Play-offs

[The Great Mass Debater]

So it looks like the play-offs, we've had an inconsistent season (including what came before Alex Neil) so thats probably a fair outcome. Bournemouth probably deserve to win the league.

Unless things have changed 3rd team plays 6th team and 4th team plays 5th. We're 4th at the moment on goals scored and have to expect Watford to make that on points later today.

So if we finish 4th, its about who finishes 5th for us.

At the moment thats Derby, by a point over Ipswich in 6th. Ipswich play Wolves away who would displace them in 6th with a 4-0 win. Derby are away to Huddersfield (no given as we found out). 

Brentford are home to Bolton, 3 points behind Ipswich in 6th.

So our likely opponents are far from known. We're unlikely to finish below 4th and probably unlikely to finish 3rd.

So with any of Derby, Ipswich, Wolves and Brentford as likely semi-final opponents (but Derby perhaps the most likely), do you have a preference?

We've come a cropper with all of them bar Ipswich this season, so maybe they are the team to hope for?

If it is Ipswich, what would be better? A home and away semi? Or the prospect of an East Anglian Derby play-off final at Wembley??

 

[splutcho]

The final!

 

[Suffolk Canary]

I'd much rather play the scum in the semis than the final. Anyone can beat anyone in a final, at least having two games should be enough for our quality to shine through. I'd also feel pretty confident against Brentford. 

I'd really want to avoid Derby. We played one of the best games of the season at derby and only managed to scrape a last minute equaliser, and when we played at home they had they're two best players injured and we could still only manage a draw. 

Looking at our potential opponents, I don't fancy our chances of reaching Wembley. And if we did manage it, we would be big outsiders against Boro or maybe Watford 

 

[splutcho]

I'd much rather play the scum in the semis than the final. Anyone can beat anyone in a final, at least having two games should be enough for our quality to shine through. I'd also feel pretty confident against Brentford. 

I'd really want to avoid Derby. We played one of the best games of the season at derby and only managed to scrape a last minute equaliser, and when we played at home they had they're two best players injured and we could still only manage a draw. 

Looking at our potential opponents, I don't fancy our chances of reaching Wembley. And if we did manage it, we would be big outsiders against Boro or maybe Watford 

We wouldn't be big outsiders against anyone. Sorry but that's nonsense.

 

[Suffolk Canary]

We wouldn't be big outsiders against anyone. Sorry but that's nonsense.

On the last few games, probably not.  But over the course of the season, as stated in the original post, we have been inconsistent and nowhere near the levels of the likes of Boro and Watford.  It's taken a near-miraculous run of wins just to get us in 4th. 

 

[splutcho]

We haven't been inconsistent since we've had a proper manager!

 

[Beauseant]

We've lost two in seventeen, haven't lost away for months and yet we have fans losing faith. What a fickle bunch we are.

 

[KeiranShikari]

Adams did pretty well against the top 8 sides too.

 

[Gaffer]

As we're guaranteed a play-off place but it seems highly unlikely we'll make the top two, is there an argument for resting our key players for the next two games to keep them fresh for the play-offs?

 

[Gaffer]

Just as I posted that Sheffield Wednesday get an equaliser. A top two finish still seems unlikely though as we'd need to win both our games and Middlesbrough to drop points and Watford and Bournemouth to lose at least one. Even then we still may not make the top two due to GD. Time to rest players I think.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

As we're guaranteed a play-off place but it seems highly unlikely we'll make the top two, is there an argument for resting our key players for the next two games to keep them fresh for the play-offs?

There is, but the problem with that is the winding down and loss of momentum. More often than not its the team that snatches 6th on the last day that ultimately wins the play-offs as they're buoyant and have a run of momentum, while the team in 3rd is dealing with the disappointment of missing out and often qualified a few weeks earlier and has begun to wind down.

Personally Id prefer Alex Neil to say lets destroy Rotherham and Fulham and strike some fear into the hearts of our opponents! 5-0 both games!

 

[Beauseant]

Don't think we'll rest anyone next week as we'll still have of autos, but we may do so for Fulham. Don't buy the momentum argument; do you really think players have less desire to be in the Prem because they have to get there via the playoffs? I would suggest they have more.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Don't think we'll rest anyone next week as we'll still have of autos, but we may do so for Fulham. Don't buy the momentum argument; do you really think players have less desire to be in the Prem because they have to get there via the playoffs? I would suggest they have more.

No not at all - but its basic psychology, and football is played in the mind even more than it is played on the pitch

 

[Suffolk Canary]

Even if it was mathematically impossible to get top 2, i highly doubt AN would rest any players. You could see last night Johnson seemed to lose an edge to his game after missing 2. The best players should always play as much as they can, whenever they can.

Plus, we still have positions to fight for. I'd much rather get 3rd and play the scum than finish 4th and play derby

 

[Gaffer]

We might win both games and still finish fourth and play Derby. I agree that if we're out of contention then AN will rest players for Fulham, but the worse-case scenario would be for it to go to the final day, fight for the win and it makes no difference. Everything we do now should be geared towards winning the play-offs.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

You could see last night Johnson seemed to lose an edge to his game after missing 2

Absolutely. Had his form interrupted

 

[Wiz]

We shouldn't fear anyone...but they should fear us!

 

[Dubai Mark]

The above!That's the spirit and will be the attitude in the dressing room too I'm sure! 

 

[Canaryboy]

Our manager was promoted in the play-offs last season with Hamilton, beating our assistant manager in the final, so I'm fairly confident that the players will be suitably prepared  B)

 

[Boyerboy]

I don't fear anyone in the playoffs.

Nor do I consider our recent form miraculous though it is very good. It is our pre Neil form that is the anomaly. We gave away too many points to poorer teams and did not play to our abilities.

In this league, a team with players like Grabban, Hooper and Redmond on the bench should be racking strings of consecutive wins. We have a quality squad that is well led.

I don't fear anyone in the playoffs.