the Evening of January 1st, 2014

Nine big games in the 5 1/2 weeks starting next Saturday.  27 points up for grab.  Where do you think we will be after our game on the 1st of the New Year?

I think we'll be in or just about top 10.

Then we'll push on for the play-offs.

Our next 2 games will tell us a lot. If I'm honest I think we'll struggle to make the play offs. Hope I'm wrong.

observer wrote:Nine big games in the 5 1/2 weeks starting next Saturday.  27 points up for grab.  Where do you think we will be after our game on the 1st of the New Year?

We are currently on 16 points so I think a realistic assessment would be 36 points. 20 points out of a possible 27. Am I setting my sights too high?

I'm just hoping it's enough to pull us clear of the relegation zone. I guess I think that Dougie's target of "top half" is about right and achievable if all goes well - and if we don't lose any more players through injury.

The run up to Christmas and the period over the holidays will almost certainly define our season once and for all. 

I believe we'll get something in the region of fifteen points from those twenty seven available. That would put us on thirty one and by then that will probably be mid-table (ie somewhere between 10th and 14th) but not so far away from the playoffs as to make it unfeasible to get in them by the end of the season. Anything less than fifteen and I think we can forget the play offs. Twenty or more, well, if that happens then I'd suggest we might even be IN the play off spots and that Automatic promotion won't be completely out of the question by any means. 

I base my assessment of fifteen points on current form, thirteen from the last twenty one. If we continue to improve then we could easily get more and if it does turn out to be a 'false dawn' then we could wind up getting ten or less and hovering right back in the relegation mix. We're not clear of that yet so I suppose for me the target works like this. 

November: Get the hell away from that bottom three, put some real daylight between us and the team in 22nd. 

December: Kick on, start chasing down the play off pack, catch them would be nice but at the very least stay in touch with them. 

I think fifteen points will allow us to do that.

Reebok Trotter wrote:

observer wrote:Nine big games in the 5 1/2 weeks starting next Saturday.  27 points up for grab.  Where do you think we will be after our game on the 1st of the New Year?

We are currently on 16 points so I think a realistic assessment would be 36 points. 20 points out of a possible 27. Am I setting my sights too high?

maybe trotter but to be honest it's nice to see someone so optimistic. Personally I think fifteen, 4 wins, three draws, 2 defeats. Keeps us in touch with the play offs and puts some real daylight between us and the drop zone. I'd be happy with that on current form. If we did get twenty or more I'd start writing my thank you letter to Santa immediately.

Watford (A) - Draw
Middlesborugh (A) - Draw
Huddersfield (H) - Draw
Doncaster (H) - Win
Wigan (A) - Draw
Charlton (H) - Win
Barnsley (A) - Win
Leicester (A) -Loss

13 Points

BoltonTillIDie wrote:Watford (A) - Draw
Middlesborugh (A) - Draw
Huddersfield (H) - Draw
Doncaster (H) - Win
Wigan (A) - Draw
Charlton (H) - Win
Barnsley (A) - Win
Leicester (A) -Loss

13 Points

BTID, you have only selected 8 games. Don't forget the Boro home game on the 1st Jan.

We'll be in a similar position to where we are now.

Maybe 20 points is asking too much so I'll let my head rule my heart and go with:

Watford (A) -  1-1 Draw  1 point
Middlesborugh (A)  2-0 loss. ( New manager and all that )
Hudddersfield (H) - 2-1 win  3 points.
Doncaster (H) - 3-0 Win      3 points
Wigan (A) - 2-1 loss   ( The Owen Coyle factor )
Charlton (H) - 2-1 Win         3 points
Barnsley (A) -  2-1 Win         3 points
Leicester (A) - 1-1 Draw       1 point
Boro (H)   1-0 win                3 points.

Total 17 points. I'll be happy with that. It takes us to 33.

I can only realistically see 11 or 12 points from those games which will keep us away from relegation but still nowhere near the play offs. I haven't seen anything in our recent run to suggest we're suddenly going to switch to promotion form which most are suggesting. Doesn't look like the squad is going to change much between now and then either so no real catalyst to improve results.