Only 10 points off the play offs...

Reebok Trotter wrote:Billy Davies going back to Forest will all end in tears. Mark my words, it wont work out with him and the current owners. Billy Davies is a lower league Harry Redknapp. Always wanting to spend money on new players as long as the money isn't coming out of his own pocket.

Can't stand HR, such a wanker.

In answer to the original question, do I think we can make it, of course we can, everyone keeps saying this league is so unpredictable and anyone can beat anyone then their is no reason we can't go on a run of about 6 unbeaten and close the gap to about 3/4 points off the play offs come the end of march.

The major problem is we're so inconsistent that putting a string of results together is near impossible for us at the moment, however is Doogie can get it right with the new players he has brought in, add to that Mavies, Holden and Wheater coming back then we have a great chance.

I say "No" .....at least not for now.
Using the Burnley game as an example ....we did not dominate them, create tons of chances, look like we were a class above etc. Pure luck that our subs worked out this time won us the game. It's barely good enough at home .... and away we would have been beat in all likeyhood.
We may have the players now to get up to mid table ....but just like OC ....the daft bloke in charge will not play them.
I'll change my opinion if I see evidence anytime soon.

Michael Bolton wrote:Do you think we can make it? We have never ever got going this season but still are only ten points off. If we can finally start putting a run of wins together surely we can make the play offs? We are still 40/1 to be promoted on betfair. I just feel we can do it. Do you?

No we won't- even if we put a decent run together. A lot of the clubs around us are picking points up -as are the clubs already in the playoff places. Even if we win a few, the gap will close too slowly- we've not enough games left.
Dougie has still not found a winning formula- he'll experiment again at Forest with team selection.
We'll finish top half- but below the playoff places

Last Week:

Natasha Whittam wrote:I've always known we were shite, but I always thought we'd have enough to stay mid-table and avoid a relegation scrap. How wrong I was. Looking at the league table and our recent results we are strong candidates to be playing league 1 football next season.

Now:

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Boggersbelief wrote: this season needs to be written off.

What a bellend. Write the season off? Are you crazy? I want the team to go out there and fooking well try and win every game.

Where I come from you never give up. 10 points can be pulled back. If we won our next 5 games I bet the gap would be down to 4 points.

If we win our next 4 games on the bounce, we will be in with a shot.

We have to keep momentum going though, something I think we cant muster.

We have not won 2 games on the bounce since last season. I cant see this trend suddenly changing.

I think we are in with a VERY SMALL chance of making the play offs, but its going to rely on us battering everything that's put in front of us AND results from the clubs above us going our way.

i think its to much of a long-shot if im honest...

I don't see your point Lofty.

Last week we'd lost and were in a relegation battle. This week we've won, and I've said it's not impossible to get in the play-offs. I don't think we will, but I'd like to have a go instead of being cautious.

Being clever isn't your strong point, don't do it again.

Natasha Whittam wrote:I don't see your point Lofty.

Last week we'd lost and were in a relegation battle. This week we've won, and I've said it's not impossible to get in the play-offs. I don't think we will, but I'd like to have a go instead of being cautious.

Being clever isn't your strong point, don't do it again.

You're obviously the most fickle out of the lot.

You are losing my respect.

Another one who can't read.

What's fickle about thinking we are shite but hoping we get in the play-offs?

I've seen you say that dougies taking us down to league one many times, now after an undeserved win, you are saying promotion is possible.

THAT is fickle.

Natasha Whittam wrote:I don't see your point Lofty.

Last week we'd lost and were in a relegation battle. This week we've won, and I've said it's not impossible to get in the play-offs. I don't think we will, but I'd like to have a go instead of being cautious.

Being clever isn't your strong point, don't do it again.

My point was you called Boggers a bellend for having a negative view, which was actually a slightly more optimistic view than what yours was only last week.

In the space of two weeks you have said all the players are shite and have no skill, but are somehow still capable of getting to the playoffs. You have said we will be finishing mid table, and you have said we will be relegated. Make up your mind, you seem to have a different opinion every day.

Boggersbelief wrote:I've seen you say that dougies taking us down to league one many times, now after an undeserved win, you are saying promotion is possible.

THAT is fickle.

Rubbish. Fickle would be saying Dougie is taking us down one week, and then Dougie is getting us promoted the following week.

I still think we're struggling, but the play-offs are not impossible. I don't think for a minute Dougie is leading us anywhere but into trouble, but that doesn't mean I can't cling onto some hope that these ponces put a few wins together.

There is a clear difference between whether we are capable of getting to the playoffs and whether we would like to get to the playoffs. I'm assuming that anyone who supports BWFC would give a resounding "Yes" to the second question.

My own view on the first question - whether we are capable of doing it or not - is that it's very unlikely.

In our favour is the fact the in this league, the overused cliche that "every club can beat any another on a given day" is actually true if results and points tallies so far are anything to go by - so the points gap isn't unbridgeable. We can't control how other clubs perform or the results they get, but it doesn't look as if a group of clubs will break away from the pack that easily.

We can control our own performances though. Recently we've gone from fragile at the back to average at the back, from impotent attacking threat to potentially good if we can get some consistency, from a losing mentality ("how dare other teams have the audacity beat us, the pre-season favourites!") to a "maybe we'll get our just rewards if we work really, really hard" mentality.

I do feel we're heading in the right direction, but to get to the playoffs with a developing WIP team from this position is a lot to ask. The next few games will be crucial because to do it we would need momentum on our side - something we haven't had for ages.

I'll be happy if we just keep improving although a few wins to steady the nerves would help and anything above and beyond that would be a bonus.

Few things are more important in football than confidence. If we win at Forest we will have some.

If we go to Forest and play cautious football like we did at Palace and Watford I will be cross.

Natasha Whittam wrote:Few things are more important in football than confidence. If we win at Forest we will have some.

If we go to Forest and play cautious football like we did at Palace and Watford I will be cross.

If we go to forest and beat them 0-5 you'll still be cross.

Don't see us doing it, but it's too early to rule it out completely.

I'm in two minds about whether long term it would be too early for us to go back up given what we've seen this season. Granted to get up we'd have to see a big improvement in performances but would the team be ready to stay in the division? Given how much clubs like QPR, Reading and Southampton have spent this year could we compete?

When we do go back up we need to have a long term plan in place and a system that can get us results, so we can stay up. Look at the success Southampton are having because of the new manager tweaking an already good system, same goes for Swansea and to an extent Wigan, by playing to a strong system you can take on any team on your day regardless of ability that's what we're going to need because we aren't going to get a huge investment.

I think on paper our squads starting to look stronger, but DF is still relatively inexperienced and even though I think he will become a top manger for us he's obviously still learning so maybe one more year to settle a squad would benefit us.

bwfc1874 wrote:Don't see us doing it, but it's too early to rule it out completely.

It's never too early to go up.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc1874 wrote:Don't see us doing it, but it's too early to rule it out completely.

It's never too early to go up.

Yes it is. You have to win a certain amount of points to go up.

Boggersbelief wrote:

Yes it is. You have to win a certain amount of points to go up.

Desperate.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc1874 wrote:Don't see us doing it, but it's too early to rule it out completely.

It's never too early to go up.

Im in two minds about it, sure there would be some investment if we were to, but we'd be in danger of getting battered most weeks and coming straight back down.

Another years growth and development whilst adding a couple more decent players could see us have a glorious promotion, which sounds more entertaining to be fair.