The Last Chance Saloon

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

After such an inconsistent season and especially a poor one at home it is right that supporters expectations are modest regarding our final table position.

It is widely accepted that we are in a transition season but, three things stop me being fully convinced all is done and dusted.

The first is that we have shown the ability twice this season to go on good runs of results.

The second is that on any given day we can beat the best.

The third is that we have players who clearly believe anything is possible. The ''dare to dream'' players and especially James Maddison who has that ''Craig Bellamy/Grant Holt unfazed by the opposition mentality. We have players who have not yet given up the chase.

Back to reality, we now face sides below us who are typical of those whom we have struggled to overcome and we need to find it in ourselves to ''kick on'' by which I mean win games thus turning recent good draws into components of a successful run of results.

Oddly enough, today''s game, not at all glamorous compared to recent games, is the one which will tell us whether we can indeed ''kick on'' because winning will make us one of only 6 - 8 sides capable of taking 5th and 6th places. To that end I''d be happy for 1p5wich to do us a favour at Preston because the home side is the only one of those two with a play-off chance.

The ground work has been done with ''ground out'' draws. They will mean nothing in the collective scheme of things unless backed up with wins. But is they are backed up with wins they will prove to be much more than great late results in retrospect.

So, this is it. The last chance saloon IMHO. Anything less than a win today - forget it. Win today and the groundswell begins.

Good luck City!

[Rock The Boat 1,325]

Not just this game, though Rudolph. Every game until the end of the season sees us in the last-chance saloon.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

That would be great RTB. Something to look forward too rather than a petering out but would we have that anticipation next game if we don''t win today?

[Salopian 1]

For some reason our passing speed in the first half seems too slow, and so is our movement. Perhaps this is why Farke is today playing both our quickest - Murphy and Henandez. At Molineux we gained a worthy point, but we were always faced with a packed defensive wall, as the Wolves midfielders and defenders were very quick to get back. I was worried as we committed more players forward they would score a breakaway goal.

I suspect that if Bolton and other teams struggling at the wrong end come with a defensive plan, we shall struggle to score. We have seen this so many times this season.

[Capt. Pants 4,195]

Last orders served. That was truly shocking.