.
After all the fkin crowing and premature celebrations on that utterly bizarre marra forum, there'd be no little schadenfreude in seeing Pompey pip them for 2nd. Compounded by us dicking them at Wembley; we owe them one.
Don't know how they can have us as the favourites for the play offs. Our record against the other five sides in the top six is poor and we've taken a couple of tonkings away at Burton and Shrewsbury and neither side are as good as the teams we'd have to play.
Wouldn't describe it as poor. We've lost 2 out of 10 against top 5 haven't we? I know most have been draws, but wouldn't class those results as poor.
We'd also currently be going in to the play offs on the back of iffy form and we don't know how much not beating Coventry to go 8 clear of Sunderland played on the players minds last weekend.
We would currently be going in on bad form, however, there are another five games to play. I don't think we will get automatic now but win 4/5 of those games and we will be going in to the play offs in good form. Anything can happen in those 3 play off games, but as we've only lost 2/10 against current top 5 I wouldn't rule us out.
We've not fared brilliantly against any of them tbf. I'd be confident of at least drawing at Oakwell but away from home I couldn't see us beating any of them at present. Ideally Posh will sneak in at the last second, we easily beat them home and away. Even more ideally we'll get our **** together, Sunderland will drop a few points and we'll finish 2nd.
The opinions of the so called experts makes depressing reading. Only Andy Hinchcliffe sees us going up automatically, whilst our prospects in the play offs according to them, also appear to be bleak.! It's a big ask given Sunderlands perceived games in hand advantage, but we can only hope that the boys do their very best in our remaining games and hopefully are able to prove everyone wrong. https://www.skysports.com/football/...ky-bet-championship-league-one-and-league-two
Just looked at Sunderland’s fixtures and there game against Portsmouth is huge. Last home game of season and might have to win it. Equally Portsmouth have to win. Coventry, Doncaster,Peterborough and then Portsmouth is no easy run of games
