The season still has more than 1/3 to go.

[Bill 1,788]

Top six would require an average of 2 points a game, giving us 74 points2 points a game over a season is 92 points, which gives an indication of what we have to achieve.It is not about others having to play each other of some dropping of form  eitherbut us achieving a total that should put us there or there abouts.My point was not whether this was possible. But what there is too look forward to, with the youngsters and new players coming through. The obvious team spirit which has us in a much better position than what we were seeing before. Players who should have been doing better, but weren''t.We''ve nothing to lose. Let''s see the likes of Maddison, Lewis, Murphy, Hernandez and the Spurs lad rip into them. No more te tippity tap, take a leave out of Ivo Sprinto''s book and bomb past them. Get the ball in the box and we now have someone who should be able to win the ball.A chance for Farke boy to give the us the exciting football he promised when he first arrived

[lake district canary 4,531]

Of course there are all sorts of reasons to be interested in the rest of the season, it''s not just about top six, but if the team improves it will inevitably lead to a rise up the table and nearer to the play off places.  Imo the pressure is off a little bit, Farke has ridden the storm of the first few months, the players are getting into it, there is more competition for places, the cup games are gone and there is time to see how the team develops over the rest of the season.  Relax and enjoy it!

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Of course there are all sorts of reasons to be interested in the rest of the season, it''s not just about top six, but if the team improves it will inevitably lead to a rise up the table and nearer to the play off places.  Imo the pressure is off a little bit, Farke has ridden the storm of the first few months, the players are getting into it, there is more competition for places, the cup games are gone and there is time to see how the team develops over the rest of the season.  Relax and enjoy it![/quote]Absolutely this. Enjoying Maddison while he''s still here, watching Lewis''s development, enjoying the defensive solidity we look to be forging, and watching ''Angus in goal'' while we can. And you''d expect at least one of Leitner, Hernandez or Srbeny to make a good impact.I just hope we can find a way of upping the tempo in front of the home crowd, because performances and results at Carrow Road haven''t really helped Farke''s cause.

[king canary 7,605]

Maybe I''m just too negative but ''enjoying Gunn and Maddison until we inevitably lose them in the summer'' doesn''t feel like a great selling point.

[Woodman 92]

FTW, therein lies the problem. Had the 1-0 Brentford win been at home, the performance would have been pilloried as being over-defensive, lacking in ambition and ''not the Norwich way''.

It was a battling, ''bodies on the line'' performance, that the majority of the home crowd don''t want to see. They want wins that come from fast paced, exciting football, with goals (plural). There aren''t many teams that do that away from home.

Farke''s challenge is to find two teams - one to frustrate and annoy teams away from home, grinding out wins or draws and one to entertain and thrill fans at home, where we are expected to be on the front foot, pressing for the win.

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

[quote user="Woodman"]FTW, therein lies the problem. Had the 1-0 Brentford win been at home, the performance would have been pilloried as being over-defensive, lacking in ambition and ''not the Norwich way''.

It was a battling, ''bodies on the line'' performance, that the majority of the home crowd don''t want to see. They want wins that come from fast paced, exciting football, with goals (plural). There aren''t many teams that do that away from home.

Farke''s challenge is to find two teams - one to frustrate and annoy teams away from home, grinding out wins or draws and one to entertain and thrill fans at home, where we are expected to be on the front foot, pressing for the win.[/quote]Nail on head. Nothing to add.

[lake district canary 4,531]

Plenty of draws with the teams above us playing tonight, only Preston and Villa making any real ground.  All to play for in the last third of the season....when we get to it of course!

[Van wink 2,994]

Solve the home form conundrum and we are still in with a chance. It’s extraordinary that we are having this debate when our recent history has been plagued by an inability to get results away.

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

Our home form has been far too inconsistent (or consistently poor) for us to countenance a serious chance of getting into the playoffs. Lose to Middlesbrough and you''d have to say any last embers of hope will be extinguished. Beat them, however...

[Essjayess 307]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Plenty of draws with the teams above us playing tonight, only Preston and Villa making any real ground.  All to play for in the last third of the season....when we get to it of course!

[/quote]Lakey, the dynamic has changed. But it should have no effect upon wether City can put in a much more solid consistent last third to the season, which could push us up the table a few places. But i believe even the small possibility there was of  a 6th place position for City has now shrunk even smaller, the dynamic being Fulham.Since Xmas time, when City moved from being to near the relegation teams to moving up to catch the coat tails of the teams chasing the 6th place, City have kind of stayed to within a 6 to 10 point gap to 6th place. But that was due to teams like Sheff Utd, Leeds, Preston etc not being to much more better than us at point gathering. But Fulham, once again as last year, are on a charge and will likely force the points  gap to widen considerably and quickly. In effect City will need to go on a winning streak, something they have not shown all season.With a charging Fulham, the teams around them will have to be more consistent to keep pace. But like i said, im optimistic in my outlook, and can see the City improving, not just this season, but next season also.

[lake district canary 4,531]

Not sure the dynamic has changed that much Essjayess. I see Fulham are doing well, but Bristol City have been struggling as have Cardiff recently, so it could be one of them that falls by the way side.  Teams above us will loses points as a matter of course - for instance,

Fulham have to play a lot of the top eight clubs in the next few weeks -

so point will be dropped by those above us. We would have to go on a big winning streak to get up there, but it isn''t impossible.  Any club down to us in 13th has the potential to get into the play offs, if they can get their act together - and there is aways space for an in form team to make a late charge into the play offs, even if it takes to the last day of the season. As always it is simple - win your matches and you will get there........doing it is a different matter though!

[Woodman 92]

Can''t see the top 8 changing much between now and the end of the season. I think Wolves and Villa will go up automatically, with Fulham, Cardiff, Boro and Derby in the playoffs. Preston might nudge their way in ahead of Boro, but losing Hugill could be costly for them. But, a really good run for us would do wonders for confidence and keep the season alive for a few more weeks.

[Van wink 2,994]

We''ve got more points in the last five games than nine of the twelve teams above us.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

You are looking at 11 points to Cardiff and Bristol City. That’s just not going to happen unless we suddenly hit title winning form. And that’s before you factor in the other 6 or 7 teams between us.

We have only won 4 home games all year, so I just cannot see that turnaround happening

[Van wink 2,994]

Bristol City and Cardiff have both got 4 points from their last five games, we got 10.

[king canary 7,605]

@Van Wink

As mentioned earlier though, our excellent form since boxing day has only cut the gap to the top 6 by 2 points. And I doubt we can sustain that sort of form between now and the end of the season.

[Van wink 2,994]

I don’t doubt your word on that KC but I would be interested to look at that, have spent a while searching but I can’t find a site that shows historic championship tables, anyone got a link?

[Legend Iwan 30]

The gap to the top 6 after our Boxing Day win was 11 points, which we''ve since reduced to 8points, climbing two places from 15th to 13th.

If you want previous Championship tables, Van wink, go to our results on the BBC website. They have the relevant table alongside each match report.

[king canary 7,605]

@Van Wink

The bbc match reports have the table from that time next to them.

So here is the report from Brentford at home just before we went on this run of form- the table to the right shows us as being 10 points off the playoffs after that match.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42362364

[Van wink 2,994]

Thanks

[lake district canary 4,531]

Good result against Middlsbro and the last time I''ll be able to say it this season........still more than a third of the season to go [:O]

[BroadstairsR 2,164]

I still remain confident we could make the play offs.

I suppose it amounts to how good the new boys are ... especially the striker..