automatics gone

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="joe"]That is all I have to say to that didn''t even celebrate either goals, a point is absolutely useless, poor display again, 5 points of the top 2 is too much at this stage, completely gutted once again oh the joys of being a Norwich fan, hooper was terrible once again and tonight ultimately showed how much we miss grabban, the playoffs beckon I''m afraid[/quote]Joe spends most of his time listening to radiohead with a shotgun in his mouth....

[Crafty Canary 508]

Whilst automatic promotion is still possible it is unlikely. Since 2000/2001 the points needed to reach second place has been 81 - 93 points excluding two exceptional seasons when 79 points were sufficient. The average is 87 to 88 points. This would suggest that we wil need 20 to 21 points from the last 24 points available. That''s 6 wins and 2 draws or 7 wins and 1 defeat. I suspect that both Watford and Middlesbrough will continue with their good run to the end and Bournemouth are not going anywhere either.

So it seems likely that we''ll have the pleasure of the play offs and a possible Wembly visit. That wouldn''t be a disaster.

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

A dozen or so games ago it was totally unthinkable. after a great run it raised hope but we have not managed to keep up the level of performance and results over the last few games at a time when 3 of the original top 4 have really picked up. Playoffs really at best now unless we win virtually every game left, but i expect us to be a tantalizing 4 or 5 points short at the end of the day

[Tetteys Jig 830]

We can allow one of them to run off with the title as far as i''m concerned. Boro have Bournemouth and Watford to play still and hopefully Bournemouth''s bubble of resurgence burst last night at Wigan. A win on Sat will put us right amongst it again and If we say Watford are the team that are allowed to run away with it, that just leave Boro to catch which a win over them will do allied to Watford beating or drawing with them.

It''s still on, it just became that bit harder.

[Highland Canary 76]

Given where we were post-Reading a sixth placed finish would be an amazing success. For the second season in a row the board made an (arguably) egregious error. However this season they may have acted just early enough for us to gain a lottery place.

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

Interesting that people think both Watford and Boro will "continue their good runs" but they don''t give us much hope.

[sonyc 5,541]

We will know whether we are a lost cause or a potential top 2 team at 5pm on the Easter Monday. 7 or 9 points from our next 3 games could mean it gets interesting. Whatever it''s an exciting season. The best since we went up under Lambert

[Highland Canary 76]

The automatics went not this week but last May. We need to ensure that we don''t drop out of the playoffs which are by no means guaranteed. With only one win in four another slide is the last thing we need.

[SwindonCanary 455]

[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]Interesting that people think both Watford and Boro will "continue their good runs" but they don''t give us much hope.[/quote]All the people in the media, especially all those ex-footballers on Sky always mention us as going up, I''d rather believe them than anyone panicking on this site. 

[PurpleCanary 5,586]

[quote user="Highland Canary"]The automatics went not this week but last May. We need to ensure that we don''t drop out of the playoffs which are by no means guaranteed. With only one win in four another slide is the last thing we need.[/quote]An intriguing notion, and not one I''ve seen expressed here before. As a matter of interest, which managers realistically available to us in May and willing to join a Championship club would have guaranteed us automatic promotion?I ask because an exhaustive look at the managers who did take over Championship clubs in the summer or even the autumn (including the two other relegated clubs with Premier League sqauds and parachute payments) doesn''t appear to throw up even one name of a sure-fire success.There is not one manager there who has put together such a run of results that it can remotely be assumed they would have had us in the top two if chosen by our board in the summer.

[Crafty Canary 508]

It''s not a case of panicking Swindon Canary but being pragmatic. I''d rather be defending a 5 point lead with 8 games remaining than trying to overcome that lead. There is no reason to believe that Watford, Middlesbrough or Bournemouth are all going to suffer slumps. Yes, they may drop points here and there however we don''t have that luxury. The football man who knows our squad best right now is Alex Neil and he has stated that we have made the job of achieving automatic promotion much more difficult thsn it was.

[mrs miggins 0]

Personally I think it will come down to the Boro game whether we get the title or not.

[93vintage 16]

I was hopeful a couple of games ago that we''d get at least 4 points from the Derby and Huddersfield games, but now I''d say we only have a 15-20% chance of the autos. The manager gambled with an inappropriate attacking strategy against Huddersfield and we ended up effectively dropping 2 points to widen the gap to 5 points.The run in for the top five has a lot to do with pressure. A run of a loss and a draw could increase it for the current top two, but we''ve increased it on ourselves by failing to win in our last couple of games.Six wins and two draws might be enough if we beat Middlesbrough, but it''s a mammoth task ahead.

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="Crafty Canary"]Whilst automatic promotion is still possible it is unlikely. Since 2000/2001 the points needed to reach second place has been 81 - 93 points excluding two exceptional seasons when 79 points were sufficient. The average is 87 to 88 points. This would suggest that we wil need 20 to 21 points from the last 24 points available. That''s 6 wins and 2 draws or 7 wins and 1 defeat. I suspect that both Watford and Middlesbrough will continue with their good run to the end and Bournemouth are not going anywhere either.

So it seems likely that we''ll have the pleasure of the play offs and a possible Wembly visit. That wouldn''t be a disaster.[/quote]I agree it looks difficult from here Crafty but we could close the gap to three points on Saturday if results go our way (Boro are atBournemouth while Watford play the scum).

The way the lead has changed hands so many times this season shows the pressure they are under, and as long as we start winning again we will still be in with a shout. As they say, getting to the top is hard, staying there is even harder.

[canary_1902 0]

You''re mad if you think the scum will do us a favour.Those halfwits would probably lose on purpose if they thought they could spite us!

[Making Plans 940]

Still think we will win the league. Meanwhile, the torture never stops!

[mrs miggins 0]

3 points behind, 7 games to go. It''s not over yet

[Mr Jenkins 0]

2 points behind

[Carrow89 0]

Automatic place only two points behind, with Boro playing Watford whilst we are at home to Sheff Weds.We have Brighton away whilst Watford are at home to Derby. We win both our games and I believe that we will be in the top two.

[mrs miggins 0]

nah, we''re going for the title J

[zippy23255 0]

Yep, Ip5h1t definitely did us a favour. Only 2 points behind 2nd, 3 behind top

[Mr Jenkins 0]

mrs miggins wrote the following post at 21/03/2015 6:39 PM:

nah, we''re going for the title J

And quite right too.

[Carrow89 0]

Of course we are going for the title, but I was pointing out how cloe we were to the automatics as a reply to the OPIpswich did not do us a favour, a draw would have suited us better.

[ricardo 7,402]

[quote user="ricardo"]Many a slip twixt cup and lip.still many twists and turns to come.[Y][/quote]more than a few today[Y]

[mrs miggins 0]

bump

[Carrow89 0]

[quote user="Bob Down"]Automatic place only two points behind, with Boro playing Watford whilst we are at home to Sheff Weds.We have Brighton away whilst Watford are at home to Derby. We win both our games and I believe that we will be in the top two.

[/quote]And we are, well done me !